1. Childish whims (1819)

John and his brother had gone out for a walk. John was only four. It was summer and both were thirsty. Margaret, their mother, fetched some water and gave it first to Joseph. Piqued by the preference shown to his older brother, John refused to drink when his turn came. Margaret put the water away without a word. John just stood still for a moment. Then he said timidly:

“Mamma!”

“Yes?”

“Aren't you going to give me some water too?”

“I thought you weren't thirsty!”

“I'm sorry, Mamma!”

“Now that's a good boy!”

She went back for the water and gave it to him, smiling.

On another occasion, because of his age and impetuosity, John had flown into a temper. Margaret called him to her side. The boy came running to her.

“John, do you see that cane?”, she said, pointing to the cane in the corner.

“Yes, I see it”, answered John drawing back with some misgiving.

“Bring it to me.”

“What do you want it for?”

“Bring it to me and you will find out.”

John got the cane and handed it to her.

“Are you going to beat me with it?”

“Why not? You asked for it!”

“I won't do it again, Mamma!”

The boy smiled seeing his good mother's wry grin.

(M.B.,I, 58)

2. Much ado about nothing (1820)

During the autumn John used to go to his grandparents at Capriglio for the grape harvest. The story is about an evening in 1820. Night was falling and everyone was waiting for supper, when someone began recounting how, in times gone by, they used to hear weird sounds from the attic. The sounds were sometimes short-lived, sometimes lasted a while, but were always frightening. Everyone said it could only be the devil – only the devil was capable of disturbing people in such a manner. John was not inclined to believe such idle tales and insisted that there must have been some natural cause. In the meantime it had already become quite dark, and the lamps had been lit.

The room in which they were talking had a wooden ceiling held up by rafters, above which there was a large attic used for storing grain and other things. All of a sudden there was a huge thud, as if a basket of bocce balls had fallen, followed by a slow dull sound that moved over their heads from one corner of the room to another. Everyone stopped talking and an ominous silence fell on the group.

Once again there was the sound, and the faces paled.

“What could it be?”, they whispered to one another.

“Go outside." Margaret said to her son. "Come, let’s get out. I don’t want you to get a sudden fright."

“No,” said John, “I want to see what it is.”

Meanwhile the noise continued at intervals, and given the late hour, there was something inexplicable and frightening about it. Glances were being exchanged.

“Did anyone leave the door open?” someone asked.

“No, it's locked”, answered another.

“So....?”.

John stood up resolutely, lit a lantern and said: “Let's go and have a look.”

“No, listen, let's wait for tomorrow… it would be safer...”

“What, are you afraid?”

Saying this, he climbed the wooden ladder leading to the attic. The others, holding lanterns and sticks, followed him, trembling and speaking in muted whispers. John pushed open the door, entered the attic and looked around. He could see nothing. All was still. His relatives peered in from the door, only one or two having dared to enter after him.

Suddenly they all gave a startled cry and some fled, tumbling down the staircase. Something very strange was going on: an upturned basket was moving from one corner and advancing towards them. A their shouts, the basket came to a sudden halt. As soon as the shouting stopped, it began moving again and came to a halt at John's feet.

The boy handed his lantern to the nearest person who was so terrified he let it fall. The room was plunged into darkness. He called for another lantern and placed it on an old chair. Then bending down, he put his hands on the basket.

“Don't touch it! Don't touch it!”, someone yelled from the doorway. John paid no heed and lifted the basket off the ground. Everyone burst out laughing, relieved. Underneath the basket was a big hen.

What had happened? The basket had been standing against the wall. Lured by the grains of wheat lodged in the wickerwork, the hen had gone under the basket. The basket had toppled over and had imprisoned the hen. When, finally, tired and hungry, the hen had tried to escape, but could not do so. all it could do was push the basket from one corner of the attic to the other. The silence of the night, the wooden floor and the general feeling of fear had served to magnify the noise.

Revelry succeeded the panic, for which the hen paid dearly. Grabbing the bird, Margaret said: "You won't frighten us like that any more!" She wrung its neck, plucked it and began cooking it.

“The goblin is in the pot!” they said as they sat down to a magnificent, unexpected supper. No one felt like going to bed. Happy to have been freed of their fear, they spent the night in a happy mood, watching the grape-juice fermenting in their vats and barrels.

(M.B. I, 85)

3. Exchange (1821)

Young Secondo Matta was a farmhand in one of the surrounding estates. He was John's age and would come down the hill every morning leading his master's cow. For breakfast he used to carry a hunk of coarse bread. John, instead, would be taking bites of the white bread baked with love and care by Mamma Margaret. One day John asked Matta:

“Want to do me a favour?”

“Sure”, Matta replied.

“How about swapping bread with me?”

“Why?”

“Because I like your bread, it seems better than mine.”

In his simplicity Matta really believed that John preferred coarse bread. Eyeing his friend's white bread, he eagerly agreed to the exchange. From that day onward, for two successive spring seasons they exchanged bread whenever they met in the meadow. Only as a grown man did Matta realise that John’s only motive for the exchange was a great spirit of mortification. His coarse black bread was by no means a choice morsel to tempt anybody

(M.B., I, 89)

4. It just happened (1821)

As soon as John was four, his mother put him to work. He was given a certain number of hemp sticks from which he had to strip off the long strands of thin dry bark to keep together on one side for weaving, while the white, bare sticks had to be kept in another heap for burning. When that was over he was free to busy himself with his games.

He was already capable of rounding off pieces of wood to be used for a local game. One boy threw the wooden piece and the other would try to hit it with a stick. John enjoyed this game, but there were the inevitable petty quarrels and fights. He then immediately became peace-maker: he would throw himself in the middle and try to calm down things. More than once, however, the peg, thrown by an unskilled hand, landed on his head or on his face. He would then run, bleeding, to his mother for help. And Margaret would say:

“You get into trouble every day with those boys! Why don’t you stop going with them? They are bad boys.”

“That’s why I go with them. when I am with them, they try to be good and avoid bad words.”

“And then you come home bleeding.”

“It just happened, it wasn't done on purpose.”

“Okay, okay, but don’t play with them again.”

“Mamma…”

“Have you understood?”

“Okay, mamma, I won’t go with them. Even if I know that when I am there they do not fight and misbehave.”

“Yes, of course, and you will come running to me again with a broken head,” she would say, shaking her head. "You know they are really bad boys.”

And John would stand there, waiting for a final word from his mother who, after a while, would allow him to go, not wanting to prevent the good that could be done.

And John would be off like a shot.

(M.B., I, 48)

5. The cane (1821)

One day grandma noticed that some fruit was missing from the basket and she thought that the smallest in the family had done it. She called him. Not suspecting anything, he came running. But grandma, with a serious face, told him: “You see that cane in the corner. Bring it to me.”

The little one, laughing no longer, obeyed but handing over the cane said: “Grandma, I'm obeying, but it wasn't me who took the fruit.”

“Who was it then? You must tell me.”

“I will tell you if you promise me not to punish him.”

“You bring him here. I will tell him to fetch the cane. But if he says he is sorry I will forgive him.”

So John went to his big brother who was about thirteen at the time. He was not so ready to go to grandma because he thought there was no reason for it all. But John used all his eloquence to convince him: he should not go against grandma; she was rather jealous of her own authority and would have been terribly hurt; mother would have been displeased; true, he was a big boy now, but a little kindness towards grandma would not do any harm.

Big brother complied. He brought the cane to grandma and mumbled: “Sorry, I won't do it again.” Grandma and John were not very convinced, but the formalities had been performed and grandma softened.

(M.B., I, 69)

6. Boyish pranks (1823)

John was about eight when, one day, as his mother had gone to a nearby village, he felt he needed something that was up on the shelf. He tried to reach up by using a chair, but while straining to get hold of what he wanted, he nudged a jug full of cooking oil which fell and broke. Not a little upset he tried to remedy the mess and wipe away the stain that the oil would leave. Then, he went out and cut a sapling from a tree near by. He trimmed and cut the bark of the rod he had prepared in the most artistic way he could muster and walked down the slope to be there when mother arrived.

“How are you, mamma, did you have a nice walk?”

“Yes John and what about you? Are you all right? Are you happy? Have you behaved?”

“Well mamma, see here ...”, and he pulled out the rod he had kept hidden behind his back.

“So, son, you were really up to one of your pranks.”

“Yes, mamma, I think this time I really deserve punishment. I climbed up to get something from the shelf and I broke the oil jug. I knew that I deserved to be punished and to spare you the trouble of looking for a cane, I have brought you this one ...”, and he offered the rod to his mother half mischievously, half mournfully.

Mamma Margaret, looked at her son, then at the rod and then at his face and said: “I am upset about what has happened, but I see that you have repented and so I forgive you. But let me give you a piece of advice: before embarking on anything, think of the consequences. If you had looked properly at what was on the shelf you would have climbed up there with more caution and would have avoided this trouble.”

(M.B., I,73)

7. The Dream (1824)

This episode is recorded in the very words used by Don Bosco when he was urged by Pius IX himself to write his memoirs.

It was at that age that I had a dream. All my life this remained deeply impressed on my mind. In this dream I seemed to be near my home in a fairly large yard. A crowd of children were playing there. Some were laughing, some were playing games, and quite a few were swearing. When I heard these evil words, I jumped immediately amongst them and tried to stop them by using my words and my fists.

At that moment a dignified man appeared, a nobly dressed adult. He wore a white cloak, and his face shone so that I could not look directly at him. He called me by name, told me to take charge of these children, and added these words: "You will have to win these friends of yours not by blows but by gentleness and love. Start right away to teach them the ugliness of sin and the value of virtue." Confused and frightened, I replied that I was a poor, ignorant child. I was unable to talk to those youngsters about religion. At that moment the kids stopped their laughing, shouting, and swearing; they gathered round the man who was speaking.

Hardly knowing what I was saying, I asked, "Who are you, ordering me to do the impossible?"

"Precisely because it seems impossible to you, you must make it possible through obedience and the acquisition of knowledge."

"Where, by what means, can I acquire knowledge?"

"I will give you a teacher. Under her guidance you can become wise. Without her, all wisdom is foolishness."

"But who are you that speak so?"

"I am the son of the woman whom your mother has taught you to greet three times a day."

"My mother tells me not to mix with people I don't know unless I have her permission. So tell me your name."

"Ask my mother what my name is."

At that moment, I saw a lady of stately appearance standing beside him. She was wearing a mantle that sparkled all over as though covered with bright stars. Seeing from my questions and answers that I was more confused than ever, she beckoned me to approach her. She took me kindly by the hand and said, "Look." Glancing round, I realised that the youngsters had all apparently run away. A large number of goats, dogs, cats, bears, and other animals had taken their place.

"This is the field of your work. Make yourself humble, strong, and energetic. And what you will see happening to these animals in a moment is what you must do for my children."

I looked round again, and where before I had seen wild animals, I now saw gentle lambs. They were all jumping and bleating as if to welcome that man and lady.

At that point, still dreaming, I began crying. I begged the lady to speak so that I could understand her, because I did not know what all this could mean. She then placed her hand on my head and said, "In good time you will understand everything."

With that, a noise woke me up and everything disappeared. I was totally bewildered. My hands seemed to be sore from the blows I had given, and my face hurt from those I had received. The memory of the man and the lady, and the things said and heard, so occupied my mind that I could not get any more sleep that night.

I wasted no time in telling all about my dream. I spoke first to my brothers, who laughed at the whole thing, and then to my mother and grandmother. Each one gave his own interpretation.^[77] My brother Joseph said, "You're going to become a keeper of goats, sheep, and other animals." My mother commented, "Who knows, but you may become a priest." Anthony merely grunted, "Perhaps you'll become a robber chief." But my grandmother, though she could not read or write, knew enough theology and made the final judgement, saying, "Pay no attention to dreams."

I agreed with my grandmother. However, I was unable to cast that dream out of my mind. The things I shall have to say later will give some meaning to all this. I kept quiet about these things, and my relatives paid little attention to them. But when I went to Rome in 1858 to speak to the Pope about the Salesian Congregation, he asked me to tell him everything that had even the suggestion of the supernatural about it. It was only then, for the first time, that I said anything about this dream which I had when I was nine or ten years old. The Pope ordered me to write out the dream in all its detail and to leave it as an encouragement to the sons of that Congregation whose formation was the reason for that visit to Rome.

(Don Bosco, Memoirs of the Oratory, 18-21)

8. One day you'll come to me (1828)

Anna Moglia often spoke about John to her neighbours, relatives and children. She would tell with delight how John had spent two years in her father's house, living the life of an angel and an apostle. He would often withdraw to some quiet place in order to read, study and pray. He would teach catechism to the children and often even to the grown up members of the family who listened to him with interest.

While at work with him in the fields she had heard him say in all earnestness: “I will be a priest and then I'll give myself up to preaching and hearing confessions.”

Anna, used to pull his leg, warning him that all those dreams and too much reading would lead him nowhere. But John one day turned to her and very seriously said: “You talk a lot and make fun of me. Well, remember: one day you will come to me for confession.”

And that was a prophecy. Anna married one Joseph Zucca and went to stay at Bausone, Moriondo, not far from Turin. She would often from there go to the Oratory to pay a visit to Don Bosco, make her confession to him in the church of St. Francis of Sales, spend some time in prayer and go home happy and spiritually refreshed.

Don Bosco would always welcome her as if she were a dear sister.

(M.B., I, 207)

9. The Angelus (1828)

One summers day old Joseph Moglia, a hoe on his shoulder, had just come in from the fields, dripping with perspiration. It was noon and a bell in the distance was ringing the Angelus. Too tired to pay attention to it, he threw himself on some hay to rest. But then he noticed John, who had come home a little while before, saying the Angelus, kneeling at the top of the outdoor stairs. Joseph laughingly remarked: “Look at him! We the masters have to wear ourselves out, working from morning to night, while he peacefully prays up there. That's an easy way to gain merit for heaven!”

John finished his prayer, then went down the stairs and said to the old man: “You know very well that I have not been loafing. You may be sure of this, that I have earned more by praying than you by working. If you pray, you will gather four ears of corn for every two grains you sow; if you do not pray, you will gather only two ears for every four grains you sow. You too should pray to gather four ears instead of two. What would it have cost you to stop your work for a moment, put down your hoe and say the Angelus? Then you would have acquired as much merit as I.”

The good old man was really surprised! “Well now, I never thought I would get a lesson from a boy”, he used to comment after, “Yet I still don't feel right if I sit down at table without first saying the Angelus!”

The Moglias, whom John regarded as taking his mother's place, always accepted his observations in good grace because of the respect, love and friendliness he showed them.

(M.B.,I,197)

10. Accused of copying (1831)

John was back in school at last, but at fifteen he was put in the first year of high school. This according to the teacher was a further proof of the lad's scholastic ineptitude.

One day while the teacher was giving a test to determine class ranking, John requested permission to do one assigned to the third year students. The teacher burst out laughing. “I must say that for a Becchi boy, you are a bit pretentious. What good could come from there? Why don't you quit Latin? You'll never understand a word of it. Use your time looking for mushrooms and birds' nests!”

John insisted and gave no sign of having been stung by the words. But the teacher's reply was even more caustic. However seeing that John was determined in his request, he told him to take whatever test he wanted. He for one was not going to read the nonsense that John would most certainly write.

The third year students had been given a Latin passage to translate. Within the hour John turned in his translation. Without even looking at it the teacher took it, placed it on his desk and gave John a pitiful smile. But John remained there facing him.

“Please, Father, will you look at it and correct my mistakes?”

“Didn't I tell you that Becchi boys know nothing?”, the teacher replied flaring. “I told you that these things are simply beyond you.”

At this some of the pupils jumped up and pleaded with the teacher.

“Yes, read Bosco's paper, please. Let's hear all the nonsense he has written.”

Fr. Moglia who by this time had become quite pliable in the hands of his pupils, met their demand. He took up the paper and read it. The translation was correct. “Just as I said, Bosco is a good-for-nothing. He has copied this whole translation from someone else. He must have copied it. This is certainly not his work.”

John's schoolmate, who shared the same desk with him, and who had seen John at work without recourse to books or help from any one, spoke up in his defence.

“Father, you say that Bosco copied from someone else. If he did, there would be a composition that would match his. Why don't you look at our work and see if there is any translation that looks like his?”

This sounded like a reasonable request. And it certainly could have put an end to the matter. But the teacher refused to budge. He quickly reproved the lad who had spoken up.

“What do you know about it? Haven't you heard me say that anyone from Becchi is good for nothing?”

There was no way to persuade him of the truth. In his blind prejudice he cared little about learning the real facts. But the boy who had seen John work on his translation completely on his own told his friends exactly what had happened. As a result, John's classmates not only admired his talent, but regarded his humility and dignity in the face of those abusive words very highly . This incident greatly heightened their esteem and admiration for John and increased his influence over them.

(M.B.,I, 230)

11. A patron during exams (1832)

On another occasion, John handed in his test so quickly that the teacher seriously doubted that the boy could have managed all its grammatical problems in such a short time. He went over the test very carefully. He was amazed to find it totally correct, and asked to see his first draft. John gave it to him and the teacher was speechless. He had prepared the test only the night before. It had turned out rather lengthy and therefore the teacher had dictated only half of it: yet in John's composition book the test was written out in its entirety, to the last word! How could that be explained?

John could not have copied it overnight nor could he possibly have broken into the teacher's house, which was a considerable distance from where John lived. What then? John confessed: "I dreamt it!"

It was for this reason that his schoolmates nicknamed him “The Dreamer”.

During those high school years, John, in addition to his intelligence and memory, had yet another secret talent, extraordinary and very valuable. Such was the opinion of his former classmates who told us the following incident.

One night John dreamt that his teacher had given a monthly test to determine class ranking and that he was doing it. The moment he awoke he jumped out of bed, wrote out the test, a Latin passage, and began translating it with the assistance of a priest, a friend of his. Believe it or not, that very morning, the teacher did give a test and it was the same Latin passage John had dreamed about. Thus quite quickly and without needing a dictionary, he translated it as he had done after awaking from the dream. Of course the result was excellent. When the teacher questioned him, he candidly told him what had happened, to the teacher's great amazement.

(M.B., I, 253)

12. Reads author's text on the grammar book (1832)

John was in that class about two months when a minor episode caused much talk about him. One day the teacher was discussing the life of Agesilaus, by Cornelius Nepos. John did not have the book with him, because he had forgotten it at home. To cover up his forgetfulness, he kept Donatus' grammar book open in front of him. Not knowing what to do while listening to the teacher he turned the pages now this way, now that way. Some companions noticed it. There was some giggling and then laughter. This was a breach of discipline.

“What's the matter?” asked the teacher. “What's wrong? Tell me!”

“Since all eyes were turned on me,” Don Bosco said while telling the story, “he ordered me to read over the passage and put the Latin words in proper sequence for translation, and then repeat the explanation he had given. I stood up still holding my grammar, and after repeating the passage from memory, I recited the words in their logical sequence with all the comments the teacher had made before.”

When he was through, his companions instinctively cried out in admiration and loudly applauded. The teacher was fuming, because this was the first time in his long experience that he had been unable to control the class. He tried to rap him on the head but John dodged the blow.

“Then resting his hand on my book he asked those sitting near me the reason for such an outburst”. John was about to tell everything respectfully but one pupil broke in: “Bosco had Donatus' grammar in front of him all the time but he recited and explained the passage as if he were reading from Cornelius.”

“The teacher took Donatus' grammar from me and made me continue for a couple of paragraphs. Then suddenly switching from anger to amazement and admiration he said: 'I shall forgive your negligence because of your amazing memory. You are lucky. Make good use of such a talent'.”

(M.B., I, 252)

13. The ugly mastiff (1833)

This story was written by Fr.J.B.Francesia, who was one of the early boarders of Don Bosco and a companion of St. Dominic Savio (1854 - 57). Francesia was also one of the first Salesians. He lived to see Don Bosco beatified in 1929 and died in 1930 at the age of 92.

When John Bosco was a student at Chieri, Fr. Francesia writes, his mother worked very hard to provide him with what he needed, keeping to the essentials, because she could not afford more. John would spend Sundays at home and on Monday morning walk back to Chieri with what he needed for three days, in his bag. On Wednesday evening he would come home, (quite a distance incidentally) work with his mother on Thursday, and go back to school on Friday early morning, with provisions for two days.

It was the year 1833, John was eighteen, strong, wiry and alert and adventures seemed to come his way. Most of them were hilarious ones, but some were not so pleasant, and he also had a few that left him and other people perplexed about who could be the cause of them. Could it have been the devil playing some of his tricks?

I heard this story myself from Don Bosco, one late summer afternoon, as I and a group of my companions, were walking along the very same path that he would use to and from Chieri, years before. We had climbed to where a big mulberry tree stood by the side of the path, on a mound. A little man was coming down towards us, carrying a hoe on his shoulder. Don Bosco stopped to talk to him, about his field, his crop, his family in a friendly way, and then he told us the story:

I was about your age. One Wednesday evening, while coming back home from Chieri, I had reached this very same spot, when I saw there below in a furrow a huge and ugly mastiff, crawling as if to avoid being noticed and advancing towards me. It had fierce evil eyes, and kept its tail low as mad dogs do. I tried to hurry up in order to get away, but was not quick enough. The animal had almost reached me. I looked around panicking, saw the row of mulberry trees jumped that ditch, and climbed the first tree like a squirrel, none too soon. The beast was almost on me. Snapping at my left foot as I was pulling it up, he got my shoe by the heel and pulled it off. He went around the tree growling and barking furiously, pawing and scratching the ground all around and even made attempts to climb the tree. Lucky for me he wasn't a cat!

I sat there, huddle among the branches, praying that the ugly beast would go away. I had just finished a prayer to my Guardian Angel and a Hail Mary to Our Lady, when I saw a man with a hoe on his shoulder - just like you here - coming out of that field. (Don Bosco pointed out a spot a little further down the slope). I called out and shouted, but probably he could not see me because of the leaves and so walked on.

In the meantime night was approaching and, in my unsettled imagination, I saw it was getting dark, faster than usual. After one more prayer to the Virgin I shouted for all I was worth. The man stopped, hesitated a little and then not seeing me yet, but guided by my voice came up towards me and, at last, saw the mastiff. He shouted at it and tried to shoo him off by pelting stones, but the beast stood its ground and turned to face him. Then the man stepped forward resolutely brandishing the hoe. It was then that the beast, whining and barking, full of anger and frustration, started slowly to slink away dragging his bloated belly on the ground. When he got out of reach, he gave one more horrible yelp of disappointment and was gone the way he had come from.

The two of us - that good man and myself - stood there as if transfixed; I on the tree, the man on the ground still brandishing the hoe as if frozen in the act.

I climbed down still shaking, picked up my shoe, and without being aware of it, carried it in my hand as we walked along towards my house. The good man broke the silence at last; "Whose is that dog? Never seen it around here and I belong here so to say.... Wouldn't it be better to follow it and do something about it? I think I'll just do that..." Without looking at me even to acknowledge the thanks that came pouring from my mouth at last, he turned around and swiftly walked off.

Would you be surprised if I told you that when I reached home I was shivering and feverish, and frightened my poor mother with my looks? She fussed over me and then sent me to bed and quietly watched me throughout the night till, at last, towards morning, I fell asleep."

And Don Bosco added: “If I had my brave 'Grigio' he would have torn that ugly animal to pieces, but years passed before he made his first appearance.”

Don Bosco was alluding to the mysterious dog that would appear in Turin, to save him from evil-intentioned men who made attempts on his life. The dog would materialize out of nowhere, so to say, and frighten the criminals away, see Don Bosco safely home, and then disappear.

That evening, us boys and the little man stood there still sensing the impact of the story Don Bosco had relived with us. He told us he experienced the same unpleasant feeling every time he passed that way.

The little man,doffed his hat, asked for Don Bosco's blessing, kissed his hand and shuffled off.

One of the boys ventured: “That dog was the devil!”

“Oh, come on, retorted another, “why would the devil do a thing like that?” Don Bosco looked at one and then at the other, as if to speak, then changed his mind and resumed walking in silence. We followed him.”

(Francesia, Don Bosco e le sue passeggiate autunnali, pg.24)

14. A Priest, yes, but not a friar (1834)

In Don Bosco's memoirs mention is made of the fact that he took the entrance examination to the Franciscan novitiate.

As Easter drew near, which in 1834 fell on March 30 I applied for admission into the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. I had told no one of my intention. Yet one fine day, while awaiting their reply, a schoolmate, Eugene Nicco, with whom I had a nodding acquaintance, asked me: 'So you have decided to become a Franciscan?' I looked at him in amazement: `Who told you?' He showed me a letter. 'They've written to tell me you are expected in Turin, to be examined together with me, because I, too, have decided to join the Order.' So I reported to the Convent of St. Mary of the Angels in Turin and took the examination.

I was notified I was accepted and by the middle of April was all ready to enter the monastery at Chieri known as Convento della Pace, (The Monastery of Peace) when a few days before entering, I had a very strange dream.

I seemed to see a multitude of these friars, clad in threadbare habits, all dashing about helter-skelter. One of them came up to me and said: 'You are looking for peace, but you will not find it here. See what goes on! God is preparing another place, another harvest for you.'

I wanted to question the friar, but I was awakened by a loud noise and saw nothing more. I told my spiritual director this dream, but he totally ignored it. 'In such matters' he insisted, 'everyone must follow one's own inclination, not the advice of others.'

(M.B., I, 301)

15. Exams and again exams (1834)

The end of every school year is students a period of anxiety and fear for all. The general realisation is that they are not sufficiently prepared because they have taken things too lightly, or because of insufficient intellectual gifts. This is when mediations are sought, so that the overall result may not be too negative. We do not mean help sought through money or influential people, but the intercession of the saints who, even in this field, seem to be able to offer unexpected solutions.

There are a number of saints who are remembered and honoured during this period with a candle or two, lit on the strength of some story of miraculous intervention in cases where all human hope had vanished.

But with John Bosco things had always been different. As a student, he was endowed with extraordinary natural qualities. Then, on more than one occasion, he had been helped by supernatural hints which made of him a remarkable student, already known and admired by many.

It was known that John could read a passage once and know it with the accuracy of a tape recording. The same happened later with his sermons and conversations, which he could remember with all details of place and circumstances, so as to leave his hearers bewildered.

In August 1834, Prof. Lanteri had come from Turin to Chieri to invigilate the final exams. John went to see him.

“What can I do for you?” Lanteri asked.

“Only one thing: that you give me good marks.”

“Look with what openness this fellow dares addressing me!” the professor added not altogether displeased.

“You know, I am a friend of Prof. Gozzani.”

“If that is the case we shall also be friends.”

“Delighted, but remember, professor, that Prof Gozzani always gave me good marks.”

On the day of the exam John was found more than ready. Questioned on Tucidides, he answered without a flaw. Then Lanteri took in hand the volume of Cicero and asked John: “What do you want us to look at together in this volume?”

“Whatever you decide Professor.”

Lanteri opened the book at random and showed the page to John. It was on the Paradoxa Stoicorum.

“Would you mind translating?”

“Not at all Professor and, if you allow me, I'll do it from memory.”

“You are not serious!”

But John began with the title and went on with the text.

“That will do,” said Lanteri. “let's shake hands. Now I really want to be your friend.” And he passed on to speak of matters totally extraneous to the examination.

So, Don Bosco could be a first class patron for all students, especially during the time of exams.

(M.B., I, 326)

16. John Bosco conjurer (1834)

When John Bosco returned to Chieri for his fifth year of Secondary School he went to stay with a tailor, Thomas Cumino. He had his shop near St. Bernardino square. At home he had already given hospitality to young Cafasso who saw that the terms Cumino had set for Bosco should be revised, especially getting him out of the horse's stable that had been given to him as sleeping quarters.

Cumino was a good man who could have been made to believe anything. John took advantage of this in a very good-natured way, catching him off-balance and leaving him more bewildered by the day. John would turn the coins in Cumino's wallet to useless scraps of paper. He would turn the wine just drawn from the barrel into water. Walnuts became gravel and so on.

On one occasion Cumino had gone out of his way to prepare a fine chicken in gelatine for his lodgers on his name day. The covered dish was set on the table, but to the amazement of all, as it was uncovered, a cockerel emerged from it very alive, cackling loudly and flapping his wings.

On another occasion Cumino had prepared a pot of spaghetti, but when it was time to dish them out, all he found in it was dry bran.

John would wager that he could conjure up a key, which Cumino knew for certain to be elsewhere. The key would then turn up at the bottom of the soup tureen after the soup had been served.

Such pranks occurred practically every day. All the good man could say in the face of them was: “Men can't do these things, and God does not waste his time with such nonsense. So it must be the Devil's doing.” Unwilling to discuss this matter with any of the lodgers, Cumino sought the advice of Father Bertinetti, a priest who lived nearby.

He called on him one fine day, almost terrified out of his wits. “I've come to see you about a very serious matter of conscience, Father”, he said, “I believe I have a sorcerer in my house.” He told the priest about his suspicions, a long tale of things he had seen, or imagined to see or suspected, and he portrayed them so vividly that Fr. Bertinetti began to believe them himself. He decided to refer the matter to Canon Burzio, the school superintendent. Canon Burzio sent for John.

John came ready to face an inquisitor, and had already planned his own way out of it. He knocked at the door with assurance. The canon did not take long to notice the clarity of the answers John would give to his questions. He did not tackle the subject at once but stuck to generalities about the boy's life and studies. But the answers were so judicious and the tone so respectful that the canon congratulated the boy. Had the boy suspected anything? So he resolved to come closer to the real object of the interview.

“I am quite satisfied with your application to your studies and your conduct so far, my boy, but certain stories about you are making the rounds. They tell me that you can read other people's thoughts, that you can guess how much money a man has in his pocket, that you can make people see a thing which is black as white instead, that you can know what is happening at a distance and so on. That makes people talk about you.”.

Without batting an eyelid, John requested five minutes before answering and asked the dean for the exact time. Automatically the priest put his hand to his waist pocket to look at his watch, but it wasn't there. “If you cannot find your watch then let me have five cents”, John suggested.

The priest rummaged through his pockets but could not find his purse. “Oh you rascal,” he cried indignantly, “ are you working for the devil or is he working for you? You conjured away my watch and my purse and I can no longer keep silent. I shall have to report you to the Parish Priest for sorcery, to the mayor for theft and to public opinion for swindling.” Seeing how the boy had remained calm and angelic throughout the outburst, the canon calmed down and said: “Well let's talk it over quietly. Tell me how you did it.”

“Father,” John replied respectfully, “it's really very simple. It's nothing but the hand being quicker than the eye. It's like this. When I arrived, you were giving alms to a beggar. Then you went in and put your purse on top of the kneeler in the room. When we came into the room, you put your watch on the table. I hid both things. You thought you had both of them on your person whereas they really were under this lamp shade.” So saying he raised the lamp shade under which lay both objects supposedly spirited away by the devil. The canon had a good laugh and asked John to do a few more tricks. When he caught on to them he was delighted and gave John a little gift and dismissed him. “Go and tell your friends that ignorantia est magistra admirationis! (Ignorance is the mistress of wonderment)”.

(M.B., I, 344)

* * *

Don Bosco, already in heaven and declared Blessed, has not lost his relish for playing tricks. Listen to this this one.

Professor Silvio Passerini, a chemist attached to the university of Innsbruck and Genoa, sent this account to the (Italian) Bolletino Salesiano of October 1929.

In July last, I went to Pergine on business. On my way back I realised I did not have my pocket-book with me containing important papers and also a picture of the new Blessed Don Bosco, so dear to me. I looked everywhere at home and outside, I retraced my steps to all places and pharmacies I had visited following the same itinerary, all to no avail. My report to the local police station was useless.

Back at my place, Piazza Venezia, 3, Trento, I looked again everywhere. My daughter Itala, 12 years old, told me: “Daddy, I'll light a candle to Don Bosco”. I was worried and the old maid smiled at the simple faith of my daughter when she heard my daughter exclaim: “Daddy, I think Don Bosco is smiling at me!”

At that very moment we heard the noise of something falling. It was away from me and the maid and behind my daughter. She was the first to turn and see the pocket-book on the floor. She picked it up and gave it to me. No one of us said a word.

* * *

The Paris newspapers who busied themselves with Don Bosco during his visit to the city in 1883, also spoke of his ability as a conjurer. During a visit to a rich friend, he was asked to show some of his ability.

“Most willingly,” said Don Bosco with his usual gracious aplomb.

“Yes, yes go ahead, Father.”

“Will you, please, tell me the time?”

The man put his hand to the waistcoat pocket and found it empty.

“Here is your watch”, said Don Bosco showing it but not giving it back.

After a while, as Don Bosco was about to leave, the man reminded him of the watch.

“No, I won't return it unless you give me something for my boys.”

“But the watch is an expensive one, can't you see?”

“It's up to you to decide!”

He pulled out 500 francs and got back his watch. All laughed and the man joined in the laughter as he accompanied Don Bosco to the street. He had not remembered that he had left his watch within reach.

(M.B., XVI, 122)

17. Memory test (1836)

One day, as he was a guest of his friend Comollo in the parish house at Cinzano, he astounded his friend with a fantastic memory test. John had read once the seven volumes of Joseph Flavius. He pulled them out of the shelf and told Comollo: “Ask me any chapter you want, only tell me the title”.

Comollo did so and John recited the whole chapter without a flaw.

“Now ask me any episode you like to hear.”

Comollo opened the index and chose at random. John recited the whole thing again without mistakes.

“Now open any volume at whatever page you like and tell me the first few words”, and John rattled it off as if he had the page in front of him.

He had already done this with his own Parish Priest who would tell the boys at the Oratory whenever he would go there to see Don Bosco.

(M.B., I, 432)

18. The hard way (1840)

It happened in 1840. John Bosco was in his second last year of theology. Of late he had not felt too well. He continued to have an uncommon strength so as to amaze his companions, but he was wasting away without being able to know the cause. One day he had to give in and take to his bed. Here is how Fr. Lemoyne describes the episode in the Biographical Memoirs:

John could not fancy any kind of food and suffered from obstinate insomnia. He had been in bed one month and the doctors had given up trying to help him.

His mother, who was not aware of the desperate condition of her son, came to visit him one day. She brought a bottle of good wine and one oversize loaf of millet bread. It took her one look, on entering the infirmary, to realise that her John was seriously ill, and on leaving she wanted to take away the bread because it was not good for a weak stomach. John insisted she left it with him so, in the end, she gave up and left it with him.

John, alone now, felt a compulsive urge to eat the bread and drink the wine. He began with a tiny morsel which he chewed slowly. Nothing had ever tasted so good to him. He then cut a hefty slice and a second one and then finished the whole loaf sending it down with that first class wine. He then fell asleep and slept for two days and one night.

The superiors thought it was a sleep foreboding the end, instead it was the beginning of his recovery. Some residues of this illness stayed with him and would appear now and then till the final bout in 1846 when he was a guest at the Refugio.

* * *

This episode had a sequel. Mr. Joseph Gasca, a past pupil of the Salesian Oratory Edoardo Agnelli of Turin, on January 22 1951 came down with bronchio-pneumonia which recurred three times. Several antibiotics were tried on him without any result. On February 5 he received the last Sacraments and was resignedly waiting for the end.

On February 6, towards noon with the fever at 41 centigrade, the sick man dozed off. On waking up he told the Sister who was attending on him that he had dreamt of meeting Don Bosco behind the parish church in Buttigliera. The saint had told him in dialect: “If you want to get cured you must drink a whole bottle of the best Barbera.” Both the Sister and the wife of the sick man thought he was raving but at his insistence they poured out two glasses of wine ,which he drank. But they would not go any further since he had not swallowed anything for days, except a little water with ice. Just then a religious priest, friend of the family, came to visit him and on hearing what was going on insisted that they humour the dying man.

Mr. Gasca finished the bottle. He felt a shudder go through all his body and felt life coming back. When Doctor Robino was called in, he could only confirm that the sick man was on his way to a complete cure.

Mr Gasca later went to the birth place of Don Bosco, Becchi, on a thanksgiving pilgrimage and then published the cure in the Bollettino Salesiano.

(B.S., April 1951)

19. Wedding feast, death and ... resurrection (1840)

In 1840 John Bosco accompanied his parish priest to Bardella for the annual feast. He was then invited to a wedding dinner, but faithful to his resolution to shun such occasions he went home.

During the feast, a stroke hit the bride, changing the feast into a funeral. She was kept for 48 hours, according to the law, and then the funeral took place. When they were almost at the cemetery, one of the bearers told the parish priest: “It sounds like the dead woman is knocking on the side of the coffin.”

“When you are dead you will not think of these kind of jokes”, answered the priest.

All had a quiet laugh. When the obsequies were over the coffin was laid by the side of the grave and the sexton also heard the noise and was almost ready to pry the lid open. But he remembered the laws and penalties attached to such an act, so he ran to the village to inform the mayor. The mayor and the doctor came and the coffin was opened. The body was warm. The pulse was beating and when the doctor made a small incision on the skin, blood came out. The lady was taken back to the village but after a few hours she died. Probably the delay in opening the coffin was the cause of her death.

John Bosco too came back on hearing of this and his conclusion was: “Laughter and sorrow are often mixed and mourning is there to limit our rejoicing.”

(M.B., I, 499)

20. Prayer helps (1840)

On the eve of the last exams before being admitted to Holy Orders, John Bosco came to know that a treatise he had not studied because it was not part of the programme was indeed among the items set for the exam.

He was upset at first, but then full of confidence he turned to St. Aloysius, patron of students and asked him to help him out of the difficulty he was finding himself in without any fault of his own.

He went to bed and on the following morning appeared before the commission as cool as a cucumber.

For some time, he answered all questions and faced all objections with great precision. But between one argument and the other he was constantly trying to control a smile. One of the Commission asked him why the smile.

John answered candidly: “I am smiling because up to now all the discussion was about a treatise I had not studied. As a matter of fact, the book is with me with its pages uncut”, and he pulled out the book for the examiners to see. He then told them about his prayer to St. Aloysius and ended by apologising to the commission.

The examiner did not reprove him but told him amiably. “My dear student you have my best wishes. I rejoice with you for what has happened. Go on praying like this while following your call to the ecclesiastical life. And if your prayers are so quickly heard now, the Church will have cause to rejoice while admitting you among her ministers and your influence on souls will be great.”

(D’Espiney, Don Bosco, 128)

21. You'll live to be ninety (1840)

Before the end of the school year 1839-40, from the seminary in Chieri Don Bosco went to Moncucco to be godfather at the baptism of the last of the children of Louis Moglia in whose house he had lived and worked for two years in 1828-29.

After breakfast before taking his leave, John went upstairs to see Mrs. Dorotea. She felt poorly and drained of strength and expressed her fear that she would not last much longer. John told her: “Cheer up, and keep smiling. You will live to be ninety.”

She got well and put all her trust in these words of John. Later on when ill, even rather seriously, she would take it peacefully and would refuse any prescription with the simple explanation: “Don Bosco promised I would live to be ninety.”

She outlived Don Bosco, of course, and she never failed to pray to him every day. When her time came, she died pressing the picture of Don Bosco to her heart. She was 91!

(M.B., I, 485)

22. Don Bosco, horseman (1841)

John Bosco had learned to ride a horse early in life when he tended the horse belonging to his parish priest Fr. Dassano.

Little by little, following his natural inclination to learn everything well, he perfected the art, learning all the ways of riding and feeling at home on a horse.

This came in useful to him in October 1841, a few months after his ordination, while he was helping out at his own parish. He was invited to preach a panegyric in honour of St.Benignus at Lavriano. Let us listen to Don Bosco himself who left the episode in his memoirs.

When invited, I readily agreed, since that was the home village of my good friend Fr. Grassino.

I wanted my sermon to measure up to the solemnity. So, I prepared it carefully and wrote it out in simple but attractive language. I went over my talk in detail, convinced that I would do myself credit. But God willed to teach me a good lesson to cure me of my pride

It was a Sunday, and since I had to say Mass first for the parishioners I would have to hasten on horseback in order to be on time for my sermon.

I had already covered half the distance, alternately trotting and galloping and I had reached the valley of Casal Borgone, between Cinzano and Bersano, when suddenly, a flock of sparrows shot up from a nearby field of maize. Their sudden rush and the noise of their wings startled my horse; he plunged wildly down the road and across the fields and meadows. I managed to stay in my saddle but realised that the straps were slipping. I attempted a trick of horsemanship, but the sudden dislodging of the saddle hurled me into the air and I landed head first upon a heap of crushed stones.

From a nearby hill a man had witnessed my fall. He ran to my aid with one of his men. Finding me unconscious, he brought me to his house and laid me on their best bed. Under his solicitous care, I regained consciousness about an hour later and saw that I was in a strange house.

"Do not worry," my host said, "do not be disturbed because you are in someone else's house. You shall not want for anything here. I have already sent for the doctor and someone has gone in search of your horse. I am only a farmer, but I have everything you need. Do you feel much pain?"

"May God reward you for your kindness, my good friend, no I don't believe I am hurt too badly. Perhaps I have fractured my shoulder, since I can't move it. But where am I?"

"You are in my house on a hill overlooking Bersano. My name is John Calosso, but people call me Brina. I have often been in need like you. Oh, how many times I have found myself in difficulties going to fairs and markets!"

"Tell me about them while we are waiting for the doctor."

"Oh! I could tell you many a story. Listen to this one.”

“One autumn, several years ago, I went to Asti on my donkey to purchase provisions for the winter. On my return through the Morialdo valley the poor beast, which was heavily laden, fell into a morass and remained stuck. Every effort to free it was useless. It was midnight, dark and raining. Not knowing what else to do I began to shout for help.

After a few minutes a response came from a nearby farmhouse. A seminarian with his brother and two other men came with lighted torches. They helped me unload the donkey, pulled it out of the mud and brought me with all my belongings to their house. I was half dead with fatigue and all bespattered with mud. They cleaned me up, restored my strength with an excellent supper and gave me a nice soft bed.

The next morning before leaving, I wanted to offer them some just compensation, but the seminarian refused to accept anything saying, "Maybe some day we'll need you to do us a good turn.”

At these words, I felt deeply moved and my friend noticed my tears.

“Are you in pain?”, he asked.

"No,” I replied, “I liked your story very much and it touched me.”

"If only I knew of some way to repay that good family! They proved to be such good people!"

“What was their name?"

"Bosco, but people also called them `Boschet'. But why are you so touched. Do you know the family? How is that seminarian doing. Is he well?"

"That seminarian, my good friend, is the priest whom you have repaid a thousand times over for what he did for you. He is the same one whom you have taken into your house and laid on this bed. Divine Providence wanted us to realize that as one sows so shall he reap."

You can imagine the amazement and joy of that good man as well as my own, for in my mishap, God had me fall into the hands of a good friend. His wife, his sister and other relatives and friends were delighted to learn that the person of whom they had often heard him speak was now so unexpectedly in their own house. They spared no effort to make me feel at home. Shortly after the doctor arrived and found no fracture.

Within a few days I was able to mount my horse, which had been found in the meantime, and ride back home. John Brina accompanied me all the way and, for as long as he lived, we always maintained the most cordial friendship. After this salutary lesson I firmly resolved for the future to prepare my sermons solely for the greater glory of God and not for a display of learning and culture.

(M.B., II, 19)

23. Why do you despise your arms (1842)

It so happened that the Verniano family, through their son Emil, became acquainted with Don Bosco. The father, the son or the daughters, accompanied by their mother, would call on him on Thursdays at the Convitto. There were eight children in the family and all were eager to see and hear Don Bosco's words. He however, was rather uneasy on account of the girls' somewhat free way of dressing.

Two of the girls ten and twelve respectively, could be excused, but not so their elder sister who was past eighteen.

Since they were simply following the fashion of the day, and neither they nor their parents saw anything wrong in it, Don Bosco chose to wait for the right moment, rather than give advice that might savour of reproach.

One day the whole family came to visit him. As he spoke one of the small girls stood before him open-mouthed listening.

Suddenly Don Bosco turned to her and said: “I'd like to ask you something”.

“Oh, please, do!” she replied joyfully.

“Tell me: don't you care about your arms?”

“Of course I do” answered the girl.

“I am afraid you don't.”

“Quite the contrary”, interjected the mother. “If you only knew how often I have to scold her for being so vain. She is forever washing them and likes to perfume them.”

“And yet,” Don Bosco continued addressing the girl, “I still say you do not care for them.”

“But why do you say that? How could that be?”

“I hope and pray that when you die you'll go to heaven. But I am sure these arms of yours will be cast into the fire to burn. This is what I mean when I tell you that you do not care for them.”

“But I have done nothing wrong. I don't want to go to hell.”

“Well, it might not be that bad, but it will be purgatory to say the least, and who knows for how long!”

“Oh, then that's for me too,” one of the older girls exclaimed blushing; “my neck is all uncovered!”

“Well the flames will leap up and encircle it.”

“I get the point”, the mother said, “It's my duty to correct all this. Thank you, Father, for the warning.”.

(M.B.,II, 95)

24. Our Lady's tablets

From the time John Bosco was a cleric, he used to help the sick, reviving their devotion to Our Lady with a little trick. He would give them a number of pills or doses of white powder. They had to go to confession and communion and recite some Hail Mary or Hail Holy Queen, for three or even nine days. The sick, even seriously sick, were getting well. The news spread all around and people were coming to him from far and near.

He had already discovered the power of intercession of Our Lady. And Our Lady, perhaps, had already given him the gift of healing. The trick of the pills and powders he had adopted was to escape being noticed. He went on using this system even after he had become a priest, when he stayed at the Convitto, and went on doing so till something happened.

In 1844, at Montafia, a certain Mr. Turco fell ill with severe attacks of fever, and no remedy seemed to be of any help.

The family went to Don Bosco who, advising confession and communion, gave him a small box of white pills to be taken in a certain way daily, after reciting the Hail Holy Queen.

Mr. Turco was cured and the news spread.

The chemist of the place went to Turin to see Don Bosco. “Father, I acknowledge the power of the pills you have invented which seem to be a sure remedy against fever. Please sell me a number of these pills or tell me their composition so that all the people of Montafia may benefit by them.”

Don Bosco has taken by surprise and at the moment did not know how to get out of the situation so he tried to stall by saying he had finished the stock of his pills. The man went home and set about securing a couple of the pills and made a chemical analysis of them.

“All I find is bread!” he muttered, “but the cures cannot be denied!”

Even this got out very soon and Mr. Turco, when he went to Turin to thank Don Bosco for his remedy, told him what the people had begun to say about the pills: that they were bread, and insisted that Don Bosco tell him the secret.

“Did you say the three 'Hail Holy Queen's with faith?” asked Don Bosco.

“Why? Of course!” answered the man.

“Well, let that be enough for you!” concluded Don Bosco, and stopped this kind of 'remedy' forthwith. Since he was now a priest, he had recourse to a simpler means: the efficacy of his priestly blessing!

Well, not always.

(M.B., II, 22)

* * *

Fr. Garino tells us of his personal experience.

In 1862, I was suffering from a persistent slow fever which was eating away my strength and was making my studies of philosophy impossible. Don Bosco came to know of it. He gave me a small box with nine pills telling me to take three every morning saying one Hail Mary for each one. I followed instructions and the fever was gone completely and for ever.

(M.B., VII, 158)

Another person who made use of a similar remedy was Fr. Soleri.

He had been ill during his youth and found no benefit even when consulting famous doctors so he began a new personal system of cure which he called 'ideoiatry'. As a priest he would still practise it for himself and for others. As he could not follow the lessons at the Convitto because of his health, he used to approach Don Bosco to substitute him, offering his own medical skill in exchange for anybody Don Bosco would send from the Oratory.

Fr. Barberis says that during that period he too was suffering from violent and persistent bouts of fever and doctors did not know what to give or suggest.

I was sent to Fr. Soleri who saw me through a long treatment. The fever, at first did not come so insistently. Then it became less violent, finally it disappeared. I still had some minor troubles but they too eventually vanished.

As I was convalescing, two more patients in our infirmary, for whom our Doctor Grivaldi could not do anything, were cured by Fr. Soleri. But he too, who had been made Monsignor in the meantime, was getting old. He was now willing to reveal his secret to some member of the Oratory, and asked Don Bosco to send him the man. I was chosen, so today, (September 2, 1876) he revealed his secret to me. He personally came to show me how to prepare the pills of Mary Help of Christians.

From then we went on scoring very good results, for which we are grateful to Our Lord.

(Barberis A., Don Giulio Barberis, 74)

25. Pray to the Guardian Angel (1844)

On August 31, 1844, the wife of the Ambassador of Portugal was to go from Turin to Chieri. Not much of a journey, but at that time one could expect a surprise attack from brigands who infested the forested sides of the road, unexpected pot-holes and the whims of the horses ... This road was what it was. There was a new stretch, finished in 1823, which was not too bad but the upkeep was very perfunctory and the townships it went through were not lavish in cooperation. So we should not wonder if the good lady, before leaving, put in order all her papers and then went to church to put her soul in order as well!

So she went to the church of St. Francis of Assisi hoping to find her confessor. But he was not there, so she went to a very young priest who was praying like an angel not far from the confessional box.

The priest was Don Bosco, but she did not know him, neither did Don Bosco know the lady. He had been out of the seminary just a couple of years and was still residing and studying at the Convitto, attached to the Church of St.Francis of Assisi.

As a penance for her confession Don Bosco had suggested she give some alms, in certain circumstances. The lady who was worried about her journey, respectfully pointed out that it would not have been possible for her to perform the penance in the way the priest had suggested.

“How come? You are so well-to-do and cannot make a little sacrifice in God's name?”

“Father, I am leaving on a journey today and so cannot find myself in the circumstances you mentioned.”

“Well, then, pray to your Guardian Angel, saying the prayer 'Oh my good Angel' three times, asking for his protection in the adventure you are facing.”

The lady fulfilled the penance asking the attendants to accompany her in her prayer and then boarded the coach rather worried - as she always was when setting out on a journey - but even more today because of the words of the priest who had absolved her.

Well, there were reasons for apprehension as events proved. The horses at one moment began to go their own way, ignoring the voice and guidance of the coachman who could not bring them or the coach back on the right track. The ladies had begun to scream and shout for help, one of the doors of the coach broke open and the wheels encountered a heap of crushed stones. The coach turned over, the already open door broke away. The coachman was thrown out of his seat. Meantime the ladies were dragged along on the ground in immediate danger of being crushed while the horses continued their mad run.

At this moment the lady turned again with faith to the Guardian Angel realising now how wise had been her confessor's advice.

Well, in the end the ladies needed only to shake off the dust and spruce themselves up while the coachman calmed the horses and everyone continued their journey on foot commenting on what had happened and trying to figure how that young priest could have foreseen the adventure.

When the lady returned to Turin she had no peace till she spotted the young priest, becoming a great admirer of his and helping him in his work.

We came to know the whole story through Teresa Martano of Chieri, who was the maidservant of the lady and was involved in the adventure.

(M.B., II, 158)

26. Help from the sky. (1845)

The first house that Don Bosco had bought to begin his work had become too small. He needed another one near by. After much searching he found one belonging to Mrs. Vaglienti and went to her to strike a deal. But the good lady wanted too much. Don Bosco had a small sum and nothing more. The haggling went on for some time.

Meanwhile the sky had turned black as if preparing for a storm. When the landlady declared the same sum for the last time, not intending to budge from it, all of sudden a terrific clap of thunder shook the house and they saw lightening strike very near. The lady, visibly shaken, exclaimed.

“Don Bosco, Don Bosco, take the house for the amount you offered.”

“Thank you,” smiled Don Bosco “and do not be afraid; I'll keep you in my prayers, asking God to bless and protect you now and always.”

Incidentally, that was the only clap of thunder for the day, and in a short while the sky was clear again.

(D’Espiney, Don Bosco, 131)

27. A surprise chalice (1846)

In 1846 Don Bosco realised he needed a chalice for mass. How to buy one he did not know. He was penniless. One night he was told in a dream that at the bottom of an old trunk there was some money, enough for the chalice. As he was walking along the road to Turin, he remembered the dream and was so impressed that he turned back went to the old trunk and found eight ecu. With that he could buy a good chalice.

No one could have known of the money hidden there. His mother would never have had money enough to give him this surprise and she too was surprised when she came to know of the find.

(M.B., III, 131)

28. Lesson for a little know-all (1846)

There were times when Don Bosco would stop at a crossroads or in a square, cleverly get some people, especially youngsters together, and give them catechetical instruction.

One day, at Porta Palazzo, not far from the Oratory, he was doing just that to a large gathering, when a group of youngsters began disturbing the gathering. Don Bosco called out to them not to do so, but they would not listen.

One of them shouted back, “We do not want to hear any sermon.”

“Suppose you were to go blind, would you listen to the word then?” asked Don Bosco.

“Go blind? Who would do that to me?” he countered, and almost in the same breath, “Why, why have all of you gone away?”. The boy could not see the people any more, he had turned blind.... “I can't see, I can't see”, he sobbed over and over.

Everyone there was seized by fear and began entreating Don Bosco to help the poor boy, who had fallen on his knees and begged;

“Help me, Don Bosco, help me, I am sorry.”

“Well, well, Botta,” said Don Bosco, who knew the young man by name, “recite the act of contrition and all of us will pray. To your prayer add the promise to go to confession as soon as possible. God will do the rest.”

The boy wanted to make his confession there and then. Don Bosco asked everyone again to say some prayers and dismissed the crowd.

Towards evening the boy was led to make his confession, and immediately regained his sight.

This episode was recorded by Fr.Ceasar Chiala.

(M.B., III, 491)

29. Sure cure. (1846)

Don Bosco had become famous at curing toothaches with a simple blessing. One day in 1846, as he was going towards the centre of the city, he met a group of youngsters who were leading a companion of theirs towards a dental clinic. The poor fellow must have been suffering terribly, because he was moaning and shouting, and, what is worse, cursing shamelessly. The boys, who had sighted Don Bosco coming towards them, told him. “Here comes Don Bosco, ask him for his blessing and you will be cured.” But the wretched fellow began saying worse things, and including Don Bosco in his unholy litany.

Don Bosco drew near and tried to calm him, but only made matters worse. Little by little, however, exhausted by so much shouting and also soothed by the words of his companions and Don Bosco's, he knelt down, asked God's pardon for the horrible words he had said and promised to go to confession. Don Bosco blessed him and the toothache disappeared instantly.

The news spread like wild fire so that many suffering from toothache would rush to him begging for his blessing and all were cured. Don Bosco did not like the idea of such publicity so he suggested prayers to Our Lady, a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, a good confession and so on, and relief would come to the sufferers immediately after completing the suggested 'remedy'.

(M.B., III, 492)

30. Your purse or your life! (1846)

August 1846: Don Bosco was at home, Becchi, recovering from a very serious illness.

One day while returning from Capriglio, birth place of his mother, as he was entering a thicket, a man sprang out in front of him shouting: “Your purse or your life!” threatening him with a meat chopper.

Don Bosco answered as calmly as he could:

“Neither, my friend”.

“Let's not waste words ... out with your purse ...”.

“And you, what would you do to Don Bosco after all the promises you made to him?”

Don Bosco could speak like this because he had recognised in the man one of the inmates of the Turin prison, whom he had helped in more ways than one.

The man, realising his mistake, let the chopper fall to the ground and fell on his knees before Don Bosco begging for pardon.

“Yes, yes, I forgive you. But remember that you cannot fool God.”

“I am an unhappy man. I was set free from prison a few days ago, and went home, but no one wants me around. They say that the house is not mine any longer and even my mother turned her back on me. It is two days since I have had anything to eat.”

“So you assaulted Don Bosco!”

Once reminded of that the man broke down again in tears.

“I am a perfect rascal; there shall be no peace for me”, he blurted out.

“And why?” asked Don Bosco.

“How do you think I'll be able to enjoy any peace after what I have done today?”

“Do you want peace? I have given it to you more than once when you were in prison and I'll do it again for you.”

Don Bosco led him by the hand to a stone near by, got him to kneel down, then heard his confession. They prayed for a while then Don Bosco told him: “Now come with me.”

They went down and reached Don Bosco's house where his people were already worrying because of his delay: “We thought something had happened to you, you should be more careful.”

“I met this good friend of mine after a long time and he had so many things to tell me. So we took it easy.”

He made the man sit down at table and tried to make him eat, but beside a little soup the man could not take anything else. He would cry and look around, saying the whole time: “Don Bosco ... Don Bosco.”

No one in the family could solve the riddle: they knew the man, but could not explain the change.

He said night prayers with the family and took the room that was assigned to him but did not lie down. Don Bosco's brother kept an eye on him the whole time, fearing that during the night he could get up tp some mischief.

In the morning he heard mass in the chapel at Morialdo and accepted some breakfast.

Don Bosco completed his work by giving him a letter for his parish priest who, on the strength of it, saw that the man was again accepted into his family as son and brother. He did not live long after that but during the time God gave him he led a good life proving that his conversion had been sincere.

(Francesia, Vita di Don Bosco, 126)

31. Is he going mad? (1846)

The paddock Don Bosco had rented as a gathering place for his boys was by now reduced to a scorched plot. The owners told Don Bosco to take his `horde' elsewhere. Everywhere he went the same happened over and over again; a warm welcome to the merry crowd and a quick dismissal. Yet Don Bosco never lost his optimism. He would go on talking in his matter-of-fact way about bigger crowds, priests and clerics to help him, a building of his own with covered spaces for the rainy days and a church; yes, a church and a big one at that.

One day one of his good friends, Fr. Pacchiotti, could not contain himself any longer and burst out: “if you ever manage to build a church, I'll eat a dog alive!”

When, a couple of years later Don Bosco began repairing old buildings and putting up new ones, and laid the foundation stone of the church of St.Francis of Sales, Fr. Pacchiotti went to him and heartily congratulated him for his success and then added. “But now, Don Bosco, you must absolve me from the obligation of fulfilling my promise”.

“Which promise?” asked Don Bosco.

“The one of eating a live dog.....”

And the worthy priest went away muttering: “From now on I'll believe anything this man says, and more.”

But at the beginning many thought that he had gone mad from too much work and the strain of leading that unruly crowd of youngsters.

Marchioness Barolo, who had helped him in more than one way and held him in high esteem, on hearing him b so sure about his future Oratory, his church, his priests and clerics, would sadly say: “Let us pray for poor Don Bosco. So good and capable yet slowly going off his mind.”.

Having made up her mind to help him cost what may, she convinced two worthy priests to take him to hospital where he could be treated. She would pay for everything.

It was a Sunday afternoon and Don Bosco was out in the field animating the recreation for his crowd of boys.

A town cab stopped near the field, two priests stepped down and approached Don Bosco telling him they need him urgently for some good work. The games stopped but Don Bosco said: “Go on playing, I’ll be back in no time.” Even the two priests were almost moved at the scene. Don Bosco pretended to be ready, ushered the two inside the coach, slammed the door shut and told the cabman “To the hospital..!” A crack of the whip and off the cab went.

Don Bosco returned to his boys. In a moment the cab had reached the hospital where it was expected. The two priests got down protesting loudly. The head male-nurse exclaimed: “They told us to expect one and here there are two.” It took some doing to clear up the misunderstanding.

The two priests went on being good friends of Don Bosco and had more than one laugh recounting the episode.

(Francesia,Vita di Don Bosco, 128)

32. When the bells rang (1846)

Ousted from the field he had rented, with nowhere to go that Sunday morning, Don Bosco knelt before the statue of the Virgin, called his boys together asking them to be good and pray hard for help and then set out for the monastery of Madonna di Campagna about two kilometres out of the city. They went along singing hymns and saying the rosary, and `trying' to be good as Don Bosco had said.

When they reached the beautiful avenue of the monastery, flanked by shady trees, all the bells of the church started ringing. Don Bosco and the boys were moved by such a solemn reception. No one had ever rung the bells at their approach. Don Bosco thanked the Guardian, Fr. Fulgenzio, a famous man, because he was King Charles Albert's confessor. But the good friar assured him that no one in the monastery had touched the bells; they had pealed on their own.

Don Bosco felt immensely relieved of his worry at this unexpected sign. He asked the boys to thank Our Lady for her goodness and to continue to trust her. That very same day towards evening, Don Bosco found the place Providence had prepared for him. Before the boys dispersed, he could tell them where to gather on the following Sunday, April 12.

He had found 'the plot'. From then on, no more wanderings The trying period of the `wandering Oratory' was over. Difficulties would continue to test his faith and trust in God, but once more Mary had shown that She was there to help him fulfill the mission God had entrusted to him.

(Francesia, Vita di Doon Bosco, 113)

33. That's not the way (1847)

Fr.Turchi says that when the Oratory was just beginning, a boy from Biella came to Turin, went to the church of the Consolata for his confession and then to the Oratory where he had been accepted as a student.

He was well received by the priest in charge. Don Bosco was talking to a group of boys who were recalling how, at times, he could read their minds. The newcomer listened for some time and then spoke up: “Don Bosco, I challenge you to read my sins. You could even tell them aloud for all to hear.” Don Bosco called the boy to him. When he was near, he looked straight at him and then whispered something in his ear. The boy turned red. Don Bosco looked at him again and whispered something again about some secret of his life. The boy by this time was in tears and blurted out: “So it was you who heard my confession this morning at the Consolata! That's not the way.”

“Not at all, not at all,” one of the boys interrupted, “Don Bosco has not left the house today, and could not ever know that you had made your confession. You do not know him yet like we do.”

The boy calmed down and from that moment put all his trust in Don Bosco. “I was there when it happened,” concludes Fr.Turchi, “and Fr. Rua was there too.”

(M.B., VI, 458)

34. I've lost my sins (1847)

The following account is from Fr. Francesia.

It was the first time that a retreat was made at the Oratory. The boys took the event very seriously and one of them made a detailed examination of conscience and wrote down all his sins. Somehow he lost the paper and was going around asking all: "Did you find my sins?" All looked at him rather surprised and not a little amused.

At last he met Don Bosco who very kindly took his hand and invited him to make his confession to him.

"But I have lost my sins I don't remember anything.”

"No to worry. I shall help you, you'll see.”

They went to the little chapel, the boy knelt down close to Don Bosco and Don Bosco began to tell him all his sins in detail.

The boy could not contain his surprise any longer, and exclaimed: “Now I know it's you, it's you!" meaning it is you who found my sins.

For us, that was no news since we had all experienced what it meant to go to confession to Don Bosco.

(Francesia, Don Bosco amico delle anime, 184)

35. As many as needed (1848)

A first multiplication of hosts

That day was a big feast day at the Oratory. There were hundreds of boys at Mass. They would come forward to receive communion. When Don Bosco opened the ciborium, thinking it would be full he saw, on uncovering it, that it was almost empty. His heart sank. Then lifting his eyes to heaven for one instant, in silent prayer, he began distributing communion as usual.

In a corner, Buzzetti, the Sacristan, was going through a veritable agony; he had forgotten to put the full ciborium on the altar for consecration...

Don Bosco calmly distributed communion to all the boys, 650 of them, and then equally calmly put back the few hosts that were left into the tabernacle.... Buzzetti let out the story immediately showing to the boys the ciborium that had been forgotten on the table in the sacristy.

Fifteen years later, on October 18, 1863, the topic came up and Don Bosco confirmed the fact: "Yes, yes, I remember. There were very few hosts in the ciborium, yet, I could give communion to all the boys and return a small number of hosts to the tabernacle. The Lord was giving us a sign of how much he loves young people to receive communion”. Someone pressed on, “How did you feel when you saw that happening?” Don Bosco answered, “Well I understood it was a miracle but then, consecration is a greater miracle than multiplication.”

A second multiplication

We would never have come to know of this event were it not for a conversation that Don Bosco had with some of his boys in 1861. He was trying to impress on them how supernatural events were frequent in the Oratory and how on many occasions boys were chosen to be part of them.

Then he said;

As regards the Holy Host I was never favoured with any vision, except for the multiplication of hosts during communion. It happened in 1854.

One morning, when I was the only priest in the house, I was celebrating community mass. When time for communion came, I realised there were only ten or twelve hosts in the ciborium.

I wanted to return to the altar and break the hosts to make sure they would be enough for all, but somehow I hesitated and meantime, boys kept coming and I went on distributing. I must have given more than fifty communions. The number of hosts seemed to be always the same. When the last boy came to receive communion, I found myself with only one particle in the ciborium. Hosts had multiplied in the ciborium under my very eyes!

Third Multiplication (1864)

This happened in 1864. Don Bosco celebrated his mass after the boys’ mass, so he did not bother to consecrate new hosts although he knew the ciborium was empty. But at communion time three boys were there kneeling down for communion. Don Bosco took out the big host kept for benediction services and divided it into four parts and began giving communion. But just then about ten more boys turned up at the communion rail. Don Bosco went back to the altar and again broke the remaining piece of host and went on distributing. All received, and all the pieces of hosts were of the same size. In the records, the names of two of the boys who testified to it are mentioned.

And yet a fourth (1885)

This happened in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians on May 24, 1885. Don Bosco was celebrating mass for two illustrious visitors: the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk. The altar of St.Peter at which he was celebrating, did not have a tabernacle so, a small ciborium with about twenty hosts, enough for the illustrious guests and their entourage was kept on the altar. In the meantime, since it was the great feast day of the church, many people had come in eager to assist at Don Bosco's mass. At communion time many came forward to receive. Two Salesian priests who were there tried to stop them, to make them understand. But it was all in vain. Don Bosco noticed the commotion and whispered, “Let it be.” “But Father”, insisted the other, “the hosts are only for the guests. Shall I get more from the main altar?” The same answer came: “Let it be”, and he went on distributing. Those who saw testified: he distributed more than two hundred communions, without breaking any host or bringing any from the main altar.

(M.B. passim)

36. Carlo's last confession (1849)

On May 7, 1922, Marquis Philip Crispolti came to the Oratory to present his homage and offer congratulations to Father (now Blessed) Philip Rinaldi for having been elected to the post of Rector Major of the Salesian Congregation. On that occasion he gave him a bundle of unpublished items about Don Bosco, gathered from the correspondence between Don Bosco and the Marchioness Fassati De Maistre and kept by her daughter Azelia.

Among other items in the collection, there was also a description of a rescuscitation wrought by Don Bosco. Thinking that the event would not have been accepted so easily even in the house of Don Bosco where unusual events were everyday occurrences, the Marchioness added this note in her own hand: “I heard the narration of this fact from Don Bosco himself and I have made it a point to put it down as faithfully as possible.”

One day some people came to call Don Bosco to the bedside of one boy who used to frequent the Oratory and was now dying. Don Bosco was absent and came back to the Oratory two days later. It was only on the following day, at about four in the afternoon, that he could go to see him. He found the house draped in black, with a board bearing the name of the boy that he intended to visit. He went up to console the parents, who informed him he had died in the morning. Don Bosco asked to be taken to the room to say a prayer. The servant took him there. 'As I entered the room, I had a feeling that the boy was not dead and called out to him: “Carlo!”'.

He opened his eyes and exclaimed: “Oh, Don Bosco, you woke me up from a frightful dream.”

At the sound of his voice several people who were present took to their heels in fright, knocking down the candles in the process. Don Bosco drew back the bed sheet which covered the boy, as the boy continued, “I felt as if I were pushed inside a cave, so narrow that I could not breathe. At the end in a larger place better illuminated, several souls passed and were judged and I could see with terror that several were condemned. When my turn came and I was about to receive the same horrible sentence, because my last confession had been a bad one, your voice woke me up!”

Meantime the parents had come in rejoicing at seeing their son alive. He greeted them but added they should not hope in his recovery. He embraced them and kissed them. He then confided to Don Bosco that he had fallen into a sin which he thought was mortal. He had sent for Don Bosco. Since he could not be found, another priest was sent for, but the boy could not trust him enough to confess his sins to him. God in his mercy, made him see how, because of his bad confession, he had deserved hell. He made his confession to Don Bosco with great contrition and after receiving the absolution closed his eyes and peacefully passed away.

Further details were gathered later. The fact happened in 1849.

The youth's real name, it seems, was Joseph Giuliani. He was 17.

His father, when this happened, was running the hotel "Il Gelso Bianco" (The White Mulberry) situated in Via del Carmine where it meets Via dei Quartieri, in Turin.

(M.B.,III, 495)

37. The 'polenta' priest (1849)

A note may not be out of place here. Polenta is a thick preparation of maize flour cooked in water. It is used instead of bread with an assortment of dishes and condiments. In Don Bosco's time and for many more years up to not so long ago, it was the staple "bread" for poor large families who could not afford bread.

The episode is recorded by Joseph Bosio.

One day, as I was with Don Bosco in his room, in came a man asking for alms: he had five children, so he said, and they had not tasted food from the previous day. Don Bosco looked at him kindly and then looked here and there in the drawers for some money but he could find only four cents. He gave them to the man with his blessing.

The man went out and Don Bosco expressed his disappointment at not having had more to give him, because he was in such dire need and he knew that what he had said was true. "If I had had a hundred lire note, I would have given it to him!"

"But how do you know he was sincere? He could be one of the many who go from house to house collecting without working."

"No," Don Bosco insisted, "that man is sincere. He does not spare himself and loves his family. Bad luck has reduced him to dire need."

"But how can you possibly know all this for certain?"

Don Bosco caught hold of my hands and looked at me, and spoke as one does when confiding something important: "I have read it in his heart."

"Then you can read in mine too ... and see my sins?”

"Yes. I can smell them."

We all knew that if we forgot some sin, while making our confession, he would remind us of it.

I can confirm this with a personal fact. One day I had forced myself to make an act of kindness that had cost me much. When I met Don Bosco after that, holding my hand he said: "Bosio, what a beautiful gift you have prepared for yourself in heaven today!"

"What, Father?"

And Don Bosco described to me what I had done in all its details.

Some time after I met the man to whom Don Bosco had given four cents. He recognised me and told me how with that little money he had bought maize flour to make "polenta." The flour was enough for a good meal for all in the house and there was some left over. He added that after the blessing of Don Bosco things had improved and he was now managing his family without worrying.

He then concluded that at home they never called Don Bosco by his name, but they called him the priest of the "polenta." What he had given to that man as alms would have been barely sufficient to buy flour for two and he had bought flour for seven ..."

(M.B., III, 493)

38. Multiplication of chestnuts (1849)

In 1949, on the Sunday following the feast of All Saints, Don Bosco held the monthly recollection for his boys. After mass and Communion he took them to the graveyard to pray for the departed and promised chestnuts for all afterwards.

Three bags of chestnuts had been bought and kept ready, but Mamma Margaret, thinking that what Don Bosco needed was much less than that had boiled only one potful. When Joseph Buzzetti, who had been sent ahead to keep things ready, entered the kitchen, he saw the chestnuts and told Mamma Margaret that they were far from enough to give two to each boy. But nothing could be done about it now that the boys were already outside noisy and ready.

Buzzetti poured the chestnuts in a basket and went to stand near Don Bosco. He did not say anything about the few chestnuts he had in the basked being all that had been cooked.

Don Bosco began distributing lavishly filling the berets of the boys as they filed by. Buzzetti, alarmed warned him: “Father there won't be enough ...”.

“But I bought tree sacks of them”, insisted Don Bosco.

“Yes, but this is all we have.”

But Don Bosco, not wanting to sadden his boys, went on distributing in the same way.

When there were only enough chestnuts for two or thee boys and more than two thirds of the boys were still in the queue, Don Bosco went up to see his mother, thinking she had set the rest of the chestnuts aside for the sake of economy. But that was not the case. Instead of the big pot to prepare for the boys, she had used the small one meant for the priests and helpers.

Don Bosco went down and getting hold of a large ladle continued distributing as if nothing had happened. Buzzetti could not believe his own eyes. Don Bosco would dip the ladle and bring it out overflowing and the amount in the basket was always the same and the thing went on till all the boys got their full share. There were 600 boys present.

When Buzzetti took the basket back to the kitchen there was still one good portion inside: Don Bosco's ... The Madonna had not forgotten him.

In the meantime the news spread among the boys so that at one point they all said: “Don Bosco is a saint! Don Bosco is a saint!”

It took Don Bosco not a little tact to make them stop saying that and carry on with their games.

Canon Anfossi, a great friend of Don Bosco, and one who had followed the growth of the Oratory with love, tells us that the tradition to give everyone chestnuts on the evening of All Saints Day has it origin in this interesting extraordinary event.

(M.B., III, 576)

39. Don Bosco is on our side (1850)

On August 14, 1850, a law against religious orders called Siccardi Law was passed. This gave a pretext to all anti-clericals to take to the streets and create disorder against the Church and all religious institutions. Many religious were evicted from their residences. On that same day, August 14, some trouble-makers were preparing to invade the Oratory and force Don Bosco out of Turin. With Don Bosco away, so they thought, the Oratory, that stronghold of clericalism, would die.

Nothing of this devilish plan had yet transpired, but a certain Mr. Volpotto had come to know of it, and resolved to help Don Bosco as he had done more than once in the past. He came to inform him of this plot suggesting that he should hide for some time.

Don Bosco called his mother and asked her to prepare for supper as usual. She protested that there was no need of such a request as she had always done that without being told.

Don Bosco explained: “There may be trouble, but remember, that whatever happens, I shall not leave Turin.”

Four o'clock in the afternoon was the time fixed for the attack on the Oratory, but no one turned up either on that day or on the following day. Why? The violent crowd, after having demonstrated outside the house of the Oblates of Mary, turned to go to Valdocco. But one of the crowd, who had received more than one favour from Don Bosco, mounted a pedestal and addressed the people. “Friends, I know that some of you would like to go down to Valdocco to shout against Don Bosco. Listen to me: don't do that. Today is a working day. You will not find anyone there but Don Bosco and his old mother and a few of the poorest among the boys. Instead of 'Away with Don Bosco' we should shout 'Long live Don Bosco' because he loves and helps the children of the people.”

After him another stood up: “Don Bosco is not a friend of Austria, he is of the people and works for us. Leave him in peace. Let us go and shout elsewhere.”

The tide of discontent turned away from Don Bosco and went to disturb the Dominicans and the Barnabites.

(M.B., IV, 99)

40. C'est lui-meme! (1850)

The father of a family from Savoy had become a Protestant because of some money given to him with a promise for more if his wife and son would do the same. But wife and child stood firm and refused to apostatise.

One night the boy had a dream. Some people were trying to drag him to the Protestant church but he shouted and resisted. Then a priest appeared near him, freed him and took him away. In the morning he told this dream to his mother who had already tried hard to find a place for him in some institution.

A friend of theirs suggested that the boy should be taken to Don Bosco. The mother went to the Oratory on a Sunday morning and entered the church where mass was being celebrated.

The boy recognised Don Bosco, and began to shout: "C'est lui-meme, cest lui-meme." (That's him, that's him in person!).

One of the catechists present, Carlo Alvano Bonino, got hold of the boy and took him to the sacristy, where the boy told him about the dream.

When Don Bosco returned from the altar, the boy rushed to him pleading, “Please, Father, help me, save me.”

Don Bosco accepted him there and then and kept him for several years.

(M.B., XVII, 71; IV, 6)

41. The lost sheep (1850)

One day in 1850 Don Bosco had to go to Carignano. He could only find a place on the box with the coachman. He had known the man when he was serving a term in prison. At the moment, they had not recognised each other.

Sitting beside him, with his unusual skill he got him to speak about himself and came to know that that year he had not made his Easter duties and the motive was that he had not found a priest to his liking. If he only could meet again the priest to whom he had made his last confession. He had been so kind, understanding and considerate. So Don Bosco asked him about the name of that priest.

“Well, his name is Don Bosco. I wonder whether you heard about him.”

“I do know Don Bosco well! I am Don Bosco.”

The coachman was surprised and happy at the encounter and promised he would keep his promise, but now he had to mind the horses...

Don Bosco did not want to miss the occasion of helping the poor man, so he offered to take the reins and let the man free to concentrate on his sins. As usual, he helped him to remember them and confess them properly.

(M.B., III, 83)

42. The numbers of the State Lottery (1850)

A singular trait of Don Bosco's was his personal charm. He could befriend people who were otherwise hostile to the clergy. One of them was Count Camillo di Cavour. When he was in power, two small boys of the Oratory were called every fortnight, decked in a special uniform, to pick the winning numbers of the Royal Lottery. For this service, the government passed a small reward to the Oratory.

Whether because of this or simply because of Don Bosco's growing fame a number of people began to approach him for the winning numbers of the lottery.

One day in 1862, two gentlemen came to him for the numbers of the Royal Lottery. Don Bosco tried to lead the conversation to other topics and evade this subject, but finally, to get rid of them he told them: "Play numbers five, ten and fourteen”.

They thanked him and made as if to leave, but now it was Don Bosco's turn to detain them.

“Won't you wait for an explanation?”

“We have the numbers. That's all we want.”

“Without an explanation you won't be able to play the numbers right.”

“If that is so, let's hear the explanation...”

“Listen, then: 5 stands for the five Precepts of the Church; 10 for the Ten Commandments and 14 for the Works of Mercy, spiritual and corporal. Play them right and you'll be rich.”

(M.B., III, 83)

* * *

Don Bosco was a born conversationalist. He knew how to listen, how to show interest in what the others were saying in such a way as to lead them to listen to him when their turn came. From here on he would gently lead the topic to bring psychological or spiritual help to the other speaker.

Listen to this one.

Two gentlemen came to ask him for numbers to be played in the lottery. He tried to change the topic and show them how they could do better than waste their time on that. They would not listen.

“Give us the winning numbers”, they insisted.

To get rid of them he said: “Play 5, 10 and 14.”

They got up and moved to the door.

“Wait,” Don Bosco said. “you need some explanation.”

“We have the numbers. That’s all we want.”

“Without knowing what they mean, they are useless to you.”

“Tell us then!”

“Five, means the 5 Precepts of the Church; 10 means the Ten Commandments of God; and 14 stands for the Fourteen Works of Charity. Play them this way. You stand to gain a fortune.”

On another occasion he suggested 4 and 2 meaning the Four Last Things: Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell and the two Sacraments of Confession and Communion.

(M.B., VII, 24)

This happened in Rome.

Two friends of Don Bosco overheard this talk while moving about in a crowded place.

“Did you hear of that priest from Turin who is now in Rome: a famous priest who, they say, has special powers?”

“What about him?”

“I feel we should work out our 'cabala’ to get the numbers of the lottery and play them. One number could be the date on which he arrived; another, the number for the word 'priest’; one for 'huge crowd’ and the fourth one for the word 'saint’... and we hit the jackpot...”

The story does not say whether they found the numbers and did hit the jackpot, but it shows that people thought Don Bosco could do that too. What they ignored was that he needed money badly for his growing institutions and was often in debt. Why then, did he not use the numbers himself?

In April 1885 Don Bosco was with Count Villeneuve and a number of friends and admirers. The topic of the Lottery came up and all wanted Don Bosco to give them hints. “And do you think” he replied, “that if I knew the winning numbers I would need coming to you for help so often?” Then, to humour them, he told them this anecdote:

“One day, two gentlemen came to ask me for the winning numbers. To get rid of them, I wrote on a slip of paper: Faith, Hope and Charity, sealed it and told them not to open it for some time.

When they did open it they went to the cabala for the three numbers. Well, would you believe it? They did win something and they came back with a good offering and profuse thanks! One can never tell.”

(M.B., XVII, 436)

43. They wouldn't play the tune! (1852)

All the people of Turin would flock to Porta Palazzo attracted by a charlatan who performed tricks nothing short of miraculous. Don Bosco, one day, mixed with the crowd and assisted at some of his feats, among them, one in which a somnambulist read sealed letters.

“There's a priest here who would like to speak to you”, someone from the crowd shouted.

“You are welcome, Father”, he answered.

Don Bosco came to the open space where a woman, with covered eyes and apparently in a trance sat. Don Bosco had a letter in his hand which he had just received from Archbishop Franzoni and which was still sealed.

“What is your wish, Father?” asked the charlatan.

“I have this letter, unopened, in my hand. I would like the lady to read it to me”, said Don Bosco.

“Easily done”, said the man; and to the woman, in a loud voice: “Read!”

The woman hesitated. It was an unusual request, and the inflection of the man who ordered her held no clue ... yet she said, “I see, I see everything.”

“And what do you see?” asked man.

“That, I cannot say.”

“Why can't you say it?”

“Because it’s under the secret: the secret of the seal!”

“You have heard, ladies and gentlemen. She is right. The law protects the secrecy of sealed letters.”

“Good, we can take care of that too”, said Don Bosco who, with a flourish, tore the letter open, “Here, the seal has been broken now.”

“Read”, the charlatan said, addressing the woman, “read!”

“Impossible.”

“Why is it impossible?”

“Because ... because I cannot. I've made it clear to you that I want nothing to do with people belonging to the Church ..”, and the woman concluded with a curse.

At this the crowd began to hoot and dispersed.

(M.B., IV, 721)

44. Wizard unmasked (1852)

There was a doctor, Giurio by name, in 1852, who kept spiritualistic seances helped by a 'clairvoyant' Brancani. He claimed healing powers. People from far and near sent him objects belonging to ailing people whose malady could not be diagnosed and he would diagnose it and send instructions on how to cure it. Whatever the practical effects, the spiritual and moral consequences of such practices are to be feared because, apart for many occasions in which everything is only trick and manipulation, there may also be cases of diabolic intervention.

Don Bosco heard of this doctor and went to see what was happening. He asked the doctor to put him through to the clairvoyant and the doctor did it with pleasure.

Don Bosco produced a lock of hair, and asked to be told what kind of malady affected the person from which it had been cut.

“Whose hair is it?” asked Don Bosco.

“Poor boy, you must be suffering a lot” murmured the lady.

“The hair is from a boy”, explained Don Bosco. “Tell me, where does he live?”

“In Via della Zeccca.”

“No, not at all ...”

“Well, I am going that way towards ...”

“The address is not in that direction. But tell me the disease.”

“Epilepsy.”

“The person never suffered from that.”

At this stage the woman, stuttering at first, and then as if seized by a fit of anger, came out with a filthy word so insulting to all present, that the whole seance had to be suspended.

Either the whole affair was make-believe, or the devil did not like the presence of Don Bosco.

(M.B., IV, 723)

45. Faithful 'Grigio'(1852)

There was an open tract of land between the last houses of the city and the Oratory, as the budding institution where Don Bosco was living was called: a space covered with shrubs and studded with trees, ready made for ambushes. Don Bosco, who was no coward, always experienced a chilling sensation when crossing that space at night. The presence of a few ramshackle houses scattered about; pubs for drunks and drop-outs and houses of ill-repute, did very little to reassure anyone who had to go that way after sundown.

One night in 1852, Don Bosco was returning home alone. All of a sudden he heard a noise like an animal hurrying after him. On turning he saw a huge dog follow a few steps behind and was frightened, but the animal looked up at him, whined and wagged his tail reassuringly. On reaching the main gate of the Oratory, Don Bosco would have liked to invite the dog inside and befriend him even more, but the animal had somehow disappeared.

This dog became a kind of volunteer bodyguard for Don Bosco and appeared off and on over the stretch of several years. Don Bosco had started several popular publications to instruct the people and put them on their guard against the activity of religious sects that tried their best to get adherents among the Catholic population. That the publications were effective was proven by the attempts that were made against his life. On more than one occasion they had tried to dissuade him from preaching and writing by clear threats: “Either stop your preaching or we shall get rid of you.”

1854 - Don Bosco was again alone on the road back home, one evening, when he was attacked by miscreants who had walked some distance in front of him fitting their steps to his. When he stopped and tried to retrace his steps, they were on him; one tried to immobilise him by throwing on him the long cloak he was wearing, and the other was swinging a rope to bundle him up.

At that very moment with a frightening snarl the huge 'Grigio' was on them; one he flung to the ground, the other he grabbed by one leg, pulling him down in the mud too, then he stood over them barking and snarling till they pleaded with Don Bosco to call the dog off. Don Bosco made them promise they would go their way and stop plotting against him. It did not take much convincing. They immediately promised, and Don Bosco called the dog off. He meekly came up to him and followed him with signs of great joy till Don Bosco reached the door of the Cottolengo Institute and entered it, since he was feeling rather faint after such an experience. There they gave him something to drink and, completely restored, he walked the short distance home with a good escort.

Not very long after this, a man who was posted behind an elm-tree fired two pistol shots at him from a very short distance and missed. Before he could try again 'Grigio' had appeared and was on him, sending him running for all he was worth. The dog then saw Don Bosco safely home.

On another occasion, Don Bosco wanted to go out against everyone's advice. His mother especially insisted he should not leave the house. But Don Bosco was determined. On opening the door he saw 'Grigio' lying across the passage; “See,” Don Bosco exclaimed, “I have my bodyguard, I must go.” But the dog would not let him pass. One of the young boys who was there and had become used to seeing the dog, tried to push him aside but the dog gave a loud bark and bristled up, looking so fierce, that all got frightened.

Good Mamma Margaret then told Don Bosco: “Look, if you don't want to listen to your old mother, listen to the dog at least. He seems to have more sense than you....”

Don Bosco with an evident sense of frustration gave up. About a quarter of an hour later a neighbour came and told Don Bosco not to venture out because he had seen four of five men on the prowl about the place and a friend had asked him to warn Don Bosco.

One more time Don Bosco was coming home late. He heard heavy steps behind. Whoever was following, whatever his intention, he was fast gaining on him. Don Bosco stopped suddenly and hit back with his elbow catching his pursuer in the stomach. The man, with a groan and struggling for breath, fell to the ground letting go of the cudgel he was wielding. Don Bosco turned and ran away from him, only to find a group of men waiting and blocking his escape.

At that instant 'Grigio' was there barking furiously, darting here and there snapping at the attackers with his powerful jaws. It was again Don Bosco who had to call him back at the screaming request of those who had meant to harm him. When the coast was clear, `Grigio' performed his victory dance around his friend and charge till he was safely inside his gate.

But, not all encounters with 'Grigio' were dramatic. He could offer entertainment too.

One evening Don Bosco was at home having dinner with his mother and a group of his helpers. `Grigio' entered the play ground, welcomed by the boys who knew him, and feared by those who saw him for the first time. He went around collecting friendly pats and admiration from all like a trained circus dog.

Then a couple of boys opened the door of the dining room and let him in. Here again he was cause of mixed feelings; some of the invitees had never seen him. Don Bosco reassured all. “Don't be afraid, he is my dog, he won't harm anybody.” Grigio went around introducing himself to every one sitting at table, rubbing his head against Mamma Margaret and Don Bosco and then resting his jowl on the table and looking round at everybody... as if to show how happy he was.

As usual he refused all the morsels proffered him... Don Bosco then spoke to him; “Look here, if you want to eat, do eat, if you don't, now that you have said all you have to say, go in peace and allow us to finish our meal.” The dog seemed to have understood. He went around the table once more wagging his tail, then left. That night Don Bosco had come home in the coach of Marquis Fassati.... that's how Grigio had missed him on the road and came to make sure he was at home and safe.

One thing Don Bosco's boys could not understand was the fact that the dog always refused any food; a dog who does not eat? Well... So one evening a small group of them coaxed 'Grigio' into a small room by the sacristy. “He will surely eat after a good fast”, they said to one another. They locked the door, pocketed the key and went to join their companions. After twenty four hours they went with a platter of food to feed the dog. They listened. No sound. They opened the door: no dog. For days they were asking one another: how did he get out? What kind of a dog could he be?

(D’Espiney, Don Bosco, 153)

How old was "Grigio"?

The first records of the feats of the dog Grigio date back to the year 1852. His appearances were frequent for some time. Then there was a break. He once again accompanied Don Bosco during a visit of his to a farm house, not far from Turin, in 1866. The dog met Don Bosco on the road. It was a dark night in late October and Don Bosco had lost his bearings although he was in familiar surroundings. Two dogs appeared from nowhere and began threatening him with their angry snarls aiming at his legs. Don Bosco was tired and frightened. In his anguish he thought: “If only I had my Grigio with me, he would dispose of those two in a moment.”

As if by magic a huge dog appeared. With a frightful bark he pounced on the two, one at a time and sent them off yelping in the direction they had come from. He then led the way to the Moglia farm, where Don Bosco was known and loved from his boyhood days. They fussed around Don Bosco, gave him a good supper and wanted to feed the dog too, but he had slipped away unseen, without as much as saying `Good Night’ and what was more surprising, without opening the door.

That would make the dog fourteen years old at least. If we keep in mind the fact that, when he first entered the scene he was a full-grown animal, we have to conclude that in 1866 he was seventeen years old and still very active... But that is not the end of the story.

On February 13, 1883, Don Bosco was again out in the dark on a rainy night at Vallecrosia, in the diocese of Ventimiglia. He and Fr. Durando who accompanied him, could not find a carriage to take them back to the Salesian Institute and the had to walk the whole distance home. The night was dark, the path slushy, Don Bosco's eyesight at the time was very poor, to say the least. He walked with great difficulty.

Then, all of a sudden, there was the dog, walking evenly a couple of steps ahead of the saint, guiding him around puddles and other obstacles, until they reached their destination.

Don Bosco recounted this anecdote more than once. He did so in the house of the Olive family at Marseilles. Mrs. Olive commented, “But then, Don Bosco, this dog's age goes much beyond the average age of any dog... How do you explain that?”

“Well,” parried Don Bosco, “he could have been his son or... grandson. He looked very much like the same dog to me.” He would not say more.

(M.B., XVI, 36)

From wonder to wonder.

We skip ahead to the year 1893: Five years after Don Bosco's death.

Two Salesian Sisters, Amalia Calaon and Annnetta Dallara, were sent from their convent at Cannara, to Assisi. They were sure they would return before sundown. But Assisi was not as close by as it looked from their place. They had several things to do and when they had finished it was dark.

On their way back they stopped to make sure they were on the right road. They were not. A good lady gave them the right direction but then insisted they should stay for the night and continue their journey in the morning.

But the Sisters had to get home. The darkness, the road that seemed endless, the fact that they were both new to that part of the country, and all seemed strange to them, increased their apprehension. They began praying with all their heart ... till one of them sighed; “Dear Father Don Bosco, come to the rescue of these two daughters of yours!” “Yes, Yes”, whispered the other. They did not have to wait for long.

There was a rustle among the bushes, a big shadow leaped across the water drain that flanked the road, and came to walk between the two sisters. It was a huge grey dog, panting, his long tongue hanging out of his powerful mouth, tail wagging, as an unmistakable sign of peace and good will.

After overcoming the first instinctive fright they experienced at the sudden appearance, the Sisters resumed their journey with renewed vigour. Before long they were met by the factotum of the convent, Bartocchio, who had been sent to meet them. As soon as he saw the dog he brandished his stick to chase him away but the Sisters intervened in his favour.

When they reached home the superior saw the dog and wanted to give him some food. They walked up a flight of steps to their living quarters but the dog stopped with his fore-paws on the first step, looking up at them, then turned and went out. The Sisters were curious to see where he would go. But when they came down and looked around he was not to be seen anywhere. This story was told over and over again by Sister Calaon till the end of her life in 1932.

(M.B., XVI 37)

Beyond the ocean.

The place was Barranquilla, Colombia, and the year 1930. The Sisters were building and there were heaps of material everywhere, and a number of clever thieves were taking advantage. The Sisters were very much worried. One day, one of them, had a strange idea. “Let's ask Don Bosco to send us Grigio”, she said, as if it were the simplest, most logical solution. They started praying.

One night, soon after that, six dogs entered the premises. They went around as if to introduce themselves and study the place. Then they went out into the grounds, spread out and took up positions. They came regularly every night and retired, God knows where, in the morning. This went on for a month.

Then one night, only three dogs turned up for duty. One of them died of poison soon after that but was immediately replaced. They came, without missing a single night while there was material to be protected....

Another episode took place at La Navarre, in France around the year 1900. The Sisters of the institute used to go around every year to collect chestnuts from the good farmers. One evening, in late October, two of them failed to reach their destination before dark.

The road was cutting through a wood. They did not like it at all. “Anything could happen to us in this lonely place”, they repeated to each other.

Suddenly they jumped with fright; at the back there was a fast patter of feet on the dry leaves. They were too scared even to look back and began walking faster. But then a big dog caught up with them, walking and running by the side of the road, snatching up pieces of dry sticks with his mouth and throwing them in the air as if to entertain the sisters. He went with them up to the entrance of the village.

There the Sisters stopped to speak to some known people who were passing by in a carriage. All saw the dog. When they resumed walking into the village, he was no more to be seen. Both Sisters were convinced they had been escorted by Don Bosco's Grigio.

(M.B., XVI, 37)

Conclusion on Grigio

Don Bosco, once speaking about this mysterious creature said:

“About this dog, well... I feel it was a rather unusual experience. To say he could be an angel, would sound rather far-fetched yet he could not have been an ordinary dog... As a matter of fact, I saw him again the other day.” Don Bosco said this in 1870.

What all of us would like to see is a photograph of the dog. No photograph is available, but a charcoal sketch does exist. Pietro Grasso, a pupil Don Bosco's, who had seen the dog several times, in 1886 drew a carbon sketch of the dog with Don Bosco. When Don Bosco saw it, he was pleased and exclaimed: “That’s my Grigio!”

The picture was a most valued prize in the annual lottery held at Valdocco on May 24 1894. It was won by a pupil with a ticket he had received from Fr. Carlo Farina who was rector of the Oratory at the time.

The name of the lucky winner was Ambrogio Trezzi, who later became a diocesan priest in the Milan diocese. Writing to the Bollettino Salesiano in 1960 he says that one of the superiors present at the lottery had told him: “Grigio will bring you luck!” “Yes,” says Fr. Trezzi, “Don Bosco and his Grigio were always with me as I became a priest and did some good work as a pastor in the diocese.”

He then presented the picture to the Salesians at Valdocco to prevent it from getting lost. It is kept in Don Bosco's rooms for all visitors to see.

(B.S., 1960)

46. The chestnuts party (1853)

One evening after supper, as Don Bosco was busy teaching his boys, two sinister-looking characters appeared at the door and asked him to rush to the bedside of a man in a nearby cheap hotel called "Cuor d'Oro." The man was dying, they said, and wanted to make his confession. Ever eager to provide spiritual assistance, Don Bosco turned over the class to someone else. As he was about to leave, realising that it was already late, he thought it prudent to have some of the elder boys accompany him.

“There's no need,” the two strangers said, “we'll escort you there and back. Their presence might upset the sick man.”

“Never mind,” Don Bosco replied. “my boys always enjoy a walk. When we'll get there, they'll wait outside.” Reluctantly the two led the way.

When they came to the house they ushered Don Bosco into a room on the main floor telling him: “Please wait here a moment while we tell the patient you're here.” The boys remained outside.

In that room there were several men gathered festively around a table. Seemingly they had enjoyed a fine supper and now were leisurely savouring chestnuts. After greeting Don Bosco very respectfully and praising him for his goodness, they invited him to sample some chestnuts, Don Bosco courteously decline, saying: “Thank you, but I really don't feel like any. I just had supper.”.

“Then you won't refuse at least one glass of our wine”, they chorused, “it's of the best; it's from Asti.”

“No, thanks, I never drink except at meals; it upsets my stomach.”

“Oh, come now; a little sip won't hurt you. It will even help your digestion. You could at least drink to our health.”

So saying, one of them reached for a bottle and filled all the glasses. Since he had deliberately set one glass too few, he placed the bottle on the table and went to fetch another glass, which he proceeded to fill from a second bottle standing near it. He then offered it to Don Bosco with a flourish, unaware that Don Bosco had followed his manoeuvre closely.

Obviously they were offering Don Bosco some 'special' drink. Without betraying his suspicion, Don Bosco lifted the glass and toasted the ruffians; then he put it down on the table again, excusing himself.

“You can't do this to us”, one of them protested.

“You're offending us!” another broke in.

“This wine is of the very best! Drink to our health!” they all shouted.

“I already told you that I don't feel like drinking, and now I'll add that I cannot and will not drink it”, Don Bosco replied.

“Yes you will!” they shouted again.

With these words two of them grabbed Don Bosco by his shoulders and told him: “We won't swallow this affront. Drink you shall, and by force if necessary.”

Don Bosco was in a tight spot. He could not resist them physically, nor would it have been prudent to do so. Therefore, he decided to try his luck saying: “If you really want me to drink, let go of me, or I won't be able to hold the glass steady.”

As soon as they released their hold, Don Bosco, at lightening speed darted to the door. Fortunately it was not locked. He opened it. The sudden appearance of four or five husky young men between eighteen and twenty years old curbed the belligerence of the gang.

Their spokesman very humbly said: “Well if you don't feel like drinking, you don't have to.”

“Maybe one of my boys might like the drink”, Don Bosco remarked.

“Oh, just forget it”, they replied. (Don Bosco would certainly not have given the drink to the boys; his suggestion was simply a ruse to force them to show their hand more openly).

“Well then, where's the dying man?” he asked. To save face, one of them led him to a room on the next floor. The dying man turned out to be one of the two who had come to fetch him at the Oratory. Don Bosco asked him a few questions, but the scoundrel, after a prodigious effort at self-control, finally burst into laughter, saying: “I'll make my confession some other time.”

Don Bosco left the house immediately, thanking God for the special protection he had received.

After hearing the story, the next day, some boys made their own private investigations. They learnt that a certain individual had offered a good dinner to these hired thugs after they had promised to make Don Bosco drink a little wine which he had prepared specially for him.

Don Bosco never forgot that room. Even during the last few months of his life, whenever he went out for a walk with one of us, he would point it out, remarking: "There's the chestnut room!"

(M.B., IV, 697-99)

47. I won't be there, but you will (1853)

The following episode comes from Fr. Rua.

In 1853, Turin was preparing to solemnize the centenary of the so called "Miracle of Turin" in honour of the Blessed Sacrament. Don Bosco had written a booklet commemorating the event and giving some practical hints on how to make this occasion spiritually fruitful. Some time after the celebrations, as I was accompanying Don Bosco back to Turin from the country house of a friend, Father Matteo Picco, where Don Bosco had retired to finish some of his desk work, I pointed out to him how his booklet had been well received by the people. Don Bosco seemed absorbed in some thought of his own and told me: “When the next celebration will be held, in 1903, I won't be around, but you will be. Remember that even now I ask you to publish the booklet again.”

“Most willingly, I replied, but suppose death plays a trick on me before that?”

“Don't worry. There'll be no tricks. And you will be in perfect condition to fulfill my wish.”

At that very moment I made a mental note of the prediction, which came true.”

Fr. Rua died in 1910. On one occasion he was seriously ill in 1868, but during the illness the thought that he would not succumb was there the whole time, on the strength of Don Bosco's words.

(M.B.,IX, 322)

48. Dressing up (1853)

This anecdote has been told by Cardinal Cagliero.

It happened in 1853. Don Bosco came home one evening soaked through. He went to his room but could not find another soutane to change into. The boys were in church and he had to go and speak to them as he used to do every evening. Looking around again he found a pair of white pants and long overcoat hanging from a peg. They had been given, with other old clothes, for the poor by some benefactor.

Without hesitation, Don Bosco pulled on the out-sized white pants and the overcoat, slipped his feet into a pair of noisy clogs and went down where the boys were waiting. The light was kept down to a minimum, but the boys did not fail to see the strange attire of their good father and have a quiet laugh about it. It was a laugh full of admiration and love, because they knew that Don Bosco hardly kept anything for himself and gave out all he had to them.

And on the same topic here is something more. One day, some time later, Don Bosco had to send one of his young helpers Rocchietti by name, to Turin on some urgent business. Giving him a once over to see if he was presentably dressed, he noticed that he was wearing a very shabby and torn pair of shoes. Without hesitation he pulled off his own and made the young man wear them. Rocchietti before leaving leaked out the secret to his friends: "Keep an eye on Don Bosco today, he is left without shoes."

Don Bosco called two of his bigger boys, Rua and Buzzetti and asked them to rummage around for a pair of shoes that would fit him. They did so but could not find anything to suit his feet except clogs. When Don Bosco came down the stairs for lunch he could be heard all over the house and the boys enjoyed the joke. But at about three in the afternoon a servant of Count Girioli came to call him urgently because somebody had fallen ill in the Count's family.

Don Bosco at first thought of hiring a coach, but none could be found, so he asked the servant to go along with him, walking by his side: the priest along the walls and the valet on the outside in a vain attempt to escape attracting too much attention along the road. In this manner they walked the whole distance.

When the time came to return home Don Bosco begged him to go along and repeat the feat.

"But why?", asked the valet, "now you know the way!"

"Yes, I do," replied Don Bosco..."but see what I am wearing....”

"I am sorry" blurted the good servant and rushed off to inform the Count.

The Count himself appeared in minutes, dressed to go out. He guided Don Bosco through less frequented lanes till they reached a well known shop and led him inside. The owner, Madame Zanone knew Don Bosco and was thrilled to have him in her establishment.

On hearing from the Count of Don Bosco's plight she pulled out the best pair of shoes that could fit him and sent him on his way.

But the clogs she kept in exchange and placed them in a prominent place as a precious relic of the saint's visit.

(M.B.,V.679)

49. Crime and... forgiveness (1853)

It was an evening in August 1853 at about sundown. Don Bosco stood by the entrance gate of the grounds of the Oratory entertaining a group of youngsters as was his habit. All of a sudden somebody shouted: “An assassin, an assassin...!.” The boys scattered in all directions and Don Bosco saw a man rushing at him clutching a long kitchen knife in his hand. He also turned and ran towards his rooms. Luckily there was one more person there wearing the clerical cassock, Felix Reviglio, and the man had pursued him for a few seconds giving Don Bosco time enough to reach the staircase, lock the access to the upper floors and rush to his room on the second floor.

The wretch began shaking the gate as if he wanted to unhinge it, uttering threats all the time. He went for a big stone and started hitting the lock with it. Then, changing tactic, he became as sweet as a lamb begging Don Bosco to come down and open because he wanted to speak to him; no harm intended.

In the meantime, the boys had recovered from their first fright and had all grouped together armed with sticks and stones; a couple had gone to the kitchen for knives. Don Bosco saw all this from the balcony and began calling all of them by name exhorting them not to do anything rash. Mamma Margaret, from the kitchen, followed the scene praying for her son and for the boys. The police were sent for, but no one came. Another message was sent to the city Commissioner of Police, but nothing happened. That was a period when the authorities were not looking kindly on Don Bosco's work.

At about nine o'clock at night finally two policemen came, handcuffed the rascal and took him away and all at the Oratory breathed a sigh of relief and slept in peace.

On the following morning an inspector of police came to ask questions and sound out whether Don Bosco was ready to forgive the culprit. Don Bosco answered that as a Christian and priest he always pardoned all offences, but as a citizen he had a right to protection and a quiet life for himself and everyone in his institution.

On that same day, the culprit was out as free as a bird, and by evening he was again prowling around the Oratory. Don Bosco, who had been informed of the fact kept out of sight.

The man, Andreis by name, was known to Don Bosco. He had been lodging in the Pinardi house when Don Bosco had first rented it and then bought it, and more than once Don Bosco had helped him.

(M.B., IV, 700)

50. Beware of excessive good manners (1854)

One Sunday afternoon in 1854, when the Oratory grounds had a deserted look because the boys were all in church singing, two well dressed men entered the premises and went up to see Don Bosco. One of the Oratory's smartest boys, John Cagliero, had seen them and had a suspicion that something was afoot. He stealthily went up after them and hid in a small room next to the one where Don Bosco received visitors and glued his ear to the door, curious to know what was going on.

At first he could not catch a sound.

From some scattered words it was evident that they were asking something of Don Bosco and that he was refusing to comply. Then one of the two lifted his voice and said: “After all, whether we preach or not, and what we preach is none of your business”.

“My business”, replied Don Bosco “is to defend people against error and teach them the truth.”

“So you won't stop your Letture Cattoliche (Catholic Readings)?”

“No never!” replied Don Bosco firmly.

They began threatening him and one of them (as Don Bosco told the boys later) drew two pistols and pointed them at Don Bosco saying: “Either you obey, or you are a dead man!”

“Shoot!”, answered Don Bosco without any sign of fear.

Suddenly there was a loud noise at the door.... Cagliero had banged it with both fists and then had run off to call Buzzetti, the 'strong man' of the Oratory. They rushed to Don Bosco's room and as they were about to enter, the two visitors came out rather confused with Don Bosco following them, full of smiles and courtesy.

(M.B., IV, 706)

51. Self defence (1854)

It is said that desperate ills need desperate remedies. Providence had endowed Don Bosco with prodigious physical strength. In his young days, he had given proof of it on more than one occasion. Yet as a priest, even when his life was threatened, he never went armed and only made use of such strength as needed to avoid serious consequences to his person.

One evening as he was returning alone from Moncalieri, on reaching a very lonely place he realised that someone was following him. Giving a quick glance over his shoulder he had just time to see a shadow rushing on him with a cudgel raised high, ready to strike. Swiftly turning himself he avoided the blow and at the same time pushed the assailant who, unable to stop, went hurtling into a drain that flanked the road.

Don Bosco ran ahead towards the sound of voices and joined a group of people who were going the way he was going.

On similar occasions Don Bosco always escaped being hurt because of his ability to stay cool and use his head.

One person who could not stay so cool when he was late coming home at night, was his saintly mother, Mamma Margaret. Her dear son was the source of much anxiety. The Oratory at that time was surrounded by fields and scattered houses. Some were pubs, with rooms for travellers and village people visiting the city. Undesirable characters could often find a room there, no questions asked. Don Bosco had to cross a kind of no man's land, crisscrossed by hedges and studded with trees and bushes.

His place had not been fenced off yet. The only security item was a small iron gate at the foot of the stairs that led to the balcony which gave access to his room.

He sometimes made use of some of his big boys as bodyguards.

When he was late coming home, Mamma Margaret would send them out to meet him on the way and escort him home. When she sensed that there was some special threat, she would send for her other son Giuseppe, who would come and spend a few days at Valdocco with them, till the danger was over. But most of times, Don Bosco went about his work with great courage and serenity, trusting in the protection of God and Our Lady to whom he had devoted all his life.

(M.B., IV, 706)

52. Give that to me (1854)

The life of Don Bosco was full of surprises. Some of the things that were happening around his person would look like fantasies if they were not proven by so many eye-witnesses. One of these things was that he could not bear seeing any of his boys suffer, and having no other means at hand to help them he would tell the boy: “Come on, stop crying, give that to me”, and, true enough, the boy felt relieved and Don Bosco would get the pain: toothache, headache or whatever ache it was.

After some time, his common sense prevailed. He realised that when he was assailed by those aches he could not carry on with his work, and that was the most important thing and first obligation.

Commenting on it, later, he would say: “I must have been a bit crazy at the time.” We know that it was his love for the boys that prompted such heroic acts.

On one occasion he saw a boy racked by an uncontrollable toothache.

He told the boy that he would pray to God to allow him to share his pain. The boy objected strongly but Don Bosco had his own way. After a short time he went to his mother asking her to stay by him because he was afraid he would jump out of the window, because of the unbearable pain, but refused to retract his offering.

During the night, unable to bear the pain any longer he called for his trusted Buzzetti and with him, went to look for a dentist.

They knocked at the door of a famous one, Dr. Camusso. They were told that the doctor was asleep. But Don Bosco begged to be helped as a special favour.

The doctor came, examined Don Bosco's teeth and found them in perfect order. Perplexed he told Don Bosco: “Well, just to help you, on a hunch, I'll do what our people do when a cask of good wine begins to ferment: they tap it and extract some, to save the whole lot. I'll extract one of your teeth hoping for the better.”

What Don Bosco went through during those minutes one can hardly imagine: The dentist had to extract a perfectly healthy tooth from a compact row of white and strong teeth, without anaesthesia!

As the tooth came out, Don Bosco fainted and had to be revived with a shot of strong grappa.

He walked home and was soon relieved of all pain and the boy too stopped suffering.

(M.B., V, 13)

53. So young, and yet... (1854)

One day, in the first week of March 1854, Don Bosco told us of a dream of his.

I was in the playground with you, when a gentleman entered the Oratory and told me: "I want to see your boys. Please tell them to line up."

I was surprised, and to gain time, I invited him to come that I would show him around the place.

When we got back to the ground, I saw all of you lined up. The man praised us for our discipline. Then as I was looking I saw over the head of a boy a shining disc, like a moon.

"You see," the man said, "a moon means a month.”

"But there is a number in it, 23!"

"Yes, that's right: a moon with 23 written in it, means 23 months."

"What does that mean?”

“Meaning he will die then."

"And how do you know?"

"Don't ask too many questions. Just see that you help him prepare to end his life well."

I woke up not a little upset. I never knew who that man was. But I remembered the boy well.

I leave it to you to imagine how we all felt after this story. Each one of us felt like the boy with the moon on his head. There was a general improvement in the life of all the boys at the Oratory.

Days passed and months went by. The impression of the dream also slowly wore off. We could have forgotten it even. But Don Bosco did not forget it. On a fine day in autumn 1855 Don Bosco called the young cleric John Cagliero and told him to change his place to another dormitory. Cagliero objected at first because he did not want to inconvenience the other whose place he had to take, but in the end obeyed.

Secondo Gurgo, who was in that dormitory, objected to the presence of Cagliero and told him bluntly: “If you step in here, I'll stop teaching you music”.

This young man was our music master and Cagliero was his best pupil and later an acknowledged musician in Italy and abroad. The master, young as he was, already gave concerts in the city of Turin. People flocked to his piano and organ recitals.

He had been called to be chapel-master at Biella but had refused because he wanted a more famous place. Turin of course appealed to him.

Don Bosco, kept close watch on him and helped him in all possible ways so that he might not become too proud because of his success.

That is why he had sent Cagliero to be near him. The young man, who had resented the change at first, had settled down and continued his good work.

General health in the Oratory was good. Then in the first week of December, Gurgo got sick. He was a strong boy, well built and full of will to live and be famous. With the help of the doctor he improved quickly and was preparing to go home for some convalescence. His companions saw him as he came out on the balcony to sun himself. “It's nothing”, he would say, “I'll spend Christmas at home and on my return we shall make up for lost time”.

On the following morning, when his father had already come to take him and everything was ready, from the infirmary someone began calling for his father, because Gurgo had taken bad again. Then after a short while, the shocking news ... “Too late for anything, he is dead.”

The Oratory was wide awake by this time and a pall of sadness covered it.

Boys talked in whispers. Even the wildest walked about composed and all went to confession and at Christmas there was a very fervent general Communion.

Don Bosco, at mass, tried to say something but broke down. All he could say was to pray very much for his soul because he was badly in need of prayers.

Fr. Francesia who is the one who recorded the story, wrote at the end of it:

Several years after, one who had witnessed the whole thing was telling me: "Do you remember that Christmas? Well, I don't think I ever made a more fervent communion in my whole life."

(Francesia, Vita di Don Bosco, 203)

54. I see a mitre among you (1855)

One day in 1854 Don Bosco entered the infirmary at the Oratory to visit John Cagliero, the lively promising boy, who had contracted typhoid and was in danger. On opening the door Don Bosco saw a dove hovering above the boy's head. He was deeply impressed and could not help reading the event as a sign of great things for the future of the boy. Cagliero was almost miraculously cured and resumed his ordinary life.

One day Fr.Alasonatti who, at that time, was the only priest residing with Don Bosco, told Cagliero: “John, you must strive to become a very good boy. Don Bosco told me a few things about your future”.

About one year later, a group of clerics sat with Don Bosco and joked about their own future. Don Bosco listened and smiled. Then looking around at no one particularly, said: “One of you will become bishop”, and then added, “But Don Bosco will go on being Don Bosco till the end.” That made everyone laugh.

Bishops were chosen among people of high standing or from amongst priests who showed extraordinary qualities. Don Bosco was just coming up struggling and his Institution had not reached the general acclaim it would receive later. So the prediction looked rather improbable to the young clerics who, repeatedly, discussed it among themselves and tried to make guesses.

Some time later Don Bosco again said that he saw a mitre among them and added that it was not the only one... that kept the expectation even more alive.

On one occasion Cagliero, who had become a priest in the meantime, met Don Bosco at the foot of the staircase leading to his room. Seeing him tired, he took him by the arm, helped him up as a loving son would his own father. On reaching the top landing, Don Bosco caught hold of Cagliero's hand and before he could withdraw it, kissed it. Cagliero blurted out; “Father, was this done as an act of humility on your part or to make me feel really small?”

“Neither,” replied Don Bosco, “wait and see. One day you'll understand.”

In 1883, before undertaking a long journey through France, Don Bosco set all his things in order and gave special advices to all his helpers. To Cagliero, he gave a small sealed box. “And this is for you”, he said. Cagliero put it away, but the temptation was too strong; one day he opened the box ... and found a beautiful Episcopal ring in it.

In October of the following year Cagliero was made bishop. He then asked Don Bosco about the hints he had dropped over the period of thirty years. Don Bosco told him about the vision of the dove, and the other of the two giant `Indios' that stood by his bed during his almost fatal illness.

That evening at table Don Bosco repeated for all present these prophetic visions and other hints he had received about John Cagliero over the years.

(M.B., V, 110)

55. One of those 'distractions'

Don Bosco had taken part in a retreat at St. Ignatius Retreat House at Lanzo. On the last evening while leading the rosary for all participants, about one hundred of them, all of a sudden he got stuck and could not proceed. Fr. Turchi was surprised and wanted to step in and continue the prayer, but Don Bosco himself came round and finished without further hesitation. Several people were curious and pressed Don Bosco for an explanation. Among these there were friends who knew how the saint sometimes had special insights. At last he gave in, and said that he had seen two flames appear on the altar. One bore the writing; death, the other: apostasy.

From the altar the two flames floated through the nave of the church and came to rest on the head of two of the men present. In the light of the flames, Don Bosco could make out clearly the faces of the two.

On the following day, while driving back to Turin on a coach, with a friend and some of his clerics, Don Bosco told them what he had seen. Realising that he was the only one to have seen the flames, he never mentioned any name.

Before the end of that year, a rich merchant, on whose head the 'apostasy' flame had rested, left the Catholic Church and became a Protestant. The other who had been visited by the flame bearing the word 'death' had actually died. He was a noble baron.

(M.B., V,303)

56. All for a bottle of wine (1855)

A common occurrence at the Oratory were the visits of people who had met Don Bosco while on their travels and had promised to come to him for confession.

One day it was the turn of a coachman. Don Bosco had sat near him on the coach and for some time had to bear with the foul language studded with curses that the poor man was using, to control his horses. A moment came when Don Bosco could not bear it any longer and told the man to check himself. But the man sheepishly answered that the habit was too inveterate to mend. Don Bosco then told him: “Look, if from now, till we reach the first stop to change horses, you manage to control yourself I'll stand you a bottle of wine.”

From that instant not one bad word escaped the man's lips. Don Bosco fulfilled his part of the bet and added a little sermon: “My friend I congratulate you; but then, if for such a small price as a bottle of wine you could avoid cursing for a short time at least, why can't you do it for ever, when the reward at stake is heaven and the possible risk hell?” The man became a fast friend and penitent of Don Bosco's.

(M.B.,V, 194)

57. A good cup of coffee (1855)

Don Bosco accepted invitations for lunch or dinner whenever that gave him a chance to thank some good benefactors or the occasion to make new friends who would help him in his work.

On one occasion as he entered the dinning room and saw the table set with so many delicate dishes he sighed: “If my poor boys were here ...”

On another occasion after having taken a helping of one course and then of another and a little of a third, he declined whatever else was offered. His friend who had invited him asked: “Don Bosco, you are not well! You are not enjoying yourself ..”.

“I am perfectly all right”, the saint replied, “but when I see so many good things I think of my poor boys and wish they were all here to share ..”

One of the guests, got hold of a plate and went around and collected 400 lire (quite a sum at that time) which Don Bosco accepted with visible signs of joy.

On another occasion he was guest at the house of his great friend banker Cotta,. Don Bosco looked worried. “Father, what's worrying you …?”

“Well, my good friend, whenever I am with you I cannot help feeling the weight of the several IOUs you could produce any time asking me to honour them.”

“Come on Father, stop worrying. Today I'll have a special cup of coffee brewed for you. It'll do you good.”

Don Bosco smiled and joined the general conversation. Mr.Cotta, true to his word, had a special coffee served for Don Bosco: on the tray, together with an excellent cup of coffee, he handed him back all the receipts, worth several thousands, cancelling all Don Bosco's debts towards his bank.

(M.B.,V, 319)

58. The Sign of the Cross (1855)

Don Bosco held in high esteem the practice of making the sign of the Cross before and after meals. One day he was invited to lunch by a rich family where this practice had fallen into disuse. Don Bosco knew it and was determined to give them a little lesson.

He spent some time with their young boy and came with him into the dining hall when everyone was already seated. Don Bosco addressed the boy: “Now, the two of us will make the sign of the cross before sitting at the table. And do you know why we do that?”

“No,” answered the boy, “I do not know.”

“Well, I am going to tell you in two words. Animals do not make the sign of the cross before eating because they have no reason and do not know that the food they eat is a gift of God. We are intelligent beings and Christians to boot, and we know that the bread and everything we eat is a gift of God's providence. There could even be dangers threatening us while we eat, like a fish bone stuck in the throat or a crumb going down the wrong way ... God's blessing will free us from all evil so let us say: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

The father, the mother and all the other members of the family blushed and kept quiet. But from that day they resumed this holy practice, thanking Don Bosco who had brought them to it.

(M.B., V, 327)

59. Words are either food or poison (1855)

One day in 1855 Don Bosco paid a visit to a friend of his, a General. He was received with signs of respect and affection. The General bent to kiss his hand and then invited his own son, a boy of about eleven, to come forward and do the same.

“Come, Carlo, this is Don Bosco, come and greet him.”

But the boy stood there stiff and aloof. The General coaxed him along: “Don Bosco is the priest you heard us speak about so often ..”

The boy twisted his mouth as if in disgust.

The General looked shocked and embarrassed. Don Bosco kept smiling ignoring the slight and sitting down began a lively conversation to which Carlo, with his father's consent took part. They spoke of history, geography, music and current events and the boy showed to be intelligent and well informed. But whenever the conversation drifted towards religion, the boy reacted in the same sullen and offensive way.

Then the boy excused himself, and the General was left alone with Don Bosco. The poor man confessed that his boy had revealed something new and unpleasant. He was appalled at the attitude of the boy towards religion and priests, knowing he could not have learnt that from his parents and members of the household.

“How could he, Father, how could he have turned like that? Father, we have always tried to teach him the right things; we have sheltered him from bad companions and given him good example. His mother taught him to love God and religion and to pray. How could my Carlino forget all that and hide such an awful secret?”

As the general was talking Don Bosco kept his eyes on a table that stood nearby covered with papers and magazines:

“There, my dear General”, he said, after some minutes, pointing at the table, “ there you have the cause of the boy's perversion.”

“But Father, what do you think a small boy like that could make out of those writings? I told him that they were not for him and that all he could do was to look at the pictures.”

“There you are”, replied Don Bosco, “Carlo has seen caricatures, and cartoons, has read jokes belittling religion and making fun of the clergy and his imagination was wounded. The wounds received early in one's mind are hard to heal and to forget.”

“What can I do now, Father, you tell me frankly.”

“Go through those papers remove all the bad ones and substitute them with good papers and magazines.”

The General did what Don Bosco had advised but alas! It was too late. The damage had been done. Carlo gradually became morose and withdrawn to the point that his health began to suffer.

He died when he was just sixteen, without showing any change in his attitude towards God and religion.

(M.B., V,329)

60. Sorry, wrong door (1855)

Following the custom of his time, don Bosco was rather strict about the modesty ladies should use in dressing. One day he knocked at the door of Marchioness Durando who had called several ladies together to introduce Don Bosco to them and invite them to help his institution.

Two of the ladies had dressed as for a grand occasion showing bare arms and low neck line and they were the two who went to the door to receive him. Don Bosco blurted out something about having come to the wrong door and turned as if wanting to leave. “No, no, Don Bosco, you have come to the right place... we are waiting for you”, said the ladies.

“I am not sure”, he replied, “I feel this is not a reception for a priest... What a pity... You illustrious ladies use up so much cloth for the folds of your gowns that you run short of it when it comes to the arms and shoulders..”

The ladies made Don Bosco sit down, went inside to cover themselves as best they could and came back to listen to him and became great benefactors of his. Don Bosco stayed on for dinner too, amusing all with his wit and charm; a true priest and a perfect gentleman.

(M.B.,V, 331)

61. Lesson for a General (1855)

One evening Don Bosco was invited to dinner by the Count of Comburzano, well known political figure and member of Parliament. The Count often invited Don Bosco and took those occasions to invite influential people so that they could come to know the saint and help his fast spreading work.

On that particular occasion the topics had been rather worldly because of a General who had managed to dominate the conversation right from the start. But after some time all of them wanted to hear something personal from Don Bosco and began asking questions. The General too butted in: “Anything for me, Don Bosco?” Don Bosco looked at him for a few seconds and then said: “General, if you love Don Bosco, please help him to save your own soul!”

All present, would never forget those words spoken so kindly and so earnestly.

After Don Bosco left, the General himself deeply moved, commented: “Only Don Bosco could say what he said in such a friendly and prudent way. I felt he was reading into my heart, reminding me it is years and years I hardly think of my soul. I am going to change my strategy and tackle my spiritual battles more seriously.”

(Francesia, Don Bosco Amico delle Anime, 195)

62. Not to be trusted (1856)

Works were going on at the Oratory during 1856. One morning Don Bosco, on his way out, had to go along a narrow lane through which a long string of carts drawn by mules, carrying building material, was coming. He hesitated, the space was so narrow.

“Don't be afraid, Father,” shouted a teamster, “these mules are like lambs!”

“Maybe,” retorted Don Bosco, “but my mother used to tell me: Johnny, don't trust those who never go to confession!”

The carters smiled at each other knowingly. The thrust had gone home.

On another occasion it was the man himself who asked Don Bosco to walk clear of he horse he was driving, because it often indulged in kicking. “I know;” said Don Bosco, “I never trust people who are slack in fulfilling their Easter duties.”

(M.B., V, 459)

63. Don Bosco and prisons (1857)

There were four prisons in Turin at that time. All of them had Fr. Cafasso as a regular visitor. One benefited from his ministry in a special manner. It was situated in the underground of the Senate building. It was exclusively for men.

The regulations for prisons were approved by King Charles Albert in 1859.

Mass was obligatory on all festive days; catechetical instruction too, during Lent. To see to all that Fr. Cafasso was making use of the priests studying at the Convitto. He would send them to the prisons three times a week loaded with little things for those unfortunate people.

It was during his stay at the Convitto that Don Bosco came into contact with prisoners, when he went with Fr. Cafasso. This went on for about twenty years, till his duties at the Oratory became too many and too pressing.

It was there that Don Bosco became obsessed with the idea that many young men could have been spared that sad experience if someone had taken care of them in their younger years. Hence his interest in youngsters: to educate them and prevent them from going to prison where, paying society for their crimes, they would learn from criminals to do worse when set free.

Some landed in prison without almost knowing why. Later they would become professionals and beyond recovery. Don Bosco became an expert in establishing lasting personal contacts with the young prisoners especially. He knew how to get hold of the leaders of the groups that formed in the common cells. Through them he would get at the others and managed to set at work whatever good feelings were still alive in them. The results were often surprising. Not a few on leaving the prison would go to meet Don Bosco and through him find a new life in society and become good Christians and upright citizens.

One thing he would try to avoid was to have to accompany to the scaffold those who were condemned to be hanged. He could not bear that and on some occasions, he nearly died of shock himself, fainting and feeling ill for some time.

The gallows were just a little more than a stone's throw from the Oratory. Fr. Cafasso was the priest who had specialised in this kind of apostolate. For this he was jokingly referred to as: the Priest of the Gallows.

In 1857 something strange happened in this connection. One man had been hanged and his body brought for burial at St Peter's in Chains, a cemetery quite close to the Oratory. Suddenly he began to stir, grown and even sat up and a bed was brought. In his mumbling they could hear the name of Don Bosco being called, so they went across for Don Bosco. He came.

The man was comforted with a cup of strong coffee. He spoke privately to Don Bosco who gave him again absolution. The end came after a couple of hours. It was certainly a sign that God blessed the apostolate of compassion that Don Bosco exercised in favour of these unfortunate people.

* * *

Amusing little episodes were never wanting.

Don Bosco himself was telling us that one day, having been invited by Baron Bianco, a benefactor of his, on his way he had dropped in at the prison. The Baron, on meeting him remarked: “So, Don Bosco, what new today?”

“Nothing special, I’m just hungry.”

“And somebody is taking advantage of you”, remarked the Baron pointing to a white “guest” who was promenading on his chest.

“Sorry, my friend”, exclaimed Don Bosco. “Don’t say I go to the prisons for nothing!”

The good Baron took Don Bosco aside and gently gave him a good once over commenting: “I want you for lunch. All other guests unwanted!”

(Fracesia, Don Bosco Amico delle Anime, 210)

64. All due to a hoop-skirt (1857)

Don Bosco's patience was proverbial. He could bear with other peoples' defects and offensive manners without showing any annoyance. He had a special way with haughty and commandeering personalities.

Among his benefactors, there was a lady belonging to the nobility of Turin. She was upright, pious, very generous with the poor, but could not bear the slightest contradiction. That she meant well and knew her own weakness, was proved by the fact that she kept as her permanent attendant and companion a woman from the countryside, uncouth and hot tempered, who would bluntly point out to her all her defects.

For that she lived with the lady all expenses paid and a fabulous salary of 3000 lire per year.

One day in 1857, the lady came to pay one of her visits to Don Bosco. She was accustomed to the doors of her place, and to servants who would open the doors wide for her. At the Oratory she tried to squeeze through the door of Don Bosco's room, which, as usual, was only half open. She was wearing an ample hoop-skirt... too large for the door.

Finding herself caught instead of waiting for someone to open the door wide, she tried to force herself through ... the hoops snapped and all the supporting apparatus of the rich gown dropped to the ground. Don Bosco came to her rescue trying to joke about his door not being up to the size of those of her mansion. She could not listen. Collecting the pieces that had fallen to the grown she went down, called for her carriage to come as near as it could come to the entrance, and went away swearing never, but never, to come again.

On the following day, one of her maids came to repeat the message: that her Ladyship would never set foot in the Oratory again. “All right all right”, was all Don Bosco kept repeating.

Don Bosco used to visit the lady once a month, but from the day of this incident he began visiting every week. On the second visit the lady asked:

“How is it that instead of once a month, now you come once a week?”

“If you do not come to me, I must come to you, otherwise how could I meet all the bills that come in daily for the supplies I need for my boys?”

The good lady, who had always been unusually generous with Don Bosco, laughed and gave him a good sum, promising to forget the resolution made not to visit the Oratory any longer. Don Bosco thanked her profusely but did not fail to advise her to be careful about her temper. She listened to the advice very humbly and gratefully.

Some time later, she invited Don Bosco to go and spend some days in her summer villa in the country. Don Bosco could not leave Turin because of his work. Again she flared up and sent a harsh letter with the threat not to help Don Bosco any more. When she was back in Turin he visited her and smiling returned the letter saying; “Here is your letter. I am sure you wouldn't like to see it turn up on judgement day....”

No need to say that peace was immediately restored.

65. A six-hour sermon. (1857)

Don Bosco had been called to preach at Saliceto. There must have been something captivating in the way he preached, because people did not get tired to listen to him and insisted, there and then, that he should continue. "You can make out I am tired”, he would object: “Take some rest” they invariably answered: “We shall wait, but you must tell us more.”

That was the day in which he preached from ten in the morning until well after noon. No one budged from the place. All those people had a hefty breakfast at about nine. There was nothing to do because the ground was covered with snow... At one o'clock Don Bosco came down from the pulpit and removed his surplice and stole. But men came to the Sacristy:

“Father, are you going to let us down? We are here to hear you, you cannot go away.”

“Good of you to say that, but I am tired... I have preached for three hours.”

“We know. Take some rest. We shall wait.”

Don Bosco ate something and came back. The church was packed. How could he disappoint these people? After thanking them for their attention and evident mark of esteem, he resumed his topic and went on, studding his talk with jokes and amusing anecdotes and allowing them a few breaks. The sermon lasted six hours.

(M.B., V, 773)

66. Not easily taken in (1857)

Fr. John Turchi remembers the following anecdote.

A friend of his, during the seminary holidays, went to spend some time with a rich acquaintance at a place about fifteen miles from Turin. Before coming back to the city, as he had done something that was keeping him uneasy, he went to the parish priest of the place and made his confession, because he felt ashamed to tell his misadventure to Don Bosco, who was his regular confessor. When he went to him for the first time after the holidays, Don Bosco listened to him, gave him absolution, and then, smiling, told him of his sin and his confession to the parish priest ... " The lesson is - added my companion - go first to Don Bosco: he knows what you have done, whether you tell him or not."

Many of the boys of Don Bosco had similar experiences.

(M.B., VI, 460)

67. Fancy shoe laces. (1857)

And this one is by Giuseppe Brosio.

One day I had the privilege of accompanying Don Bosco to the palace of a noble man in the city. Don Bosco had dressed up for the occasion... His old soutane, his old cloak, the hat that all knew by this time. My eyes went down to the shoes: the same old shoes, scrupulously clean but all patches and stitches.... and then I saw the shoe-laces: ordinary string blackened with ink! I could not contain myself any longer: "Don Bosco, I stammered, that's too much. Priests use their best when visiting illustrious people as you do, and they are very particular about their shoes which must be of the best make with silver buckles, and you use packing strings. I am going to buy you a pair of decent ones now. Wait for me."

Don Bosco laughed and said: “I think I can afford the sum." He pulled out a cent from his pocket. Just then an old woman approached him asking for some help. Into her hand went the coin and before I could do anything, Don Bosco caught hold of my arm and pushed me into the entrance of the palace... and went on using his own brand of shoe-strings. Don Bosco surely had read St. Bernard who used to say: “What I have always liked is poverty not shabbiness.”

(M.B., V, 671)

68. Unpleasant night visit. (1857)

There are records that during 1857 Don Bosco had to suffer several diabolical vexations. Canon Anfossi, a good friend and confidant of Don Bosco's testifies that Don Bosco had to suffer from the infernal enemy especially when he was planning something important for the glory of God.

One morning as he perfunctorily asked Don Bosco whether he had rested well, the saint replied that he had to suffer the company of a huge beast that looked like a bear that sat on his bed and tried to smother him. Don Bosco had no doubt it was the devil. Those who lived with him at the Oratory, and at times heard strange noises coming from his room, were convinced that they could not be ordinary nightmares.

The night when Don Bosco had just finished writing the last line of the first draft of the Constitutions of the Salesian Society, and with a sigh of thanks to God and relief that the weighty work was over, had written the words: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, the 'Visitor' came. The writing table began to shudder and jump, the ink-well was turned over on the manuscript which was then sucked up into the air and tossed about till the pages came apart. All the time the room was filled with hellish noises and blood-curdling screams.

When everything was over, the manuscript was practically illegible and poor Don Bosco had to begin the work all over again. The whole scene was narrated in great detail by Don Bosco himself and was recorded in the diary of Fr. Evasio Rabagliati, one of the first of Don Bosco's missionaries.

(M.B., V,694)

69. From the mouth of babes (1857)

Don Bosco never undertook any project without mature consideration. Before making up his mind definitely, he would put his plan before God and only proceeded if God inspired him to.

That morning in 1857, Don Bosco celebrated mass with greater fervour than usual, asking for God's green light for a plan he had in mind. Back in the sacristy, the boy who had served his mass approached him and said; “Father, you have been thinking about this (he mentioned the plan). Go ahead, you will succeed”.

“It's true, but how did you come to know about it?” asked Don Bosco: “who told you?” The boy got confused, stammered some words and ran out to join his companions.

These occurrences were not infrequent at the Oratory, where boys and educators lived in great union of mind and purpose and an all pervading spiritual atmosphere prevailed.

(M.B., V, 725)

70. Patience as a measure of holiness (1857)

Don Bosco's patience with his boys knew no bounds. One day in 1857 the police brought him a young man hungry and half frozen. Don Bosco received him and after a few days took him personally to a blacksmith, a good and kind man and a practising Catholic.

The young man behaved for a couple of weeks but then turned so unmanageable that his employer had to sack him. Don Bosco took him to another, and then another and another, always with the same result. No one could put up with him, and every time he would come back to the Oratory, giving no sign of improvement.

Having lost his last job, he entered the Oratory during lunch time and went straight to the dining room and without any further explanation asked Don Bosco to look for another job for him.

“Just wait till I have finished my lunch and we shall see what can be done”, said Don Bosco. “Have you had your lunch?”

“Yes", replied the young man.

“Just wait till I finish mine.”

“I want you to come at once!” answered the other angrily.

Without losing his composure the saint remarked: “Haven't you realised that no one wants you any longer, because you drive everybody mad? How many masters have you tried? If you go on like this you'll never be able to earn an honest living.”

The young man walked out in a huff, and after a few days disappeared without informing anybody.

He tried all sort of jobs and even spent some time in the army: went abroad and came back to Turin where he fell ill. One day, feeling a little better, he went to see Don Bosco and begged pardon for all the trouble he had caused him.

The saint received him as an old friend, assured him of his affection and of his prayers. “Look here”, he added “this place is always your home. When you feel better, if you want to come back, you are welcome. Don Bosco is your friend. All I want is the good of your soul.”.

The man with tears in his eyes replied: “I have to go back to the hospital now, but if I ever get better and strong enough. I'll come back, Father, to make up for all the trouble I have caused you.”

Don Bosco blessed him and they parted never to meet again. After a few weeks the man died like a good Christian. Once more, the patience of Don Bosco had borne fruit.

(M.B., V, 745)

71. A forty cents tale (1858)

A young man who used to attend the Sunday gatherings at the festive Oratory of Valdocco went to pay Don Bosco a visit. The saint entertained him with bits of this and that till he came to tell him about his poor financial conditions. Don Bosco never had money enough for the works in hand and for the many mouths that were his to feed. The young man jokingly told him that he could hardly believe such a tale and that in his safe he must have had huge quantities of `marenghi' - the gold coins in use at the time.

Don Bosco got up and asked the visitor to look for himself. After going through all the places where he thought money could be kept, all the boy found was the huge sum of forty cents. The saint insisted on going halves with the young man who left the room with one more reason for admiring Don Bosco.

This little anecdote reveals one of the traits of Don Bosco. In the history of the Church it would be difficult to find another saint who spent (and therefore received) as much money as Don Bosco, yet he never kept anything for himself.

(M.B., V, 673)

72. In "Piazza del Popolo” (1858)

In 1858, during his first visit to Rome, several interesting anecdotes happened.

One day he was invited by Cardinal Tosti to pay a visit to St. Michael's Charitable Institute. Looking around he noticed that there the boys were kept under a rather strict rule. When the Cardinal asked him something on education, Don Bosco frankly said that, according to him, it was impossible to educate the young if they did not have complete trust in their superiors.

“And how do you manage to win this trust?” asked the Cardinal.

“By establishing a link with them and avoiding anything that may keep them aloof”, answered Don Bosco.

“How is that achieved?”

“By going to them first, becoming like one of them, showing interest in what they like... Where in Rome could we find some boys grouped together?”

“At Termini, or ... Piazza del Popolo.”

“Let's go to Piazza del Popol.o”

They went. On reaching there Don Bosco alighted from the carriage and the Cardinal watched him. There was a solid group of urchins. As soon as Don Bosco tried to approach them they scattered. Don Bosco called them back with kind words. After some hesitation they drew near. He gave them a few nothings he always carried in his pocket, asked them about their families, their house.

He then invited them to resume the game they had interrupted and stayed there some minutes watching and occasionally joining in. Meantime all the other boys around came closer and Don Bosco had a word a joke or a little present for each of them.

When he resumed his seat in the coach all the boys gathered around and followed the coach till it left the square, cheering and waiving in a friendly way.

(Francesia, Vita II, 310)

73. Rome, St. Michael's Prison (1858)

Don Bosco visited Rome for the first time in 1858 and the Pope invited him to preach to the prisoners in St. Michael's prison.

The chaplain had never seen those hard and harsh faces so changed, and those scornful eyes soften, drowned in tears. He had followed every word and gesture of the saint who used such kind and understanding words as to keep all those poor women spellbound. On the second day, many had already gone to him for confession and by the end of the retreat all had asked God's pardon in a most edifying manner.

When Don Bosco preached a sermon on mortal sin, and after describing in detail all the signs of love that God showers on us poor creatures, his mercy towards sinners, and the ingratitude of so many Christians, he asked:

“Shall we go on offending this good God?”, and from all the listeners the answer came:

“Oh no. Never again!”

Then Don Bosco, turning to the crucifix exclaimed:

“Dear Lord, you have heard them. Help them to keep their promise. They want to love you now, because when they offended you, they did not know what they were doing.”

The chaplain told the Cardinal in charge and the Cardinal told the Pope. He was only beginning to know Don Bosco personally, but was already convinced that in him the Church had an extraordinary man.

(M.B., V. 875)

74. One more test (1858)

While visiting Rome for the first time, one day Don Bosco was out with a friend of his, Fr.Bresciani, who wanted to know how Don Bosco could befriend boys so quickly.

“Do you want me to show you?” asked Don Bosco, who, while talking had noticed a group of urchins who were playing with coins. He approached them and stood in the middle of them.

“What do you want with us?” asked one.

“Well, I want to play with you, because you are my friends.”

“O, c'mon...don't disturb our game.”

“But I am your friend. And I have a beautiful medal here for each one of you to prove it. Keep it. It's from a friend who loves you.”

It did not take more than that. One by one they doffed their berets and stretched out their grimy hands for the medal. “Here,” added Don Bosco, “there's one each for mum and dad too, with my compliments.”

They all pressed around Don Bosco asking one more medal for grandma, for a sister or a brother.... When Don Bosco moved towards the Fathers who were with him, the little fellows went on repeating: “Thank you good Father, come again. Yes, we are friends.”

Back with the group, he found them all nonplussed and one observed: “Father, you are unique in this. Any of us who would presume to imitate you would be grossly mistaken.”

(Francesia, Vita di Don Bosco, 222 – M.B., V, 917)

75. Father saved by own son (1858)

There was an employee in the municipality of Turin who had taken active part in enforcing some of the laws against the rights of the Church. For a considerable time he had lived far from the sacraments and through anticlerical readings had managed to stifle all religious sense in his heart. But now he was ill, and Don Bosco came to know of it through his son, who was very regular at the Oratory.

Don Bosco went to pay a visit to the sick man and was ushered in by the son: “Come in, Father, dad is waiting for you; give him your blessing.”

On entering the room of the sick man, Don Bosco realised that he was not welcome.

“How are you, my friend”, he asked.

“You can see for yourself” was the reply.

“Don't worry, Albert (that was the boy's name) will pray for you and I will join him.”

“Don Bosco, please, let's leave all that aside. I don't believe in those fairy tales.”

“I will show you how powerful the prayers of an innocent boy can be. Come, Albert”, he said turning to the boy, “kneel with me and let us recite not one but three Hail Marys.”

That over, Don Bosco told the boy to leave the room and invited the man to make the sign of the cross. He did so grudgingly. Then Don Bosco deftly began talking about the man's life, his boyhood, his youth, his married years. The man thawed. In no time he supplied Don Bosco with what he needed to know in order to absolve him. Then the saint told him:

“Now, if you want, I can give you absolution.”

“But to receive absolution, one must go to confession and I don't want to confess.”

“You have just finished making your confession ...”

“Is that all that is needed?”

“Yes, my friend, God pardons everything. His goodness and mercy with those who repent from the bottom of their heart is boundless.”

The man broke into tears: “O my God, O my good God.” The experience had shaken him and his strength was flagging.

The doctor advised Don Bosco to hurry up. Don Bosco helped the sick man to comply with all conditions demanded by the Church, gave him absolution and left him full of peace and joy at last. He died a few hours later, thanking and blessing his son who had been his saving angel.

(M.B., VI, 35)

76. Don Bosco looking for money (1858)

On January 20, 1858, Don Bosco was faced with a large debt, but he had no money at all. His creditor had already waited for a long time and would not brook any further delay. By the twelfth of the month nothing had turned up to give Don Bosco a glimmer of hope. In these dire straits, he had recourse to one of his special tricks to obtain God’s help. He called a few boys and told them: “Today I need a special favour from Our Lord. While I'm in town, I want you to take turns before the Blessed Sacrament, and pray for my intention until I return.” The boys complied.

As Don Bosco was walking near the Vincentian church, a stranger greeted him and asked, “Don Bosco, do you happen to in need of money?”

“Do I? I am badly in need of it, right at this moment.”

“Then take this!”, said the man and handed him an envelope containing several one thousand lire bills”.

Don Bosco hesitated, doubting the man's sanity or seriousness.

“Why are you giving me this money?”

“Just take it and use it for your boys.”

“All right and thanks. May Our Lord reward you! Do you want a receipt?”

“No.”

Don Bosco took the money. “At least tell me your name”, he begged.

“It's not necessary”, the stranger concluded. “The donor wants to remain anonymous. He asks only for prayers. The money is yours to do with it as you please”. And he quickly walked away. Non one can doubt that Providence had intervened in a visible way.

(M.B.,VI, 174)

77. Don Bosco's recipe (1858)

Don Bosco was on his way to Rome in 1858, accompanied by Don Rua.

It was a slow journey by coach along the Riviera. At Palo, they made a halt to change horses and to give the passengers time to have a meal. They entered a small restaurant and were immediately attended to.

As they were eating the man who had served them, who looked rather thin and suffering, approached them and asked:

“Fathers, you seem to be famished. Have you suffered from sea sickness by chance?”

“Yes, that's why we feel so hungry.”

“Please, Father, do not eat more just now. If you do, the food will inconvenience you. Believe me, Father, I know about these things.”

So they began to talk and the man confessed that he was constantly racked by bouts of fever and asked: “Do you know, by chance, of something that could help me. I would feel extremely grateful to you.”

“I may have something” answered Don Bosco, “but I must know whether I am speaking to a good Christian.”

“Yes, Father, I try to be a good Christian.”

“Well, then, beginning from today, say one Our Father and one Hail Mary in honour of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and one Hail Holy Queen, to Our Lady. Next Sunday go to church, hear mass, receive the sacraments. If you have faith, I assure you, the fever will be gone for ever.”

“As a matter of fact, of late I have not been so regular with my devotions...”

“That's it. Have faith. The fever will leave you”. He then wrote something on a slip of paper and told the man: “Go to your pharmacy and get this. It will do the trick.”

When they left the man was still visibly moved by the kindness of Don Bosco and kissing his hand assured him that he would follow his prescription to the letter.

(M.B.,V, 816)

78 – Drinking to the dregs (1858)

Even in the use of wine Don Bosco was a model of self control. His birth place was from a region that produces first class wines and among the local people a glass of the local product is the least you offer to a casual visitor.

Yet Don Bosco made use of wine with great moderation. He drank only during meals and even then in small quantity and always mixed with water.

Up to the year 1858 the Oratory cellar was supplied weekly with wine resulting from the mixture of samples and different kegs leftover from the daily market sales. Don Bosco helped himself to that with the community but always watered it down. He often forgot to pour for himself and when someone sitting at table near him poured him some he at once asked for some water to `improve it’.

In the Italian language the word `pompe’ means both pomp and pumps. Don Bosco used to say: “I have renounced the world and the devil, but not the pumps. At home between meals he would never take anything and when visiting, not to appear unsocial, he would stick to his sip with water.

(Francesia, Vita, II, 201)

79. Bearer of Sad News

The author of this episode is Fr. Francesia.

We reached Odescalchi palace - one of the most sumptuous in Rome -at about half past four in the afternoon. The lady who had invited us was not Italian, but she liked Rome and was very much attached to the Pope. She was dressed with great simplicity yet exuded charm and authority. She wanted Don Bosco to come to her help by healing her ailing sons.

She took Don Bosco inside while I waited in the huge entrance hall. At first I wondered if she had seen me at all. I sat there and prayed. I went over my rosary beads more than once and began to think all had forgotten me.

When they did come back, it seemed that the Lady could not detach herself from Don Bosco. Yet she came to me and asked many questions about myself and asked for my prayers and for my help so that she could keep in touch with Don Bosco. She then knelt and asked for his blessing before accompanying us along the passage to the grand stairs that led down to the entrance door.

The servants who moved about were evidently curious to know who that priest could be, if their mistress showed so much veneration towards him.

Once we were in the coach returning to our residence, I asked Don Bosco why the princess had behaved in that way with him. “Why, it's nothing," replied Don Bosco, “she wanted me to cure her two sons, but as soon as I saw them, I had to tell her that God wanted a great sacrifice from her. Do you want to know her reaction? She stood straight and tall before me with arms akimbo and hissed:

“That I knew already. There was no need for you to come from Turin to tell me that. I had heard so many things about you, and, well, I thought ...”

And do you know what I answered her? I quoted the Latin saying: “God resists the proud and grants his graces to the humble", and moved away from her as if to leave.

All present were surprised. She stood there as if stunned for a moment and then reacted like the good person she really was.

“Please, Father, forgive this poor distraught mother. Maybe they will die because I love them too much. Bless me and bless them, anyway, and pray for us." I went back to the room of the sick boys and blessed them. The princess had melted into tears and could not stop thanking me and asking me to forgive her."

“Now I know why you took so long inside there. May the Lord help and console her."

“She will need God's help very soon" concluded Don Bosco.

Like autumn leaves one after the other the sick boys were carried off a few days later, leaving the poor mother disconsolate.

Don Bosco explained that he had spoken to the boys comforting them with the thought that, if they were leaving their place among the princes of the world, they would be made richer by the possession of heaven. They seemed to understand and looked thankful and relieved by this new thought that no one had dared to express to them before."

I had then the chance of meeting the princess many times during those days and always saw her resigned and very thankful towards Don Bosco for his understanding and the support he had give her during those sad days.

(Francesia: Due mesi con Don Bosco a Roma, 118)

80. A Priest? Never! (1858)

A lady of the nobility of Turin came to pay a visit to Don Bosco, accompanied by her youngest son. She was known as a very devout person. Her husband was a staunch Catholic who had resigned from the diplomatic corps rather that abet to the anticlerical attitude of his government.

Don Bosco inquired about the lady's family and especially about her sons. So he came to know that the eldest was following his father in the diplomatic career. The second was studying and working hard to become a General, and he had better succeed, otherwise he would be the first in the family to fail. “And what about this one?” Don Bosco inquired with his hand on the lad's shoulder. “We shall make a priest of him!”

The lady stood there speechless for a few seconds and then shouted “A Priest? Never! I'd rather see him dead!”

Don Bosco tried to reduce the tension by saying that it had neither been a prophecy nor an imposition, but merely a suggestion. The lady would not hear any more of it and took her leave visibly upset. Don Bosco too was deeply saddened by the outburst.

Eight days later the lady came back. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face marked by anguish. “Father, she pleaded, Father, please come and bless my child. He is dying!”

Don Bosco immediately went with her. When he reached the bedside the boy got hold of Don Bosco's hand and reverently kissed it, hanging on to it beseechingly. The physicians who had been called in for a consultation, gave their verdict. The boy's life was in danger, but they could not define the illness.

The boy understood all that was going on and asked for his mother and told her. “Mother the doctors do not know what is killing me, but I know. Do you remember the words you shouted when we went to see Don Bosco that day? Those words are the cause of my death, my poor darling mamma. You would rather see me dead that give me to God. God has heard your wish and is taking me to himself.”

Don Bosco was shaken by these words. Getting hold of himself, he set about helping them all to face reality and accept the will of God however hard it might seem to all of them. He left the house promising prayers and his spiritual assistance to all.

He had not gone far when a servant came running after him with the sad news of the boy's death.

(D’Espiney, Don Bosco, 259)

81. A good lesson (1858)

The count of Camburzano boasted openly of his friendship with Don Bosco and made the best of all occasions to speak of Don Bosco’s holiness to his friend and of the supernatural gifts with which God was favouring him. But all his hearers were not equally enthused by his stories about Don Bosco and not a few were positively sceptical about them.

One day, at Nice on the Mediterranean coast of France, as he was going on speaking of the exploits of his friend Don Bosco he noticed that quite a few of the listeners were following him with a rather whimsical smile on their lips.

There was one lady in particular who never skipped an occasion to poke fun at the Count because of this pet topic of his. On this particular occasion she challenged him: “Well, my dear Count, you just tell Don Bosco to read my conscience, and tell me how I stand. If his guess is right, you will have in me a firm believer in all your stories about him.”

Everyone there heard the challenge and waited eagerly to see what would happen.

The lady wrote her challenge to Don Bosco and the Count accompanied it with a letter of introduction asking for a prompt reply. Both the challenge and letter were sealed and sent.

Without delay, Don Bosco's answer came addressed to the Count.

“Tell the lady that if she wants to regain her peace of conscience, she must go back to her husband from whom she is separated”. And in a separate private note to the lady: “You will feel at peace again when you will have made a good confession to set right all your confessions of the past twenty years, and begin in earnest to mend your ways.”

The Count had informed Don Bosco that the lady, while mixing with the merry crowd and trying to enjoy herself, gave the impression of hiding some deep sorrows. He had said nothing beyond that. From where did Don Bosco get all the rest of the story if not from some supernatural inspiration? It was God, without any doubt who helped Don Bosco in his untiring effort to bring peace and salvation to all he met.

Don Bosco had committed himself mind and heart to the interests of God and of the Church to the extent of forgetting himself and his own comfort. On one occasion he told Fr. Francesia: “If you only knew what I feel when I see the future of people and have to tell them!”

Some who lived close to him thought that his frequent bouts of ill health, insomnia and troubles of all sorts that often beset him were the price that he had to pay for this extraordinary gift. We might say: a gift yes, but at a price.

(M.B., VI, 29)

82. The peace treaty of Villafranca. (1859)

This little bit of Italian history is one full of passion and struggle. People who saw their own rights denied, reacted with violence. There was no other way out it seemed. Don Bosco stood for moderation. He was convinced that the history of peoples was guided by the hand of God. Prayer addressed to God with a clean and well meaning heart wielded more power than cannons. In the episode we are about to narrate God informs him of the end of a conflict to help him console the distraught heart of a mother.

Countess Cravosio, in her memoirs writes: “We were in 1859 and war was raging in all parts of Lombardy. My mother who had a son in the army and one brother already wounded had no peace. One evening she begged me to take her to Don Bosco. He asked we should be admitted to the dining hall of the Fathers who had just finished their supper. On one side there were some boys too. Some were conversing others were practising a chorus.

He welcomed us and made us sit near him. At first we just talked of this and that but he looked at my mother in a special way. When all had gone out leaving us alone he told my mother. “Madame, I know why you have come and what you want to tell me. Don’t loose heart. This very night Napoleon will settle for peace and the war will be over.”

My mother answered: “Thank you Father, you say all this to pacify mE but the facts are to the contrary. What you say is impossible.”

The following morning at about seven, my mother and I were walking towards the church of St Dalmatian to hear Mass, on reaching Dora Grossa Street (now Via Garibaldi) we heard the paper boys shouting: “Peace! Peace of Villafranca between Napoleon, Victor Emmanuel and the Emperor Francis of Austria.”

After Mass we went again to Don Bosco who told us first: “Let us thank God that all accepted the agreement.” He took us to church for a short prayer of thanksgiving.

But what had really happened?

The Countess had visited Don Bosco at eight in the evening of July 6. Napoleon was at Villafranca completely upset by the carnage he had seen at Solferino and by the news that had reached him that other nations were preparing to intervene to help Austria. During supper he had called for General Fleury and had sent him with a letter and special instructions to the Emperor Francis Joseph who was in Verona. He was received at half past ten. The emperor listened to the General and agreed to end the conflict.

Napoleon III and Emperor Francis Joseph met at Villafranca on July 11 and signed the treaty.

On the 15^th they came to Turin for a popular reception. Napoleon left immediately for France accompanied by King Victor Emmanuel II as far as Susa.

(M.B., VI, 247)

83. Rosina in a white dress (1859)

It was August 30, 1859 feast of St. Rose and my birthday, wrote Sr. Philomena Cravasio My mother presented me with a little statue of the Blessed Virgin, and during the morning took me to see Don Bosco. We invited him to dinner and in the evening, punctually, he came to our place.

After dinner, I asked him to come to my room. On a corner shelf I had placed the statue of Our Lady. “Please, Father,” I said “bless this statue for me and tell our Lady to obtain for me the grace I want so much!” The grace was to be able to become a religious. But I did not say anything that could reveal what my desire was. Don Bosco joined his hands, reverently blessed the statue and stood there in silence for a while, and then keeping his eyes on the statue said: “Bless and console Rosy (that was my baptismal name) whom I see dressed in white...”

“But Don Bosco”, I interrupted, “I am not dressed in white, I am too old for that” (I was nineteen then) “and to tell you the truth, I do not like white.” Don Bosco however repeated the same thing over again till my father called us back to the hall for coffee.

Two years later, I entered the Dominican Nuns Convent at Marassone of Mondovi. Both my desire and the prophecy of Don Bosco were fulfilled. But there's more to the story.

Inexplicably, after some years, things in the convent went awry and we lost a number of pupils. My superior asked me to write to Don Bosco asking him for his advice and prayers. After a few days we received his answer. He thanked us for a little offering we had sent along with our request, adding some advice and words of comfort. In a short time about twenty girls asked to be admitted to our boarding school, all traces of disorder disappeared, and peace joy and virtue blossomed again in our Convent.

(M.B.,VI, 262)

84. Another Philomena (1859)

This happened to Philomena De Maistre, daughter of the famous French writer. She felt drawn to religious life and was sure of not meeting any opposition from the members of her devout Catholic family, so she consulted Don Bosco.

The saint told her that, yes, she would eventually become a religious but after a long wait and unexpected turns in her life.

This is what actually happened.

After a short while, her sister Benedetta died, leaving a small child. Philomena married her brother-in-law for the sake of the little motherless Stanislaus, who later became a famous economist. The husband died of cholera. Philomena looked after the child; saw to his education and administered the rich inheritance with uncommon wisdom.

Only after she felt sure that her mission was fully accomplished did she enter the Congregation of the Daughters of the Sacred.Heart, taking the name of Maria Teresa.

She lived a long fruitful life and died in 1924.

(M.B., VI, 263)

85. Spared a long walk (1859)

One day in 1859, at lunch time, Don Bosco came down to the dining room dressed up as if to go out and explained that he had to go on some very urgent business. He told the confreres that he needed special prayers till 3 o'clock in the afternoon. They had to make sure that from that moment on, as many of them as possible spent time before the Blessed Sacrament praying for him. He would tell us in the evening what it was all about.

We did as asked, and in the evening Don Bosco kept his word.

This is what happened. Three o'clock today was the dead line for a payment of 10, 000 lire we owed to the Paravia printers. Had I failed to execute this payment, I would have brought great losses to the printers, to us and to several priests who were involved in the deal for another 10,000 lire. I went out without knowing where to go and what to do. I reached the Consolata church and entered to pray. I came out and roamed about aimlessly till I reached the church of St.Thomas on Arsenal Street. There a man approached me.

“Am I right if I address you as Don Bosco?" he said smiling.

“Yes you are", I answered.

“Good. I was just looking for you. Had I not met you here, I should have had to walk all the way to Valdocco to hand over this folder which my boss wants to reach your hand urgently."

“What does it contain?” I asked.

“I do not know, I am only a valet, and I do what my master says."

I took the folder and opened it. It contained Government Bonds.

“Who is sending them?" I asked.

“I was told not to reveal the name. Thanks, Father, my task has been done. Good luck", and he quickly moved away.

With those papers I went to Paravia, settled my debt of 10,000 which was for the printing of Letture Cattoliche, and had a good bit left over with which I could square several other accounts.

(M.B., VI, 175)

86. Don Bosco and discipline (1859)

Not infrequently, one meets people - even among those who should know better- who have a distorted view of Don Bosco. Because of his gentleness and patience with the youngsters and of his aversion to punishments and the cane, which was very much in use at his time, they think that Don Bosco allowed anything and everything. Don Bosco wanted the boys to have ample freedom of expression even in their noisy and unruly way. But when it came to obedience and discipline he was strict. Advise, correct, with calm, but at once and insist and never take no for an answer.

Here is one practical example.

One of his clerics in May 1859, slipped into the habit of being habitually late for the evening prayer and benediction. For that and other signs of carelessness Don Bosco was after him. The same cleric had to go to help out at the oratory at Vanchiglia. He would do that but would take along a few boys of Valdocco without due permission and even after he had been advised not to. One day when the Vanchiglia oratory had a special celebration, the cleric took a group of boys along in the same way.

That night, after night prayers, when the whole community was gathered and Don Bosco, as usual, closed the day with a good thought, he commented on how there were some who did not understand what obedience is. Slipping into the local dialect, to make himself better understood, he began to call boys by name, and to every one he would put the same question: “Where did you go this morning?” and the answer cam back: “To Vanchiglia.”

“And who took you there?”

“Cleric Marcello.” These words were repeated several times, and sank into the audience like drops of molten lead. Marcello shrunk smaller and smaller every time the words were repeated.

In the end, with great calm but in clear terms Don Bosco expressed his disapproval and insisted on obedience and discipline.

(M.B.,VI, 307)

87. Not too late (1859)

One evening Don Bosco told us this touching little story.

It happened a few years ago. A young man went to buy a few cents worth of tobacco. On rejoining the group of his companions, he looked at the scrap of paper in which the tobacco had been wrapped and realised that it was a prayer to St.Joseph to obtain a happy death. He was deeply touched. His companions wanted to take the paper away from him, but he put it into his breast pocket. As soon as he was alone he read the prayer again and felt an inner peace he could hardly explain.

From that day on he recited the prayer every day till he knew it by heart although - as he himself admitted - he had no special devotion. But St Joseph did not ignore this act of trust in his powerful help and moved the heart of the young man to ask for help.

The young man came to me one day. I helped him to put his conscience in order first, and to revise his long forgotten religious notions, prepared him for his first Communion. He had made up his mind to lead a good devout life, but he fell ill and died soon after, praising God and St. Joseph for the grace he had received. “All from that piece of paper” he would repeat smiling.

(M.B., VI, 190)

88. Caterpillars (1859)

“What a pity that Don Bosco did not choose to become a General”, wrote Giuseppe Reano. “He could have freed whole territories of the occupying enemy forces without shedding blood!”

One day an elderly lady who had rented a small plot of land near the Oratory, and was making a living by growing vegetables came to Don Bosco with an unusual request. Her orchard had been invaded by a multitude of voracious small caterpillars that were destroying everything causing her heavy losses.

“Father help me!”she pleaded.

“And how?”, asked Don Bosco. “If they were boys, I would make them listen and stop spoiling things, but they are caterpillars... They won't listen to me.”

“Give them a blessing and destroy them!” said the woman with conviction.

“Look”, said Don Bosco, “I'll bless your place and send those unwanted guests elsewhere to a place where they can do no harm”.

“The following morning”, concludes Reano, “I went with Buzzetti to see the place. All the caterpillars had migrated to a small fenced plot that Don Bosco had bought and was at the time fallow and covered with shrubs. Wall, ground, bushes were crawling with vermin but the orchard the old lady's orchard was completely free.”

(M.B., VI, 234)

89. A lesson from the poor (1859)

A lady of about seventy-five years of age came to the Oratory, asking to speak to Don Bosco. He thought she had come for some recommendation to the city authorities or to some influential person.

“No,” she replied to his inquiry, “I've come for something else.”

Don Bosco took her aside and invited her to sit down. She went on: “I am a poor old woman. I have worked all my life. I had only one son but now he is dead. There is nothing for me to look forward to in this life. I have no other heirs. Before dying, my son told me to give my savings to charity. Here they are - one hundred lire - all my wealth, after fifty years of work. I want you to have them. I still have a small sum for medical expenses and fifteen lire for my funeral. I'll take to bed tonight and all will be over in a few days.”

“I accept this offering of yours most gratefully”, Don Bosco replied, “but I will not use this money till after your death. If you need it, come, anytime. It is still yours.”

“No!” the good woman said. “I have gained some merit with this almsgiving. Use the money. If I should need it, I'll ask you for alms, and by giving it to me, you will gain merit. Will you come to see me when I am sick?”

“I’ll come, certainly!”Don Bosco replied.

Next day, Don Bosco, still touched by her genuine, simple charity meant to visit her, but could not remember the address. Two days later, though, another woman came to call him. Don Bosco went with her immediately. On entering the room he instantly recognised the old woman. Smiling she gestured that she needed nothing.

“It can't be!”, Don Bosco exclaimed. “You must be in need of something, or you would not have sent for me”.

“Well, yes,” she replied “I need the last Sacraments.” She received them most devoutly and then passed away.

How truly wonderful is charity! Don Bosco often had reason to exclaim: “Fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for naught shall be lacking to those who fear Him. The great grow poor and hungry; but those who seek the Lord want for nothing”. (Ps.33)

(M.B., VI, 182)

90. Strict but fair (1859)

The Oratory brass band and choir were already famous in the city in 1859. That year Don Bosco accepted as a boarder at the Oratory a young man who was a good organist and a valuable help in teaching music to the boys and giving lessons even outside. But like most good musicians he was also of a rather independent and whimsical disposition.

The boys admired him greatly, which gave his words and actions more weight in their sight. Don Bosco watched him closely.

A custom had crept into the Oratory. On the feast of St. Cecilia, patroness of musicians, the band boys would gather somewhere for a good celebration. Don Bosco knew and gave his consent. But soon things began to go sour, so Don Bosco, that year, cancelled the celebration.

The majority of the boys obeyed without much difficulty but some missed the celebration badly, complained among themselves and quietly organised a celebration of their own three weeks before the feast, in a pub not far from the Oratory. Among those who refused to join was Buzzetti, who had a place of responsibility in the band. He also felt it was his duty to inform Don Bosco.

Don Bosco acted quietly and promptly. He declared the body of the band dissolved. He put Buzzetti in charge of collecting all the instruments and put them under lock and key. He then directed him to invite new boys who wanted to learn music to give their names and begin taking music lessons. That would mean that for some time the Oratory would have no band. A great sacrifice for Don Bosco who attached great importance to music and singing in his system. But he faced that without hesitation rather than condone indiscipline.

He then called the boys who had disobeyed one by one: some he returned to their families, others to the persons who had recommended them. For others who had nowhere to go he found work

No exception was made.

(M.B., Vi, 308)

91. Don Bosco prevents a dance (1859)

In the evening of October 4, 1859, Don Bosco entered Villa San Secondo with his boys to help celebrate the town's feast. He found the Parish Priest at his lowest. Somebody had organised a dance right in the centre of the parish ... to ruin the whole feast!

Don Bosco advised him: “Leave it to me and do not say a word to anybody.”

He then asked some volunteers to prepare a stage for a show in the largest family yard of the town. His boys had come prepared. On the feast day, all the people flocked there leaving the organisers of the dance alone. They waited for some time and then, sheepishly they too went to see the show.

They hoped to make good their losses on the following Sunday. But the people thought otherwise and insisted that the show given by Don Bosco's boys be repeated. Then the organisers lost their temper and came to Don Bosco spoiling for an argument. They showed him a list of expenses they had incurred in preparing the place, bringing in the musicians, storing up drinks and snacks and requested that, there and then, he pay for all that.

Don Bosco listened to them kindly and then said:

“You too, came to see the show?”

“Why not? We had nothing else to do.”

“Did you like it?”

“Well, we stayed till the end.”

“See,” Don Bosco concluded, “the people were free to come to you or come to my show. They came to my show. I did not join your dance. I owe you nothing. You came to my show and enjoyed it, so it is you who owe me. I do not see how you can put in any claim against me.”

After some hesitation, they agreed that, in a way, Don Bosco was right and quietly left.

(M.B.,VI, 276)

92. House searches (1860)

"DON BOSCO IN PRISON! DON BOSCO IN PRISON!, shouted the newspaper boy on the pavement of St.Teresa Street, on the morning of May 1860.

Don Bosco pulled out two coins, gave them to the boy Garino who was accompanying him, telling him to get two copies of the sheet. He was returning from seeing his friend and spiritual guide Fr.Joseph Cafasso to put him on his guard and prepare for a search. Don Bosco had suffered one on the previous day and from some words of the guards had gathered that Fr.Cafasso's turn was coming.

Don Bosco walked on glancing through the paper and having a hearty laugh. But the day before, when the police came led by a Mr. Gatti, who was much against the Oratory, poor Don Bosco had spent rather anxious hours. At one moment he was even manhandled, so that he had exclaimed in Latin; "Et cum iniquiis reputatus est." He was asked to translate the words. Don Bosco did so. “You are treating me likesome other fellows dealt with Our Lord when he was treated like a criminal!”

Father Cafasso's reaction had been more or less the same. If Jesus was persecuted, why should his priests be spared? Anticlericalism was rampant in Turin and the whole state. Archbishop Fransoni was in exile. His letters were often confiscated and read. The enemies of the Church read them and studied them trying to discover whether they contained some secret code. The Government was convinced that Don Bosco and his friends were in league with the Pope and the Jesuits and that they all together were preparing a revolution against the monarchy.

During the search Don Bosco was locked up inside his room. All the superiors were intimidated and locked up somewhere else and the boys interrogated one by one with all sorts of expert tricky questions. The whole institution was meticulously inspected, all nooks and corners rummaged, papers read and bundles of them taken away....

Then, by evening, the news went around that Don Bosco had been taken to the police station. The local papers needed no more to splash it across their front pages. Papers will always be papers.

Don Bosco had many friends at all levels: among the common people, the middle class and even in the nobility; people who knew what Don Bosco was doing for the good of society and wanted him to succeed. Many came to the Oratory to offer their sympathies for the affront suffered. Others wrote letters and began inquiries. There was much talk and movement for more than a month.

Then one day the Armonia wrote: "There have been rumours for some weeks now that the priest - one of our best - John Bosco, was taken into custody. We can assure the public that this has not happened so far. Whether it will have happened or not by the time our paper reaches you we cannot guarantee. We all know who Don Bosco is; a man in every respect above suspicion, but we also know how things are run now-a-days; priests are considered as outlaws and anything may happen to them, no notice given.”

For Don Bosco the whole adventure turned out to be a means to make his name and work more known. He was used to adversity and came out of the whole adventure with flying colours. Not so for poor Father Cafasso. After this campaign he was a broken man. It was the last drop of gall in his cup. He avowed to some friends that he felt the end was near.

He changed his work schedule and cancelled quite a few appointments. He expedited several things that he had in hand and made it clear that all the changes were in view of his approaching end.

The search at Fr.Joseph Cafasso's place took place on June 6. The saintly priest died on the 23rd at ten in the morning. A messenger was sent to Don Bosco, to tell him that Father Cafasso was dying. He had visited his friend daily and had kept all his boys and Salesians informed of the progress of the illness. On receiving the news Don Bosco rushed to the Convitto but he was too late. He fell on his knees beside the bed and bust into tears: he had lost the mentor and friend of many years.

(M.B.,VI, 553)

93. Send me to that school (1860)

He was a mentally gifted boy. His father, who could not afford any better, had sent him to the public school. The boy had grown negligent and disobedient. One evening his father came to know of a priest who ran a school and boarding open to all and had a special way with boys, even the most unruly. The man was rather reluctant to try, fearing failure, but the boy himself, who was present, intervened: “Father, send me to that school!”

While waiting for the day to enter the new school, the boy felt like a person split right down the middle: one half of him wanted to go to the school, the other hated the idea of being closed up and under discipline. One night he had a dream. He saw himself in a large playground full of boys who were cheering a priest who stood on the balcony of a building. He resolutely went up and kissed the priest's hand.

After a few months he entered the Oratory, but by that time the dream had vanished completely from his memory and he was finding life rather hard. He had not seen Don Bosco yet because he was out of Turin for some weeks. One day, one of the teachers called the boy and gave him a bundle of papers to deliver to one of the superiors. While returning to the ground floor, he heard loud cheering.... all the boys had spilled into the ground and were looking up to a balcony where a priest waved and smiled at them.

Don Bosco had come back. The scene of the dream was coming true. It was the same ground; the same crowd of boys, the same balcony and the same priest: on an irresistible impulse, he rushed up the stairs and kissed the hand of Don Bosco. That was the best place in the world to be... he was happy.

(M.B., VI, 553)

94. Multiplication of loaves (1860)

Young Francis Dalmazzo, 15 years old and hailing from Cavour, (near Turin) had been studying at Pinerolo and, in 1860 had been promoted to rhetoric. He had read about Don Bosco in the monthly booklets of Letture Cattoliche and was anxious to know Don Bosco.

He decided to leave his school and join Don Bosco's boarding school at the Oratory in Turin.

He entered there in October 1860 and realised how all the boys were full of praise and admiration for Don Bosco whom they considered a saint and wonder-worker. One cleric, Ruffino, told him how Don Bosco had called back to life a boy to give him a chance to make his confession, that he had multiplied chestnuts and consecrated hosts, and that once, when taking his boys on a pilgrimage to the Madonna di Campagna, (Our Lady of the Countryside) the bells had rung of their own accord on his arrival.

But let us listen to him:

I became more and more convinced of Don Bosco's holiness and this belief deepened all the more as I came to know him personally. But let me tell you what made me decide to stay with him at all cost. Having been accustomed at home to rather good food, after a few days I was at the Oratory, I realised I could not adjust myself to the frugal meals and that new way of life. So I wrote to my mother to come and take me home.

On the morning of my departure, however, I decided to go to confession once more to Don Bosco. He was seated in the apse of the church behind the main altar surrounded by a crowd of penitents. Mass was usually said by Father Alasonatti. After mass, each boy received a small loaf of bread for his breakfast. While I was awaiting my turn for confession, the two kitchen helpers came in and told Don Bosco, "Father, there is no bread in the house."

"Well," said Don Bosco, "go to the baker and get some."

“He won't give us any. He says he won't deliver any bread unless he is paid, and he really means it.”

“We'll see" Don Bosco replied.

I heard this whispered dialogue and sensed that something interesting was going to happen. The two kitchen helpers left. When my turn came, I began my confession. The mass had already reached the Elevation. One of the helpers returned and told Don Bosco, “Mass is half way through already. What shall we give the boys for breakfast?”

"Are you here again?" exclaimed don Bosco. Let me hear confessions in peace. Look in the pantry, in the dining rooms. Collect all the bread you find.

The boy left and I continued my confession unconcerned about breakfast since I would be going home after mass. I was just through telling my sins, when the same fellow came back a third time and said to Don Bosco, "Mass is nearly over and all we have is a few loaves!" Don Bosco went on hearing confessions while the youth was pestering him for an answer. After telling the boy not to worry, Don Bosco concluded, “Put all the loaves you have in a basket. In a few moments I'll come and give them out myself."

In fact when he was through with the boy kneeling at his side, he got up and strode past Our Lady's altar to the door opening upon the playground. Here the boys usually got their breakfast as they filed out of the church. The bread basket was there. Recalling the things I had heard of Don Bosco and curious to see the end of the story, I went out ahead of him and picked a spot where I'd have no trouble seeing everything.

At the door I met my mother, who was waiting for me to take me home.

“Come, Frankie" she said. I motioned her to stand aside for a moment.

“Mum I just want to see something, I'll be right with you" I whispered. She walked off to the porticoes. I bent over the basket and picked up a bun. There were some fifteen of them in the basket - certainly no more than twenty. Unobserved, I placed myself on a step right behind Don Bosco and watched his every move as he began to distribute the bread. The boys kept filing past to get their loaf from him and kissed his hand. He smiled and had a kind word for every one. Each lad - some four hundred - received the bread. When the distribution was over I peered into the basket. To my great astonishment, I saw as many buns in it as there had been before, though no other bread and no other basket had been brought up.

Dumbfounded, I ran to my mother. “Let's go" she said.

“Mom" I replied, “I've changed my mind. I am staying! I am sorry I've bothered you!" Then I told her what I had seen with my own eyes. “I can't leave this place" I exclaimed. “It is blessed by God! Don Bosco is such a holy man!"

This was my one reason for remaining at the Oratory and later becoming a Salesian.

(M.B., VI, 777)

95. Holy blackmail (1860)

Her Ladyship had everything she would want from life: she belonged to an ancient noble family. She had money, she had friends. One thing marred her happiness: her son's conduct left much to be desired and he did not seem to care for her any more. The afflicted mother had tried every means to reach out to him but had almost given up all hope. Then one day she had an inspiration. She told the young man: “Would you like to go and spend a few days in the valleys of Lanzo?”

“Why there? Is there any special reason?”

“In a few days' time, Don Bosco is going for a retreat there. You could take part in it. Will you go?”

“Will you settle my debts for me?”

“How much do they add up to?”

The good mother winced at the mention of thousands, but accepted the challenge. Too much was at stake to refuse. She told the young man that she would pay.

The lady knew that the presence of Don Bosco there could offer a sure means for the conversion of her son.

Came the day to set out for Lanzo. By a mere fluke the young man happened to sit next to Don Bosco in the carriage for Lanzo. Don Bosco was a poor traveller and the signs of distress at the jolting of the vehicle did not take long to show. The young man saw the priest suffering and asked the motive and the saint told him that to aggravate his habitual discomfort while travelling, he had to bear up with the pain of two big boils.

“That's a bad way to go to retreat. Father,” said the young man, “you should ask God to free you from this trouble”.

“If I knew that a 'Hail Mary' was enough to cure me, I would not say it”, was Don Bosco's reply.

“Do you like that, then?”

Don Bosco smiled and did not answer. The young man looked at him puzzled. To make things worse a storm broke out making the journey very trying.

Somehow they got to the retreat house on time and Don Bosco was there with the rest for the opening practice. But there he fainted. It was the young man who was sitting near him that held him up in his strong arms and took him to his room. And so it was that when Don Bosco came round, he found himself lovingly attended to by his travelling companion.

Don Bosco smiled again and catching hold of him pulled him down till the face of the young man rested on his chest and gently whispered: “My friend, now I have you. What can I do for you?” The man was not a little surprised at first, after awhile he was moved and broke into tears. He made his confession. He spent much time with Don Bosco even after the retreat was over helping him like a son.

The story has an epilogue: After mature reflection he entered the Society of Jesus, giving his mother the greatest unexpected joy of seeing him at the service of God.

(D’Espiney, Don Bosco, 189)

96. Thousands like cents. (1860)

The buildings that Don Bosco had either bought or built around the original "Pinardi House" were again inadequate to hold the crowd of boys that was increasing almost daily. So he decided to buy the L shaped building known as “Filippi House” and surrounding land that stood on the south-eastern side of his property. With that he could bring the number of his boarders to 500.

But what about the money to pay for it?

We have the story from one old pupil of Don Bosco's, Fr.Francis Vaschetti.

This is what he says:

We were celebrating St. Augustine, titular of our dormitory and I invited Don Bosco to say a few words to the boys and give us his blessing.

He came and, for want of better furniture sat on an old trunk facing us. As he was speaking a gentleman whom I did not know yet, came in and went to sit on the trunk with Don Bosco. “So, you did buy the house, after all”, he said. “I am glad you did. You needed more room for your work. But how will you pay for it?"

“Well", replied Don Bosco", you know how it is: Providence keeps her little secrets."

“Yes, I know, and I have come to reveal half of the secret. I promised 80 thousands. You come to my place tomorrow and I will give you forty."

I stood there dumbfounded, looking at the gentleman who could speak of thousands as if they were mere cents

I was told later that he was Signor Cotta, a banker and great friend and benefactor of Don Bosco.

(Francesia, Vita di Don Bosco, 250)

97. Don Bosco could not bear smoke (1860)

Don Bosco one day took the train for a place not far from Turin. As usual he chose a non-smokers compartment. As the train was about to move, a gentleman came in and at once asked for permission to smoke. Don Bosco answered that if it were for a short time, he would not mind. But when the man after finishing his first smoke wanted to begin a second Don Bosco objected: “I did some penance for you, Sir, now you please do some for me”.

The man agreed with good grace and began talking of some priests he knew who were known for their kindness towards the poor. He carried on for some time finally mentioning that he had heard about a priest in Turin who, it was said, was keeping more than three hundred boys, giving them all they needed: lodging, good food, education and physical training and above all a sound moral formation.

As he was about to reach his destination and was getting ready to leave the train he assured Don Bosco: “One of these days, when I go to Turin, I want to go and see that institution for myself and meet Don Bosco personally.”

Don Bosco never breathed a word to reveal who he was but smiled and listened.

Similar episodes were not infrequent in the life of the saint. Every time he allowed people to say all they liked about his person. He never objected even when adverse comments were made but only occasionally corrected in-exactitudes, for the sake of truth but never revealing himself.

(M.B., VI,710)

98. Partial payment (1861)

Mr. Magra, the baker who supplied the bread to Don Bosco for the daily increasing crowd of his boys, one day said: “Enough now! You either settle your bill (it had run to over ten thousand lire) or I stop the supply!”

Don Bosco sent one of his helpers immediately, to assure the man that Providence would not fail and that, please, he should send the bread for the day. The baker did that, but then came personally for the cash.

It was a feast day, and Don Bosco was hearing confessions in the church. The man went first to the sacristan who tried to stop him from entering the church, but the man would not listen and approached Don Bosco, insisting that he could not wait any longer. He too owed money to others and they were tired of waiting.

Don Bosco realised that all arguments were useless at this stage, and went on hearing confessions. The man stood on one side looking at him puzzled for some time, then went out and walked about the grounds keeping a watchful eye on the door of the church. Meantime Don Bosco finished hearing confessions and was vesting for mass when a gentleman came in, gave him an envelope and left with just a few half mumbled words and a “Good day, Father.”

After mass, breakfast... at last Don Bosco remembered the letter he had received in the sacristy. He opened it and found it contained enough to pay more than half the baker's bill. “You see”, he told Mr. Magra, “I was sure something would turn up. Our Lady is looking after us and she never fails us.”

(M.B.,VI, 179)

99. Story of a photograph (1861)

May 1, 1961. Don Bosco had a dream. He had gone out of his humble house at Becchi and had taken a path leading down towards a plot where his brother Joseph was working. He found him busy with a cart that needed been seen to. On the way he had met a strange man who had done two remarkable things. The first was to reveal the state of conscience of his 400 boys, who had just made their spiritual retreat for that year and the second was to reveal to him 50 years of future history of his Congregation.

The second piece of information had filled him with joy because he had seen heaven was helping him along. But he wasn't so happy about the first bit, because he had seen that among his 400 boys, 14 had refused God's grace, so freely offered during the retreat. For Don Bosco, that was a severe blow and his reaction was to set about immediately, to try and help those poor boys.

It took him almost one year of patient and prudent work to change them. That was also the time when the 'stranger' had advised him never to speak in public without saying something about confession. It did not take much to convince Don Bosco, since his experience was that “many more are lost among those who go to confession, than among those who seldom go, the reason being that very many do not make their confessions well”.

It may have been because of this dream that on the day of Pentecost, which fell on the 19th of May that year, Don Bosco decided he wanted to be photographed while hearing confessions. A crayon copy of that photograph is still available.

The photographer was one Mr. Francis Serra. When everything was set for the photograph (at that time it took some doing) Don Bosco warned him. “I want to warn you that of late I have tried three or four times to be photographed to satisfy some among my friends who insisted on having a copy as a remembrance. I have tried the best photographers of Turin, but nothing came out of all that.

The point is that I would tell them that it was useless trying if their conscience was not in order. They all laughed at me but then failed. So I am telling you the same thing now: 'If you need to go to confession, do that first, and let's not waste time'.”

Serra was determined to go ahead and after two attempts came up with a beautiful photograph. The reaction of all the boys was: “Serra is in the grace of God!”

What a lesson! For all those present there and for us too. If we want to succeed in anything, let us make sure that our soul is clean and in order.

(M.B., VI, 892)

100. Reading the forehead (1861)

Fr. Turchi, a cautious man, rather strict in whatever he said had this to say:

It is ten years now that I have been at the Oratory and I have heard Don Bosco repeat: “Give me a boy that I have never met before, and looking at his forehead, I can read his sins and could tell them starting from the beginning, from those of his early age”. At other times he would say: “While hearing confessions I can see the conscience of the boys and read them like an open book. This is especially true during retreats and other solemn occasions. At other times I do not see anything.”

He was wont to make people understand that it was a kind of trick, so he would say, “in the dark, I like a lamp positioned so that I can see the forehead of the penitent, and during the day I rather want the boy to kneel in front of me, that makes it very easy.”

The boys were convinced that Don Bosco could `read their forehead'. Personally I am convinced he had the gift of reading consciences. This is not a pronouncement. I just say what I have seen happening for years.

Fr. Michael Rua, who spent all his life with Don Bosco and at his death became the first successor to govern the Salesian Congregation writes:

Someone may conclude that when Don Bosco revealed unknown things he made use of what he heard from the boys themselves or picked up through his observation. We who lived with him can assert that this is not the case.

Had this happened we would soon have come to know of it. We were living a very open life and boys can hardly keep any secret. What we were convince of was that yes, indeed he could read our mind.

Boys who had the misfortune of doing something they had to regret, would avoid coming near him until they had gone to confession. Those who went to him often heard him telling them about their sin before they had opened their mouth.

What Don Bosco revealed when telling us his dreams were facts that could not have been known through human knowledge especially when they were things of the future. As time passed I more and more felt that Don Bosco had received from God the spirit of prophecy.

(M.B., VI, 823)