Free U.S. Shipping on Orders $200+ Faith Filled Products to Help Build Your Own Church in Miniature
Saint John Bosco
August 16, 1815 – January 31, 1888
Saint John Bosco, also known as Don Bosco, was an Italian Catholic priest who dedicated his life to educating poor and neglected boys and leading them closer to Jesus Christ. Through his extraordinary charity, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and commitment to Catholic education, he became one of the Church’s most beloved teachers of youth.
Feast Day
January 31
Where From
Becchi, near Castelnuovo d'Asti, Piedmont, Italy
Vocation
Catholic priest, educator, and founder of the Salesians
Patron of
Young people, apprentices, schoolchildren, and educators
About John Bosco
Saint John Bosco was born in 1815 in northern Italy to a poor farming family. Following the death of his father during his infancy, he was raised by his devout mother, Margaret, who instilled in him a profound love for God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. After overcoming many hardships, he was ordained a priest in 1841. Deeply concerned for abandoned and impoverished boys, he established an oratory where young people could receive religious instruction, education, recreation, and loving guidance. His approach emphasized reason, religion, and kindness rather than harsh punishment.
Saint John Bosco eventually founded the Salesian Society and, with Saint Mary Domenica Mazzarello, helped establish the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. He possessed extraordinary confidence in Our Lady and worked tirelessly to protect young souls from sin and lead them toward holiness. He died in Turin in 1888 and was canonized in 1934. His life reminds Catholic families of the sacred responsibility of educating children in the faith, guiding them with patience, and fostering a lasting love for Jesus and Mary.