Essay on John Bosco

Submitted By KatieCollins5
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Pages: 7
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Leadership is a process where an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. After reading this definition and extensively thinking about the topic John Bosco meets the definition of not only a leader but a loving, caring person who wanted nothing more than to spread this love and charity to the underprivileged. John Bosco was born in 1815 in Beechi, Italy. (St. Michael Center, 2012) He was the youngest of three boys who were farm hands of the Mogila family farm. He was raised by a single mother in a household headed by his oldest brother. Throughout his childhood he always knew he wanted to be more than just a farm hand. He loved to read which was something that not many were able to do or had time to do in John’s time. Poverty prevented any serious attempt at schooling because it was more important to work and make money for the family. At the young age of nine John began to have a series of dreams which played an influential role in his outlook on work and charity. (Gasparini, 2004) In his first dream he saw a man who appeared to be rich and manly. This man stated, “You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness. So beginning right now to show them that sin is ugly and virtue is beautiful.” (Province of St. Andrew) Due to this dream John began to have ideas that he wanted to become a priest. At this time priests only taught school for the privileged classes. John knew that he would be good at teaching young people not only how to read and write but about the Bible and what it meant. At the age of twelve John went to his mother with a packed bag and told her that he would be leaving the farm to search for a way to afford the seminary. (Province of St. Andrew) He was going to the seminary to learn to read and write as well as to become the leader that he became with much help from his mentor Joseph Cafasso an elderly priest that saw his potential. This man took John in when he was looking for a place to live and supported his schooling. After talking to John he realized that John had a lot of potential to grow up to be a man that would help the poor become successful in society (Beebe, 1955). After graduating from school John began his career in the church as a chaplain of Rifugio which was an all girls boarding school (Beebe, 1955). While doing this he also began to visit prisoners to mentor them. To help them realize that there was a better way to live life than steal and kill. He also began to teach them and many others catechism. While at Rifugio a group of boys that had nowhere else to go would come to learn the catechism, as well as, how to read, write, and just plain have some fun playing games and doing physical activities. John Bosco saw how much these boys needed a place to go to learn and play and began to think about opening a place where boys could learn a trade as well as learn to love themselves. While at this school the boys learned that their lives were worth living and that they could to help others in society to be better people. This was the beginning of oratory of St Francis de Sales. John Bosco opened his oratory on land that a man named Joseph Cafasso, gave him (Beebe, 1955). The neighbors in the neighborhood complained about the noise that the boys were making while they were playing in the yard. They also believe that the boys in the oratory were meeting and living there to learn to revolt against the government at the time. Due to these charges and lack of money, John had a hard time finding a place to relocate the oratory. In 1865 Bosco rented a shed in the new Valdocco neighborhood on the north end of town from a Mr. Pinardi (Ball, 1983). This served as the oratory's new home. His mother moved in with him, and in 1844, he and "Mamma Margherita" began taking in orphans. (St. Michael Center, 2012) He realize that all this was not enough. Therefore, with the help of his friend, Vittorio
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