Saint Jean Bosco and the Salesians

Jean Bosco was born on 15th August 1815 in a small hamlet of Castelnuovo d`Asti in Piémont (Italy). 

When he was still a child, he felt the pain of losing his father, thus living the experience of those poor orphans whose loving father he would become.  Fortunately, his mother, Maman Marguerite, represented a symbol of the Christian way of life that made a profound impact on his character. 

When he was nine years old, he had a prophetic dream : it appeared as if he was amidst a crowd of children busy playing. But among them, some were using blasphemes.  Without losing time, Jean rushed at them, giving blows and kicks to make them stop.  Suddenly a Person appeared, telling him : “Not blows but gentleness and kindness will help you make friends…I will send you the Mistress who will help you to acquire this wisdom, without whom all wisdom is equal to foolishness”.  This Person was Jesus and the Mistress was Virgin Mary to whom he devoted his whole life and founded what he called the “Secours des Chrétiens”. 

Consequently, Jean wanted to become a showman, conjuror, singer, juggler so as to attract his friends towards him and keep them away from opportunities to sin.  “When they are with me”, he told his mother, “they neither blaspheme nor swear”. 

He wanted to become a priest to devote himself to the salvation of children.  During the day, he worked and spent the nights, reading.When he was twenty years old, he joined the Chiery seminar; he was ordained priest in Turin in 1841 when he was twenty six years old.    

At that time, Turin was full of poor boys looking for a job ; there were orphans or abandoned youngsters, exposed to numerous dangers, both physical and moral.  Don Bosco assembled them on Sundays, sometimes in a church, sometimes in a meadow or a square; he made them play and taught them catechism.  After five very hard years, he managed to find a fixed place in the outlying section of Valdocco where he opened his first Oratory. 

At his place, the boys found food and shelter; they studied or acquired a skill but what was more important is that they learnt to love God. 

It is for them that he founded the “Congrégation Salésienne” whose members were both priests and laymen who wished to continue his work. 

The SDB have spread out throughout the world, and are at the service of youngsters, the poor and the miserable ones, for whom, they have opened different types of schools of different levels, including both technical and professional schools, hospitals, dispensaries, oratories and parishes. 

Apart from being a man of creative acts of charity, he was also a great mystic.  His whole work originates from his close communion with God.  Since he was young, he had zealously practised his religion and developed his work at the expense of filial duty.  Dedicated to the project that God had foreseen for him, he gradually succeeded under the guidance of Virgin Mary, his muse and inspiration. 

However, his perfect communion with God has always been linked with a strong feeling for the human being made up of kindness, intelligence and steadiness.  He can be given the credit of having the knowledge of special souls, acquired and matured through long hours spent each day at the confessional or in the worship of the Holy Sacrament or during his meetings with the youngsters and people of all ages and levels. 

Exhausted by his uninterrupted work, he fell seriously ill A true facting, full of emotions is that many of his youngsters were ready to offer their own lives to God, to save Don Bosco`s.  “…What I have done, i`ve done it for God…We could have accomplished more…My sons will do it…Our Congregation is led by God and protected by Mary”. 
He used to recommend : «  Tell the youths, that I will be waiting for them in Paradise.. ».  He died in 31st January 1888, in his poor and small room in Valdocco, at the age of seventy two. 

Pie XI who had known him personally proclaimed him a Saint on 1st April 1934.