Saint John Bosco

John Bosco was born in Turin, Italy, on August 16, 1815. His parents were poor farmers, but his father died when he was two years old, but John was too young to know what happened, and it forced his mother, Margaret, to raise him along with 3 other children and taught them the importance of their faith. It was very hard for his mother so John went out and got a few little jobs to help his mother. He had many jobs like a carpenter, shoe-maker, a cook, a pastry maker, and a farmer. While growing up John wanted to become a priest. One night when John was a boy he had a dream that he led young boys; and when he awoke he realized his life's work was to help poor boys. Bosco also had many other dreams along with many others that directed him to help homeless boys. Bosco when he was young went to fairs and carnivals, and learned and mastered them when he got home and then kept the young people in his village occupied by doing magic tricks and acrobatic moves, and only ask prayers for payment. Also, he would speak to children about God, and even some adults occasionally. The seminary school that Bosco entered was Chieri at the age of 16. Father Cafasso helped John through seminary school because he could not afford it, neither could his mother help him pay for it.

John became a priest in 1841 at the age of 26, and was named Don Bosco, which means Father Bosco. After Sunday Mass's he would have a catechism class

which would teach young people about God. After a while the catechism class turned into a school were boys could receive a real education, not just a religion class. He was appointed chaplain of St. Philomena's Hospice for girls. John did not really like his job so he resigned and opened a house for boys, where he helped boys that he saw on the streets, and brought them to the house where he fed them, clothed them, and sheltered them. Then he started his own religious order of 17 priests and brothers, they were called the Salesians in 1859, after St.