Saint John Bosco

A childhood spent teaching himself to entertain

John Bosco was born on August 16, 1815, in Becchi, near Turin, into a poor farming family. His father died when John was only two, leaving his devout mother to raise three sons alone as subsistence farmers. As a boy, after watching a traveling circus perform, he taught himself magic tricks and acrobatics, gathering neighborhood children for his own little shows — always ending each performance by reciting a prayer, hymn, or homily he'd recently heard.

An orphan who changed the direction of his priesthood

Bosco was ordained a priest in Turin in 1841. Influenced by his mentor, Father Cafasso, he turned his attention to the plight of poor and neglected boys who had come to the city seeking work. His ministry to young people began, specifically, with one poor orphan he met in Turin, whom he instructed in preparation for Holy Communion — a single encounter that grew into gathering apprentices for regular catechism lessons.

An oratory that grew into a movement

Don Bosco opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys, and wealthy patrons eventually funded workshops teaching trades like shoemaking and tailoring. By 1856, the oratory had grown to 150 boys and added its own printing press for religious pamphlets. Every Sunday, he gathered the poor and abandoned youths of Turin, heard their confessions, celebrated Mass, preached in language they could understand, led games and hikes, and found them both housing and jobs with reputable employers.

Reason, religion, and kindness

With Pope Pius IX's encouragement, Bosco gathered seventeen men and founded the Salesians in 1859; before his death the order had spread to England, France, Spain, and South America. With Saint Mary Mazzarello, he also founded the Daughters of Our Lady Help of Christians in 1872 for similar work among girls. When asked the secret behind an institution that transformed abandoned boys into a family, Don Bosco answered simply: reason, religion, and kindness — a philosophy of persuasion and love over fear. Pope Pius XI beatified him in 1929 and canonized him on Easter Sunday 1934, naming him "Father and Teacher of Youth."

Trivia

Who was Saint John Bosco?

An Italian priest (1815-1888), also known as Don Bosco, who dedicated his life to the education and care of poor and abandoned boys in Turin, and founded the Salesian order to continue that mission.

How did his work with poor boys begin?

It started when he met a poor orphan in Turin and instructed him in preparation for First Communion, after which he began gathering other apprentices to teach them catechism.

What was the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales?

The institution Don Bosco founded for poor and abandoned boys, offering catechism, workshops in trades like shoemaking and tailoring, and eventually a printing press — it had grown to 150 boys by 1856.

What was Don Bosco's educational philosophy?

When asked the secret of his success, he answered with three words: reason, religion, and kindness — using persuasion and love rather than fear or threats.