The Life of Saint John Bosco
St. John Bosco was born just outside of Turin, Italy on August 16, 1815 to a deeply religious family. His father died when he was only 3 years old. He was raised by his mother Margaret.
When John was only 9 years old, he had a dream. He pictured himself fighting a group of boys and throwing the first punch at the boy who was calling him names. The Virgin Mary then appeared to him and told him to stop. She showed him how a wild group of beasts, the boys, could be tamed. His mission was to bring as many boys as possible to the Christian faith.
John's father's death made it hard for his mother to support three boys, and an aging mother-in-law. His stepbrother, Antony, sent him away to go earn a living on his own. Two years later, he met up with an old friend, Father Calosso. Fr. Calosso took John in and helped him to continue his schooling. Sadly, Fr. Calosso died, but another visit from the Virgin Mary gave John the encouragement he needed to form the "Jolly Brothers", a group of boys who studied the Catholic faith through games, stories and jokes.
As a teenager, John decided that he would like to be a priest. He joined the Seminary at Chieri and continued to work with young boys. Over the summer, John would return to his hometown of Becchi and worked to educate its youth. On June 5, 1841, John Bosco finally became a priest.
John worked with condemned prisoners, poor children, and the less fortunate. In a short time, he had gathered together 200 boys who regularly attended Catechism lessons with him.
Tutoring the young boys brought him into contact with many people who wanted to put an end to his ministry. They believed that these boys could not possibly become responsible members of society. John purchased a large shed which he transformed into a chapel where the boys could attend mass and pray to the Lord. He purchased several other buildings which he transformed into chapels and schools.
Throughout Turin, John Bosco was greatly known and admired for his skills as a priest and a teacher. While the boys stayed with him in the Oratories, he taught them other skills, like: carpentry and mechanics.
John Bosco was quickly gaining support from others, so he formed the Salesians (whose name was derived from that of St. Francis of Sales) who continued his teachings and spread his ministry and methods around the world. He also formed the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians to work to educate young girls.
On January 31, 1888, the great priest and friend of children everywhere, passed away at the age of 73. Even though he was gone, he left behind a legacy of 35 000 Salesians who continue his work today and countless young boys whose lives were forever changed. Pope Pius X declared Bosco Venerable on July 21, 1907.