St. John Bosco
Saint John Bosco, often called the “Father and Teacher of Youth,” was a devoted priest and confessor born on August 16, 1815, in Castelnuovo d’Asti, Piedmont, then part of Sardinia-Piedmont. He dedicated his life to the spiritual and educational care of young people, especially apprentices, students, and children in need, and became a patron of youth, publishers, and even magicians for his creative methods of teaching. Deeply venerated in both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, he was beatified in Rome by Pope Pius XI on June 2, 1929, and canonized on April 1, 1934. John Bosco passed away on January 31, 1888, in Turin, Italy, where his major shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, still stands as a site of devotion. Celebrated each year on his feast day, January 31, he is often depicted wearing a cassock and biretta, symbolizing his priestly vocation and enduring legacy as a guide for young people and those facing hardship.