Saint John Bosco
Giovanni Bosco
Confessor; Father and Teacher of Youth
Born	August 16, 1815(1815-08-16), Castelnuovo, Piedmont, Italy
Died	January 31, 1888 (aged 72), Turin, Italy
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion
Beatified	June 2, 1929, Rome by Pope Pius XI
Canonized	1 April 1934, Rome by Pope Pius XI
Major shrine	The Tomb of St John Bosco - Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, Turin, Italy
Feast	January 31
Attributes	Priest,Educator
Patronage	Christian apprentices, editors, publishers, schoolchildren, young people
Saints Portal

Saint John Bosco, born Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco, and known in English as Don Bosco (August 16, 1815 – January 31, 1888), was an Italian Catholic priest, and recognized educator, who put into practice the dogma of his religion, employing teaching methods based on love rather than punishment. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Castelnuovo Don Bosco ( Piedmontese: Castelneuv d'Ast) is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Asti in the Italian Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed via Greek μακάριος makarios) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic church Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pope Pius XI ( Latin: Pius PP XI; Italian: Pio XI; May 31 1857 &ndash February 10 1939) born Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Pope Pius XI ( Latin: Pius PP XI; Italian: Pio XI; May 31 1857 &ndash February 10 1939) born A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’ also used as a desk like the French bureau) was originally a container usually made of precious materials used The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Christianity has used symbols from its very beginnings Each Saint has a story and a reason why he or she led an exemplary life A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities This is a list of educators. See also Education, List of education topics. The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Apprenticeship is a system of Training a new generation of practitioners of a skill Editing Language, Images or Sound through correction condensation organization and other modifications in various media Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view CHILD syndrome (or congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects) is a genetic disorder English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas, Greek, plural) is the established Belief or A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Punishment is the practice of imposing something unpleasant or aversive on a person or animal usually in response to disobedient or morally wrong behavior He placed his works under the protection of Francis de Sales; thus his followers styled themselves the Salesian Society. This article is about the Roman Catholic saint For churches named after him see Saint Francis de Sales church. The Salesians of Don Bosco (or the Salesian Society, originally known as the Society of St He is the only Saint with the title "Father and Teacher of Youth. A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity "

St. John Bosco succeeded in establishing a network of centres to carry on his work. In recognition of his work with disadvantaged youth he was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1934. Youth is the period from infancy or childhood to maturity Usage Around the world the terms "youth" " Adolescent " "teenager" and Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints One of his students, Dominic Savio, was subsequently also canonized, becoming the youngest non-martyr to be named a saint. Dominic Savio ( Italian: Domenico Savio; April 2, 1842 &ndash March 9, 1857) was an Italian adolescent student of

Contents 1 Early life 2 Foundation of the Salesian Family 3 The Preventive System 4 Death and canonization 5 Further reading 6 Sources 6.1 Studies 7 See also 8 External links 9 References

Early life

Giovanni Bosco was born in Cascina Biglione, a frazione of Castelnuovo d'Asti^[1], in Piedmont (then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia), to Francesco Bosco and his second wife Margherita Occhiena of Capriglio. A frazione, in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a Comune; for other Administrative Castelnuovo Don Bosco ( Piedmontese: Castelneuv d'Ast) is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Asti in the Italian Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. Kingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720 when the Capriglio is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 25 km southeast of His father died two years later and Giovanni, together with his two brothers Antonio and Giuseppe, were brought up by his mother. She was to support him in his work until her death in 1856.

When he was young, he would put on shows of his skills as a juggler, magician, and acrobat. The price of admission to these shows was a prayer. Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit Don Bosco began as the chaplain of the Rifugio ("Refuge"), a girls’ boarding school founded in Turin by the Marchioness Giulia di Barolo. A chaplain is typically a Priest, Pastor, ordained Deacon, Rabbi, Imam or other member of the Clergy serving a group of But he had many ministries on the side such as visiting prisoners, teaching catechism and helping out at country parishes. A growing group of boys would come to the Rifugio on Sundays and feast days to play and learn their catechism. They were too old to join the younger children in regular catechism classes in the parishes, which mostly chased them away. This was the beginning of the “Oratory of St. Francis de Sales”. This article is about the Roman Catholic saint For churches named after him see Saint Francis de Sales church. Because of all their disorderly racket, the Marchioness spared her girls the distraction by terminating Bosco’s employment at the Rifugio.

Don Bosco and his Oratory wandered around town for a few years and were turned out of several places in succession. Finally, he was able to rent a shed from a Mr. Pinardi. His mother moved in with him. The Oratory had a home, then, in 1846, in the new Valdocco neighborhood on the north end of town. Next year, he and "Mamma Margherita" began taking in orphans.

Foundation of the Salesian Family

Even before this, however, Don Bosco had the help of several friends at the Oratory. There were zealous priests like Don Cafasso and Don Borel, some older boys like Giuseppe Buzzetti, Michael Rua, Giovanni Cagliero, and Carlo Gastini, and Don Bosco’s own mother, Mama Margaret, as she was affectionatly known. Giuseppe Cafasso ( January 15, 1811 &ndash June 23 1860) was a significant social reformer in early nineteenth-century Turin, Blessed Michael Rua ( June 9, 1837 - April 6, 1910) (born Michele Rua) was a friend of Don Bosco and co-founder of Giovanni Cardinal Cagliero, SDB ( January 11, 1838 &mdash February 28, 1926) was an Italian Prelate Some local politicians helped out while others hindered his efforts.

One friend was Justice Minister Urbano Rattazzi, who did not support the church, but nevertheless recognized the value of Don Bosco’s work. Urbano Rattazzi ( June 20, 1808 &ndash June 5, 1873) was an Italian Statesman While Rattazzi was pushing a bill through the Sardinian legislature to suppress religious orders, he advised Don Bosco on how to get around the law and 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 on the side. Another supporter of the religious order idea was the reigning Pope, Blessed Pius IX. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Blessed Pope Pius IX (May 13 1792 &ndash February 7 1878 born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was Pope from June 16 1846 until 1878 He had 2 other brothers, and his mother Margaret Bosco was left a single mother of three. In 1854, when the Piedmont was about to pass a law suppressing monastic orders and confiscating ecclesiastical properties, Bosco reported a series of dreams about "great funerals at court”, referring to members of the Savoy court or of politicians. Kingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720 when the ^[2] In November 1854, he sent a letter to the King, Victor Emmanuel II, admonishing him to oppose the confiscation of Church property and suppression of the orders, but the King did nothing. Victor Emmanuel II King of Italy ( Vittorio Emanuele II; March 14, 1820 – January 9, 1878) was the King of ^[3] His activity, which had been described by one critic, Italian historian Erberto Petoia, as having "manifest blackmailing intentions",^[4] according to Petoia ended only after the intervention of Prime Minister Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Camillo Paolo Filippo Giulio Benso Conte di Cavour, Conte di Isolabella e Leri ( August 10 1810 &ndash June Despite such criticisms, the King's family suffered a surprising number of deaths in a short period; from January to May 1855, the King's mother age 55, wife, 33, newborn son, and his only brother, 33, all died. ^[5][6]

In 1859, Bosco selected the experienced priest Don Alasonatti, 15 seminarians and 1 high school boy and formed them into the "Society of St. Francis de Sales. " This was the nucleus of the Salesians, the religious order that would carry on his work. When the group had their next meeting, they 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 Don Pestarino, Mary Mazzarello and a group of girls in the hill town of Mornese. Mornese is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of 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. " These were mostly lay people who would work for young people like the Daughters and the Salesians, but would not join a religious order. ^[7]

The story of the departure of the first Salesians for America in 1875 is based on the missionary ideal of Don Bosco. All his life he wanted to be a missionary, and his biographer mentions that he was already thinking about it when he was a young student at Chieri. After his ordination, he would have become a missionary had not his director, Joseph Cafasso, opposed the idea. Giuseppe Cafasso ( January 15, 1811 &ndash June 23 1860) was a significant social reformer in early nineteenth-century Turin, He 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 he founded the Salesian Society, the thought of the missions still obsessed him, and he would gladly have sent his religious had he not then completely lacked the means. Father Lemoyne states that Don Bosco had to be satisfied for a long time to just ardently study the map of the world or to speak to the Oratory boys about the labors of missionaries, or the martyrdom suffered by some of them, or about the people they converted to the Gospel.

Around 1871-72 one if his "dreams" encouraged him. He found himself transported to 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 horribly massacred. A second group appeared with an air of joy about them; they were preceded by a group of children. Don Bosco at once recognized them as Salesians. Astonished, he witnessed an unexpected change when the fierce savages laid down their arms and listened to the missionaries. The dream made a great impression on Don Bosco, because he tried hard to identify the men and the country of the dream.

It is said that he searched for three years among documents, trying to get information about different countries. For a moment he thought it might be Abyssinia, then Hong Kong, then Australia, then India. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country One day, however, a request came from the republic of Argentina, which turned him towards the Indians of Patagonia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Llao LLaojpg|thumb|250px| Lake Nahuel Huapi, near Bariloche, Argentina To his surprise, a study of the people there convinced him that the country and its inhabitants were the ones he had seen in his dream.

He regarded it as a sign of Providence and set about the realization of a project long dear to him. Adopting a special way of evangelization that would not expose his missionaries suddenly to wild, uncivilized tribes, he proposed to set up bases in safe locations where their missionary efforts were to be launched. The above request from Argentina came about as follows: Towards the end of 1874, he received letters from that country requesting that he accept an Italian parish in Buenos Aires and a school for boys at San Nicolas de los Arroyos. Gazzolo, the Argentinean Consul at Savona, had sent the request, for he had taken a great interest in the Salesian work in Liguria and hoped to obtain the Salesians' help for the benefit of his country. Negotiations started after Archbishop Aneiros of Buenos Aires had indicated that he would be glad to receive the Salesians. They were successful mainly because of the good offices of the priest of San Nicolas, Pedro Ceccarelli, a friend of Gazzolo, who was in touch with and had the confidence of Don Bosco. In a ceremony held on January 29, 1875, Don Bosco was able to convey the great news to the Oratory in the presence of Gazzolo. Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common On February 5, he announced the fact in a circular letter to all Salesians asking volunteers to apply in writing. He proposed that the first missionary departure start in October. Practically all the Salesians volunteered for the missions. Certainly a new era had now begun for the Oratory and the young Society.

By this time Italy was united, with borders similar to those of today, under Piedmontese leadership. Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian The poorly-governed Papal States were merged into the new kingdom. The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa It was generally thought that Don Bosco supported the Pope. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and

The Preventive System

Don Bosco's capability to attract numerous boys and adult helpers was connected to his "Preventive System of Education". He believed education to be a "matter of the heart," and said that the boys must not only be loved, but know that they are loved. Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency He also pointed to three components of the Preventive System: reason, religion, and kindness. Reason involves the ability to think understand and draw Conclusions in an Abstract way as in Human thinking A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Kindness is the act or the state of charitable behavior to other people Music and games also went into the mix. Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. A game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for Enjoyment and sometimes also used as an Educational tool

Don Bosco gained a reputation early on of being a saint and miracle worker. Reputation is the opinion (more technically a social evaluation of the public toward a Person, a group of people, or an Organization. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation For this reason Rua, Buzzetti, Cagliero and several others began to keep chronicles of his sayings and doings. Preserved in the Salesian archives, these are invaluable resources for studying his life. An archive refers to a collection of historical records and also refers to the location in which these records are kept Later on, the Salesian Don Lemoyne collected and combined them into 77 scrapbooks with oral testimonies and Don Bosco’s own Memoirs of the Oratory. Scrapbooking is a method for preserving personal and family history in the form of photographs printed media and memorabilia contained in decorated albums or scrapbooks His aim was to write a detailed biography. This project eventually became a nineteen-volume affair, carried out by him and two other authors. These are the Biographical Memoirs. It is clearly not the work of professional historians, but a somewhat uneven compilation of those chronicles that preserve the memories of teenage boys and young men under the spell of a remarkable and beloved father figure. See also History An historian is an individual who studies and writes about History, and is regarded as an Authority on it A Father Figure is usually considered to be an older man often one in a position of power or influence who arouses Emotions usually felt for a person's Father

Death and canonization

Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a His funeral was attended by thousands, and very soon after there were popular demands to have him canonized. Accordingly, the Archdiocese of Turin began to investigate and witnesses were called to determine if his holiness were worthy of a declared Saint. As expected, the Salesians, Daughters and Cooperators gave fulsome testimonies. But many remembered Don Bosco’s controversies in the 1870s with Archbishop Gastaldi, and some others high in the Church hierarchy thought him a loose cannon and a wheeler-dealer. A controversy or dispute is a commencement of a conflict between statements of accepted fact and a new or unaccepted proposal that disagrees with argues against Events and Trends Technology The invention of the prototype telephone by Alexander G The expression " loose cannon " or " loose cannon on rolling deck " refers to an irresponsible and reckless individual whose behaviour (either intended or unintended SpecialShortpages.-- In the canonization process, testimony was heard about how he went around Gastaldi to get some of his men ordained, and about their lack of academic preparation and ecclesiastical decorum. Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints Decorum (from the Latin: "proper fit becoming" was a principle of classical Rhetoric, poetry and theatrical theory Political cartoons from the 1860s and later showed him shaking money from the pockets of old ladies, or going off to America for the same purpose, and were not forgotten. An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration or Comic strip containing a political or Social message that usually Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the USA was completed in 1869 A pocket is a small Bag to hold small and important items particularly a bag-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of Clothing. These opponents, including some cardinals, were in position to block his canonization and many Salesians feared around 1925 that they would succeed. A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church.

Pope Pius XI had known Don Bosco, and pushed the cause forward. Pope Pius XI ( Latin: Pius PP XI; Italian: Pio XI; May 31 1857 &ndash February 10 1939) born Bosco was declared Blessed in 1929, and canonized a Saint on Easter Sunday of 1934 and was given the title of "Father and Teacher of Youth. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. " ^[8]

Fr. Silvio Mantelli, sdb, had petitioned Pope John Paul II to acclim St. Fr Silvio Mantelli, a Salesian Catholic priest whose principle ministry is that of a Gospel Magician. Pope Don Bosco the Patron of Stage Magicians.

Further reading

Sources

• Bosco, Giovanni (1989). Memoirs of the Oratory. Don Bosco Publications.  
• Amadei, Angelo; Giovanni Battista Lemoyne, Eugenio Ceria. Biographical Memoirs of St. John Bosco. Don Bosco Publications.  . These volumes translate id. . Memorie Biografiche di San Giovanni Bosco, 19 vol. . SEI.  

Studies

• Desramaut, François (1996). Don Bosco et son Temps. SEI.  
• Stella, Pietro (1996). Don Bosco: Religious Outlook and Spirituality. Salesiana Publishers.  
• Wirth, Morand (1982). Don Bosco and the Salesians. New Rochelle, New Jersey. Don Bosco Publications.   Translation of id. (1969). Don Bosco e i Salesiani: Centocinquant'anni di storia. SEI.  

See also

• Salesians
• Dominic Savio
• St. Don Bosco's College

External links

• Salesians of Don Bosco Official Website (multi-lingual website)
• Salesians of the UK
• UK Salesian (alumnus) website
• Don Bosco's important writings in original language
• Founder Statue in St Peter's Basilica
• Published Writings (italian)

References

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