Your Faith Journey with EWTN
As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
August 16, 1815–January 31, 1888
Patron Saint of christian apprentices, editors, publishers, students, young children, magicians, juvenile delinquents
St. John Bosco, also known as Don Bosco, was an Italian priest in the 19th century. He was an educator who dedicated his life to the care, education, and spiritual formation of poor and abandoned youth who lacked love, guidance, and a sense of purpose.
Born in Castelnuovo d’Asti, Italy, St. John faced poverty and hardship from an early age. His father died when St. John was only two, and his mother struggled to care for him and his siblings. Despite these challenges, he felt called from an early age through a dream that revealed his mission to transform the lives of forgotten young boys.
St. John had little early schooling because he had to work on the family farm after his father died. St. John learned to read and write with the help of a priest and received some basic formal education. However, he aspired to become a priest, which would require earning money to pay for his seminary studies. During his teenage years, St. John struggled to earn money to support his education. His mother also contributed from her wages. St. John entered the seminary at the age of 20. He was ordained in 1841 at the age of 26.
St. John focused on working with disadvantaged youth in Turin. He developed the “Preventive System” of education that used reason, religion, and loving-kindness rather than punishment to enhance student learning. He established oratories, churches, schools, and workshops where children could learn trades, receive spiritual guidance, and experience a sense of family and belonging.
In 1859, St. John founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians) to continue his mission of education and pastoral care. He also co-founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, with St. Maria Domenica Mazzarello, extending his educational vision to girls.
St. John was a visionary, often guided by profound dreams and inspired by the Holy Spirit. He was a prolific writer, leaving a legacy of 220 titles collected in 34 volumes and more than 1,000 pieces of written works.
St. John Bosco died peacefully on January 31, 1888, in Turin and was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934.
St. John taught his students to work and love the Lord, singing, playing, and praying with them to foster harmony in life and faith. His system of education utilized reason, religion, and love to prevent negative behaviors and help students feel respected, supported, and valued.
Saint Maria Domenica Mazzarello and St. John Bosco co-founded the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, also known as the Salesian Sisters, to extend Don Bosco’s educational mission to girls. The Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco worked with disadvantaged girls in similar ways as St. John worked with boys. They helped educate and catechize poor and marginalized young girls, guiding them in the lifestyle choices of their time and fostering religious vocations. They provided resources as needed in response to specific societal needs, such as establishing orphanages and providing housing for girls entering the workforce, particularly during periods of industrialization or wartime. Today, over 11,000 sisters serve in 96 countries, providing education from early childhood to secondary education, technical training centers, and religious instruction. Their work focuses on forming “good citizens and Christians” by teaching practical life skills, providing spiritual instruction, and creating a supportive community based on joy and faith that fosters self-sufficiency and promotes a life of meaning and purpose.
St. John Bosco’s remains are venerated in various locations in Italy. The body of St. John Bosco is preserved in a glass casket at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians (Basilica di Maria Ausiliatrice) in Turin, Italy. Other relics, including a fragment of his brain, have been kept in a reliquary at this basilica, but the brain relic was reported stolen in 2017. Some bone fragments are also periodically displayed and can be found in other locations, such as the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Castro Pretorio church in Rome.
We hope this special eBook will draw you closer to our Blessed Mother and her Son, Jesus Christ. We trust that the following pages will bring your heart under her mantle, as we share a few of the beautiful and befitting names bestowed upon the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Fr. Chris Alar explains how St. John Bosco became one of the most beloved Saints in Church history despite being raised in extreme poverty by his devout mother after his father’s death.
Thomas and his wife, Helen, guide their children in the ways of holiness by teaching them about the lives of the saints. Here, they explore the life of the great apostle to the youth, St. Don Bosco. Animated.
As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
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