SAINT

JOHN BOSCO (1815-1888)



ARCHIVES:
Liturgy
Animation
Documents
Photographs
Graphics
Music
Music Texts
Links

INTERNAL LINKS :
History
Education
Communication
Research
Animation
Music
Drama
Powerpoint
Film
Photo
Art
Shop

Beatified 2-6-1929
Canonized 1-4-1934

Early years and eventual priesthood

John Bosco was born at Castelnuovo d'Asti on 16 August 185, of a family of peasant farmers. His father, Francis Bosco, died when John was just two, and Margaret Occhiena found herself bringing up Anthony, Joseph and John alone.
With firm kindness and unbounded faith Margaret, wise educator that she was, made her family into a domestic church.
From when he was small, John began to feel a desire to become a priest.  he spoke of having had a dream at nine years of age, which revealed to him his mission: "Make yourself humble, strong and robust", a woman resplendent as the sun told him, "and what you see happening to these wolves which change into lambs, you will do for my children. I will be your teacher. In time you will understand". While still a lad, John began to do magic tricks, learned with hard effort, for his friends, and he alternated this with work and prayer.
The elderly Fr Calosso started him off with his studies for the priesthood, studies that cost him effort, to the point where he had to leave home because of his brother anthony's opposition. He wanted John to work in the fields.
As a seminarian at Chieri, he thought up the idea of the 'Cheerful Society, which gathered boys from around the town. In June 1841 he was ordained priest. His spiritual director, Fr cafasso, advised him to complete his studies at the Ecclesiastical Institute. Meanwhile Don Bosco gathered his first boys around him, and organised a festive oratory, initially on the move but then stabilised at Valdocco. Margaret, by now elderly, accepted to come to Turin and help him, and become 'Mamma Margaret' for the boys.

Preventive system

Don Bosco began to give a place to boys without a home to go to. He taught them to work, and to love the Lord; he sang, played and prayed with them.  With the first boys came his first helpers. Thus he developed his famous educational method, the Preventive System. "Be with the boys, prevent sin through reason, religion and loving kindness. Become saints and educators of saints. Our boys must know they are loved".
Over time the first helpers, with the help of Pope Pius IX, became a Congregation aimed at the salvation of the young, fighting all forms of poverty and taking as its own the motto: "Give me souls, take away the rest".
Young Dominic Savio is the first fruit of the Preventive System. Mary Help of Christians, who always supported Don Bosco in his work, obtained many graces for him, even extraordinary ones, as well as the funds necessary for his enterprises.  She helped him build the Basilica which bears her name.

Salesian Sisters and Salesian Cooperators

With the help of Saint Mary domenica Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. With benefactors and committed lay people he gave life to the Salesian Cooperators.
Don Bosco died exhausted from work at age 72, on 31 January 1888. Today the Salesian Family is throughout the world. Pope John paul II declared him 'Father and Teacher of Youth' on the centenary of his death.


Liturgia
Eucaristia (41 KB) Download doc file
ESP Oraciones y Eucaristías sobre Don Bosco
ENG Novena to Don Bosco
Animation
Archivio di Video, Foto, Sogni, Scritti da Donboscoland
I Fioretti di Don Bosco (I racconti della quotidianità, per comprendere un grande Santo )   
Poster LDC Musio   
Poster LDC Caffaro Rore   
ITA Link Don Bosco LDC    Baixar o file pdf
ITA Novità editoriali LDC (117 KB)    Baixar o file pdf
ITA Triduo on Don Bosco EDUCATORS (87 KB) Download doc file
ITA Week with Don Bosco YOUTH (355 KB) Download doc file
ESP Triduo de Don Bosco
Documents
ENG Life of Don Bosco - Teresio Bosco Download doc file
ENG A Short Life of Don Bosco - Paul Aronica Download doc file
ENG Don Bosco's Method of Educating to Life- Joaquim D'Souza Download doc file
ENG Don Bosco Writes to us - Carlo Martini, Cardinal Archbishop of Milan 1988 Download doc file
ENG Don Bosco's comments at the GC 1 and 2 Download doc file
ENG General bibliography on Don Bosco (87 KB) Download doc file
ESP Breve biografía de San Juan Bosco:
ESP Don Bosco Quiz (75 KB) Download doc file
ITA Life of Don Bosco (24 KB) Download rtf file
ITA Sayings of Don Bosco (525 KB) Download zip file
ESP Breve biografía de San Juan Bosco:
ESP Facetas de Don Bosco
ESP Don Bosco y La Eucaristia
ESP Don Bosco, Iniciador de la Familia Salesiana
ESP Frase Célebres de Don Bosco
ESP ¿conoces a Don Bosco?
Photographs
Photographs Don Bosco
Photographs Don Bosco
Graphics
Images of Don Bosco
Clip Art on Don Bosco
Music
Salesian Hymns (Instrumentals) (35,5 MB) Download zip file
Music Texts
AH! SI CANTI IN SUON DI GIUBILO. (0.95 MB) Download pdf file
DON BOSCO RITORNA! '88. D. Machetta . (1,3 MB) Download pdf file
GIÙ DAI COLLI. Rastello-Gregorio (1,5 MB) Download pdf file
CAMPANE SUONATE. Rastello-Pagella (1,4 MB) Download pdf file
SAPIENTIAM. Uguccioni-Lasagna (1,4 MB) Download pdf file
DOLCISSIMO SANTO. Gallini-Antolisei (0,75 MB) Download pdf file
O BUON PADRE. Gallini-Antolisei. (0,72 MB) Download pdf file
DON BOSCO, LA GLORIA DEI CIELI. V.Cimatti. (0,7 MB) Download pdf file
SALVE, DON BOSCO SANTO. Sanchez. (0,7 MB) Download pdf file
DON BOSCO 2000. Domenico Machetta . (1,3 MB) Download pdf file
UN CUORE GRANDE. Lagorio. (1,1 MB) Download pdf file
CUORE DI DIO. Cutùli. (1,7 MB) Download pdf file
VERDI LE TUE VALLI. Pasqualetti. (0,75 MB) Download pdf file
C'ERA UNA VOLTA. Gonzo. (1,3 MB) Download pdf file
Canta con Don Bosco
Links:
ITA 'Storia di Don Bosco' dalla Editrice LDC.   
ENG Don Bosco's Way - his educational method
ENG Catholic Encyclopedia on Don Bosco
ITA 'La mia casa'- for children
ENG 'My House' - for adolescents (zip)
ESP Don Bosco - 2004
INTERNAL LINKS
History:
The history
Important historical dates
Don Bosco for us
The young people's priest
First dream
A fascinating saint
Don Bosco dreamed of the growth of the Salesian works
Education:
Don Bosco's style of living and working
The Preventive System as Don Bosco's pedagogy
*   Reason
*   Religion
*   Loving-kindness
Communication:
Don Bosco writer and publisher
Books, a divine means
Don Bosco's writings
Don Bosco's circulars
Research:
Bibliography of Don Bosco
Animation:
Animations on Don Bosco
Music:
Music on Don Bosco
Music on Don Bosco 2
Drama:
Drama on Don Bosco
Powerpoint:
Powerpoint
Film:
Film
Photo:
Photographs
Art gallery:
Autors 
Art gallery in the world
Multimedia Shop :
Cd-video, books, posters
Add to Favourites   |    send   |    print
HOME PAGE SITE MAP CONTACT US
© Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco, via della Pisana, 1111 - 00163 Roma, Italia