St. John Bosco, Italian in full San Giovanni Melchior Bosco, byname Don Bosco, (born August 16, 1815, Becchi, near Turin, Piedmont, kingdom of Sardinia [Italy]—died January 31, 1888, Turin; canonized April 1, 1934; feast day January 31), Roman Catholic priest who was a pioneer in educating the poor and founded the Salesian order.
Bosco was ordained a priest (1841) in Turin and, influenced by St. Joseph Cafasso, began to work to alleviate the plight of boys who came to seek employment in the city. Working in borrowed premises, Bosco provided boys with education, religious instruction, and recreation; eventually he headed a large establishment containing a grammar school, a technical school, and a church, all built through his efforts. He also achieved a local reputation as a popular preacher. In Turin he and 22 companions founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales (also known as the Salesians of Don Bosco) in 1859, and before his death it had spread to England, France, Spain, and South America. With St. Mary Mazzarello he founded the Daughters of Our Lady Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco) in 1872, a congregation of nuns dedicated to similar work among girls.