JANUARY 7

Fr. Turchi narrates: " In the first year of the Oratory a young boy from Biella on reaching Turin went to make his confession at the Church of the Consolata. After that he came to the Oratory of St Francis where he was accepted as a student. The prefect received him warmly and after dinner presented him to Don Bosco, who did not know the boy at all, for it was the first time that he had met him. Don Bosco at the time was speaking to some boys gathered around him reading hearts and they were recalling some surprising revelations which he had performed.  

"The new pupil, on hearing these things, suddenly shouted out -'Don Bosco, I challenge you to read my sins, nay I invite you to call them out that all may hear.' 

"But Don Bosco calmly replied 'Come here' and whispered something into his ear. The boy's face became as red as fire. Then Don Bosco again looked him straight in the face a second time and again bending down whispered something more into his ear, perhaps a more particularized account of his past life. The boy then began to cry saying -'you are then the one who heard my Confession this morning in the Church of the Consolata. This is not the way to act!' 

"What are you talking about?" -interrupted all his companions -"Don Bosco never went outside the house this morning and he did not even know that you had been to confession. What you say is far from true because you do not know who Don Bosco is. What he did with you just now is a thing of everyday occurrence." 

"On hearing that the boy became tranquil and from that instant placed unlimited confidence in Don Bosco. I was present at this incident and also Don Rua bears witness to it.  

A similar surprise happened to a boy coming from Buttigliera. One day after the scholastic year had begun I, with Francis Cerruti, Don Rua and the cleric Cagliero, were with a group of boys around Don Bosco. We were asking him for advice that would help us in the progress of virtue and above all we were asking him to warn each of us more directly of the needs of our souls. In the meantime a boy of about thirteen years, Caesar B., by name in whose house Don Bosco had more than once received hospitality, having heard from his companions that Don Bosco knew the hidden sins of one's conscience came to him and said frankly -'you will never know my interest'. Don Bosco, who was then seated drew him near and in the presence of all whispered something to him for sometime. When he finished, the boy raised his head and turning to all present said frankly in a voice full of emotion: "Don Bosco has found it out. It is a thing which I had never told anyone, not even in confession." Then he went away promising to go to Confession very soon.