【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2017 年 5月 24 日羅馬慈幼會總部訊】 ─ 鮑思高神父何時開始在言談及著作中，論及他稱頌至聖童貞聖母，以「進教之佑」之名呼求她的意願？每當這個瞻禮在全球各地舉行時，總會有人提出這個問題。
By Fr Fedele Giraudi, SDB
鮑思高神父於1853年3月開始出版「公教讀物」系列，並在1854年為訂戶及讀者出版名為「君子」的年鑑。1860年5月24日出版的「君子」，才首次提及「進教之佑童貞聖母」的瞻禮日。
1861年，在5月24日之後出版的「君子」中，鮑思高神父指出：「至聖童貞在她極為堪當的名號下：信友之助佑，進教之佑。」這樣，其他流行的名號，便在這教會所欽定的瞻禮日上，暫時讓位給「進教之佑」了。……
事實上，聖母進教之佑的名號，是開始在鮑思高神父的夢境中出現。1862年5月30日晚上，鮑思高神父告訴他的青年，有關海中兩根大柱的奇夢，那就是今天在進教之佑大殿所展示的圖像。他指出在其中一根大柱上，有童貞聖母的雕像，聖母腳下有一塊大牌子，寫著「進教之佑」。
數月後，1862年12月的一個晚上，鮑思高神父向他第二位繼承人歐培拉，說了這些話：「我們的聖方濟沙雷氏堂太小了，不能容納所有青年，所以我們要建造另一所更壯麗、更宏偉，以『進教之佑』為名的聖殿。」
鮑思高神父也向即將成為樞機的賈利哀勞神父，展示了聖殿的設計。……「我們的時代十分可悲，真的需要童貞聖母幫助我們，保存捍衛基督信仰。你知道建堂的另一個原因嗎？」
賈利哀勞回應說：「我猜另一個原因就是，這裡要成為我們未來修會的母堂，一切我們的青年事業，都是從這個中心開展出去。」「你猜得對，」鮑思高神父這樣回應了他：「聖母是創始者，她將繼續支持我們的青年事業。」
When Don Bosco started talking about the wish to honor the Virgin as “Auxilium Christianorum”
(ANS – Rome –RMG, 24 May 2017) – When did Don Bosco begin to talk and write about the wish to honor the Most Holy Virgin Mary, by invoking her with the title of Help of Christians? It is a question that comes back every time that this big feast is celebrated around the world.
By Fr Fedele Giraudi, SDB
Started in March 1853 the “Catholic Readings” series, Don Bosco also published in 1854 the “Gentleman”, an almanac intended for subscribers and readers. It was only in the booklet for the year 1860 that the “Gentleman” noticed for the first time on May 24: “Blessed Virgin Help of Christians”.
In the 1861 booklet next to May 24, Don Bosco wished to be written: “The Most Holy Virgin with the well-deserved title of Help of Christians, Auxilium Christianorum”, thus preventing all the popular almanacs from pointing out, without ever ceasing, the day fixed by the Church for such anniversary. (…)
In fact, Our Lady began to be present in his dreams with the title of Help of Christians. On the evening of May 30, 1862, Don Bosco told to his young people about the dream of the two columns in the midst of the sea, that is shown today in a picture that is in the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians. Above one of the columns, he told that he had seen the statue of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, at whose foot there was a big signboard with these words: Auxilium Christianorum.
A few months later, one evening in December 1862, to the cleric Paolo Albera, who was then his second Successor, Don Bosco addressed these exact words: “our St. Francis of Sales Church is too small and can no longer contain all the young people. We will therefore build another one that will be more beautiful, bigger, that could be magnificent, and we will give it the title of the Church of Mary Help of Christians”.
Don Bosco expressed his design even to Fr Giovanni Cagliero, who became then Cardinal. (…) “Our times are so sad that we really need that the Virgin helps us to preserve and defend the Christian faith. And do you know another why? ”
“I suppose,” replied Cagliero, “that will be the Mother Church of our future Congregation, the center from which we will emanate all our other works in favor of the youth”. “You guessed- replied Don Bosco-: Our Lady is the founder and will be the supporter of our works in favor of the youth”.