**GIOVANNI BOSCO, Saint.**
Born in a rural hamlet of Castelnuovo d'Asti (now Castelnuovo Don Bosco) on 16 August 1815 and died in Turin on 31 January 1888. Ordained a priest in 1841, he completed his intellectual formation at the Turin Ecclesiastical College under the guidance of St. Joseph Cafasso and began to provide moral and religious assistance to poor young people, especially workers, living far from their families. Thus, from 1841 onwards, the work of the Sunday Oratories arose. In 1846, he settled in a place called Valdocco, and with the help of public charity, the Saint founded the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales, to which he soon added a hospice for students and artisans. Within a few years, this became a college with classical and vocational schools, eventually becoming the center of the Salesian Works.
In 1864, greatly favored by the understanding and benevolence of Pius IX, the Saint established the Society of St. Francis de Sales, composed of priests, clerics, and laypeople, with the aim, in addition to the Christian perfection of its members, of educating and instructing youth, especially the less fortunate, through Sunday and daily oratories, trade schools and agricultural colonies, primary and secondary institutions with both boarding and day students, and houses for aspirants to the priesthood. The Salesian Society also dedicates itself to pastoral ministry, catechetical and social activities, and, since 1875, to missions among the infidels. Alongside it, and with the assistance of some pious young women led by Bl. Maria Mazzarello, the Saint also founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians for the spiritual, domestic, and intellectual assistance and formation of girls from the working class. Lastly, he added the Pious Union of Salesian Cooperators as a third order living in the world, both to promote Christian life and to support his institutions.
After the first, he opened other oratories, hospices, and colleges in Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, Austria, England, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, and Ecuador; at his death, he left 64 houses with 863 professed religious and 276 novices. He also published numerous popular writings in the early years of his apostolate, aimed at defending Christian doctrine against Protestantism and promoting the sound education of the popular classes. The most notable are: *Storia Ecclesiastica* (1845); *Il giovane provveduto per la pratica del suo doveri religiosi* (1847); *Il cattolico istruito* (1853); *Storia d'Italia* (1856); and *Vite dei papi dei primi secoli* (1857-65). He also founded the *Letture Cattoliche* in monthly installments, a *Biblioteca della Gioventù Italiana* to present morally expurgated classics, and the *Bollettino Salesiano*, the official organ of his Works. He built large churches, including the Sanctuary of Mary Help of Christians in Turin and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome. He maintained contacts with the most distinguished political figures of Piedmont and Italy and enjoyed the trust of Pius IX and Leo XIII, enabling him to act as an intermediary in difficult years, both before and after 1870, regarding the appointment of bishops and the 1878 Conclave.
Pius XI, who knew the Saint personally and granted him beatification honors in 1929 and canonization in 1934, hailed Don Bosco as a forerunner of reconciliation between the Holy See and Italy. In the history of modern spirituality, the Saint represents the type of apostolic action suited to the demands of his time, having sought and achieved perfection through work for the spiritual benefit of his neighbor. His feast is celebrated on 31 January.
**
---
PEDAGOGY. — G. B. was not a theorist of pedagogy as a science, and although he did not ignore it nor underestimate its importance, he did not expressly address the various speculative problems it involves, nor did he leave dissertations or didactic lessons on the subject. However, following his eminently practical character—marked by love for youth and common sense—he adopted the "preventive method" offered by tradition, preferring it to the "repressive method" because it was more grounded in reason, piety, and affection. Yet he left nothing undone to master it, to truly make it his own, infusing it with his spirit and his lived experience from the earliest years, consulting authoritative works and individuals, visiting institutions, and familiarizing himself with their regulations and programs. Even regarding this method, he left no extensive writings (he would often say to those who asked him about it: "Do as you see Don Bosco doing"), but only a few thoughts, invaluable for their simplicity and practicality, to apply it fruitfully, along with some advice on punishments, should the need arise. Above all else, the art of education was his greatest concern, and in this he left an enduring legacy as a true master.
His thought can be summarized as follows: in the preventive system, the young person sees in the actions of the person who anticipates them a demonstration of affection; indeed, it is not uncommon for a young person to commit faults precisely because a friend has not drawn their attention to the gravity of a particular course of action. The system also serves to foster a bond between the educator and the one being educated, as the former demonstrates a desire for the success and honor of their protégé. Moreover, it helps to win the heart of the young person more easily, opening the way for a deeper and more lasting influence throughout life. All this certainly requires the educator to have a lively zeal and full dedication to their mission, for they must never separate themselves from the young person but exercise continuous, gentle, and discerning vigilance, participating in all aspects of their life, even in games.
In particular, G. B. used simple devices that nonetheless made a strong impression: a kind word whispered to one who was falling short; a fine maxim written on a slip of paper; a timely note; associating the best with the others to inspire them through their example; the evening farewell after prayers before bedtime—two practical words from the superior on a guiding principle for spiritual life. He considered two means indispensable: consistency in religious practices and the Sacraments. He told Lord Gladstone, who marveled at the results achieved in his institutions: "I know of only two means of education: the Eucharist or the stick; I have renounced the stick and chosen the Eucharist." Other elements included excursions, where recreation was to be united with the formation of the spirit and character (famous places, shrines, castles, battlefields, workshops); the establishment of musical bands and acting troupes; and the great importance given to the press, which was to provide books of all kinds—from classics, history, and biographies to stories, dramas, comedies, and farces.
**GIOVANNI BOSCO, Saint – Autograph.**