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Saint John Bosco SDB (Credit : Carlo Felice Deasti, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

John Melchior Bosco, SDB (1815 – 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer.

Early Life

John Bosco was born on August 16, 1815, in the small Italian hamlet of Castelnuovo d'Asti, in northern Italy. John had two older brothers, Anthony and Joseph. Their father, Francis, died when John was still a toddler - just two years old. As a child, Johnny watched over his family's sheep.

He was just nine years old when he had a dream, which called him to dedicate himself to the education of young people. While still a boy, he began to entertain his peers with games alternated with work, prayer and religious education.

Religious life

On becoming a priest in 1841, Don Bosco chose as his life’s programme: “Da mihi animas cetera tolle” (“Give me souls, take all the rest” Gen. 14: 21). He began his apostolate among poor young people with the founding of the Oratory, which he placed under the patronage of St. Francis de Sales.

He led young people to meet Christ by means of his educational style and pastoral practice, based on reason, religion and loving kindness (the Preventive System). He led young people to reflect, to meet Christ and their brothers and sisters, to the study of the faith and to apostolic, civil and professional commitment. St. Dominic Savio stands out among the most outstanding fruits of his work.

The source of his indefatigable activity and of the effectiveness of his work was his “constant union with God” and his unlimited confidence in Mary Our Help who he considered to be the inspiration and support of his whole work.

Founder

Realizing that he could not carry on his work by himself, Don Bosco gathered around himself other priests and lay people who would form what are today called the “Salesian Cooperators”. The Salesian Cooperators share in Don Bosco’s mission to young people, while remaining in their families and holding regular jobs. First among the Cooperators was Don Bosco’s mother, Margaret, who joined Don Bosco in Turin to care for the boys, even using her wedding dress to create altar linens for the chapel.

Don Bosco also felt called to found a religious congregation to help care for the young and he ended up forming two branches – the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians of Don Bosco) for men who felt called to become priests or religious brothers, and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters), for women who felt called to religious life.

Realizing that devotion to Our Lady and the Eucharist are the keys to holiness, Don Bosco founded ADMA (Association of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians), to spread these devotions. ADMA formed the fourth and final group of the Salesian Family that Don Bosco personally founded during his lifetime.

Death & Legacy

After giving all of his strength and working relentlessly to help young people, Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888, at age 72. With his last words, he admonished his Salesians to always remember that Our Lady is present in the Salesian communities, walking the halls, interceding and guiding the work of the Salesians.

Don Bosco was canonized by Pope Pius XI on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1934.

In the centenary of his death, which took place on January 31, 1988, Pope John Paul II proclaimed him The Father and Teacher of Youth.

Article by Catholic Time Staff