Don Bosco was baptized on a day like today: Here is his Baptism Certificate

Several 19th-century saints and blesseds share a deep connection in a parish in the hills of Asti, Italy. Saint Joseph Cafasso, Blessed Joseph Allamano and Saint John Bosco were baptized in the same baptismal font. This August 17th marks precisely the 209th anniversary of the Baptism of Don Bosco.

This is attested to by the baptismal record of the holy founder of the Salesians: “On August 17, 1815, Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco, son of Francesco Luigi and Margherita Occhiena married Bosco, born last night, was solemnly baptized this afternoon by the Most Reverend Father Giuseppe Festa, Parish Vicar. The godparents were Melchiorre Occhiena (from Capriglio) and Maddalena Bosco, widow of the late Secondo Occhiena (from the same place)”.

So, to explore the significant sites of Salesian spirituality, one stop is essential: the parish “St. Andrew the Apostle” – Oratory “John Bosco”, located in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, in the province of Asti, Diocese of Turin, north from Italy.

There is the baptismal font in which Saint Joseph Cafasso, a priest from Piedmont (northern Italy), who was the confessor of Saint John Bosco and is the patron of Italian prisons, received the rite of incorporation into Christianity; Blessed Joseph Allamano, an Italian Catholic priest, founder of the Consolata Missionaries and the Consolata Missionary Sisters, beatified by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1990; and, also, Saint John Bosco, priest and educator of youth.

The church of San Andrés Apóstol, a baroque building erected at the beginning of the 17th century on a previous Gothic temple, houses a “living faith” in a “land of saints.” This was shared by Father Livio Faganello, parochial vicar, who provided ACI Prensa with the Baptism document of “Giovannino”.

Father Faganello highlights the primary role of the mothers of these saints and blesseds as “first evangelizers,” and especially highlights the figure of Don Bosco’s mother, Margaret. He states that both she and the mother of Saint Joseph Cafasso prayed to the Virgin of Sorrows in times of difficulty with her children.

“Today we have these saints because of the holy mothers who stood behind them. I think of Cafasso’s mother and ‘Mama Margarita’, mothers who prepared their children for their journey of faith and always accompanied them with prayer.” He adds that Margarita Occhiena “left her place of origin to go to Valdocco, Turin. She wanted to be ‘mother of all’ the children welcomed by Don Bosco. She was undoubtedly a holy woman,” explains Father Faganello to ACI Prensa.

Don Bosco treasured the lessons of his mother, declared Venerable in 2006 and in the process of beatification: “When I was very little, my mother taught me my first prayers… Her greatest concerns were: instructing her children in religion, educating them in obedience, raising them without fear of hard work,” he said.

The vicar of San Andrés Apóstol also highlights the marble platform in front of the parish tabernacle, where Saint Dominic Savio knelt when receiving First Communion: “Perhaps in Rome there are more grandiose and beautiful temples, but I am excited to see young people from countries far away, like Slovakia, that come here. When I tell them the story, some kneel, others cry and pray where Don Bosco and Saint Dominic Savio did.”

The priest also indicates a series of dates that make this a special place. On January 16, 1811, Saint Joseph Cafasso received the sacrament of Baptism, marking the beginning of a path dedicated to religious service. August 17, 1815 was another very bright day: the Baptism of Saint John Bosco, whose life would deeply impact this parish and the lives of thousands and thousands of young people.

Over the years, this land has seen vocations and devotion flourish. Right there, in 1823, a young John Bosco made his first Confession, guided by his mother Margaret of him. Later, on March 26, 1826, he received his First Communion, a crucial step in his spiritual path. On October 20, 1835, he donned the clerical habit, reaffirming his commitment to religious life.

The legacy spread. In 1838, Cardinal Juan Cagliero, Salesian and Apostolic Delegate for Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua, was baptized in the same parish. As if that were not enough, on June 10, 1841, Don Bosco celebrated his first Solemn Mass on the feast of Corpus Christi, a milestone in his journey. During those months, he carried out his first apostolate as a parochial vicar.

The moments of grace continued. On April 8, 1849, Saint Dominic Savio received his First Communion from him, cementing his commitment to the faith. And on January 21, 1851, Blessed José Allamano, founder of the Consolata Missionaries, was baptized in the same parish font.

The history of these exceptional moments of faith, concludes Father Faganello, had another exceptional milestone on September 3, 1988, when on the centenary of Don Bosco’s death, Pope John Paul II visited the parish, bringing with him the inspiration and hope that this land had given to the world.

Originally published August 17, 2023. It has been updated for republication.