Abstract

This contribution constitutes a first attempt at presenting the role of the Salesians Poles in the process of inculturation of Don Bosco's charism in the period from last years of the life of the Founder of the Salesians (about 1888) until the end of the first war world (1918). The first part is dedicated to the genesis of the cure for Italianness in the Salesian Congregation lengths of rectorate of Don Giovanni Bosco (from the beginning of the Salesian Work until 1888) and of Don Michele Rua (1888-1910). Among the factors that favored this process should be highlighted some links between Salesian spirit and Italian spirit deriving from the fact of the Piedmontese origins of the Work of Don Bosco and those linked to the Salesian missionary strategy. Special attention also comes given to the influence that pastoral care gave to the increase in the culture of Italianness among the Salesians of Italian emigrants in Latin America, Papprofitare by the Congregation of financial support from the Italian State for Salesian schools abroad and collaboration with Italica Gens. The second part deals with the specific character of the Polish Salesians during the period of the rectorship by don Rúa. Starting from the Polish origins of these Salesians and subsequently analyzing the type of training they received in the Salesian schools in Italy, we arrive at the observation, that these religious chose the Salesian vocation driven at the same time by the values ​​of faith and Polish patriotism. The third part presents the contribution that the Polish Salesians made to the process of the inculturation of Don Bosco's charism. Their interest or - sometimes - even a real fight for the right recognition of one's national culture I bring some of the Poles up to the abandonment of the Congregation and to the choice of the life of the diocesan priest engaged in pastoral care of fellow countrymen. This phenomenon, together with fidelity to the values ​​of Polish culture of those who remained Salesians, caused a more lively interest on the part of the Society Salesian towards the pastoral care of non-Italian emigrants, in particular the Polish ones and, of consequently I facilitate the liberation of the Salesian charism from the ties to Italy.