John Bosco
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John Melchior Bosco ( it, Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco; pms, Gioann Melchior Bòsch; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco , was an Italian Catholic
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
, educator, writer and
saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
of the 19th century. While working in
Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
, where the population suffered many of the ill-effects of
industrialization Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
and
urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly t ...
, he dedicated his life to the betterment and education of
street children Street children are poor or homeless children who live on the streets of a city, town, or village. Homeless youth are often called street kids or street child; the definition of street children is contested, but many practitioners and policym ...
,
juvenile delinquents Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior as a minor or individual younger than the statutory age of majority. In the United States of America, a juvenile delinquent is a person ...
, and other disadvantaged youth. He developed teaching methods based on love rather than punishment, a method that became known as the
Salesian Preventive System The Salesian Preventive System is the educational method of the Salesians, built upon the pedagogical experience of Saint John Bosco with poor youngsters in 19th century Turin. It is based on the three pillars of reason, religion, and lovingkindnes ...
. A follower of the spirituality and philosophy of
Francis de Sales Francis de Sales (french: François de Sales; it, Francesco di Sales; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to ...
, Bosco was an ardent devotee of
Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
, under the title
Mary Help of Christians Mary, the Help of Christians ( la, Sancta Maria Auxilium Christianorum) is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, based on a devotion now associated with a feast day of the General Roman Calendar on May 24. John Chrysostom was the f ...
. He later dedicated his works to de Sales when he founded the
Salesians of Don Bosco The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (), is a religious congregation of men in the Catholic Church, founded in the late 19th century by Italian priest Saint John Bosco to help poor children du ...
, based in
Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
. Together with
Maria Domenica Mazzarello Maria Mazzarello (May 9, 1837 – May 14, 1881) was the Italian founder of the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, Salesian Sisters. Life She was born in Mornese, in what is now the province of Alessandria, northern Italy, to a peasant family w ...
, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, now commonly known as the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, a religious congregation of nuns dedicated to the care and education of poor girls. He taught
Dominic Savio Dominic Savio ( it, Domenico Savio; 2 April 1842 – 9 March 1857) was an Italian student of John Bosco. He was studying to be a priest when he became ill and died at the age of 14, possibly from pleurisy. He was noted for his piety and devotio ...
, of whom he wrote a biography that helped the young boy be
canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christianity, Christian communion declaring a person worthy of Cult (religious practice), public veneration and enterin ...
. He is one of the pioneers of Mutual Aid Societies that were initiated as collaborative financial support to young migrant Catholic Workers in the city of Turin. In 1850 he drew up regulations to assist apprentices and their companions when any of them was involuntary without work or fell ill. On 18 April 1869, one year after the construction of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin, Don Bosco established the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) connecting it with commitments easily fulfilled by most common people, to the spirituality and the mission of the Salesian Congregation (CG 24 SDB, 1996, NR. 80). The ADMA was founded to promote the veneration of the Most Holy Sacrament and Mary Help of Christians (Don Bosco, Association of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians, San Benigno Canavese, 1890, page 33). In 1875, he began to publish the ''
Salesian Bulletin ''The Salesian Bulletin'' is an official publication of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Salesians that was founded in August 1877 by Don Bosco. It has been published without interruption since then. The purpose of the ''Salesian Bulletin'' is the pro ...
''. The ''Bulletin'' has remained in continuous publication, and is currently published in 50 different editions and 30 languages. In 1876, Bosco founded a movement of laity, the
Association of Salesian Cooperators Association of Salesian Cooperators (ASC) is the movement of laity of the Salesian Family of Don Bosco and is the third order of the Salesian Order. It is also one of the three main branches of the Salesian Family founded directly by Don Bosco in 18 ...
, with the same educational mission to the poor. Bosco established a network of organizations and centres to carry on his work. Following his
beatification Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
in 1929, he was canonized as a
saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
in the Roman Catholic Church by
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
in 1934.


Life

John Bosco was born on the evening of 16 August 1815 in the hillside hamlet of Becchi,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Becchi is located in a region that was called Castelnuovo d'Asti, which was later renamed
Castelnuovo Don Bosco Castelnuovo Don Bosco, formerly Castelnuovo d'Asti (Piedmontese: ''Castelneuv d'Ast'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about east of Turin and about northwest of Asti, on a hill near ...
in honour of the saint. He was the youngest son of Francesco Bosco (1784–1817) and
Margherita Occhiena Margherita Occhiena Bosco (1 April 1788 – 25 November 1856) was the mother of John Bosco and worked with the poor and the less fortunate. Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed her to be venerable in 2006. Biography Margherita Occhiena was born on 1 Ap ...
. He had two older brothers, Antonio, and Giuseppe (1813–1862). The Boscos of Becchi were farmhands of the Moglian Family. John Bosco was born in a time of great shortage and famine in the Piedmontese countryside, following the devastation wrought by the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
and drought in 1817. When he was little more than two years old, his father, Francesco died, which left the support of three boys to his mother, Margherita. She played a strong role in Bosco's formation and personality, and was an early supporter of her son's ideals. In 1825, when he was nine, Bosco had the first of a series of dreams that would play an influential role in his outlook and work. This first dream "left a profound impression on him for the rest of his life", according to his own memoirs. Bosco apparently saw a multitude of very poor boys playing and blaspheming and a man, who "appeared, nobly attired, with a manly and imposing bearing" and said to him, "You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness. So begin right now to show them that sin is ugly and virtue beautiful". Bosco, when he was ten years old at the festive oratory, started watching his classmates' attitudes, and in every fight, he was the referee. The older boys were scared of him because he knew their strengths and their weaknesses. When traveling entertainers performed at a local feast in the nearby hills, he watched and studied the jugglers' tricks and the acrobats' secrets. Then, he would put on shows of his skills as a juggler, magician, and acrobat with prayers before and after the performance. The money that he needed to prepare all the shows was taken from selling the birds that he hunted and given to him by his mother because she trusted him. Poverty prevented any serious attempt at schooling. His early years were spent as a shepherd, and he received his first instruction from
Don Calosso Giovanni Melchiorre Calosso (1759 – 21 November 1830) was an Italian priest. He is significant due to his mention in John Bosco's memoirs for having assisted Bosco greatly in becoming a priest himself. Biography Little to nothing is known con ...
who "was impressed by John’s memory and understanding of the sermons he had heard at" "a parish mission in a nearby Church." His childhood experiences are thought to have inspired him to become a priest. Being a priest was then more commonly a profession for the privileged classes, than for farmers. Some biographers portray his older brother, Antonio, as the main obstacle for Bosco's ambition to study, as Antonio protested that John was just "a farmer like us!" On a cold morning in February 1827, John left his home and went to look for work as a farm servant. At 12, he found life at home unbearable because of the continuous quarrels with Antonio. Having to face life by himself at such a young age may have developed his later sympathies to help abandoned boys. After begging unsuccessfully for work, he ended up at the wine farm of Louis Moglia. Although he could pursue some studies by himself, he was not able to attend school for two more years. In 1830, he met
Joseph Cafasso Joseph Cafasso ( it, Giuseppe Cafasso; 15 January 1811 – 23 June 1860) was an Italian Roman Catholic priest who was a significant social reformer in Turin. He was one of the so-called "Social Saints" who emerged during that particular er ...
, a young priest who identified some natural talent and supported his first schooling. Bosco's mother, Margherita, managed to earn enough money to finance his education. In 1835, Bosco entered the seminary at
Chieri Chieri (; pms, Cher) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont (Italy), located about southeast of Turin, by rail and by road. It borders the following municipalities: Baldissero Torinese, Pavarolo, Montaldo Torine ...
, next to the Church of the Immacolata Concezione. In 1841, after six years of study, he was
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
a priest on the eve of Trinity Sunday by Archbishop Franzoni of Turin. He was twenty-six years old.


Priesthood and first apostolates

After ordination, Bosco went to Turin, where Cafasso headed the Institute of Saint Francis of Assisi, which provided higher education for the diocesan priests. Turin then had a population of 117,000 inhabitants. The city reflected the effects of industrialization and urbanization. Numerous poor families lived in the slums of the city and had come from the countryside in search of a better life. During his studies, Bosco accompanied Cafasso in visiting the prisons and became concerned regarding the recidivism of the young offenders. He began to work with orphaned and abandoned boys, teaching them catechism and helping them find work. Upon completion of his studies, Cafasso secured for Bosco an appointment as almoner of the Rifugio ("Refuge"), a girls' boarding school founded in
Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
by the
Marchioness A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...
Giulia di Barolo, so that he could remain in Turin. His other ministries included visiting prisoners, teaching
catechism A catechism (; from grc, κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult c ...
, and helping out at many country parishes. Because of population growth and migration to the city, Bosco found the traditional methods of parish ministry to be inefficient. He decided that it was necessary to try another form of apostolate, and he began to meet the boys where they worked and gathered in shops and marketplaces. They were pavers, stonecutters, masons, and plasterers who had come from far away, as he recalled in his brief ''Memoires''. The Oratorio was not simply a charitable institution, and its activities were not limited to Sundays. For Don Bosco, it became his permanent occupation. He looked for jobs for the unemployed. Some of the boys did not have sleeping quarters and slept under bridges or in bleak public dormitories. Twice, he tried to provide lodgings in his house. The first time, they stole the blankets; the second, time, they emptied the hayloft. He did not give up, and in May 1847, he gave shelter to a young boy from Valencia in one of the three rooms he was renting in the slums of Valdocco, where he was living with his mother. He and "Mamma Margherita" began taking in orphans. The boys sheltered by Don Bosco numbered 36 in 1852, 115 in 1854, 470 in 1860, and 600 in 1861, reaching a maximum of 800 sometime later. Bosco and his oratory moved around town for several years; he was turned out of several places in succession. After only two months based in the church of St. Martin, the entire neighbourhood expressed its annoyance with the noise coming from the boys at play. A formal complaint was lodged against them with the municipality. Rumours also circulated that the meetings conducted by the priest with his boys were dangerous; their recreation could be turned into a revolution against the government. The group was evicted.


Work with apprentices

In the archives of the Salesian Congregation is a contract of apprenticeship, dated November 1851; another one on stamped paper costing 40 cents, dated 8 February 1852; and others have later dates. They are among the first contracts of apprenticeship to be found in Turin. All of them are signed by the employer, the apprentice, and Don Bosco. In those contracts, Don Bosco touched on many sensitive issues. Some employers customarily made servants and scullery boys of the apprentices. Don Bosco obliged them to agree to employ the boys only in their acknowledged trade. Employers used to beat the boys. Don Bosco required them to agree that corrections be made only verbally. He cared for their health and demanded that they be given rest on feast days and an annual holiday. Despite all the efforts and contracts, however, the situation of the apprentices of the time remained difficult. One influential friend was Piedmontese Justice Minister
Urbano Rattazzi Urbano Pio Francesco Rattazzi (; 29 June 1808 5 June 1873) was an Italian statesman. Personal life He was born in Alessandria (Piedmont). He studied law at Turin, and in 1838 began his practice, which met with marked success at the capital and ...
. He was
anticlerical Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...
in his politics but saw some value in Bosco's work. While Rattazzi was pushing a bill through the Sardanian legislature to suppress religious orders, he advised Bosco on how to get around the law. He found a religious order to keep the oratory going after its founder's death. Bosco had been thinking about that problem too and had been slowly organizing his helpers into a loose "Congregation of St. Francis de Sales". He was also training select older boys for the priesthood. Another supporter of the idea to establish a religious order to carry out Bosco's vision was the reigning pope,
Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
. Bosco disliked the ideals that had been exported by Revolutionary France and called
Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...
and
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...
"two vicious leaders of incredulity". He favoured an
ultramontane Ultramontanism is a clerical political conception within the Catholic Church that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope. It contrasts with Gallicanism, the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by th ...
view of politics that acknowledged the supreme authority of the pope. In 1854, when the
Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia,The name of the state was originally Latin: , or when the kingdom was still considered to include Corsica. In Italian it is , in French , in Sardinian , and in Piedmontese . also referred to as the Kingdom of Savoy-S ...
was about to pass a law suppressing monastic orders and confiscating ecclesiastical properties, Bosco reported a series of dreams about "great funerals at court" that referred to politicians or members of the Savoy court. In November 1854, he sent a letter to King
Victor Emmanuel II Victor Emmanuel II ( it, Vittorio Emanuele II; full name: ''Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso di Savoia''; 14 March 1820 – 9 January 1878) was King of Sardinia from 1849 until 17 March 1861, when he assumed the title o ...
and admonished him to oppose the confiscation of church property and suppression of the orders, but the King failed to respond. His actions, which had been described by the Italian historian Roberto Petoia as having "manifest blackmailing intentions", ended only after the intervention of Prime Minister
Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour Camillo Paolo Filippo Giulio Benso, Count of Cavour, Isolabella and Leri (, 10 August 1810 – 6 June 1861), generally known as Cavour ( , ), was an Italian politician, businessman, economist and noble, and a leading figure in the movement towa ...
. The king's family suffered several deaths in a short period. From January to May 1855, the king's mother (age 54), wife (32), newborn son (Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Genoa; nearly four months old), and his only brother (32) all died. Opposition to Bosco and his work came from various quarters. Traditionalist clergy accused him of stealing the young and old people away from their own parishes. Nationalist politicians, including some clergy, saw his several hundred young men as a recruiting ground for revolution. The Marquis de Cavour, the chief of police in Turin, regarded the open-air catechisms as overtly political and a threat to the state and was highly suspicious of Bosco's support for the powers of the papacy. Bosco was interrogated on several occasions, but no charges were made. Closure may have been prevented by orders from the king that Bosco was not to be disturbed. Several attempts were also made on Bosco's life, including a near-stabbing, bludgeoning, and a shooting. Early biographers put that down to the growing influence of the
Waldensians The Waldensians (also known as Waldenses (), Vallenses, Valdesi or Vaudois) are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Originally known as the "Poor Men of Lyon" in ...
in opposition to Catholic clergy.Charles D'Espiney, ''Don Bosco: A Sketch of His Life and Miracles'', 1884


Foundation of Salesians of Don Bosco

Some of the boys helped by Don Bosco decided to do what he was doing: working in the service of abandoned boys. That was the origin of the Salesian Congregation. Among the first members were Michael Rua, John Cagliero (who later became a Cardinal), and John Baptist Francesca. In 1859, Bosco selected the experienced priest Vittorio Alasonatti, 15 seminarians, and one high school boy and formed them into the "Society of St. Francis de Sales". That was the nucleus of the Salesians, the religious order that would carry on his work. When the group had its next meeting, it voted on the admission of Joseph Rossi as a lay member, the first Salesian brother. The Salesian Congregation was divided into priests, seminarians, and "coadjutors" (the lay brothers). Next, he worked with
Mary Mazzarello Maria Mazzarello (May 9, 1837 – May 14, 1881) was the Italian founder of the Salesian Sisters. Life She was born in Mornese, in what is now the province of Alessandria, northern Italy, to a peasant family who worked in a vineyard. She w ...
, and a group of girls in the hill town of
Mornese Mornese ( lij, Morneize) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about southeast of Alessandria. Mornese borders the following municipalities: Bosio Bo ...
. In 1871, he founded a group of religious sisters to do for girls what the Salesians were doing for boys. They were called the "Daughters of Mary Help of Christians". In 1874, he founded yet another group, the "Salesian Cooperators", who mostly lay people who would work for young people like the Daughters and the Salesians but would not join a religious order. The first Salesians departed for
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
in 1875. After his ordination, Bosco himself would have become a missionary if his director,
Joseph Cafasso Joseph Cafasso ( it, Giuseppe Cafasso; 15 January 1811 – 23 June 1860) was an Italian Roman Catholic priest who was a significant social reformer in Turin. He was one of the so-called "Social Saints" who emerged during that particular er ...
, had not opposed the idea. Bosco nevertheless eagerly read the Italian edition of the Annals of the Propagation of the Faith and used this magazine to illustrate his ''Cattolico Provveduto'' (1853) and his ''Month of May'' booklets (1858). When Bosco founded the Salesian Society, the thought of the missions still obsessed him, but he then completely lacked the financial means. Bosco claimed that in another dream, he was on a vast plain inhabited by primitive peoples, who spent their time hunting or fighting among themselves or against soldiers in European uniforms. Along came a band of missionaries, but they were all massacred. A second group appeared, which Bosco at once recognized as Salesians. Astonished, he witnessed an unexpected change when the fierce savages laid down their arms and listened to the missionaries. It seems the dream made a great impression on Bosco because he tried hard to identify the men and the country of the dream, and for three years, he collected information about different countries. A request from
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
turned him towards the Indians of
Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...
, and a study of its people convinced him that the country and its inhabitants were the ones that he had seen in his dream. In late 1874, Bosco received letters from the Argentine consult at Savona requesting that he accept an Italian parish in Buenos Aires and a school for boys at San Nicolas de Los Arroyos. Bosco regarded it as a sign of Providence and started to prepare a mission. Adopting a way of evangelization that would not expose his missionaries to wild, "uncivilized" tribes, he proposed setting up bases in safe locations at which missionary efforts were to be launched. Negotiations started after Archbishop Aneiros of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
had indicated that he would be glad to receive the Salesians. In a ceremony held on 29 January 1875, Bosco was able to convey the great news to the oratory. On 5 February, he announced the fact in a circular letter to all Salesians asking volunteers to apply in writing. He proposed for the first missionary departure to start in October. There were many volunteers.


Salesian Preventive System and other works

In the years that Bosco had spent running his oratory and giving spiritual and practical instruction to the boys he had housed there, he relied on a different approach on education and general instruction, which he believed to be superior to traditional educational methods, which he labeled as a Repressive System of Education. On 12 March 1877, Bosco gave an opening address on the systems of education during the day for the opening of the St. Peter's Youth Center in the new quarters of the Patronage de Saint Pierre in
Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
in which he first mentioned the term ' Preventive System'. Upon his return to
Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
, Bosco wrote down the address as a polished essay under the title ''The Preventive System in the Education of the Youth'', which was published in 1877 in which he included in the initial draft of the Rule for the Salesian Order. It espoused the values of reason, Religion, and loving kindness with a goal of producing "good Christians and honest citizens". That was the only attempt that Bosco made at a systematic exposition of his educational system. Though the idea itself was not innovative by any means, Bosco having drawn the inspiration for his system through the contemporary criticisms of the punitive and outdated educational systems prevalent in Europe during his time, and he was one of the first to combat it and to put his criticisms into practice. Though Bosco's written works were little known outside of his own order and the subscribers of his ''
Salesian Bulletin ''The Salesian Bulletin'' is an official publication of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Salesians that was founded in August 1877 by Don Bosco. It has been published without interruption since then. The purpose of the ''Salesian Bulletin'' is the pro ...
'', which he founded in August 1877, he wrote frequently and voluminously. Though Don Bosco was described as more of a man of action than a scholar, he was an exceptional historian. He penned the 1881 ''A Compendium of Italian History from the Fall of the Roman Empire'', which was translated and continued to the present by
John Daniel Morell John Daniel Morell (18 June 1816 – 1 April 1891) was a British educationalist and Congregational minister. Life Morell was born at Little Baddow, Essex, where his father was minister of the Congregational church (1799–1852). He went to Homerton ...
and was noted by scholars for its cultural importance on the knowledge base of ancient to modern civilization. He was also a skilled biographer. His two most well-known biographies were on his mentor,
Joseph Cafasso Joseph Cafasso ( it, Giuseppe Cafasso; 15 January 1811 – 23 June 1860) was an Italian Roman Catholic priest who was a significant social reformer in Turin. He was one of the so-called "Social Saints" who emerged during that particular er ...
and one of his students,
Dominic Savio Dominic Savio ( it, Domenico Savio; 2 April 1842 – 9 March 1857) was an Italian student of John Bosco. He was studying to be a priest when he became ill and died at the age of 14, possibly from pleurisy. He was noted for his piety and devotio ...
, which would later be instrumental in his
canonization Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...
.


Works

; Works in roughly chronological order ; Catholic Readings (1853-1884) *1853 **Announcements for Catholics **The Instructed Catholic **Historical notes on the miracle of the Blessed Sacrament at Turin **Fact of our times **A dispute between a lawyer and a Protestant minister **Notes on the life of the youth, Luigi Comolli **The conversion of a Waldensian **A collection of strange contemporary happenings **The six Sundays in honour of St Aloysius Gonzaga **The Jubilee *1855 **An easy method of learning Sacred History **Talks on Confession **Life of St Martin, Bishop of Tours **The value of a good upbringing **Life of St Pancras *1857 **Life of St Peter **Two conferences on Purgatory **Life of St Paul **Lives of the Sovereign Pontiffs, Linus, Cletus, and Clement **Lives of the Sovereign Pontiffs, Anacletus, Evaristus, and Alexander I **Lives of the Sovereign Pontiffs, Sixtus, Telesphorus, and Hyginus *1858 **Lives of the Sovereign Pontiffs, Anicetus, Soter, Eleutherus, Victor, and Zephirinus **(The month of May, consecrated to Mary Immaculate **The Christian's 'Porta Tecum' **Life of the Sovereign Pontiff, Callistus I *1859 **Life of the youth, Dominic Savio **Life of the Sovereign Pontiff, Urban I **Lives of the Sovereign Pontiffs, Pontian, Anteros, and Fabian **The persecution of Decius and the pontificate of St Cornelius I *1860 **Lives of the Sovereign Pontiffs, St Lucian I and St Stephen I **The pontificate of St Sixtus II and the glories of St Laurence **Biography of Fr Joseph Cafasso *1861 **A family of martyrs **Biographical note on Michael Magone **The pontificate of St Dionysius **Biography of Silvio Pellico *1862 **The pontificates of St Felix I and St Eutychian **The new charm of an old soldier of Napoleon *1863 **Historical notes on BI. Catherine De-Mattei **The pontificate of St Caius *1864 **The pontificates of SS Marcellinus and Marcellus **Episodes pleasant and contemporary **The little shepherd of the Alps *1865 **The house of fortune **Dialogues on the jubilee **The peace of the Church **Life of BI. Mary of the Angels c. s. *1866-1867 **Valentine or the opposed vocation **The centenary of St Peter the Apostle **Life of St Joseph **News and stories *1868 **Severino, or the adventures of a young alpinist **Marvels of the Mother of God **Life of St John the Baptist **Remembrance of a solemnity *1869 **The Catholic Church and its Hierarchy **Association of the devotees of Mary, Help of Christians **The General Councils and the Catholic Church **Angelina, or the little orphan Girl of the Apennines *(1870-1884) **Nine days consecrated to the august Mother of our Saviour **Church History **The Apparition of the Blessed Virgin at La Salette **Pleasing facts from the life of Pius IX **The centenary of St Eusebius the Great **Massimino, or the encounter of a boy with a Protestant **The Jubilee of 1875 **Mary, Help of Christians **The little cloud of Carmel **The loveliest flower of the apostolic college **The Catholic in the world **New stories of Luigi Comolli ; Series Started by Don Bosco *The friend of youth, a politico-religious paper (1849) **1851 ***Synoptic tablet (on the Catholic Church) ***Flying leaflets *'Il Galantuomo'. A national almanac began (1854) *Salesian Bulletin (1877-current) ; Critical Works *Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco (critical edition published in 1977, originally published as a dream journal in 1855) *The Preventive System in the Education of the Youth (1877) *A Compendium of Italian History from the Fall of the Roman Empire (1881) ; Posthumous Works *Memoirs of the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales (written between 1815 and 1855, published posthumously in 1989) *The spiritual writings of Saint John Bosco (1984) *Dreams, Visions, and Prophecies of Don Bosco (1999) *The Unpublished Don Bosco (compiled by Mario Balbi and published in 2005)


Death and canonisation

Bosco died on 31 January 1888. His funeral was attended by thousands. The Archdiocese of Turin investigated, and witnesses were called to determine if Bosco was worthy to be declared a saint. The Salesians, Daughters, and Cooperators gave supportive testimonies.
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
had known Bosco and pushed the cause forward. Pius XI
beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
Bosco on 2 June 1929 and canonised him on Easter Sunday (1 April) of 1934, when he was given the title of "Father and Teacher of Youth".
Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
proclaimed him
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
of Catholic publishers in 1949. His repertoire of writings and publications consists of ove
220 titles
collected in 38 volumes. They were printed at his own peerles
paper-to-print workshop
where boys learned the art of printing and publishing in view of future employment. Bosco had been popularly known as the patron saint of illusionists, on 30 January 2002, Silvio Mantelli petitioned
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
to declare Bosco formally to the patron of stage
magicians Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...
. Catholic stage magicians who practice gospel magic venerate Bosco by offering free magic shows to underprivileged children on his feast day. Bosco's work was carried on by an early pupil, collaborator, and companion,
Michael Rua Michele Rua ( eng, Michael Rua; 9 June 1837 – 6 April 1910) was an Italian people, Italian Roman Catholic Catholic priest, priest and professed member of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Rua was a student under John Bosco, Don Bosco and was also the ...
, who was appointed rector major of the Salesian Society by
Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
in 1888. He is
remembered Recall in memory refers to the mental process of retrieval of information from the past. Along with encoding (memory), encoding and storage (memory), storage, it is one of the three core processes of memory. There are three main types of recall: ...
in the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
with a
commemoration Commemoration may refer to: *Commemoration (Anglicanism), a religious observance in Churches of the Anglican Communion *Commemoration (liturgy), insertion in one liturgy of portions of another *Memorialization *"Commemoration", a song by the 3rd a ...
on 31 January.


In popular culture

Giovanni Bosco is the patron saint of
Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
, which he supposedly foresaw in a dream concerning an extraordinary new civilization that would flourish in central
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. Many educational institutions are named after him, in countries as diverse as Australia, India, the Philippines, Pakistan, and the United States. Several institutions in
Engadine, New South Wales Engadine is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Engadine is located south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire. History The area was reserved for a n ...
were also named for Bosco, including St John Bosco Parish, St John Bosco Primary School, and St John Bosco College. Bosco was the subject of the 1935 biopic ''
Don Bosco John Melchior Bosco ( it, Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco; pms, Gioann Melchior Bòsch; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator, writer and saint of the 19th century. While working ...
'', directed by
Goffredo Alessandrini Goffredo Alessandrini (20 November 1904, in Cairo – 16 May 1978, in Rome) was an Italian scriptwriter and film director. He also acted, edited, and produced some films. He practiced athletics in his youth, and won a title of Italian champion ...
, and was played by the actor
Gian Paolo Rosmino Gianpaolo Rosmino (2 July 1888 – 20 July 1982) was an Italian actor and film director. Rosmino enjoyed a lengthy screen career. After making his debut in the silent era in 1913 he appeared in more than 80 films and television series up to 1965 ...
. Bosco was also the subject of two Italian movies: ''
Don Bosco John Melchior Bosco ( it, Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco; pms, Gioann Melchior Bòsch; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator, writer and saint of the 19th century. While working ...
'' (1988) and '' Saint John Bosco: Mission to Love'' (2004). A
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
in
Quilmes Quilmes () is a city on the coast of the Río de la Plata, Rio de la Plata, in the , on the south east of the Greater Buenos Aires. The city was founded in 1666 and it is the seat of the Quilmes Partido, eponymous county. With a population of 230 ...
,
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, is named after him. An Italian church, San Giovanni Bosco, is named after him in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, in the
Ville-Émard Ville-Émard is a neighbourhood located in the Sud-Ouest borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Overview Geography This neighbourhood is bordered by the Aqueduct Canal to the east as far north as Desmarchais Boulevard where it meets Côte-Saint- ...
area.


References


Bibliography

;General * * * ;Publications of the Holy See * * ;Publications of the Salesians of Don Bosco * ** *


Further reading

;Publications of the Salesians of Don Bosco * * * A 7-volume series. * * Translation of


External links

* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bosco, John 1815 births 1888 deaths People from the Province of Asti Clergy from Turin Founders of Catholic religious communities Italian Roman Catholic saints 19th-century Christian saints Incorrupt saints Salesian Order Canonizations by Pope Pius XI Writers from Turin Anglican saints Beatifications by Pope Pius XI