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Well known is St. John Bosco’s “dream of the two columns” where he foresaw the future difficulties of the Church, envisioned as a ship on stormy seas. Several popes strive to moor the Church and anchor it between two columns which arose amid the dangerous waters. The columns symbolized the two devotions to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary Immaculate, the Help of Christians. Calm and peace for the Church is won only when one of the popes finally succeeds in anchoring the Church between the two columns.  Another St. John Bosco dream/prophecy is less-known, which can shed light...

Advice on Punishment from St. John Bosco Msgr. Charles Pope • February 2, 2017 • Part of a healthy, well-ordered love is correction of the sinner. Admonishing the sinner is one of the spiritual works of mercy. St. Thomas numbers fraternal correction among the works of charity.Getting correction right is often difficult. Too often our ego gets in the way or our anger taints this necessary work.Parents have the particular responsibility of punishing their children. To be sure, punishment should come after teaching and necessary warnings and admonishments.The purpose of punishing youngsters is to teach them. It is to...

There is a wonderful letter in which St. John Bosco advised his priests to avoid anger in their dealings with the foster children they cared for. St. John Bosco 1815-1888 He had founded a religious congregation, the Salesians, to care for homeless boys, so he and his priests certainly had plenty of unruly behavior to contend with, and plenty of opportunities to flare up in anger. But in his letter St. John Bosco tells his priests, "They are our sons, and so in correcting their mistakes we must lay aside all anger and restrain it so firmly that it is...

January 31, 2007 Memorial of Saint John Bosco, priest Psalm: Wednesday 4 Reading 1Heb 12:4-7, 11-15 Brothers and sisters:In your struggle against sinyou have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lordor lose heart when reproved by him;for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;he scourges every son he acknowledges.Endure your trials as “discipline”;God treats you as his sons.For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for...

Margaret Occhiena, Co-founder of Salesian Family VATICAN CITY, NOV. 16, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes read a decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Margaret Occhiena, mother of St. John Bosco, as well as her reputation for holiness. Cardinal José Saraiva Martins read the decree Wednesday in the chapel of the Salesian community in the Vatican. On hand were the rector major of the Salesians, Father Pascual Chávez; the postulator general, Father Enrico dal Cóvolo; the prefect of the Apostolic Vatican Library, Father Raffaele Farina; the director general of the Vatican Press, Father Elio Torrigiani; and...

January 31, 2006 Memorial of Saint John Bosco, priest Psalm: Tuesday 8 Reading I2 Sm 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3 Absalom unexpectedly came up against David’s servants.He was mounted on a mule,and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth,his hair caught fast in the tree.He hung between heaven and earthwhile the mule he had been riding ran off.Someone saw this and reported to Joabthat he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.And taking three pikes in hand,he thrust for the heart of Absalom,still hanging from the tree alive. Now David was sitting between the two gates,and a...

THE SECRET OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO by Henri Gheon FOREWORD Our world, having too long renounced obedience, is now in love with servitude. The individualist has become a Bolshevik or a Nazi. No longer ago than yesterday there were not enough sarcasms to hurl at a religion which tried, said the world, to force all men into one mould-for its confessed purpose was to imprint upon us all the likeness of Him who came among men and so assumed the fullness of man, that we can say Ecce Homo. They forgot that this same religion also teaches the unalterable,...

January 31, 2005Memorial of Saint John Bosco, priest Psalm: Monday 8 Reading IHeb 11:32-40 Brothers and sisters:What more shall I say?I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,of David and Samuel and the prophets,who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises;they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires,escaped the devouring sword;out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle,and turned back foreign invaders.Women received back their dead through resurrection.Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance,in order to obtain a better resurrection.Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.They...

The Sniper and the Novissima Marian Therese Horvat, Ph.D. St. John Bosco at times would announce the imminent death of one of his boys. The year, 1954. The scene, an auditorium of young men gathered to hear the spiritual lecture of the evening. Don Bosco entered, looked around the room and described a strange dream. He had seen a number of his boys on the playground, but one was draped in black and wearing a kind of tophat with the number 22 on it. He was confused about what this meant, until a dignified stranger appeared and told him...

January 31, 2004Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Psalm: Saturday 7 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Gospel Reading I2 Sm 12:1-7a, 10-17 The LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he came to him,Nathan said: "Judge this case for me!In a certain town there were two men, one rich, the other poor.The rich man had flocks and herds in great numbers.But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb that he had bought.He nourished her, and she grew up with him and his children.She shared the little food he had and drank from his cup...

Church History abounds with holy and loving priests who served as educators of young boys. Standing out as a shining example is St. John Bosco. He was the founder of the Salesian Order and over the years cared for more than 800 boys who looked to him for inspiration and guidance. He dedicated his life to the abandoned children of Turin, Italy, and began youth clubs for them. He then started hostels and boarding schools, where he taught them trades. The educational philosophy of John Bosco can be condensed in three words: reason, religion, and kindness. The basic principle of...