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Mama Margaret, a True Salesian Hero |
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 It
has been 150 years since Mama Margaret died. The intensity of
her virtue has been recognized
by the church, and she has been declared a servant of God.
This year our Rector Major, Fr. Pascual Chavez, SDB, has asked
that the Salesian family pray fervently for her cause of
beatification and canonization. We invite you to join in this
prayer.
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Margherita Occhiena was born on April 1, 1788, in Capriglio (Asti),
and baptised on the sameday, in the parish church. She remained at
home until her marriage to Francesco Bosco, after which she moved
to Becchi. Following the premature death of her husband, the
twenty-nine year old Margherita had to rear the family alone in a
time of severe famine. She cared for Francesco's mother and his
son Antonio as well as educating her sons Joseph and John. She was
a strong woman, with clear ideas. Decisive in her choices, she led
a simple and even severe style of life. However, she was kind and
reasonable in the Christian education of her children. She reared
three boys of very different temperaments, but she never mortified
any of them nor tried to make them the same. |
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Though she was
forced, at times, to make extreme choices (such as sending
her youngest son away from home so as not to destroy the
peace and to give him a chance to study), she followed the
tendencies of each son, with faith, wisdom and courage,
helping them to grow in generosity and an enterprising
spirit. She accompanied John with special love in his
journey to the priesthood and then, at 58, she left her
little house on the Colle, and followed him in his mission
among the poor and abandoned boys of Turin (1846). Here,
for ten years, her life merged with that of her son and
with the beginnings of the Salesian Work. She was the
first and principal Cooperator of Don Bosco, and, with her
practical kindness, became the maternal element in the
Preventive System. Even without knowing it, she became the
'cofoundress' of the Salesian Family, which formed so many
saints like Dominic Savio and Fr. Michael Rua. She was
illiterate but filled with that wisdom that comes from on
high and thus she was able to help many street boys who
were nobody's children. She put God first, consuming her
whole life in the service of God, in poverty, prayer and
sacrifice. She died at 68, in Turin, on November 26.
Crowds of boys who mourned for her as for a mother
accompanied her remains to the cemetery. |
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