Saint John Bosco

Don Giovanni Bosco, the great Italian priest, apostle of youth, founder of a religious order and social pioneer, is the model of the worldwide Don Bosco family.

John Bosco was born in 1815 in Becchi, near the large city of Turin (Italy), to a deeply religious, poor peasant family. When John was two years old, his father died. Thus, at a very young age, he had to work hard to provide for the family's livelihood. His special ability in dealing with young people became apparent at an early age. Later Don Bosco interpreted this with a dream experience of his childhood. His mother, through her example to John, laid the foundation for his vocation as a priest and educator.

He had to earn the money for his school education himself. In the process, he learned manual skills as a blacksmith, carpenter, tailor and waiter. From 1835 to 1841 he studied theology in Chieri and was then ordained priest in Turin. In his pastoral activity, he soon realized that his primary mission was to educate young people who, due to the difficult situation of the time (the beginning of industrialization), had moved from the countryside to the city of Turin, where they were socially uprooted, unemployed or delinquent. He gathered these young people, founded hostels and workshops, and took care of their educational, professional and moral-religious formation.

Meeting young people with kindness

Don Bosco was convinced that young people, especially the neglected among them, must be treated not with severity but with kindness. "Not with blows, but with kindness and love will you make these your friends," Mary told 9-year-old Giovanni Bosco in a dream. He recruited collaborators for his educational mission and in 1859 founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales - now called the Salesians of Don Bosco. Together with Maria Domenica Mazzarello he founded the association of the "Daughters of Mary of the Help of Christians" - today called Don Bosco Sisters.

Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888 and was canonized on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1934.

With your vacation in our guesthouse you support the work of the Salesians of Don Bosco, who even today care for the welfare of youth worldwide - THANK YOU!