Don Bosco
Our Lady’s Wonder-Worker

by Susan Vennari

“It is time to think of the sacraments,” the doctor said to the fifteen-year old Charles, who lay on his bed, dying. The son of a Turin innkeeper, Charles frequented the Oratory of Don Bosco. Thus, he now begged his family to send for Don Bosco. But to his disappointment, Don Bosco was out of town. The parish priest was called to administer the sacraments to the dying lad. After the priest left, however, Charles continued to call for Don Bosco until his death the following day.

When Don Bosco re-turned later that same day and heard the story, he set out at once to see the boy. A house servant greeted him, “You are too late, Father. He died ten hours ago.” Don Bosco responded, “Come now, he is only asleep.” The servant protested that the death certificate had already been signed, but he admitted the priest to see the boy’s grieving family.

Don Bosco entered the death chamber, and as he approached the bed, was assailed by the thought, “Who can say whether his last confession was a good one?” He asked that the other mourners leave the room, while only Charles’ mother and aunt remained. Uttering a silent prayer, he blessed the corpse, then called twice, “Charles, Charles, arise.”

The corpse trembled. Don Bosco tore away the shroud and veil which covered the boy’s body and face. As if awakening from a deep sleep, the boy looked around with confusion at the funeral arrayments. Then he saw Don Bosco and sat up, crying, “Oh, Don Bosco! If only you knew how I waited for you! How I needed you! God has granted me a great favor to see you.”

“Speak, Charles. I am here for you only.”

“Father, I should now be in hell!” the boy began. “Two weeks ago I was with a bad companion who led me into sin and at my last confession, I was afraid to tell everything. Now I’ve just had a horrible dream: I dreamt that I was standing on the edge of a fiery furnace. A band of demons was chasing me. They were about to throw me into the fire when a beautiful Lady appeared and stopped them. ‘Let him alone,’ She told them, ‘He has not yet been judged.’ And at that moment, I heard you calling my name, and I awoke. Oh, Don Bosco, will you please hear my confession?”

The astonished mother and aunt were excused from the room, but when the confession was over, all the mourners at the house were readmitted. “Oh, mamma,” the boy exclaimed, “Don Bosco has saved me from hell!” Charles recounted to all present the same story, always expressing amazement at having awakened to find himself dressed for his own funeral.

During the two hours of rejoicing that followed, only a few mourners noticed that the whole time, Charles’ body was as cold as marble. Finally Don Bosco spoke again. “My dear people, God has been kind to all of us today by showing us the importance of a good confession.” Turning to the boy, he continued, “Charles, now that the gates of Heaven lie wide open for you, would you rather go there or stay here with us?”

A hush fell over the room as Charles looked away, then looked back again, his eyes filled with tears. “Don Bosco, I’d rather go to Heaven.”

Don Bosco nodded a farewell, and the boy lay back on the bed. As the amazed mourners looked on, Charles’ body returned to the immobility of death.

This story is one of the most famous of Don Bosco’s life, but in it is found almost every theme of his priestly apostolate. The priest who, from his youth, had tried to draw other youths to God; whose juggling, magic tricks, and acrobatic feats had always been vehicles to lead others to listen to the Gospel or the catechism; the loving intercession with which the Blessed Mother, under the title of Our Lady Help of Christians obtained favors of every request. The miracle worker. The seer who could tell future events. The dreamer of prophetic dreams. The reader of souls, which ability enabled Don Bosco to assist the boys in his care, with reasonable teaching and gentle guidance. The emphasis on good confession and frequent reception of the sacraments. He made use of all these gifts be-cause he had to do so, in order to proclaim the glory of Mary Help of Christians — and also in order to live.

In his youth, he had been inclined to influence other boys for the good. Then when he became a cleric, he visited a prison with Saint Joseph Cafasso. There he saw the pitiable state of boys who could do nothing to improve themselves while they were in prison, and were doomed to recidivism when they got out. To consider the loss of so many young souls pierced his heart. To rescue these souls before they ended up in prison, to offer them a place to live, to instruct them in the Faith and how to live the Faith, and to teach them skills so they could make a proper way in the world: these thoughts became his prayer and the primary focus of his entire priestly life. His patroness, Our Lady, Help of Christians, lavished assistance to found the Oratory for boys, the Salesian order of priests, an order for sisters, a publishing house, trade schools for the boys. She enabled him to send missionaries to South America, to save many souls, and more.

Reader of Souls

Among his many spiritual gifts, Don Bosco could read souls. He used this gift to help the Oratorians consider the condition of their own souls. He was able to seek out the reluctant, and to coax them to confess wholeheartedly.

A certain young man living at the Oratory would not make a general confession to Don Bosco because of his sense of shame. He tried to avoid the priest, but one day Don Bosco caught him in a corridor. Speaking to him pointblank, Don Bosco said, “My friend, make your confession to anyone you please. The important thing is to make a good confession.” Then he added, “To do that, I tell you, begin with such-and-such a year, and above all, do not forget this sin or this other.” The astonished boy immediately answered in humility, “I will go to no one but you. Please hear my confession now.” Don Bosco let him reflect overnight, and the next day the soul was restored to a right relationship with God.

On another occasion, Don Bosco stopped one of his students in the stairway, enquiring in a low voice, “When will you make a general confession? — You need it so much!” The boy protested that he had confessed only the day before yesterday — he named the priest. “No, son, you did it badly because you withheld such-and-such a sin from him.” The boy reddened as he stood dumbfounded. Finally, he burst into tears.

A Mail-Order Request

Don Bosco did not have to live in the same house as another to read his — or her soul.

In the summer of 1858, M. de Camburzano, a man of rank and prestige, and a devoted friend and benefactor of Don Bosco, was on holiday in Nice. While at a gathering with other distinguished people, he narrated many stories of this saintly priest. The others listened incredulously; one elegant widow offered a challenge: “Since he is alive, I should like to try an experiment. If this worthy man will be so good as to reveal to me the state of my conscience, I shall then be ready to believe anything you like.”

The lady was met with a ‘brava’ from the others present. Then and there, a letter was written and sent. At the next dinner party, when the same guests were as-sembled, the host an-nounced enthusiastically, “Don Bosco has answered our letter!” As the “widow” and others listened, he read the saint’s response: “Go back to your husband.” While the amazed listeners watched, the host then handed a second letter for the “widow’s” eyes only: “You must also make good all your confessions of these past twenty years. Only then will your soul be at peace.”

How Did He Know?

The boys of the Oratory were well aware that Don Bosco could read everything in their faces. Often it was that if a guilty soul could not avoid the saint, he would cover his eyes and forehead with his cap as if to hide from his penetrating vision. But as he told his “sons” one evening, “God has given me the gift of discerning hypocrites. When one of them comes near me, I discover his presence by a nauseous odor which I can hardly bear.”

Another time, he confided to some other Superiors of the House, “The good God really displays his goodness with regard to my youngsters. Whenever I happen to be amidst them, if there is one impure soul in the group, I know it immediately by its evil odor.”

Don Bosco also revealed that he could read consciences in the confessional as if they were open books, but not all the time. This gift was most frequent on the eves of great feasts and at the end of retreats; at other times he could see nothing.

This is an interesting point to ponder, for it is evidence that God desired these souls to participate more fully in the Church’s great feasts, to raise them to a higher degree of perfection, and to help them share with Heaven itself in the festal rejoicing. What an inspiration for us to redouble our own efforts to confess worthily always, but especially to approach the merciful sacrament with confidence before a feast day, when special graces are given.

In the confessional, Don Bosco would help the boys “remember” sins omitted by deception or forgetfulness. If a boy were too ashamed to speak of his faults, he could with all confidence ask Don Bosco to tell his sins for him.

What Big Ears You Have! 

Don Bosco’s reading of souls was not always directed toward eradicating concealed sin. At other times, he might foretell a vocation, though often in an indirect way.

Once, a Sister of Charity, Sister Brambilla, was traveling by train to a new assignment in Sardegna. At a station stop, she realized that she was sitting across from the famous priest, about whom she had heard so much. Without being obvious, she observed his slight stature and ordinary appearance, and, she thought to herself, his large ears. After the train resumed its travels, Don Bosco turned to his own traveling companion and said nonchalantly, “Once upon a time, I had the idea of having my photograph taken. When the photographer gave me the copies, imagine my surprise when I saw that I was neither well-built, nor imposing, nor anything out of the ordinary. Besides that, I had rather large ears.”

As Sister heard her own thoughts repeated aloud, she blushed. Then Don Bosco turned to engage her in conversation: where was she bound? To what assignment?

Sister told him that she was assigned to a girls’ orphanage in Sardegna.

“But what if you had to look after boys instead?” She did not like that idea. “Nevertheless, one can do a lot of good with boys,” he responded.

Soon the saint reached his destination. As he disembarked, he turned to Sister Brambilla to say, “Work hard for those boys, Sister!”

When she reached her own destination, she learned that her assignment had been changed to a very poor orphanage of fifty boys. Two of her predecessors there had already died from overwork: she was to take their place! Many years later, at his beatification, she recounted this story to the Salesians. 

Among the young charges of the Salesian houses — or even in other places, Don Bosco might at some time or another see flames dancing over one’s head. By that sign, he knew that this soul was destined for the priesthood, and would cultivate that soul accordingly. Such a one was Mgr. Malan, Salesian Bishop of Petrolina, in Brazil, apostle to the Indian tribes in the State of Matto Grosso. On the fateful October day in 1882, he happened to be attending Don Bosco’s Mass in St. Peter’s chapel. He was a stranger to Don Bosco. At the end of Mass, as Don Bosco was descending the stairs of the altar, he saw a small flame leap from the altar of Our Lady and come to rest over the young man’s head. After Mass, he found the boy in the play yard, called to him in French, and continued the conversation in French as they walked along.

Expel Them at Once

Even when he was far from a Salesian house, Don Bosco would keep watch over the charges.

Father Branda had been given charge of the Salesian College of Sarria in Spain, the first founded in that country. Among its students were some scandalous boys, whose behavior was outwardly very good. But inwardly, they were ravening wolves.

“It was the night of January 28-29, [1886],” Father Branda recalled. “I was fast asleep, when suddenly a voice which I recognized as that of Don Bosco called me by name. ‘Get up and follow me’ it said. Awakened by the summons, I thought: ‘A queer dream. Don Bosco is at Turin, and I am at Barcelona; how then could I recognize his voice?’”

Father Branda went back to sleep. A week later, at the close of the Octave of the feast of St. Francis de Sales, their patron, Father Branda was awakened in the same manner. He opened his eyes and beheld Don Bosco at the foot of his bed.

“I see you are awake,” Don Bosco said, “so get up and follow me.”

The director got up, dressed, and went out of his alcove to find Don Bosco waiting for him. He kissed Don Bosco’s hand as a sign of respect. As they walked through the dormitory, Don Bosco commended him on the work in the house, but then added that there was “one dark spot.” A moment passed, then Father Branda could see an apparition of four of the boarders of the house, two of whom were his own pupils.

“Tell this one to be more prudent,” Don Bosco told him. “But the other three must be expelled at once.” He spoke with a look of anger and severity upon his face. Don Bosco then led Father Branda through the rest of the dormitory, passing through doors that opened on their own. When they returned to Father Branda’s room, Don Bosco repeated his earlier injunction, then he disappeared.

Father Branda was agitated by the visit and could not figure out how to proceed. So he did nothing. A few days passed, with still no action from Father Branda. Then came a letter from Don Rua in Turin. Don Rua wrote that Don Bosco ‘had bade me ask if you have carried out the order that was given you a short time ago.’

But Father Branda still hesitated to act, partly because he did not know how to go about it, and partly because he could hardly believe the nocturnal visit of Don Bosco. Another day or two went by, and he went to say Mass at Dona Chopitea’s. When she greeted him, her first words were, “Oh, Don Branda, just fancy, only last night I was dreaming of Don Bosco —”

Father Branda cut her off in agitation, saying that he had to vest for Mass. “Then,” says Father Branda, “while I was reciting the Introibo at the foot of the altar, I felt in my innermost being an imperious voice murmuring: If you fail to carry out the order, this is your last Mass.”

Father Branda did finally carry out the instructions as soon as Mass was over.

What is the Use of Money?

Although Don Bosco was at first attracted to the Franciscans, he had a different spirituality from theirs. For example, rather than consider money to be detestable, he considered whatever one has in this world to be a gift from God. “When God gives temporal wealth to a man, He gives him a grace.” As founder of the Salesian technical schools, he valued those things which money allowed one to acquire. For example, he kept abreast of the latest inventions of the period, and when he saw something useful for his technical schools, would see to its acquisition. On the arrival of a paper mill machine intended for the Salesian house at Mathi, some people said that he had the best ecclesiastical library and the most modern printing press in the city.

He considered money to be a resource; therefore he was always broke, always begging large sums, which he used to expand his operations. On the other hand, he taught that the goods of the earth are dangerous for those who withhold them. Christians must fix their sights on their final destiny, which will teach them about the necessity of detachment and the usefulness of poverty.

He had begun the building of the shrine to Our Lady, Help of Christians in Turin, and was constantly having to find the necessary funds. On the very first day of construction, he had had the contractor hold out his hands, while he dropped a handful of change into them saying, “Here is your first down payment.” But during this period, Our Lady lavished on him so many graces that he became known as the “wonder worker of the century.”

It happened that Don Bosco had to find four thousand dollars by the end of the day to pay a contractor. He sent some Salesians out through the city to visit their benefactors. But by noon, they had scraped together only a thousand dollars. Their dejection was apparent. “Don’t worry,” he encouraged them, “I’ll fetch the rest.”

After dinner, he set out walking the streets. Soon a liveried servant stopped him. “Are you Don Bosco?”

Don Bosco replied that he was, and what could he do for him?

“My master begs to see you at once.”

At the nearby house, Don Bosco was received in a large bedroom by a middle-aged man who told him he had been in bed the past three years.

“I sent for you to ask your prayers,” the invalid pleaded. “The doctors give me no hope. If you get me the slightest relief, I’d be glad to make an offering for your charities.” 

“That is fortunate indeed. This very day I must pay the contractor three thousand dollars.”

The invalid gasped at the amount.

“Is it too much? Well then, what else shall we talk about?”

Now the man was agitated. “What about my cure?” he protested, as he felt his only hope begin to trickle away.

“But I told you what was needed.”

The patient stammered in distress, for he did not keep that sum of money at his house.

One wonders if Don Bosco spoke imperiously in his retort, or did he have a twinkle in his eye: “Ah. Go to the bank and get it.”

The man stared back in astonishment. “I haven’t been out of bed in three years!”

“Nothing is impossible with God and Our Lady.” At that moment, Don Bosco turned to the household members and enjoined all to a short prayer to Our Lady.

Clothes were afterwards purchased for the man and brought in, whereupon he got dressed, summoned his carriage, and departed for the bank. A little while later, he returned with both the money and the proclamation, “I am completely cured.”

Lest one worry about the “price” of a miracle, one can remember Don Bosco’s principle that the goods of the earth are dangerous for those who withhold them. In this situation, Don Bosco was both the consummate fundraiser (suggesting the desired amount) and the prudent spiritual director (teaching detachment and the usefulness of poverty).

How Good News Travels

Don Bosco is probably the greatest thaumaturgus of the 19th Century. The numerous miracles that won the hearts and gratitude of so many both proved and facilitated his work. Disease, death, devils — even nature itself obeyed his commands. Volumes of stories of his miracles attest to the Divinely-blessed power he invoked for those who came to him. One mother would tell another, and soon many mothers were bringing their afflicted family and friends to Don Bosco. Or the clients might hear from someone else — but they would hear of his works and come to see him. And their gratitude would continue.

A mother and father had brought their five-year-old child to Rome, seeking to obtain the blessing of Pope Pius IX. But the Pope had refused them, saying ‘take him to see Don Bosco in Turin ... who can tell whether he may not cure your child?’

The family went on to Turin and presented their child, who could neither stand, nor hear, nor speak, to Don Bosco. The saint was deeply moved. He uttered a prayer to the Blessed Virgin, then blessed the child. Then he took the child’s hand and invited him to walk. The child did so with a firm step. Next, Don Bosco went around behind the child and clapped loudly. The child turned wide-eyed to the sound. Finally, Don Bosco said to the little one, “Come. Say ‘Dad, Mummy.’” which the child did immediately.

An incident which happened in Marseilles also shows how miracles facilitated Don Bosco’s work. In January, 1879, the priest was visiting the Oratory he had founded there. He had no sooner expressed his disappointment that the Oratory was not flourishing, when a mother arrived, dragging her child with her. The boy was crippled and on crutches, and Don Bosco’s heart was stirred to the sufferings of mother and son alike. Earnestly he invoked Our Lady, Help of Christians. Then he blessed the child in Her name, and gave him a medal. Where-upon the boy’s paralyzed limbs began to shake and straighten. With joy did he throw down the crutches and run off.

The fame of that miracle spread throughout the city, and after that, there was no shortage of Oratorians, nor dearth of support for that Salesian work.

In May of 1869, Maria Stardero, a young woman from the village of Vinovo, was brought to the Basilica of Our Lady, Help of Christians. After praying at Mary’s altar, she and her companions asked to see Don Bosco. Her eyes had been agitated for two years, such that she had lost completely the faculty of sight, and could not even perceive bright light in her eyes.

Don Bosco interviewed her carefully. Then he inquired, “Do you wish to see?”

“Why do you ask? I desire it more than anything else in the world.”

“Will you use your eyes for the good of your soul, and never to offend God?”

“I promise with all my heart.”

“Have confidence in the Blessed Virgin, and She will help you. Now, tell me what I have in my hand.”

After a moment, she was able to see the medal he held, and could describe in detail both sides. As she reached out to take it, it fell from Don Bosco’s hand into a dark corner on the floor. Her aunt stooped to pick it up, but the priest stopped her: “We shall see whether the Blessed Virgin has really restored her sight.”

Maria found the medal at once, and in her jubilation, ran off to her town, followed by her aunt and mother. Soon, however, she re-turned to give thanks to the Blessed Mother, and to make an offering. A few years later, she returned, again in gratitude, to become a Sister of Mary Help of Christians.

To begin to read about the life of Saint John Bosco is to enter the Endless Caverns. Every room of his life is more amazing than the one before, and the rooms go on and on. His youthful abilities, his mastery over his temper. His gentleness. The saints who guided him personally. His resolutions upon his ordination. His business savvy. His teaching methods. His estimation of purity as the foundation of all other virtues. His emphasis on Confession and Holy Eucharist. His work with the Oratorians. His mother. His publishing houses. His miracles. His dreams. His prophecies. His missions — more.

In all things, Don Bosco urged confidence in Our Lady, Help of Christians. He referred everything to Her, and She, in turn, granted (it would seem) everything he asked. Not merely for ‘the betterment of mankind’ did he work, but for the salvation of souls. The more souls won, the greater glory to Our Lady. Thus, he worked with a diligence and abandon that She utilized and blessed for the sake of Her own Son. He died in 1888, and was canonized in 1934.

Bibliography

Auffray, S.D.B., A. Saint John Bosco. Indian Edition, with a Preface by Archbishop Mathias, S.D.B. North Arcot–South India: Salesian House, Tirupattur, 1930 (Reprinted 1959).
Bosco, Saint John. Memoirs of the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales, from 1815 to 1855. Translated by Daniel Lyons, DDB, with notes and commentary by Eugenio Ceria, SDB, et al. New Rochelle, New York: Don Bosco Publications, 1989
Desramaut, Francis. Don Bosco and the Spiritual Life. New Rochelle, New York: Don Bosco Publications, 1979.
Lappin, Peter. Stories of Don Bosco. New Rochelle, New York: Don Bosco Publications, 1979.
Also of interest: http://www.salesianmissions.org, where can be found a series of essays extracted from Don Bosco in the World. These essays address Don Bosco and: his use of the theater; his technical and agricultural schools; the work which anticipated the work of trade unions; the press; his system of education, and more. Also available on this site is Henri Gheon’s The Secret of Saint John Bosco.

Reprinted from the July 2005 edition of
Catholic Family News
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