St. John Bosco was born at Piedmont, in the diocese of Turin, Italy in 1815 to a poor farming family.  He lost his father at the age of two and was brought up by his mother, Margaret, who struggled hard to provide for her home.

As a young boy of nine he dreamed he was in the midst of a crowd of fighting children, vainly trying to quiet them, when suddenly he heard a woman say to him: "Softly, softly...if you want to win them.  Take your shepherd's staff and lead them to pasture." When he awoke John realized his life's work was to help poor boys

As a young man in his own village, he delighted other youngsters with feats of acrobatics and magic.  Then he would lead them to church and speak of God to them.

John entered the seminary of Chieri when he was sixteen; he was ordained in 1841.  He later opened a house for poor neglected boys with his mother serving as housekeeper.  Throughout the city of Turin, he set up residences and schools to teach poor boys grammar and religion and train them as shoemakers, tailors and printers.  By 1856, he had 150 boys in residence and nearly 500 more in oratories throughout Turin.

In 1859, with 22 companions, John Bosco formally organized the Salesian Order with the approval of Pope Pius IX. The Salesian membership grew rapidly and soon spread worldwide.  In 1872, he founded a community of religious women, Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians, to help poor girls.

It is as "teacher and father to the young" that St. John Bosco's life is best summarized. His own awareness of the fatherhood of God was extremely vivid.  He was convinced that without a sense of intimacy with God, it is impossible to be an educator.  "Education," he said, "is something from the heart, and God alone is its master; we cannot succeed in anything unless God gives us the key to these hearts."  Of the three qualities that Don Bosco required in teachers, kindness was of particular importance.

At his death on January 31, 1888, he left the neglected young people of this time an immense legacy in the many projects and people he inspired.  Almost the entire population of Turin attended his funeral in gratitude to him.

Saint John Bosco, you reached out to children whom no one cared for despite ridicule and insults. Help us to care less about the laughter of the world and care more about the joy of the Lord.   Amen.