Coffee & Saints

Born: August 16, 1815 -Becchi, near Turin, Italy
Died: January 31, 1888 – Turin, Italy

What I appreciate about St. John Bosco:
He was very dedicated to serving the poor and orphaned young boys of Turin. As a Youth Minister, I have a special devotion to serving teens and I hope to be able to serve God’s pre-teens and teens as he did.

Coffee Order:
Working with teens keeps you young at heart – therefore, I think he would order a caramel Frappuccino with extra caramel sauce!

When we think of the Saints of the Catholic Church – magician might not be the first word that comes to mind. However; at a young age our Saint for today, Saint John Bosco, learned magic! I can picture his eyes, crinkled at the sides from years of smiling, as he laughs merrily while reminiscing about his child-aged self being the ringmaster in his own carnival show. He put on this show in the front field of his home and invited neighbors to come watch the performance. He even charged admission: one rosary was to be recited by all patrons. How awesome!

For our coffee outing together, I picture Saint John Bosco inviting me to a family-friendly, bustling café. Being that he was so dedicated to children, I picture him choosing a place that has a space for kids. John Bosco found children to be so important in our faith that I know that he would have been so happy to see children begin given a place where they are truly welcome and belong. In thinking of a coffee order for John Bosco, I felt that he would want something kind of fun. As a youth minister myself, I can assure you that being around pre-teens and teenagers a lot keeps you young at heart! So, when thinking about this man of God, I think he would choose a caramel Frappuccino-style drink. I picture a mischievous grin as he asks for extra caramel.

I know that Saint John Bosco would want to start by sharing about his mother. When he was two years old, his father Francis passed away, leaving John’s mother, Margaret, to raise three boys by herself. My own father was raised by a single-mother (he is the oldest of six!) and through learning about my own father’s childhood, I know that it takes a strong woman to be both mother and father for her children. Therefore, I have a deep respect for Mama Margaret (as she was called by family and friends) who devoted her life to raising strong boys in the faith.

A profound moment for John Bosco happened when he was a child and on a walk with his mother. The two encountered a priest whom John Bosco excitedly greeted. The priest gave a curt nod and moved on his way. I can picture the hurt that a small child would feel at meeting someone so important and not being given the kind greeting he had hoped for. It was in that moment that the young boy looked to his mother and said that he would be a priest one day and that he would talk to children all of the time. This moment that could have turned a child off from the faith, instead instilled in him the desire to do better.

As we sit in the coffee shop together, the sounds of milk being steamed, coffee brewing, and children playing; I can picture the smile on John Bosco’s face as he reminisces about his childhood. He was an outgoing child; however, not every child took a liking to him immediately. He came home on many occasions having been beaten up by the other boys. When his mother begged him to not play with those boys anymore John Bosco said, “But, Mama, those boys aren’t really bad.  They just don’t have a good mother like I have, and they don’t know their catechism, and their parents don’t take them to church.” This young boy was able to recognize that not everyone has been given the same opportunities. Instead of looking down on them, he longed to show them God’s love in his actions – just like his mother had taught him to!

Saint John Bosco was only nine years old when a very vivid dream led him to know his vocation. In the dream he watched a crowd of boys fighting angrily with foul language that shocked him. He longed to rebuke them; however, a man appeared and explained that it would take kindness to change their hearts. A woman appeared and told John Bosco to watch as she pointed to a pack of wild beasts ready to devour the boys. Then with a motion from her hand, those very beasts changed into calm lambs. He knew that he was called to serve the young and to be a priest, with the guidance of our Mother Mary.

When we know that we are called to a certain vocation: marriage, religious life, singlehood; it is a moment of joy! That peace and calmness cannot be matched when we fully know where the Lord wants us. However; that does not mean that there will be no fear. Marriage means giving up our selfishness – it’s not all about “me”, we are now an “us”. The religious life means leaving the material world behind and can mean moving away from family and friends. Singlehood can be misunderstood as a “purgatory” or a “missed call”. Saint John Bosco knew the real fears of entering into a vocation and I know that he would be very open with those fears as we sit together with our coffee. His reality was that they did not have a lot of money for schooling and becoming a priest takes lots of studying.

When God wills for us to do something; He will ensure that we find a way. For John Bosco, a kind farmer in the area took the time to teach him how to read and write so that he could be better prepared for school. He was able to attend the public school and would walk three miles to get there each day. This did cause him to have to let go of some of his chores, which left a bitterness in his family. His mother, ever his supporter, asked a close family friend to take young John into their home so he could get away from the negative energy at home and focus on his calling. This is where John Bosco began to understand the hardships of orphans. He would take on any job that he could find; at fifteen these were very low paying jobs, but he was determined to help his mother out. It turned out that he was an exceptional student and the records show that he completed three years of high school in one school year!

John Bosco was reintroduced to his calling to help the youth when he was vesting before a Mass shortly after becoming a priest. He could hear someone yelling and John Bosco asked what was happening. He was told that a boy had come into the Church to get warm. John Bosco told them to send the boy to him and upon chatting with the youth found out that he was an orphan. He encouraged the boy to stay for Mass and to invite his friends the following Sunday. I can picture the smile on his face as he speaks of the boy named Bartholomew. The boy did return, with three others who were all ragged and spiritually in need. Don Bosco (Don is the Italian way of referring to a priest) welcomed them with open arms. More and more boys steadily started coming to Mass to witness the love and joy of the young priest as he welcomed them home to the Catholic Church.

It was through the interactions with these boys that John Bosco found his mission. In the area were child laborers with poor wages and dangerous working environments. He longed to be a light for them, to give them a break from hard workdays, and allow them to feel like kids again. The numbers grew steadily, and many people were weary of the ministry, seeing the boys as dirty and unlovable. Don Bosco said Mass for them, heard their confessions, and preached in a loving way that was to their level. He showed them that they mattered. He didn’t simply preach to them once a week and then send them off, he actively ministered to them in his “off” hours too by visiting them at work.

Mama Margaret, ever the hard worker, helped John Bosco with the young boys. They turned a dilapidated shed into a chapel which became “The Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales”. After a small orphan child came and asked for some food, John Bosco started an orphanage. He purchased the house next door to the shed and boys filled it up quickly. He even began a cobbler shop, a place for the boys to learn a trade. His idea has sparked into the congregation of Don Bosco which operates professional training centers and college-preparatory schools throughout the world!

John Bosco still felt called to more and began the Salesians – many of the boys in the orphanage became part of the order (including Bartholomew!).  This also led to the Salesian Sisters which have more than 16,000 sisters today. This man not only preached; he lived his life for the Lord and it was contagious.

He did not become rich, only giving money to the boys he served. He wore the cheapest clothes, ate small meals, and prayed fervently. With a strong devotion to the Virgin Mary, he had a basilica built that was dedicated to Our Lady in Turin. John Bosco would smile across the table from me as he shared his philosophy that drove his work: Sanctity is easy and is for the young and the old. God gave him many gifts that he became well-known for. He had the gift of prophecy and was able to tell people their vocations. He never did any of this for his own glory; he always remained humble, allowing the Lord to shine through.

This incredible man died when he was seventy-two years old and worn out from his ministry. He literally gave everything to the Lord, longing only to do God’s Will. He leaves behind a huge legacy of the Salesian priests, brothers, and sisters who still do his work today. It is so beautiful to realize how God called someone so young and poor to do so much with their life. What is God calling you to do today?

Prayer:
Saint John Bosco, you realized your call at a very young age and worked hard to see it to fruition. You put aside your earthly wants and desires and strove to do God’s Will. When people berated you for taking care of the orphaned and “unlovable” young men from Turin, you never wavered in your faith. Pray for all of us who work with children and young people, that we may have the graces to journey with them as they seek you. May we place our pride aside and remember that it is not about us; it is about God and Him having a relationship with them. May all of those who are lost and feel alone be able to find a confidante like you, Saint John Bosco, to show them love and support. Amen.

I hope you enjoyed learning about this Saint! The artwork above was created using AI and my own imagination – this is how I picture what it would be like to sit with Saint John Bosco in a coffeeshop today. I would love for you to share your own thoughts in the comments. How do you picture Saint John Bosco? What do you think he would have ordered at a coffee shop? Let me know below!

Cheers! ☕
Maggie