When Pago was thirteen, his mother died and left him and his siblings with a grief stricken father. Confused and lonely, Pago ran away from home. After while his father awakened from his grieving hibernation, noticed his son was missing. He asked his other children where Pago was. “Papa, he took a piece of bread and left about a month ago.” He feared for his son so he called his sister to look over his little ones while he went out looking for his son.
[restrict] It was an almost impossible undertaking. When the father reached Rome, he wandered everywhere looking for his boy. He would sit at the city square hoping his son would walk by. Nada. After a month, he used his last dollar to place an advertisement in the local newspaper. It read: “PAGO, MEET PAPA AT ST. PETER’S SQUARE TOMORROW AT NOON. WEAR YOUR NEWSBOY HAT SO I CAN FIND YOU.”
Next day after his morning coffee, the father started the long walk toward the Vatican. He was overwhelmed to see hundreds of young men wearing Italian Newsboys hats.
John Bosco was born in the evening of 16 August 1815 in the hillside hamlet of Becchi, Italy. When he was little more than two years old his father Francesco died, leaving the support of three boys to his mother, Margherita. She played a strong role in Bosco’s formation and personality, and was an early supporter of her son’s ideals.
In 1825, when he was nine, Bosco had the first of series of dreams which would play an influential role in his outlook and work. This first dream “left a profound impression on him for the rest of his life”, according to his own memoirs. Bosco apparently saw a multitude of very poor boys who play and blaspheme, and a man, who “appeared, nobly attired, with a manly and imposing bearing”. The man said to him: “You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness. So begin right now to show them that sin is ugly and virtue beautiful.”
Long story short, on a cold morning of February 1827, John left his home and went to look for work as a farm-servant. He was twelve years old. Having to face life by himself at such a young age may have developed his later sympathies to help abandoned boys. Later Saint John Bosco [popularly known as Don Bosco] an Italian Roman Catholic Priest inspired the St. John’s Schools, now worldwide known as Preventive System.
There are few Bosco’s standing in the gap for so many Pago’s. Bosco’s are selfless contributor to the community. Advocate for social justice. There is no denominational schisms here… we’re all in this together as a society, people for the people to help heal our people, young and old. To build them up as John Bosco did… to become men and women of integrity, character and compassion, and faith in God. We edify them to become thinkers, a collaborative problem solver, professional, informed, mature and prepared for life. To be decisive leader who takes initiative and practices good judgment as service to others, and a good citizen: a kind, selfless contributor to his community.
Please stop by at Bethlehem, Ernguul Park, and support our Pago’s this weekend. [/restrict]