Village Resident's Novel Reveals Challenges in Teaching Youth

Garden City resident and former village mayor, Richard Benack, announced the publication and release of his first novel, "Saints Aren't Angels", the detailed revelation of daily challenges won and lost by Saint John Bosco during the initial twenty two months of his priestly career.

Benack said the work was created over 40 years from beginning to publication. Even while he was serving the village of Garden City as school board trustee, deputy mayor and then mayor he was assembling data for completion of the work. The novel takes the reader back to 1844 Valdocco, a slum section of Turin in the foothills of the Alps, where the enthusiastic 31-year-old priest, with no experience, attracted, motivated, encouraged and educated hundreds of needy boys in pursuing his own philosophy of teaching, "the preventive method". Vast social changes in Turin, struggling though initiation to the industrial revolution, forced the multi-talented Don Bosco to fight opponents on all sides. The renowned Marchioness Giulietta Tancredi di Barolo of viniculture fame, the Vicar of Turin, Marquis Michele Benso di Cavour, father of the great architect of modern Italy, and saints Joseph Cafasso and Joseph Cottolengo all join him or fight him.

There are two major approaches in this story, Benack told The Garden City News. First, there is the idea for people all across the world to realize that, in the recent words of Pope Benedict XVI, "...saints did not drop as saints from heaven. They were men like us with problems and even with sins".

The second point, equally important at this time, reveals how an educator interested in attracting and training teenagers can do it with honor. In that respect Don Bosco was outstanding. He is the only person the Catholic Church ever designated as "Father and Teacher of Youth". The author pointed out that an evil spirit is racing through the world today infecting good and dedicated educators, religious and otherwise. Don Bosco found an honorable and practical way to train teenagers.

Benack is a product of the Salesian Order of teaching, having attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey, where he was introduced to priests and brothers who followed in the footsteps of their founder, Saint John Melchior Bosco.

Full details of the book and the author's background are available, Benack said, by turning to www.donbosco-salesian.com on computers.

The book is currently available in Garden City on 7th Street at Things & Stuff, The Pear Tree, and Seventh Street Stationary. It is also available online at Xlibris.com, at amazon.com, at bn.com, and at borders.com.