Biography of Don Bosco

Love and courage

16 August 1815
31 January 1888
Extraordinary educator and memorable parish priest, Giovanni Bosco was born on 16 August 1815 in a poor peasant family in Beaks Castelnuovo d'Asti (now renamed Castelnuovo Don Bosco). Left fatherless in just two years the priestly calling right away. In 1841, a young priest, arrives in Turin and begins to explore the city to get an idea of the moral conditions of young people. I was stunned. Boys who roam the streets, unemployed and depressed, stragglers ready to anything.
There also remains deeply impressed to see how many of those guys take the via delle patrie galleys. Understands that it cannot remain indifferent to everything and decides to take action to try to heal, how could the plight. Helps children to find a job, strives to get better conditions to those already occupied and goes to school at smarter. Thus was born on the outskirts of Turin the first oratorio. In April 1846 opens at Valdocco in "casa Par" an oratorio around which will grow over time, the grandiose complex of the mother house of the Salesians. The problem of accommodating full-time for several hours but not homeless kids is essential but you open a financial problem. Don Bosco becomes first person promoter of his initiative and sets out in search of funds.
The first benefactor is the mother Margherita who sells everything he owns to feed the kids. Among young people who don Bosco for father and teacher, someone asks him to "become like him". Thus, with the cooperation of don Rua and FR. Cagliero, the "Society of St. Francis de Sales" which will give life to the order of the Salesians. The Salesians damage to young people not just bread and a House, but they provide their professional and religious education, ability to integrate into the social life and good employment contracts. Don Bosco becomes a figure of national importance.
Man of extraordinary intelligence, so much so that it was often consulted by Pope Pius IX, was equipped with almost superhuman "powers" and perhaps, for those who believe, to the divine nature (for example, repeated faithfully full pages of books after reading them just once), Don Bosco remained just as extraordinarily simple and humble person. In 1872, tireless, he founded the Congregation of the daughters of Mary help of Christians, called female of the Salesian Sisters. A few years later, is on 31 January 1888 when he died in Turin, surrounded by sympathy to all those who had known him, leaving behind a trail of concrete works and achievements. Don Bosco was declared Venerable in 1907, blessed in 1929 and Saint on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1934. The January 31, 1958 Pope Pius XII, on the proposal of the Minister of labour in Italy, declared him "patron of apprentices Italians."
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.