SAINT JOHN BOSCO

He was the youngest son of Francesco Bosco (1784–1817) and Margherita Occhiena. He had two elder brothers, Antonio and Giuseppe (1813–1862). The Boscos of Becchi were farmhands of the Moglia Family. John Bosco was born into a time of great shortage and famine in the Piedmontese countryside, following the devastation wrought by the Napoleonic wars and a drought in 1817.

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Margherita, his mother, played a strong role in Bosco's formation and personality, and was an early supporter of her son's ideals.When he was young, he would put on shows of his skills as a juggler, magician and acrobat with prayers before and after the performance.

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In 1825, when he was nine, Bosco had the first of a series of dreams which would play an influential role in his outlook and work. This first dream "left a profound impression on him for the rest of his life", according to his own memoirs. Bosco apparently saw a man, who "appeared, nobly attired, with a manly and imposing bearing". The man said to him: “You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness. So begin right now to show them that sin is ugly and virtue beautiful.”