John Bosco Accused of Serving the Devil

Added: 2026-05-21

[00:00:00]A priest reaches into his pocket, and his watch is gone.

[00:00:03]He checks again, and nothing.

[00:00:06]Then his wallet also gone. And standing calmly in front of him is a smiling young student. The priest's face goes white.

[00:00:13]Either you serve the devil, or the devil serves you. The miracles and prophecies of Saint John Bosco, a project of American Needs Fatima. I'm your host, Adrian Fonseca.

[00:00:25]Subscribe for new episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

[00:00:30]Welcome to the miracles and prophecies of Saint John Bosco. I'm Adrian Fonseca.

[00:00:35]These videos exist to share timeless wisdom from Saint John Bosco that can inspire you to grow closer to Christ and Our Lady.

[00:00:42]Today you're going to hear about the time a church authority was so freaked out by young John Bosco's abilities that he launched an actual investigation, convinced that this child might be dabbling in sorcery.

[00:00:54]But the twist at the end carries a warning that's more relevant now than ever before.

[00:00:59]So, let me take you back to a small Italian town where rumors are spreading fast. In the town where young John Bosco studied, strange whispers started circulating. Students talked nervously about him. Shopkeepers exchanged glances. People said things like, "He can read minds. He knows how much money is in your pockets. He makes things appear and disappear."

[00:01:22]Eventually, someone said the quiet part out loud.

[00:01:25]"Maybe he knows magic." John's landlord Thomas got so spooked that he went to a priest by the name of Father Bertinetti, and he blurted [music] out, "Father, I think there's a sorcerer living in my house." He described everything that he'd seen, and everything that he merely suspected. And the more that he talked, the more unsettling it sounded. The matter went straight up the chain to Canon Bursio, [music] a respected church authority. He decided to investigate.

[00:01:52]One day, John was summoned to the Canon's house.

[00:01:55]He arrived while Canon Bursio finishing his breviary and had just given some coins to a poor man.

[00:02:02]The priest motioned for John to wait.

[00:02:04]Then, the interrogation began.

[00:02:07]Questions about his faith, his catechism, his studies, >> [music] >> his daily habits.

[00:02:12]John answered everything clearly and confidently.

[00:02:15]But, the Canon wasn't finished.

[00:02:18]He leaned forward.

[00:02:20]"My young friend, I am very pleased with your study and behavior.

[00:02:24]But, people say you understand the thoughts of others.

[00:02:27]They say you can tell what money people are carrying.

[00:02:31]They say you make black seem white [music] and know things from far away.

[00:02:36]And some people even suspect that you use magic [music] and that therefore there is the spirit of Satan.

[00:02:44]Tell me then, who taught you to do this?

[00:02:48]Where did you learn it?

[00:02:50]Tell me everything confidentially.

[00:02:54]I assure you that I will use it for your [music] good."

[00:02:58]John Bosco could barely keep from laughing.

[00:03:01]"Please," he said politely, "tell me the time."

[00:03:05]Canon Bercio reaches for his watch.

[00:03:08]Gone.

[00:03:09]His wallet, also gone. His face turned red.

[00:03:13]"Scoundrel, either you serve the devil or the devil serves you."

[00:03:18]Smiling respectfully, John said, "Sir, I'll explain everything.

[00:03:23]It's simply dexterity, observation, and preparation."

[00:03:28]He explained that when he first entered [music] the house, the priest had been giving alms and he set his purse on a kneeler.

[00:03:35]Later, he placed his watch on a small table.

[00:03:38]John had simply noticed and quietly and skillfully moved them. He pointed to a lampshade nearby. "Your watch and your purse are right there."

[00:03:48]And sure enough, both sat underneath it.

[00:03:50]For a moment, the room was silent. Then, Canon Barsio burst out laughing. What looked like dark magic was actually keen observation and exceptional skill. So, the priest gave John a piece of advice in Latin. Ignorantia mater admirationis.

[00:04:07]Ignorance is the mother of wonder. When we don't understand something, we fill the gap with fear, with suspicion, or with something darker.

[00:04:16]And here's the thing. The townspeople weren't wrong to be alarmed. The church has always warned that real occult practices, like tarot, [music] spiritism, ritual magic, they open doors that should stay permanently shut.

[00:04:29]Their instinct to take it seriously was exactly the right instinct. Their target just happened to be completely wrong.

[00:04:36]Because Don Bosco would never go near such evil. What looked like sorcery was actually something far simpler and far more beautiful.

[00:04:45]A young man who had spent years studying, practicing, and perfecting a skill, and then using it to draw souls toward God. He kept doing it his entire life. He pulled coins from ears, changed pebbles into candy, and tied three ropes into one seamless cord to explain the Trinity to street boys who would have walked right past him otherwise.

[00:05:06]The trick was never the destination. It was simply the means to draw someone toward God.

[00:05:13]And there's a kind of wonder that the world manufactures.

[00:05:18]Horoscopes, rituals, spiritual practices that feel sacred but have not God as their author.

[00:05:26]The instinct drawing people toward something beyond oneself isn't wrong. We were made for the transcendent.

[00:05:33]But the counterfeit will always leave you abandoned and beaten.

[00:05:38]So, here's the question.

[00:05:40]Where are you seeking wonder?

[00:05:42]And is what you're reaching for the real thing or just a very convincing trick?

[00:05:48]And before you go, watch young Don Bosco's secret method for winning souls through joy.

[00:05:55]That episode goes deeper into exactly how Don Bosco turned those same showmanship skills into a full-blown tool for saving souls.

[00:06:04]Click on the video on your screen right now.

[00:06:07]Saint John Bosco, pray for us. May God bless you and Mary Immaculate keep you under her mantle.

[00:06:14]God love you.