M

:'''Madonna''':''The Madonna, Our Lady'' A favourite term of Don Bosco's, which continues to our own time, for Mary. In origin the term was used in Italian (before DB's time) to mean what today is ''Signora'', or a polite reference to a Lady. Today it is seen (in a religious context, that is) in reference to Mary and not translated. Commonly known in English in titles for paintings of Madonna and child :'''Madre della Chiesa''':''Mother of the Church'' This title, so much part of Vat. II is already found in DB's writings in 1868 :'''maestra e guida''':''teacher and guide'' In Don Bosco's dream at nine years of age, he is told "Io ti daro' una maestra su cui disciplina", then frequently throughout his life he referred to the guidance he sought and obtained from Mary. The phrase ''maestra e guida'' has become a familiar one in Salesian literature to refer to the role Mary plays in Salesian life :'''Maestro dei novizi''':''Director of Novices, novice director'' Note - not ''Master of novices'' though this latter term is frequently in spoken use. Official written reference is to the former term :'''magistero''':''magisterium'' Indicates those in the Church who have the task of teaching correct doctrine: Pope and bishops (and in this case the term most likely commences with a capital 'M'). The term is also used in a more restricted sense of the Salesian magisterium, indicating the official documentation of teaching of the Congregation :'''Malvasìa''':''Grape variety typical of the Monferrato region around Don Bosco's home town of Castelnuovo'' :'''Mamma Margherita''':''Mama Margaret'' (also ''Mamma Margaret'') Don Bosco's mother. At Valdocco, with Mamma Margaret, the Salesian family spirit had its origins :'''manuale''':''handbook'' Could also be ''manual'', but English prefers ''handbook'' if the contents are other than purely mechanical ones :'''marginalizzazione''':''exclusion, marginalisation'' Important to see the Italian word in context. It may require a phrase such as ''leaving people on the fringe of society'' or similar :'''maturazione umana''':''human maturing process' We could gloss this as ''maturation'', but in fact it is a process, an aim of formation, with its many phases and rythms, and sounds better in English as a phrase. In Salesian documentation we find reference to a variety of maturing processes - vocational, cultural, of the person, in love, of the faith, affective, sexual... :'''Maria''':''Mary'' For Mary Help of Christians cf. ''Ausiliatrice''. In reference to Mary, Mother of God, DB used many titles according to his time and place: ''addolorata, avvocata, immacolata, madre, protettrice, regina, salvezza, vergine'' :'''Mazzarello, Maria Domenica''':''Mazzarello, Mary Domenica'' 1837-1854. Co-foundress of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians with Don Bosco. Canonised 24th June 1951. The term Mother is applied usually to her and to other superiors (provincials and those at world administration level). Today many women religious prefer not to use the term Mother, but it is still used for the Superior General of the Salesian Sisters at least. :'''media''':''media'' Very often one fins ''mezzi'' rather than ''media'' in Italian, in which case ''media'' is the better gloss in English, rather than ''means'' :'''media convergenti''':''convergent media'' One might have expected to find this term in English, simply because at the General Chapter (26) at which it was first introduced into Salesian discourse, it was linked with a term that does appear in its English form in the Chapter documents, namely, 'personal media' (cf. separate reference to this). There was merely passing reference to media convergenti as one of a number of types of media today, along with mass, folk, personal media. However the concept of convergent media is not just a passing fad. It is a very real shift which some even consider to be of the nature of a paradigm shift in communications. Certainly a significant body such as the EU has felt it necessary to define 'convergent media' so its effects can be better understood. Multiple products come together to form a single product that does many things. However, the point is that this is not just a technological shift or process. It also presupposes a paradigm change: industrial, cultural, social, which stirs interest in finding out new information. It changes the way people relate to each other. Convergent media also enable them to avoid the Mr 'Bigs' of mass media and create, mix, mash-up :'''Media Don Bosco Madagascar''':''Media Don Bosco Madagascar'' MDB forms part of the apostolic and pastoral activity of the Catholic Church of Madagascar, fully respecting its directives and guidelines, particularly in the matter of social communication. The activity of Media Don Bosco does not seek in any way to make a profit, and has no political or commercial connections :'''meditazione''':''meditation'' Worth noting that Salesian meditation (i.e. as of St Francis de Sales) has a particular method which was once quite formally carried out in SDB morning meditation - 3 phases with resolutions. Once could regret that the loss of this rather formal approach has also meant the loss for some of any method at all! :'''membro''':''member'' Italian offers two terms, ''socio'' and ''membro'' which have the same gloss in English, namely, ''member'' :'''Memorie Biografiche MB''':''Biographical Memoirs BM'' 19 volume collection on Don Bosco's life compiled in the early years of Salesian history from a variety of sources close to Don Bosco. Memoir is not to be confused with chronicle - a memoir is an eyewitness account but produced a long time after the event. A chronicle is at or near the time of the event :'''Memorie Dell'Oratorio MO ''':''Memoirs of the Oratory MO'' Important work by DB telling not just (and maybe not accurately) the history of the Oratory, but his founding principles and inspirations :'''metodo''':''method, approach'' :'''mettersi in discussione''':''question oneself'' :'''mezzadro''':''tenant farmer, sharecropper'' The tenant farmer was termed a ''mezzadro'' or half sharecropper, since according to unwritten Piedmontese law he worked for half the produce. Francis Bosco was this person at the Biglione cascina. (Source: Lenti, ''Don Bosco History and Spirit'' Vol 1 p 34) :'''MGS''':''SYM'' Movimento Giovanile Salesiano, or Salesian Youth Movement :'''ministero della Parola''':''Ministry of the Word'' It is one of three complementary ministries of the priest, the other two being ministry of sanctification (through sacraments) and ministry of leadership of the community :'''misericordia di Dio''':''mercy of God'' :'''missionario''':''missionary'' This may be either a noun or an adjective in Italian. As an adjective it is not always necessarily translted as 'missionary' in English, but can at times be translated by ''mission'' as a qualifier :'''Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians MSMHC''':''Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians MSMHC'' Founded in 1942 in Guwahati by Bishop Ferrando. Member group of the Salesian Family :'''missione''':''mission'' A term rich in biblical content but also full of meaning for Salesians especially since the Special General Chapter post Vatican II. It was in 1971 that the SGC first introduced ''mission'' as a way of explaining the Salesian identity. Hence we speak of the ''Salesian mission''. The Salesian mission can be specified more directly by speaking of ''the mission to the young'' (''missione giovanile'') or as our ''educational mission'' (''missione educativa''). Today we distinguish mission ''ad gentes'' (the foreign missions of old) from the more general sense of mission. But we speak of our ''missionary dimension'' and in fact retain this as one of the key sectors of the Salesian mission in general :'''missione comune''':''common mission'' The expression is found frequently in the Salesian Constitutions (e.g. C.44) where it refers to that which calls on our complementary and co-responsible action to achieve a common purpose :'''missioni''':''missions'' The Salesian Congregation has ''missioni'' as a sector of activity and a department. Thus there is a Councillor for the Missions. There exists a tradition within the Congregation of any confrere being able to directly approach the Rector Major to offer himself 'for the missions' :'''mixité''':''coeducation'' The term ''mixité'' is now largely obsolete in Salesian usage and replaced by ''coeducazione'' in Italian :'''modestia''':''modesty'' A term that DB spoke about in his plan for regulations for the Annex, once boys were living in. It was a virtue that he esteemed in general in the human being and especially in the young :'''mondializzazione''':''globalisation, inter-connectedness of events in the world'' Italian actually distinguishes at an academic level between mondializzazione and globalizzazione but in practice either term will do. The concept that would in English be rendered by 'globalisation' is further delineated in Italian. ''mondializzazione'' stresses the connectedness of local events ('chaos theory' would be seen to be drawing on this idea, for example) :'''mondo''':''world'' The term as it appears in earlier Salesian texts tends to have the negative concept that comes from a dualistic understanding of spirit and world'or the scriptural opposition to spirit and world that we find in St. John Bosco :'''mondo del lavoro''':''world of work, working world'' It was the title of a Letter from Fr Viganò in 1982 (Salesian Mission and the World of Work). The concept was part of Don Bosco's thinking as he developed the vocational path of the Salesian Brother :'''monello''':''urchin'' Likely to be found in reference to poor and abandoned youth :'''Monsignore Mons. Msgr''':''bishop'' (and sometimes, Monsignor) In English ecclesiastical terminology a monsignor is not a bishop but a domestic prelate. It is better, therefore, not to confuse the terms and to refer to a bishop as a bishop not as a Monsignor :'''Morano, Maddalena Caterina''':''Morano, Madeline Catherine'' FMA. 1847-1908. Beatified in 1994. Referred to as Mother Maddalena - the name remains in its Italian orthography at present. The tendency, though, is for names to be Anglicised when they are in more frequent use in the English-speaking world :'''morte''':''death'' :'''movimento di carità''':''movement of charity'' The term is recognisable as part of C.3 where it refers to a double movement of charity towards God and towards our neighbour :'''movimento giovanile''':''youth movement'' :'''Movimento Giovanile Salesiano MGS''':''Salesian Youth Movement SYM'' :'''Movimento Salesiano''':''Salesian Movement'' Reference to the various degrees of adhesion to the Salesian system and Salesian principles, GC22. Not a structured reality with a specific organisation but rather an awareness, a spirit, an affective belonging to, in view of doing good to the young. The Friends of Don Bosco would be an example of the Saleisan movement. Fr Pascual Chávez has referred to ''vasto movimento'', thus indicating the broader parameters involved :'''Mutuae Relationes''':[LA] ''Mutual Relations'' Normally left in its Latin form, this document was published in 1978, May 14th as a joint publication of two Vatican Congregations or departments - that for religious life and that for Bishops. It deals with the relationships desired between Bishops and Religious(:nl:)