First by example and then by words

Rome (Italy). On the eve of the 75^th anniversary of the canonization of Saint Mary Domenica Mazzarello (24 June 1951), the volume, “First by Example and Then by Words“. Linguistic Education and Processes of Italianization in the Autograph Letters of Saint Maria Domenica Mazzarello, has been published in the Percorsi series by Palumbi Publishing House as  part of the current series of studies dedicated to the Co-Founder of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.

The volume presents a new approach to the Letters, which until now have been studied mainly from a spiritual perspective and framed within the founding process of the FMA Institute. These Letters are inserted into the fabric of relations with the culture, especially religious, of the time.

Written one hundred and fifty years ago, the Letters of Mary Domenica Mazzarello still retain – as the late Sister María Esther Posada wrote in 2004 – the “freshness of bread just out of the oven,” and constitute the starting point of the study by Francesco Simbula, a Salesian alumnus of the San Raimondo Institute in Sanluri, who studied at the University of Cagliari and is currently a doctoral student in “Historical Linguistics, Educational Linguistics and Italian Studies” at the University for Foreigners of Siena.

The autographed letters of the Saint from Mornese are examined here through the lens of a linguistic historian, as they represent a precious testimony, not only to her charisma and spirituality, but also to the extraordinary journey of literacy she undertook, with humility and dedication, as an adult. As is well known, Mary Domenica was born in an era when popular education, especially for women, was occasional or even nonexistent. For this reason, she had to learn to write at the age of thirty-five, after being appointed by Don John Bosco as Superior General of the Salesian women’s branch. The volume also explores the evolution of her mastery of this skill and, by extension, speaks of the tenacity of a woman who, in response to her vocation, became a pupil of the boarders of the school she directed.

The primary objective of this work is therefore to restore, through a new critical edition, the original format of the Piedmontese Sister’s autographs, carefully preserved in the General Archives of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Rome. The text of the letters, moreover, offers some insights into both the approach to writing that Mother Mazzarello shared with other contemporary foundresses, and the processes of education and Italianization promoted by the Salesian Family. The final paragraph of the introductory chapter is dedicated to these in particular, offering a detailed look at educational theater, a recreational and educational activity strongly supported by Don Bosco that allowed a shared moral, behavioral, and linguistic model to be shared among both performers and listeners.

In conclusion, embracing the aims of the series, Francesco Simbula’s volume aims to provide a transversal yet specialist reading of the documents. To this end, it adopts an interdisciplinary perspective that—as stated in the preface edited by Rita Fresu (University of Cagliari)—”combines linguistic analysis with the history of educational processes, addressing anthropological, social, and gender issues in the context of writing and women.”

Herein lies the relevance of Mother Mazzarello, who, after all these years, continues to convey a message, a model, or simply an inspiration for reflection, “first by example and then by words.”