I was an avid reader of the Don Bosco Madonna which we received every month. So in order to write this article on ‘ST. JOHN BOSCO’, I pondered on his life expecting to know a lot, but soon realized I knew nothing about him except his passionate love and care for the young boys of his days, who were orphans, homeless, lost and therefore rather rough for want of a proper upbringing.

I googled ‘St. John Bosco’ and was delighted to find different sources of his amazing life story, so full of love, humility and simplicity. For want of space it cannot be fully reproduced here. I list below, just a few details on the life of St. John Bosco.

John Mechior Bosco was popularly known as DON BOSCO. “Don Bosco” means “Father Bosco” in Italian. He was an Italian Catholic Priest, a Saint of the 19th century. He was born on 16th August 1815 and died on 31st January 1888. We celebrate the liturgical day of St. John Bosco this year on Tuesday 31st January.

Don Bosco was a man of bold courage. He is the Patron Saint of editors, publishers, school children and juvenile delinquents. His personality radiated the warm love of God.

Don Bosco was the founder of the Salesian Society. When he was little over two years old, his father died leaving the upbringing of three boys to his mother, Margaret Bosco. He received his first instructions at the hands of the Parish Priest. In 1835 he entered the seminary and after six years of study was ordained priest on 5th June 1841, on the eve of Trinity Sunday by Archbishop Franzoni of Turin.

With the ordination came the release of a powerful spiritual energy which combined with his rare humane gifts, Don Bosco was able to exert a lasting effect on the youth. He went to Turin and entered zealously into his priestly labours. One of his duties was to visit the prisons of the city. Here he saw the condition of children confined in these prisons, abandoned to the most evil influences, with little before them except the gallows. He resolved then to devote his life to the rescue of unfortunate outcasts.

On 8th December 1841 – feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, while Don Bosco was vesting for Mass, the sacristan drove off a ragged urchin who refused to serve Mass. Don Bosco called the boy back. Soon a friendship which sprang up between the Priest and Bartolomeo Garelli was the cause of the “Oratory” (which we read about in the Don Bosco Madonna).

Prayer was a prominent feature of the Oratory. Don Bosco started the task of instructing this first pupil Bartolomeo, who was soon joined by his companions totaling 400 by March 1846. In his care of these boys, Don Bosco was faced with petty annoyances and obstacles because they were considered a nuisance because of their character.

From the start Don Bosco saw under the dirt, the rags and rough behaviour of these boys, a spark that could fan into a flame with a little kindness. Don Bosco was joined by his mother called “Mama Margret”. She brought all the solicitude and love of a mother to these children of the streets.

In his rules, Don Bosco wrote “Frequent confession, frequent communion and Daily Mass”: these are the pillars which should sustain the whole edifice of education. At the time of his death in 1888, there were 250 houses of the Salesian Society in all parts of the world, containing 1,30,000 children.

Don Bosco’s heart was like a furnace, radiating immense warmth and love of God to every person in the room. His personality operated like a magnet that pulled everyone towards his priestly and fatherly love. His love of God, of Mother Mary and the Church, made him irresistible. What he asked for, he received from everyone.

The last years were difficult for Don Bosco. He was old and tired but kept abreast of all the activities of his salesians, inspiring them to greater achievements for the youth. He took to his bed in December 1887. On 31st January 1888, his worn-out body finally yielded to nature, with the names Jesus and Mary on his lips, Don Bosco’s soul passed to his God and Mother Mary as the morning Angelus bell rang. The people of Turin mourned, “Our Saint has left us”. On easter Sunday, April 1, 1934 Pope Pius XI declared Don Bosco a Saint; the Pope styled him “a giant of sanctity”.

I would very much like to give more details. Do Google ‘St. John Bosco’ and take in the rich and inspiring life of St. John Bosco. As you know, youth all over the world, is being attacked by evil forces via Social media & other evil sources. Let us pray for the youth all over the world.
“St. John Bosco pray for us
and all the youth of this world.”

J. Rodrigues