Did the nineteenth century produce any great saint concerned with the catholic education and formation of youth?
Yes. St. John Bosco, the founder of the Salesians, is the patron of Catholic youth, especially boys. John Bosco was born August 15, 1815. When he was 9 years old, his biography relates, God revealed to him how to win boys away from sin and to virtue. It was to be done not by force, but by showing them the evil of sin and the beauty of religious virtue. The Blessed Mother also revealed (the story of his life continues) that she would help him. His mother understood the message as an indication her son would become a priest. He was ordained in 1841, and his desire to help poor boys grew even stronger. He wanted to build a large school where boys could learn all kinds of trades to get ready for life. His brother priests shook their heads at his supposed madness. Turin, Italy, was the place where Fr. John Bosco, began his great work, but with much difficulty. Turin was a manufacturing city, and many people suffered from poverty and unemployment. Many poor boys roamed the streets. Fr. John
