January 31 - St. John Bosco
Born: August 16, 1815 in Becchi, Italy
Died: January 31, 1888
Nationality: Italian
Vocation: Priest, teacher
Attributes: clerics
Patronage: Apprentices, Editors and publishers, Stage magicians, schoolchildren, juvenile delinquents
Canonization: April 1, 1934 by Pope Pius XI
As far as possible avoid punishing . . . . try to gain love before inspiring fear.
St. John Bosco was born to a poor family in Becchi, Italy. His father died when John was only two years old so he was raised with his two brothers by his mother. Even though the family lived in poverty, John’s mother always made sure that they were able to give to those with even greater need. John grew up learning the importance of faith from his mother.
At age nine, John had a dream that would continue to have a profound impact on him throughout his entire life. John was in a field with boys who were uttering blasphemies. A voice, who some accounts say was Jesus or the Virgin Mary, said to John, "not with blows, but with charity and gentleness must you draw these friends to the path of virtue." This dream would eventually aid John in his discernment of the priesthood.
In his youth, John began performing magic tricks and juggling acts to entertain his peers, ending his shows by recounting the homilies he heard and praying with the audience. John’s older brother opposed John joining the priesthood, so he made John’s time at home very hostile, at one point even hitting John. Due to this environment, John left to work on a farm for three years. He eventually worked in various trades until he completed school so that he could attend seminary and become a priest.
After his ordination in 1841, John was assigned to the city of Turin where many people flocked due to the industrial revolution. John witnessed much poverty and saw how many boys were in prison before the age of 18. Their condition of spiritual and physical poverty moved John and he began ministering to them. He started a group known as the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales which educated and trained these boys in trades, as well as providing them with catechesis in the faith. John’s mother, known as Mama Magaret, came to help John in his mission.
John could often be found walking in fields with the youth, praying with them, and administering the sacrament of reconciliation. John believed that there was no room for punishment in ministering to these troubled boys. He once wrote, "I do not remember to have used formal punishment; and with God's grace I have always obtained, and from apparently hopeless children, not alone what duty exacted, but what my wish simply expressed." He believed that a teacher should be a mentor and friend to their students, not a punisher.
In his work, John faced many trials. He was constantly faced with the issue of reliable accommodations for the boys, they often met in sheds and fields. Many people also criticized John himself, calling him mentally unstable and unfit to be helping the delinquents. However, the opposition did not stop John. By his death in 1888, his group was serving over 130,000 youth in 250 houses.
St. John Bosco, pray for us.