John Bosco was born on August 16, 1815 in the village of Castelnuovo d'Asti. His father, Fransisco Bosco died when John was only 2 years old. His mother, Margarita Occhiena was left alone to raise John and his brothers Antonio and Jose. 

Margarita, a sweet but strict woman with endless faith, turned her home into a household church which soon made John want to become a priest. 

In June 1841 he was ordained a priest. He began by housing homeless boys. He taught them a job and to love the Lord; he sang, played and prayed with them. He organized a festive oratory, in Valdocco, which he placed under the protection of Saint Francis de Sales.

When Margarita was an older woman, she agreed to go to Turin to help Don Bosco and that is when she became "Mamá Margarita" for everyone. The first boys in the group became Don Bosco’s first collaborators. Soon the famous Preventive System was created, an educational style based on three pastoral aspects: reason, religion and love. 

Over time and thanks to Pope Pius IX, the first collaborators became a congregation known as the Salesians, who were dedicated to the salvation of young people, fighting against all forms of poverty and living by the motto: “ Da mihi animas caetera tolle”. Young Domingo Savio is the first result of the Preventive System.

Together with Santa María D. Mazzarello he founded the Institute of “Daughters of Maria Auxiliadora”. With men and women workers, he created the Salesian Cooperators to support the work of education for young people.