The Prophetic Vision of St. John Bosco: The Two Columns, by Gretchen Filz

January 31st is the feast day of St. John Bosco.  John Bosco (also called Don Bosco) was a Catholic priest who lived in Italy in the 19th century. He is most famous for his work with troubled, city-dwelling male youth who became disenfranchised following the Industrial Revolution, and who often ended up living a life of petty crime.

Fr. Bosco formed a club of sorts for these boys called the “Oratory”.  He catechized them in the faith and instructed them along the path of virtue, often using sports as a teaching tool. The small band of boys eventually grew to 700.  After facing many obstacles, John Bosco eventually founded the Salesian Society, named after St. Francis de Sales, which saw to the founding of Salesian Homes for boys where they could live and be educated.

St. John Bosco was perhaps so dedicated to his task because of a dream he had about his life’s work.  St. Bosco dreamed of a prison filled with young boys which caused him much distress.  He wrote of the dream, …