We celebrate Sain John Bosco on January 31. John Bosco was born in Becchi, a little city of Castelnuovo of Asti in August 1815. When he was young, his father was dead while he is only 2 years old, his mother has raised them three.
They were farmers and they are very poor, but their mother, Mamma Margherita, did not hesitate to do her utmost to raise John Bosco and his brother. Marguerita has never neglected the education of her children on the level of Faith and according to the message of Gospel.
At the age of nine, John Bosco dream of being called by God to take care of young people. He embraced this dream, and despite their difficulties, he continued to pursue his studies even when his older brother interfered with his desire. His mother was supportive of John Bosco and an elderly priest helped her to realize her desire for priestly life. Because of his intelligence, perseverance and courage, Jean Bosco overcame all obstacles and was ordained a priest in 1841 and took him as his life motto: "Da mihi animas, caetera tolle", from the book of Genesis 14:21. In English, it says: "Give me the people, and take the riches for yourself".
Seeing the plight of many young people without anyone to care for them and the dangers that result, John Bosco, particularly unable to find the young people in prison, decided to look for ways to prevent such incidents. He founded the Oratorio, which he entrusted to St. Francis de Sales. This educational centre is mainly dedicated to the care of underprivileged and poor young people and children. Its young people multiplied rapidly, for if it was only one young person that he received on December 8, 1841, Barthelemy Garelli, it increased nine in three days and twenty-five in three months. In one year, the number of young people he educated and raised was eighty. Don Bosco had neither money nor fortune, but to run this institution he counted on the grace of God and his mother was the first philanthropist to support him.
The education that Don Bosco applied was based on reason, faith and affection, this is what he called the "preventive system", and this is how he formed young people to enter the way of Christ. To strengthen faith in the reception of the sacraments, in the ministry and in the study of the work of preparation for the future. It was because of the desire of some young people to do what he did that he created the Auxiliary Association, which was approved by the Pope on January 26, 1854 and on July 30, 1860, Michael Rua, the first of Don Bosco's disciples, was ordained a priest. Relations with God and trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary are the foundation of their work, so he taught this to his disciples and left as his legacy a life of simple faith, based on goodness of soul and chastity. All this is called work and temperance.
In 1872 he founded the Congregation of the Sisters Daughters of Mary Help of Christians together with Mary Domenica Mazzarello. He also founded a private organization, called "Cooperators" in 1875, which helped and supported him in serving these needy young people. Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888 and left a message saying: "Love one another as brothers, serve everyone, do no harm to anyone. Tell my children that I am waiting for them in heaven. "It was on the 100th anniversary of his death that Pope John Paul II, Don Bosco was called "Father and Teacher of Youth".
