Erin Fox
St John Bosco’s mission in life was to be a friend to young people
Tomorrow is the feast day of Don Bosco, founder of the Salesians. St John Bosco’s mission in life was to be a friend to young people who were poor, abandoned or at risk, and in so doing to be a friend to Christ. He was very influential in his lifetime and his legacy continues to inspire organisations to this day. He is also known as Father and Teacher of Youth because of his passion for education; and the patron saint of illusionists and magicians because he used his talent and interest in these crafts to spread the word of God.
Creativity
It was his poor upbringing and his admiration for St Francis de Sales that heavily influenced the work he carried out later in life. Born in Northern Italy in 1815, he was raised by his widowed mother in a poor family. At an early age he was full of creativity and saw the arts as a way of spreading his faith to those around him.
Soon after he was ordained, he was sent to the industrial town of Turin, rife in poverty. Shocked by the lack of education available to the poor and the number of young men and boys in prison, he focused his efforts on ministry to the orphans and working children of the city. He established homes called oratories where they could live, learn productive trades, and be educated in the faith. While his oratories grew fast, he was met with opposition. His growing popularity and influence and the increasing number of orphans under his care unsettled some, who feared their recreation could be turned into a revolution against the government.
Steadfast faith
While he was opposed by some, many young men came forward to help him in his mission. In 1859, he founded the Salesian Brothers, naming them so in honour St Frances de Sales, his favourite saint. He wished his followers to be filled with St Francis’ qualities; kindness, humility, love and having a steadfast faith. He later found the Salesian Sisters with Mary Mazzarello, to work for girls. Don Bosco worked until his death in 1888. His work has spread throughout the world and there are currently 15,560 priests and brothers in the Salesian Congregation, working in 131 countries. He was canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1988, 100 years after his death.
