#Margherita Occhiena

[cristianesimocattolico]

Madri sante santificano i figli

Nella storia del cristianesimo le madri, con in testa la SS. Vergine Maria, hanno avuto un ruolo fondamentale. Tanti gli esempi, da santa Silvia (madre di san Gregorio Magno) alla serva di Dio Emilia Kaczorowska (madre di san Giovanni Paolo II). Ecco una panoramica. Continue reading Untitled

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO (aka Don Bosco) The Apostle, Father and Teacher of the Youth Feast Day: January 31

"Enjoy yourself as much as you like - if only you keep from sin."

The founder of the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (popularly known as the Salesians of Don Bosco) was born Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco, to a peasant family in Castelnuovo d'Asti (Castelnuovo Don Bosco), Piedmont, Kingdom of Sardinia, twelve miles near Turin, Italy on the feast of the Assumption of Mary - August 15, 1815. He was the youngest son of Francesco Bosco and Margherita Occhiena, and had two older brothers, Antonio, and Giuseppe.

The Boscos of Becchi were farmhands of the Moglian Family, and John was born into a time of great shortage and famine in the Piedmontese countryside, following the devastation wrought by the Napoleonic Wars and drought in 1817.

In 1825, when he was nine years old, he dreamed of an army of youngsters, who turned from ferocious animals into gentle lambs. The Blessed Virgin Mary, with her hands on his head, said: 'What you have seen happen to these animals, you will have to do with my children.'

John started gathering the children of his town, teaching them catechism and bringing them to church. He would often delight them with acrobatic and circus tricks.

John was sixteen when he entered the seminary at Chieri, next to the Church of the Immacolata Concezione (San Fillippo). His parish priest was convinced of his vocation because John was able to repeat word by word all his homilies. After six years of study, he has ordained a priest on the eve of Trinity Sunday by Archbishop Franzoni of Turin in 1841 at the age of twenty-six.

John was assigned to Turin, where he energetically worked for the prisoners, the youth, and the street children. For them, he opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales, where they could learn a trade and the basics of Christian life. He chose this patron saint for his gentleness, and because in the hall of the house donated by a rich woman for his oratory, there was his portrait.

In his tireless apostolate, Don Bosco was constantly supported by his mother. In his effort to make honest citizens and good Christians, he opened workshops for shoemaking, tailoring, and printing. Don Bosco was so convinced of the power of the mass-media that he usually spent half of the night writing books and magazines. His motto was: 'Give me the souls and keep all the rest.'

In 1859, he founded the Salesian Society for the education of the boys; and in 1872, he founded the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco) together with St. Maria Domenica Mazzarello, for the education of the girls. In order to support the work of both congregations, John organized the Association of Salesian Cooperators in 1876, who followed in their homes and state of life of the Salesian spirituality.

Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888 in Turin at the age of 72 due to bronchitis, and his funeral was attended by thousands. He is beatified on June 2, 1929 and is canonized as a saint by Pope Pius XI on April 1, 1934 - Easter Sunday. His major shrine can be found at the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians in Turin, Italy.

In 2002, Pope St. John Paul II was petitioned to declare Don Bosco the Patron of Stage Magicians. John Bosco had pioneered the art of what is today called 'Gospel Magic,' using magic and other feats to attract attention and engage the youth.

[micro961]

Mariella Lentini - “Santi compagni guida per tutti i giorni”

È arrivato alla terza edizione il libro della giornalista e scrittrice

 Raggi di luce per il nostro cammino. E come i naviganti, nella notte buia, seguono la luce del faro, unica via verso la salvezza, i credenti, pregando, si rivolgono ai santi, fari di luce e di speranza, certi di trovare in loro guida, conforto, aiuto.

È arrivato alla terza edizione il libro della giornalista Mariella Lentini "Santi compagni guida per tutti i giorni" (Edizioni Espansione Grafica). Il saggio (478 pagine, tutto illustrato a colori) descrive vita, opere, miracoli e preziosi insegnamenti di 365 santi e beati, uno al giorno, di ogni epoca e di tutto il mondo. Dalla Mamma Celeste a San Giuseppe, da San Francesco a Santa Chiara, e poi Antonio da Padova, Rita da Cascia, Pio da Pietrelcina, gli Arcangeli Michele, Gabriele e Raffaele, San Martino, Santi Pietro e Paolo, gli evangelisti Marco, Matteo, Luca e Giovanni, Don Bosco e Don Gnocchi, il Papa buono Angelo Roncalli, Papa Giovanni Paolo II, San Carlo Borromeo, Madre Teresa di Calcutta, Teresa d'Avila e Teresa di Lisieux, l'Angelo Custode, Sant'Agnese, Santa Rosalia, San Rocco, San Benedetto da Norcia, Mamma Margherita Occhiena, Santa Ildegarda, San Nicola di Bari... e tanti altri personaggi. Santi compagni guida per tutti i giorni è un libro dedicato soprattutto ai giovani, ai ragazzi di buona volontà, attenti ai bisogni della collettività, meno individualisti, capaci di credere nel cambiamento, di lottare per difendere e diffondere il Bene. I valori passano da giovani agli adulti e dalla questione ambientale, tanto sentita dai giovani di oggi, ad altre istanze il passo è breve, contro la guerra (nel mondo, in famiglia e dentro ognuno di noi) lo sfruttamento del lavoro, il divario tra ricchi e poveri, il disimpegno politico, sociale e culturale. L'amore si trasmette attraverso molte vie, fra queste vi è l'esempio, potente strumento educativo che insegna valori importanti.

 La vita dei Santi è una preziosa documentazione che ci giunge come eco lontana ma che mantiene tutta la sua grande efficacia. Storie di persone come noi che con la propria vita hanno lasciato un forte segno d'amore e di speranza per continuare a diffonderli nel tempo, nel mondo, fra tutti noi. Una lettura che vuole prendere ispirazione da personaggi carismatici e forti pur nella loro fragilità umana. Un modo per incontrare culture, storie, missioni lontane ma allo stesso tempo vicine perché ognuno di noi può essere portatore di valori sani e diffonderne i benefici per tutta la collettività, presente e futura. Scritto in modo semplice e scorrevole, è adatto a tutti, bambini, giovani, adulti, anziani: per chi desidera apprendere la storia dell'umanità, un po' di geografia, conoscere storie avventurose e leggendarie, seguire l'esempio di donne e uomini speciali, eppure "normali" come tutti noi, per ritrovare la gioia di vivere e un vero senso da dare alla vita. Lo stesso Vaticano ha apprezzato questo impegnativo lavoro di ricerca e di scrittura di Mariella Lentini, durato tre anni, tanto che Papa Francesco ha inviato all'autrice una lettera di consenso e congratulazioni. I testi di questo libro vengono pubblicati nell'enciclopedia on line più autorevole e completa che ci sia sui santi e beati www.santiebeati.it diretta da Francesco Diani, e il quotidiano indipendente nazionale www.informazionecattolica.it on line (direttore Matteo Orlando) pubblica ogni giorno un testo tratto dal libro con audio biografia. "Radio Maria" ha trasmesso per oltre un anno vari testi del saggio, leggendoli integralmente, al mattino, nell'ambito della rubrica "Il santo del giorno". Il saggio è arricchito dalle presentazioni di Caterina Calabrese, nota giornalista e scrittrice, laureata in Scienze Religiose, Maria Rita Parsi, famosa psicoterapeuta e scrittrice e dall'Avvocato Giangiacomo Dapino, già responsabile diocesano del settore famiglia. Il volume si può ordinare su Amazon.

 Mariella Lentini

Mariella Lentini (nata a Palermo il 25 dicembre 1962), giornalista, scrittrice, addetto stampa, ha scritto per Il Giorno, Il Mediterraneo di Palermo, Confidenze, Cosmopolitan e collaborato con Rete 4 (Mediaset). Nel 1997 ha svolto attività di epistolografa (stesura di lettere d’amore su commissione) e nello stesso anno ha partecipato alla mostra del libro “Parole in tasca” al Castello di Belgioioso (PV), presentando una raccolta di sue lettere.

Nel 1999 ha pubblicato un saggio sui maltrattamenti in famiglia “Eclissi d’amore – Storie vere di maltrattamenti in famiglia, psicologi, fisici e sessuali, dagli anni Venti agli anni Novanta” (Espansione Grafica). Ha partecipato alla stesura di alcuni libri di Maria Rita Parsi, tra i quali: “L’alfabeto dei sentimenti” (Oscar Mondadori, 2003); “Ingrati” (Mondadori 2011).

Estimatrice della Regina Elisabetta Seconda, nel maggio del 2021 Mariella Lentini scrisse una lettera indirizzata al Castello di Windsor, dopo la morte dell’adorato marito Filippo Duca di Edimburgo, per manifestare alla Sovrana la propria ammirazione e vicinanza. Elisabetta Seconda rispose alla Lentini con una bellissima lettera, tramite una dama di corte.

[tradizioni-barcellona]

LUNEDÌ 31 GENNAIO 2022 - ♦️ SAN GIOVANNI BOSCO ♦️ Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco, meglio noto come don Bosco (Castelnuovo d'Asti, 16 agosto 1815 – Torino, 31 gennaio 1888), è stato un presbitero e pedagogo italiano, fondatore delle congregazioni dei Salesiani e delle Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice. È stato canonizzato da papa Pio XI nel 1934. È considerato uno dei santi sociali torinesi. Giovanni Bosco nacque il 16 agosto 1815 in una modesta cascina dove ora sorge la Basilica di Don Bosco, nella frazione collinare I Becchi di Castelnuovo d'Asti (oggi Castelnuovo Don Bosco), figlio dei contadini Francesco Bosco (1784-1817) e Margherita Occhiena (1788-1856). Il padre, nel 1811, era rimasto vedovo della prima moglie Margherita Cagliero, dalla quale aveva avuto due figli: Antonio (1808-1849) e Teresa Maria, morta nel 1810 due giorni dopo la nascita; da Margherita Occhiena, prima di Giovanni, aveva avuto Giuseppe (1813-1862). Don Bosco morì di bronchite a Torino all'alba del 31 gennaio 1888 all'età di 72 anni e il suo corpo è attualmente esposto all'interno di un'urna nel Santuario di Maria Ausiliatrice, in una cappella in fondo alla navata destra. Il messaggio educativo si può condensare attorno a tre parole: ragione, religione, amorevolezza. Alla base del suo sistema preventivo ci fu un profondo amore per i giovani, chiave di tutta la sua opera educativa. Tra le opere pittoriche raffiguranti San Giovanni Bosco la più conosciuta e divulgata, anche sotto forma di santino, è quella del pittore Luigi Cima, custodita nella chiesa di San Rocco a Belluno. Da Il Santo del Giorno. Tradizioni Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto - Sicilia #Tradizioni_Barcellona_Pozzo_di_Gotto_Sicilia #Sicilia_Terra_di_Tradizioni Rubrica #Santo_del_Giorno (presso Torino, Italia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZY8UaesU53/?utm_medium=tumblr

[geraldemacaulay]

St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco, popularly known as Don Bosco was born on August 16, 1815 at Piedmont, Italy to Francesco Bosco and Margherita Occhiena. He was ordained a priest in 1841. Once he met a poor orphan and from that time onwards he started to serve poor orphans. He is the founder of Salesians in the year 1859 with only 17 men. Pope Pius-IX gave full co-operation to John Bosco for all his works among…

[brotherseph]

#SaintOfTheDay: SAINT JOHN BOSCO, PRIEST

FEAST: January 31

Today, the Universal Church most especially to our brothers and sisters in the Salesian community celebrates the Feast Day of Saint John Bosco, an Italian Priest. He is the founder of the Society of Saint Francis de Sales, a religious congregation.

John Bosco, also known as Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco and Don Bosco, was born in Becchi, Italy, on August 16, 1815. His birth came just after the end of the Napoleonic Wars which ravaged the area. Compounding the problems on his birthday, there was also a drought and a famine at the time of his birth.

At the age of two, John lost his father, leaving him and his two older brothers to be raised by his mother, Margherita. His "Mama Margherita Occhiena" would herself be declared venerable by the Church in 2006. Raised primarily by his mother, John attended church and became very devout. When he was not in church, he helped his family grow food and raise sheep. They were very poor, but despite their poverty his mother also found enough to share with the homeless who sometimes came to the door seeking food, shelter or clothing.

When John was nine years old, he had the first of several vivid dreams that would influence his life. In his dream, he encountered a multitude of boys who swore as they played. Among these boys, he encountered a great, majestic man and woman. The man told him that in meekness and charity, he would "conquer these your friends." Then a lady, also majestic said, "Be strong, humble and robust. When the time comes, you will understand everything." This dream influenced John the rest of his life.

Not long afterwards, John witnessed a traveling troupe of circus performers. He was enthralled by their magic tricks and acrobatics. He realized if he learned their tricks, he could use them to attract others and hold their attention. He studied their tricks and learned how to perform some himself.

One Sunday evening, John staged a show for the kids he played with and was heartily applauded. At the end of the show, he recited the homily he heard earlier in the day. He ended by inviting his neighbors to pray with him. His shows and games were repeated and during this time, John discerned the call to become a priest.

To be a priest, John required an education, something he lacked because of poverty. However, he found a priest willing to provide him with some teaching and a few books. John's older brother became angry at this apparent disloyalty, and he reportedly whipped John saying he's "a farmer like us!"

John was undeterred, and as soon as he could he left home to look for work as a hired farm laborer. He was only 12 when he departed, a decision hastened by his brother's hostility.

John had difficulty finding work, but managed to find a job at a vineyard. He labored for two more years before he met Jospeh Cafasso, a priest who was willing to help him. Cafasso himself would later be recognized as a saint for his work, particularly ministering to prisoners and the condemned.

In 1835, John entered the seminary and following six years of study and preparation, he was ordained a priest in 1841.

His first assignment was to the city of Turin. The city was in the throes of industrialization so it had slums and widespread poverty. It was into these poor neighborhoods that John, now known as Fr. Bosco, went to work with the children of the poor.

While visiting the prisons, Fr. Bosco noticed a large number of boys, between the ages of 12 and 18, inside. The conditions were deplorable, and he felt moved to do more to help other boys from ending up there. He went into the streets and started to meet young men and boys where they worked and played. He used his talents as a performer, doing tricks to capture attention, then sharing with the children his message for the day.

When he was not preaching, Fr. Bosco worked tirelessly seeking work for boys who needed it, and searching for lodgings for others. His mother began to help him, and she became known as "Mamma Margherita." By the 1860s, Fr. Bosco and his mother were responsible for lodging 800 boys. Fr. Bosco also negotiated new rights for boys who were employed as apprentices. A common problem was the abuse of apprentices, with their employers using them to perform manual labor and menial work unrelated to their apprenticeship. Fr. Bosco negotiated contracts which forbade such abuse, a sweeping reform for that time. The boys he hired out were also given feast days off and could no longer be beaten.

Fr. Bosco also identified boys he thought would make good priests and encouraged them to consider a vocation to the priesthood. Then, he helped to prepare those who responded favorably in their path to ordination.

Fr. Bosco was not without some controversy. Some parish priests accused him of stealing boys from their parishes. The Chief of Police of Turin was opposed to his catechizing of boys in the streets, which he claimed was political subversion.

In 1859, Fr. Bosco established the Society of St. Francis de Sales. He organized 15 seminarians and one teenage boy into the group. Their purpose was to carry on his charitable work, helping boys with their faith formation and to stay out of trouble. The organization still exists today and continues to help people, especially children around the world.

In the years that followed, Fr. Bosco expanded his mission, which had, and still has, much work to do.

Fr. Bosco died on January 31, 1888. The call for his canonization was immediate. Pope Pius XI knew Fr. Bosco personally and agreed, declaring him blessed in 1929. St. John Bosco was canonized on Easter Sunday, 1934 and he was given the title, "Father and Teacher of Youth." In 2002, Pope John Paul II was petitioned to declare St. John Bosco the Patron of Stage Magicians. St. Bosco had pioneered the art of what is today called "Gospel Magic," using magic and other feats to attract attention and engage the youth.

Saint John Bosco is the patron saint of apprentices, editors and publishers, schoolchildren, magicians, and juvenile delinquents. His feast day is on January 31.

Saint John Bosco, Priest, Pray for Us!