A Beloved Presence Among the Young
“Don Cagliero was the idol of the young. With an exuberant temperament, full of energy, he felt and communicated to others the joy of living with Don Bosco: working, running, giving oneself. Often, after Don Bosco’s ‘good night,’ the boys would approach Don Cagliero and greet him with spontaneous affection.” Thus Don Giuseppe Guzzonato, Rector of the Salesian house of Ivrea, described Giovanni Cagliero in a biography written for the centenary of the first Salesian missionary departure to South America.
A Pioneer Formed by Sacrifice and Vision
The character of this “pioneer” was exactly what was needed to face the uncertainties and vast missionary horizons that opened up in response to the Founder’s dream, who had simply indicated the goal: “Patagonia,” asking only that they reach it as soon as possible. Cagliero’s life began in that corner of the Asti region around Castelnuovo, like others who would bind themselves to Don Bosco for life, beginning with Dominic Savio. It was almost a geographical mark of a holy passion that required sacrifice, optimism, and vision—peasants hardened by hunger and at times by family loss, yet conscious that their future would unfold far from their native lands.
The First Encounter with Don Bosco
Born in 1838, young Cagliero saw Don Bosco arrive in Morialdo with great honor and was deeply struck by him: “I saw him for the first time when I was twelve. He was surrounded by the Provost, my teacher, and other priests from the area, and I noticed how much attention they gave him.” Don Bosco noticed the admiring eyes of the boy, spoke with him until he expressed the desire to join the boys of the Oratory, and they agreed that the following year a place would be found for him at Valdocco. In reality, that “place” meant sharing a bed with another boy during the first days… with few means but full of happiness, as Canon Ballesio later recalled: “We were poor, but we lived in affection.”
Across the Ocean for the Mission
In hindsight, this was the essential training ground for the challenge of crossing the ocean—ten of them with a single suitcase—together with the Sisters of Mercy of Savona, choosing to live in poverty in the port district of Buenos Aires and later in the freezing climate of Río Grande, amid a war aimed at eliminating the native peoples of southern Argentina.
Founder and Shepherd in the Americas
Don Bosco appointed Fr. Giovanni Cagliero head of the first missionary expedition, trusting in his human qualities and firm faith. It proved a winning choice. Cagliero opened the first Salesian school in Patagonia, founded the first hospital entrusted to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, and rode on horseback into the territories of the Tehuelche and the Araucanians. Within a few years he crossed national borders into Chile and Uruguay, and later reached Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. He was recognized as having a charisma similar to that which guided Michele Rua in spreading Don Bosco’s charism in Europe. In 1897 he was appointed the first Salesian Bishop of Viedma; later he became Apostolic Delegate for Central America, facilitating the arrival of other religious institutes in the region. Pope Benedict XV recognized his merits by creating him Cardinal in 1915.
A Lasting Legacy in Patagonia
He died in Italy in 1926, but the Argentine Salesians and the people he had known and served requested that his remains be transferred to Viedma. So it was. This was not only a rightful resting place where he had spent his greatest energies, but also a powerful light so that the mission might continue to have its guiding beacon. In Patagonia, the vocation of Ceferino Namuncurá matured—the son of the last great chief of the Araucanians—who came to Italy to pursue Salesian formation in the Diocese of Frascati under Cagliero’s guidance. Later, in Viedma, at the hospital built by Don Evasio Garrone together with Cagliero, Artemide Zatti, born in Italy, embodied the spirit of service and Salesian spirituality to the heights of holiness.
A Living Inspiration Today
One hundred years after his death (28 February 1926), the figure of Fr. Giovanni Cagliero continues to speak to the present of the Salesian mission. His decision to depart for the peripheries of Argentina and Patagonia still inspires a Congregation that today works on the educational and social frontiers of the world. His legacy is not a memory of the past, but a criterion for discerning where to go and whom to serve today.
For further information, visit: www.missionidonbosco.org
