Specialist topic….
DON BOSCO 1815- 1888….
Hi !
My name is John,
but everyone calls me
Don Bosco!
I was born on 16th
August 1815, a few
miles from Turin.
My parents:
Francis and Margaret,
are farmers;
I have two older
brothers,
Anthony and Joseph.
I’ve decided to
tell you a bit
about myself
and invite you to
have a look at
my home
Some places are
especially important for
me.
I was only two years old when
my father died. As well as
looking after us, my mother had
to take over my father’s work in
the fields.
She was a strong woman…
the farm work is hard and she
cannot do it all by herself, so my
brothers and I help her...
My bedroom...
When I was about 9, I had a
strange dream in this room...
...it stayed with me
throughout my life!
I seemed to be somewhere close to
my house in a very large school yard.
There were lots of boys, some of
them using bad language. When I
heard those words I rushed at
them, fists flying.
Just then a Man appeared...
“Not with punches, but with
kindness will you win over
these boys...”
I was only nine years old...
Who was asking me
to do these
impossible things???
He replied: “I am the one your mother taught you to greet three times a
day. Ask your mother what my name is.”
Suddenly there appeared a woman of
majestic appearance. I was
confused…she called me towards her
and took me by the hand.
I noticed that all the fighting boys had
disappeared, and in their place I saw
animals: goats, dogs, cats...
She said: “Make yourself humble and strong…
what you see happen to these wild animals,
you will have to do for my children.”
I turned around and saw that the
wild animals had changed into
playful lambs...
I did not understand
at all… I asked the
woman to put it more
clearly...
Only many
years later did I
realise that in
the dream
a Jesus figure
and Mary figure
were showing me
what I would do
with my future life.
The kitchen was the heart of the
house.
This was where I learned the meaning
of kindness, of patience… compassion
to the stranger who knocked on the
door asking for food...
more than that, Jesus was practically
one of the family.
My mother, Margaret, knew loads of
stories from the Bible and helped us to
pray, remember God and respect each
other…
We could not go to catechism classes, so
she taught us about God.
It was here that I began to build
a simple but deep friendship
with God within me.
In my family
I learned to
respect
and have
confidence
in God;
an
‘everyday’
God, a
normal part
of life.
As I grew up, I came to
understand that I had to pass on
the love I had received from my
earliest years to those young
people who had no home, no
family.
Time flew by during my years at school
and at last I came to put in to action
my DREAM OF
BECOMING A PRIEST FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE
After many years of study at the Seminary, I
became a Priest. Turin had so many boys who
needed a place to play and enjoy themselves, a
place to be together and have fun.
It’s difficult work and it has cost me
tiredness and tears, but finally, one day...
This is
me
...a man called Pinardi heard that I was looking for a place
where boys from the city centre could meet.
He decided to offer me an old shed…
On Easter Sunday 1846, after a lot of work to get the place
ready, I finally managed to bring the lads to their new home.
In those days it was called an Oratory.
Every young person
could feel ‘at home’.
By mixing up fun, reflection,
games, prayers and singing, I
have tried to pass on everything I
learnt as a young person.
Kindness, work, sharing,
friendship with God and with
others, dreams…
Every boy who came to the Pinardi
Shed could find all of this!
I have held on to one rule
throughout this whole adventure:
“Love what the young people love
so that they will also learn to love
what you love.”
Many young people decided
to stay. They offered a
‘home’ to young people,
learning from their early
experience of being loved
just as I had done...
Many others chose to move
on, taking with them the joy,
the happiness and the mystery
of their experience of gospel
care for others.
You too can help other young
people to find their dreams,
just as you have.
Today the work continues in over
132 countries
is recognised in
thousands of cities
across the world
The kindness of
Salesian houses has
saved many young
people from sadness
and violence
The word for
breath and spirit
are the same in
the language of
the Bible
is the word for the breath of the Spirit
It helps us to remember four
important things in working with
young people:
• Respect
• Understanding
• Affection
• Humour
Information input ends…
That’s all your information
You now have 5 minutes to
relax and remember as much as
you can
You can’t write anything down.
Time. up!
Question!
Don Bosco’s birthday is
.
A December 8th
B January 31st
C August 16th
Question!
The name of Don Bosco’s Father was
.
A JOHN
B FRANCIS
C ANTHONY
Question!
What age was John when his Dad died?
A 2 years
B 3 years
C 4 years
Question!
In his dream, aged 9, John was told…
.
A Not with punches but with prayer
B Not with punches but with patience
C Not with punches but with kindness
Question!
The God John learnt about from his
mother was…
.
A Distant
B Ordinary
C Like Ozzy Osbourne
Question!
In which city did Don Bosco start his work?
.
A Rome
B Milan
C Turin
Question!
The shed that started the work was
sold by a man called….
.
A Pinardo
B Pinordi
C Pinardi
Question!
The shed was first opened on..
.
A Christmas day
B Easter Sunday
C Pentecost Sunday
Question!
Don Bosco’s rule was…….
.
A Love what you eat
B Love what young people love
C Love what young people reject
Question!
How many countries are the Salesians
working in?
.
A 102
B
132
C
123
Question!
How do you spell the word for Spirit
.
A Rua
B Ruah
C Ruha
Question!
Don Bosco’s clubs were called..
.
A Laboratories
B Oratorios
C Oratories
Question!
The lady in the dream told John to be ….
.
A Humble and strong
B
Gentle and kind
C
Humble and kind
Question!
The key Gospel image for Salesians
is the ….
.
A Good Samaritan
B
Good Shepherd
C
Good companion
Question!
Don Bosco died in
.
A 1908
B
1898
C
1888
Question!
The R in RUAH stands for…
.
A Reason
B Religion
C Respect
From a possible 17 points
how many have you scored?
Can you stay in the pod?
Or have you become a lost
sheep?
THE END