Saint’s Corner - St. John Bosco
On January 31st we celebrate the life of St. John Bosco, who was born on a poor farm near Turin, Italy, in 1815. At the age of 2 his father died, leaving his mother to raise him. Instead of attending school, as was the custom in his time, he tended sheep on the hillside. At the age of 9 he decided that he wanted to become a priest. Arrangements were made so that he could walk four miles a day during the fall and winter so that he could attend school. During the spring and summer, he continued to tend the fields.
At the age of 16 he entered seminary. He was so poor that he had to rely on the generosity of others to pay for his clothing. His mother told him the day before he left that she would rather have a poor peasant for a son than a negligent priest. Saint John Bosco took her words to heart and lived a very virtuous life. During his life as a priest, St. John Bosco was responsible for founding the Salesian Society of St. Francis de Sales. He ministered especially to the poor boys by founding a school to teach them a trade. He also founded a religious order for women to minister to poor girls.
St. John Bosco died on January 31st, 1888. He is the patron Saint of Editors.