(from this site) John Bosco was an Italian priest, who from childhood onward had vivid and mystical dreams which helped him in directing his life and which described in great detail conditions and events that would occur in the future. He persistently astounded those around him with the accuracy and precision of the prophecies he made that came to pass during his lifetime. He was also a miracle worker, healing thousands, and he was the founder of the Salesian Order. He and his followers helped tens of thousands of street children in Italy and in the Western Hemisphere develop job skills and a moral and spiritual life. He died in 1888. One of his more remarkable mystical dreams occurred in the spring of 1862, when he had a vision of the near-term future of his beloved Catholic Church. He described the dream as follows:

"Imagine yourself to be with me on the seashore, or better, on an isolated rock and not to see any patch of land other than that under your feet. On the whole of that vast sheet of water you see an innumerable fleet of ships in battle array. The prows of the ships are formed into sharp, spear-like points so that wherever they are thrust they pierce and completely destroy. These ships are armed with cannons, with lots of rifles, with incendiary materials, with other firearms of all kinds, and also with books, and advance against a ship very much bigger and higher than themselves and try to dash against it with the prows or burn it or in some way to do it every possible harm."

"As escorts to that majestic fully equipped ship, there are many smaller ships, which receive commands by signal from it and carry out movements to defend themselves from the opposing fleet. In the midst of the immense expanse of sea, two mighty columns of great height arise a little distance the one from the other. On the top of one, there is the statue of the Immaculate Virgin, from whose feet hangs a large placard with this inscription: Auxilium Christianorum - "Help of Christians"; on the other, which is much higher and bigger, stands a Host of great size proportionate to the column and beneath is another placard with the words: Salus Credentium - Salvation of the Faithful.

"The supreme commander of the big ship is the Sovereign Pontiff. He, seeing the fury of the enemies and the evils among which his faithful find themselves, determines to summon around himself the captains of the smaller ships to hold a council and decide what is to be done.

All the captains come aboard and gather around the Pope. They hold a meeting, but meantime the wind and the waves gather in storm, so they are sent back to control their own ships. There comes a short lull; for a second time the Pope gathers the captains around him, while the flag-ship goes on its course. But the frightful storm returns. The Pope stands at the helm and all his energies are directed to steering the ship towards those two columns from whose summits hang many anchors and strong hooks linked to chains.

"All the enemy ships move to attack it, and they try in every way to stop it and to sink it: some with books and writings or inflammable materials, of which they are full; others with firearms, with rifles and with rams. The battle rages ever more relentlessly. The enemy prows thrust violently, but their efforts and impact prove useless. They make attempts in vain and waste all their labor and ammunition; the big ship goes safely and smoothly on its way. Sometimes it happens that, struck by formidable blows, it gets large, deep gaps in its sides; but no sooner is the harm done that a gentle breeze blows from the two columns and the cracks close up and the gaps are stopped immediately.

Meanwhile, the guns of the assailants are blown up, the rifles and other arms and prows are broken; many ships are shattered and sink into the sea. Then, the frenzied enemies strive to fight hand to hand, with fists, with blows, with blasphemy and with curses.

"Suddenly the Pope falls gravely wounded. Immediately, those who are with him run to help him and they lift him up. A second time the Pope is struck, he falls again and dies. A shout of victory and joy rings out amongst the enemies; from their ships an unspeakable mockery arises.

But hardly is the Pontiff dead than another takes his place. The pilots, having met together, have elected the Pope so promptly that the news of the death of the Pope coincides with the news of the election of the successor. The adversaries begin to lose courage.

"The new Pope, putting the enemy to rout and overcoming every obstacle, guides the ship right up to the two columns and comes to rest between them; he makes it fast with a light chain that hangs from the bow to an anchor of the column on which stands the Host; and with another light chain which hangs from the stern, he fastens it at the opposite end to another anchor hanging from the column on which stands the Immaculate Virgin.

At this point, a great convulsion takes place. All the ships that until then had fought against the Pope's ship are scattered; they flee away, collide and break to pieces one against another. Some sink and try to sink others. Several small ships that had fought gallantly for the Pope race to be the first to bind themselves to those two columns. Many other ships, having retreated through fear of the battle, cautiously watch from far away; the wrecks of the broken ships having been scattered in the whirlpools of the sea, they in their turn sail in good earnest to those two columns, and having reached them, they make themselves fast to the hooks hanging down from them and their they remain safe, together with the principal ship, on which is the Pope. Over the sea their reigns a great calm."

The Catholic Church, here represented as a magestic vessel, is seen under attack from all quarters. The helmsman, the Pope, strains to safely moor the vessel between the two pillars of the Host - Salvation of believers - and the Immaculate Virgin - Help of Christians. He meets in council with his captains - the Bishops(?) - twice, but the attack of the enemy intensifies after the second council. (Note: Saint John Bosco had his dream seven years before the first Vatican Council and one hundred years before the Second Vatican Council). The dream describes a period of distress and anguish for the Catholic Church immediately after the second council. Furthermore, the dream appears to point to two of the pillars of Catholicism as being essential during this time of great distress: the fact that Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist is the salvation of all who believe in Him, and that the Immaculate Virgin, Jesus mother, will always help all those who seek her Son. It is precisely these two elements of the Catholic faith that are strengthened, reinforced and brought to public attention by the recent reports of Marian apparitions and Eucharistic miracles!

The reason that there have been so many reported Marian apparitions in the last twenty years would appear to be in preparation for the many Eucharistic Miracles which are being reported in the 1990's. Taken together, these two mystical occurrences should serve to strengthen the faith of all Christians during a time of great trial - a time in which there will be an all-out attack on the Church and on Christianity, potentially culminating with the murder of the Pope.

The Pope in John Bosco's vision is first seriously wounded and later, is wounded again and dies. The only Pope who has been seriously wounded since the time John Bosco had this vision is Pope John Paul II! It is after the election of his successor that a great convulsion occurs. This Event so disorients the enemies of the Church that they retreat and disperse in panic.

Before he died, Don Bosco had another vision that so impressed him that his followers had this vision sculpted and placed in his church in Italy. The vision described two great Rosary victories, in the first he saw an Angel holding a scroll with the words Lepanto, 1571. In the other, he saw an Angel holding a scroll with the date 19__. St. John Bosco knew that a second great Rosary victory would take place at some time in the 20th Century! This second Rosary victory may represent the faithful rediscovering their true safe harbor. If this conjecture is correct then it is likely that the death of Pope John Paul II, the election of his successor and the great convulsion will occur sometime within the next three years. Interestingly, something just like this is foretold by many past saints and prophets in the Church.

Thus, the many reports of Marian apparitions and the messages accompanying them to pray, convert and practice self-denial appears to be a necessary preparation for a time of difficulty followed by a time of joy and hope, since just as those past prophecies told of a time of great difficulty for the world, they also described a time of global peace and plenty. Just such a time was guaranteed by Our Lady of Fatima in 1917 when she said,

"...in the end my Immaculate Heart shall triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me which will be converted, and some time of peace will be given to the world."

So, despite the apparently pessimistic expectations about our near-term future, the events, phenomena and prophecies described throughout this web-site are signs of great hope - our children and our children's children will live in a world at peace...with the loving God who created and redeemed us as well as with one another. This is a world worth sacrificing for, a world worth praying for...shouldn't we, eachof us, start praying and pracing self-denial today.