Call Toll Free : 1-800-560-4999Saint John Bosco was born in the year 1815 in Italy. His family owned a tiny farm and house and that is where Saint John Bosco was brought up. When John was just two years old his father passed away. John’s two brothers and their mother had to take over the farm to be able to live. This was their only source of income. Saint John always entertained his family and friends because he took joy in seeing others happy, especially children as he grew older. This is why Saint John Bosco is remembered as the patron saint of children.
John was always taught to be very religious, and he prayed often. As he came of age, John pondered the idea of being ordained a priest. John’s family simply didn’t have the funds to send him to school though, so this seemed like something John would just have to put off.
However a local priest realized how smart John was one day, and began to tutor him when he learned of his family’s financial woes. John began doing many different small jobs for people around town to earn extra money. He eventually gained enough to be able to afford schooling.
In 1841, Saint John Bosco was ordained a priest. After a few positions as assistant to older priests, John realized that he really wanted to run his own school. John founded his first oratory named Saint Francis de Sales. So many parents enrolled their sons into his school that they had to create two other oratories to fit all of them!
Saint John Bosco also had always dreamed of creating his own order and gathering men who saw eye to eye with his morals and views to join. With the help of Rattazzi, he would found the the Society of Saint Francis de Sales, or the Salesians.
On January 31, 1888 Saint John Bosco passed away at the age of 72. Pope Pius XI canonized him a saint in the year 1934, and his feast day falls on January 31st each year.
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