BIG C CATHOLICS

St. John Bosco’s ministered amid political and religious persecution. A series of Italian governments enacted anti-clerical laws to diminish the Church’s power as Italy was reunited in the mid-19th century. Yet, Don Bosco’s faith never wavered for God’s promises are infinitely greater than the Church’s diabolical enemies. All past persecutors of the Church are now no more, but the Church still lives on. The same fate awaits modern persecutors; they, too, will pass on, but the Church of Jesus Christ will always remain, for God has pledged His Word to protect Her and be with Her forever. —  St John Bosco __________________________________________ Prayer for St. John Bosco’s Intercession O God, who raised up the Priest Saint John Bosco as a father and teacher of the young, grant we pray, that, aflame with the fire of love, and by his intercession, we may seek out souls and serve you alone. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity

Throughout his life, Saint John Bosco had a great devotion to Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady Help of Christians. Together with the Order he founded (the Salesians) Don Bosco introduced others, particularly the young, the poor and the ignorant, to God. Prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians By St. John Bosco Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to your feet imploring your perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me? Grant then to me, I implore you, your perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations. I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through your intercessions many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked you on earth we may love and et

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) Before my present assignment, I was pastor in a small parish in Vermont. The former pastor, Fr. Paul, lived with me, and one of his greatest interests was his garden, one of the most famous in town, not huge—just four raised beds—but always early and always lush. One of the secrets of his success was the soil, just the right mix of soil and his own rich home-made compost, completely organic, no chemicals. Just like the fourth illustration in the Parable of the Sower. Not for nothing he used to say he never felt so close to God as in his garden. I don’t suppose the yield was a hundredfold, but there were plenty of fresh vegetables through the summer, and plenty for canning and freezing. (My specialty was soups.) We ate well on a very moderate budget. One thing Fr. Paul couldn’t plan. The weather. If it was dry, he coul

The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Mary Help of Christians on May 24th. Today, like centuries before, Christians facing persecution, violence and death, have invoked Mary’s protection under this designation. Concerning it, Saint John Bosco wrote of his order, the Salesians' primary mission: "The principal objective is to promote veneration of the Blessed Sacrament and devotion to Mary Help of Christians. This title seems to please the august Queen of Heaven very much." The tradition of this devotion goes back to 1571, when the whole of Christendom was saved by Mary Help of Christians as Catholics throughout Europe prayed the Rosary. The battle of Lepanto defeating the Ottoman Empire occurred on October 7th 1571 . The date was chosen as the Feast of the Holy Rosary. In 1573, Pope Pius V instituted it in thanksgiving for the victory of Christianity over Islamism. Near the end of the 17th century, Emperor Leopold I of Austria took refuge in the Shrine of Mary

March 10th, the Church celebrates the optional memorial of Saint Dominic Savio (1842 - 1857), the 19th century boy-saint. This brilliant student noted for his personal piety, died at the age of fifteen. He was one of the great hopes of Saint John Bosco for the future of his congregation. Dominic was canonized in 1954. He was one of ten children of Carlo and Birgitta Savio. Carlo was a blacksmith and Birgitta was a seamstress. When Don Bosco was looking for young men to train as priests for his Salesian Order, his parish priest suggested Dominic Savio. Dominic became more than a credit to Don Bosco's school — he single-handedly organized those who were to be the nucleus of Don Bosco's order. St. Dominic Savio was twelve when he met Don Bosco and organized a group of boys into the Company of the Immaculate Conception. Besides its religious purpose, the boys swept, took care of the school and looked after the boys that no one seemed to pay any attention to. When, in 1859, D

My God, fortunate is he who has tasted how sweet it is to work for the salvation of souls! He is not afraid of cold or heat, hunger or thirst, offenses or insults, no, not even of death. O Lord, give me crosses and thorns, persecutions of all kinds, if only I can save souls, and my own among them. Give me souls, Lord, and take all the rest. Only when I know that the devil has given up plotting against souls, shall I cease trying new ways of saving them from his deceits and snares. O Lord, I wish to make a complete sacrifice of my life to You, to work for Your glory until I draw my last breath, bearing patiently all adversities and contradictions in my work. Help me to spend all my strength for the salvation of souls. — St. John Bosco Composed by Saint John Bosco, this prayer expresses the ineffable joys and singularity of purpose that disciples of Christ experience in living their lives of heroic virtue and selflessness for the salvation of souls and the glory of God.

January 31st, is the memorial of Saint John Bosco (1815 – 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco, the 19th century Italian priest, founder, educator and writer, who, as the “Apostle of Youth”, reached out to the marginalized young in establishing religious orders, such as the Salesian Congregation. The Salesians are a community of consecrated brothers and priests that evangelize and educate youth, especially those who are poor and at risk. Don Bosco’s instructional methods departed from the standard of his day in stressing love, kindness, persuasion and authentic religiosity, not strictness and corporal punishments. From an early age, John Bosco knew he was called to the priesthood. When he was 9 years old, he received a series of dreams in which he was told, "You will win friends with kindness and gentleness. You must show people that sin is ugly and goodness beautiful." He once dreamt about stopping a fight between two boys. When separating them didn't work, he used h

Saint John Bosco, Apostle of Youth, Friend of the destitute, Teacher in the ways of God, Your dedication to empowering the needy, and enlightening the ignorant inspires us still. Help me to work for a better world, where the young are given the chance to flourish, where the poor’s dream for justice can come true, and where God’s compassion is shown to be real. Intercede for me as I bring my needs to you and to Our heavenly Mother, the Help of Christians. Amen. O God, who raised up the Priest Saint John Bosco as a father and teacher of the young, grant we pray, that, aflame with the same fire of love, we may seek out souls and serve you alone. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

In honor of Saint John Bosco's feast day, here are twenty-five quotations from the priest and gifted teacher who was a father to the fatherless. Without confidence and love, there can be no true education. If you want to be loved…you must love yourselves, and make your children feel that you love them. *** My life experience has been that only the practice of religion can assure concord in families and the happiness of those who live in this valley of tears. ***  The school was not the end; it was rather the instrumental means for improving the way of life. ***  Be brave and try to detach your heart from worldly things. Do your utmost to banish darkness from your mind and come to understand what true, selfless piety is. Through confession, endeavor to purify your heart of anything which may still taint it. Enliven your faith, which is essential to understand and achieve piety. ***  If one is to do good, he must have a little courage, be ready for sacrifice, de

Today’s feast of Saint John Bosco is superseded by the Sunday liturgy. We present his biography in homage to the courageous life and lasting legacy of this popular saint. "In his life the supernatural became the natural and the extraordinary the ordinary." So spoke Pope Pius XI of the beloved Don Bosco, renowned for his educational pioneering and his affectionate care for the fatherless. Born Giovanni Melchior Bosco in 1815, the future saint was the youngest son of a peasant farmer in the hamlet of Becchi, in the Piedmont district of north Italy. He lost his father at the age of two and was brought up by a devoted and industrious mother, Margaret Bosco, who had a hard struggle maintaining the home and the three children, all of them boys. A dream that little Giovanni had at the age of nine revealed to him his vocation. He seemed to be surrounded by a mob of fighting and swearing children whom he tried in vain to pacify, at first by arguments and then by hitting them. Su