St. John Bosco

Their story

John Bosco was born on August 16, 1815, in a farming village near Turin, in northern Italy. His father died when he was two, and his mother, Margaret, raised her sons in poverty and deep faith. When John was nine he had a dream in which he saw a crowd of rough, fighting boys. A figure told him that he would win them over not with blows but with gentleness and love. That dream shaped his whole life. As a boy he learned juggling and acrobatic tricks to gather other children, then led them in prayer. John was ordained a priest in 1841 and went to work in Turin, a city crowded with poor young people who had come looking for work. He visited boys in prison and saw how many ended up there for lack of anyone to care for them. He began gathering boys on Sundays for games, Mass and lessons. This became his Oratory, which he named after St. Francis de Sales. His mother came to live with him and cared for the boys as their "Mamma Margaret." Over time he opened a home, schools and workshops where boys could learn a trade. Don Bosco taught that young people should be guided by reason, religion and loving kindness, not by harsh punishment. To carry on this work he founded the Salesians in 1859, and with St. Mary Mazzarello he founded a community of sisters to serve girls. He also wrote and published books to spread the faith. He died on January 31, 1888, and his followers now serve young people all over the world. He was canonized in 1934 and is a patron of young people, students and those who work with youth.