Saint John Bosco

Born in Castlenuovo d'Asti on August 16, 1815, Saint John Bosco was educated in the faith and piety by his mother. At the age of nine, 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. On becoming a priest in 1841, he chose as his motto: "Give me souls, take all the rest". 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 used his pastoral approach, founded on reason, faith, and loving-kindness, to influence young people to encounter Christ. Don Bosco, as he fondly came to be known, could read the hearts of his pupils, and they, in turn, knew him to be a saint. His unique influence over others is well illustrated by the occasion on which he was, after much hesitation, permitted to take 300 convicts from the city jail on a day's outing, unaccompanied by guards. St. Dominic Savio stands out among the most outstanding fruits of his work.

The source of his indefatigable activity and the effectiveness of his work was his "constant union with God" and his unlimited confidence in "Mary, Help of Christians," who he considered to be the inspiration and support of his mission. He left, as an inheritance for his Salesian sons and daughters, a form of religious life that was simple but founded on solid Christian virtue and on contemplation in action, which may be summed up in the words "work and temperance." He sought his best collaborators among his young people, thus establishing the Society of St. Francis de Sales. Together with St. Maria Domenica Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.

Finally, together with good and hard-working laymen and women, he created the Salesian Cooperators to work alongside him and sustain the education of young people, thus anticipating new forms of apostolate in the Church. The Salesians grew so rapidly in number and fervor that, at the founder's death on January 31, 1888, there were already 200 houses, and these had fostered 2,500 priestly vocations. Beatified by Pope Pius XI on June 2, 1929, Don Bosco was canonized by the same Pope on April 1, 1934. On January 31, 1888, Pope John Paul II declared him "The Father and Teacher of Youth." St. John Bosco is the patron saint of youth, editors and publishers.   

Saint John Bosco, pray for us that we may see Christ in all people, never condemning or judging, but working to build them up as a loving minister of God's compassionate heart.

Prepared and updated by:

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,

Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.