Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

Article: January 31 + Saint John Bosco

January 31 + Saint John Bosco - VENXARA®

January 31 + Saint John Bosco

John Bosco was an Italian Roman Catholic priest, educator and writer of the 19th century. While working in Turin, where the population suffered many of the effects of industrialization and urbanization, he dedicated his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth. He developed teaching methods based on love rather than punishment, a method that became known as the Salesian Preventive System.

John’s theory of education was a preventive system, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in surroundings that removed the likelihood of committing sin. He advocated frequent reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined catechetical training and fatherly guidance, seeking to unite the spiritual life with one’s work, study and play.

A follower of the spirituality and philosophy of Saint Francis de Sales, John was an ardent devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He later dedicated his works to Francis when he founded the Salesians of Don Bosco. Together with Maria Domenica Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a religious congregation of nuns dedicated to the care and education of poor girls. He taught Dominic Savio, of whom he wrote a biography that helped the young boy be canonized.

After serving as chaplain in a hospice for girls, John opened the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales for boys. Several wealthy and powerful patrons contributed money, enabling him to provide two workshops for the boys — shoemaking and tailoring. Within a few years, the institution had grown to 150 boys and had added a printing press for publication of religious and catechetical pamphlets. His interest in vocational education and publishing justify him as patron of young apprentices and Catholic publishers.

John educated the whole person — body and soul united. He believed that Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we do — work, study, play. For John, being a Christian was a full-time effort, not a once-a-week, Mass-on-Sunday experience.

John died in the early hours of January 31, 1888 after conveying a message: “Tell the boys that I shall be waiting for them all in Paradise.” John is the Patron Saint of Christian apprentices, editors, publishers, schoolchildren, young people and juvenile delinquents.

Leave a comment

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

All comments are moderated before being published.

Read more

January 30 + Saint Martina - VENXARA®

January 30 + Saint Martina

Martina was a noble virgin of Rome and the daughter of a Consul. Having lost her parents as a child and being exceedingly fervent as a Christian, she was charitable to the poor and distributed amon...

Read more
February 1 + Saint Brigid of Ireland - VENXARA®

February 1 + Saint Brigid of Ireland

Brigid was a monastic foundress who is – together with Saint Patrick and Saint Columcille – one of Ireland’s three patron saints. She directly influenced several other future saints of Ireland and ...

Read more