St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco, born on August 16, 1815, in Becchi, a small village in northern Italy, was a visionary priest and educator who dedicated his life to the care and education of disadvantaged youth. Born into a poor farming family, he lost his father at the age of two, leaving his mother, Margherita, to raise him and his siblings in challenging circumstances. From a young age, John exhibited a deep sense of compassion and a desire to help others, particularly children. He often entertained his peers with acrobatics and storytelling, using these skills to teach them about faith and morality. John felt a calling to the priesthood early in life, but his path was fraught with obstacles, including poverty and lack of formal education. Through perseverance and the support of his mother and benefactors, he was ordained a priest in 1841. As a young priest in Turin, he witnessed the struggles of impoverished and abandoned youth, many of whom were forced into child labor or crime. Moved by their plight, he dedicated himself to their spiritual and material well-being.