Saint John Bosco lived between 1815 and 1888 and was born in Italy to poor farmers. When he was two years old, his father died, and when he was nine he had his first vision where Jesus and Mary showed that he was to instruct poor, wayward boys and bring them closer to God. Saint John Bosco joined the priesthood and ministered to the poor neglected boys of Turin, Italy. Many of the boys ended in prison when they became teenagers. Don Bosco was a mentor and spiritually directed them, helping them to live a life of virtue and helped save many from a life of crime and poverty. He created a group called the oratory of Saint Francis de Sales and catechized them and established the Salesians of Don Bosco, whose priests minister and educate boys under the patronage of Saint Francis de Sales.
