THE Roman Catholic Church has indisputably been embroiled in some serious scandals during the centuries of its existence; but while these should be ventilated and addressed, these anomalies should not shape the identity of the whole, and equally indisputable are the uncountable priceless and great works done to serve humanity by that body’s monks, priests and nuns worldwide, most notably latterly being the saintly Mother Teresa, who administered to the vulnerable, needy, sick and destitute all her life, under the direst situations. 

And the works of St. John Bosco was another shining example of the contribution of the Roman Catholic Church to the uplifting of Mankind.The Bosco Orphanage here in Guyana has nurtured many children who would otherwise have been left on the dungheap of life; and this amazing institution owes its genesis to one amazing man, veritably one of God’s chosen.
John Bosco (Italian name, Giovanni) was born on the evening of August 16, 1815 in Becchi, Italy. The Boscos of Becchi were farmhands of the Moglia Family. John Bosco was born into a time of great shortage and famine in the Piedmontese countryside, following the devastation wrought by the Napoleonic wars and a drought in 1817.
As in the case of most great men who have made meaningful contributions to the world, Margherita, Bosco’s mother, played a strong role in his formation and personality, and was an early supporter of her son’s ideals.
In 1825, when he was nine, Bosco had the first of a 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 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.”
Poverty prevented any serious attempt at schooling. Nevertheless, it is suggested that the idea to become a priest came from his childhood experiences.
At the time, being a priest was generally seen as a profession for the privileged classes, rather than farmers, although it was not unknown. Some biographers portray his brother, Antonio, as the main obstacle for Bosco’s ambition to study, protesting that John was just “a farmer like us!” Nevertheless, Margaret gave her support to John, and he finally left home in February 1828, at the age of 12.
Having to face life by himself at such a young age may have developed his later sympathies to help abandoned boys. After begging unsuccessfully for work, Bosco ended up at the wine farm of Louis Moglia. However, although Bosco could pursue some studies by himself, he was unable to attend school for two more years.
In 1830, he met Joseph Cafasso, an elderly priest who identified some natural talent and supported his first schooling. From thereon, his rise to greatness was meteoric.
He is described as an Italian Roman Catholic priest, educator and writer of the 19th Century who put into practice the convictions of his religion, dedicating his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents and other disadvantaged youth, and employing teaching methods based on love rather than punishment. Opposition to Bosco and his work came from various quarters, and he was interrogated on several occasions, but he persevered and established a network of organisations and centres worldwide to carry on his work.
Bosco’s capability to attract numerous boys and adult helpers was connected to his “Preventive System of Education”. He believed education to be a “matter of the heart”, and said that the boys must not only be loved, but know that they are loved. He also pointed to three components of the Preventive System: Reason, religion and kindness. Music and games were also thrown into the mix.
In Guyana, at a time when survival was difficult in 1879, Italian Jesuit priest, Father Luigi Casati, Roman Catholic missionary in Guyana, gathered together a number of homeless boys he saw running around the streets of Plaisance. That was the genesis of the St. John Bosco Orphanage.
One of Bosco’s primary tools for healing the wounded souls of those under his care was music; and this was integral to the establishment of the bandroom by the Tina Insanally Foundation.
The Tina Insanally Foundation Bosco Steel Orchestra is being housed today in a spanking new bandroom, which was opened on May 21, 2012 at the St. John Bosco Orphanage in Plaisance, on the East Coast of Demerara in Guyana.
The Foundation was established in memory of the youngest Insanally daughter, Tina, who passed away in May 2010 after a brief illness. Father Malcolm Rodrigues said that the bandroom was a dedication to Tina, who loved and lived music. The melodic fruits of that gift can be enjoyed at the calendar event concert hosted each year-end by the Tina Insaally Foundation.
John Bosco died on 31 January 1888. Following his beatification in 1929, he was canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI in 1934.
There is great evil perpetrated on Mankind by their fellow men; but equally, there is a super-abundance of good done by some angels in the guise of men. John Bosco was one such man; and pausing to reflect on the goodness of some really great human beings is necessary sometimes to heal our souls.