by Father Mario Vaz for BISMumbai

To celebrate the feast of Don Bosco, the students of the BMS department of Don Bosco College Kurla, weaved together several themes on the life of Don Bosco. These were presented online to all the BMS students.

Theme one presented John Bosco‘s childhood. His birth into a poor farming family, the loss of his father at the age of two and the trouble he had with his stepbrother Anthony, and the scarcity of food in the home.

Theme two took up Johnny’s dream at the age of nine. John Bosco ‘s growth and development was presented in Theme three which dwelt on how he had to leave home and work in somebody else’s farm looking after cows. The lack of opportunity to study even though he was eager and quite intelligent. The kind priest who recognised his great abilities and offered to tutor him and later was admitted to school where he was teased and humiliated for being too big for his class.

To earn his keep John Bosco had to work. This resulted in him mastering different skills as an apprentice in different trades. His association with his peers brings about a change for the better thus becoming an influence for good. This was Theme four.

In Theme five, John Bosco’s decision to become priest his statement of purpose “ I want to work for boys," his mother’s advice and the Beginning of the Sunday Oratory were all depicted.

Don Bosco’s work with the youth in the remand home and the skill development centre he started were explored in Theme six. The last theme focussed on Don Bosco 'the miracle worker'.

In preparing these themes and their depiction,, the students go to know Don Bosco and hopefully, were inspired by his life.