St. John Bosco
2015: Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco
(Educator and Friend of Youth, 1815-1888)
John Bosco was born on 16th August 1815, in a peasant family at Becchi, near the city of Turin , Italy . He was only two years old when his father, Francis passed away.
The Dream
At the age of nine John had a mysterious dream. He saw himself in a vast field, surrounded by youngsters, laughing, singing and playing. Before long the boys began to shout and curse and a fight broke out. John tried to restore order by swinging his fists around and shouting at the trouble makers. A majestic personage stopped him, saying: ‘Not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness you shall win them over.’
The Vision
John recognized in his dream his future mission. This experience deepened his desire to a priest and dedicate his life for the welfare of young people.
"Hello, Father," cried the lad, to be acknowledged only by a curt bow of the head. Deeply hurt, he complained that the priest had hurt his feelings.
John’s path however, was full of hurdles. His mother, Margaret, though poor, was prepared to make any sacrifice to educate him. But his elder step-brother Anthony, strongly opposed his going to school. He had to do his share work on the family farm and study during his spare time. To earn the little extra money needed for the books, he had to work often as a labourer, shepherd, tailor, shoemaker, barber and cook – skills which he later taught his poor students.
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As a teenager, John used to gather boys of his age and entertain them with magic, jugglery and acrobatics. His performance however, always ended with a good story and a brief exhortation to live a good and honest life. In due course John entered the seminary and was ordained a priest on 5th June 1841. From then on he was affectionately known as DON BOSCO (meaning Father Bosco).
Don Bosco died on 31 January 1888 at the age of seventy three. He was declared a saint on 1 April 1934, and his feast day is celebrated on 31 January every year.
Don Bosco Society
In 1853 Don Bosco turned his backyard into a makeshift workshop for shoemaking, carpentry, tailoring, smithy, book binding and printing. This was the first Catholic trade school in Italy .
To give permanence to his work, in 1859 he founded a religious society of Priests and Brothers which was named ‘SALESIANS’, after his favorite Saint, Francis de Sales. Today they are known as the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB).
Today, one hundred and twenty one years after Don Bosco’s death, 36,000 Priests, Brothers and Sisters carry out his work in 130 countries around the world. They are engaged in a wide variety of developmental works directed to the welfare of the young: academic, agricultural and technical schools, youth centres, hostels and parishes, catechetic, mass media and social communications, youth counseling and rehabilitation centres and a host of special services for delinquents and marginalized youth.
John Bosco was born on 16th August 1815, in a peasant family at Becchi, near the city of Turin , Italy . He was only two years old when his father, Francis passed away.
