Fr. Francis Dalmazzo, one of many priests who spent their youth in the spiritually rich environment of Saint Don Bosco's Oratory, relates a story of the charity of Don Bosco, which was not limited to those of his Oratory. Fr. Dalmazzo described the event in his own words:
"On the vigil of Pentecost, a number of the boys were in the sacristy in the church of Mary, Help of Christians around five o'clock, getting ready for confession. As I was crossing the sacristy, I saw an elderly woman enter, holding by the hand a little girl between ten and twelve years old, who had her eyes bandaged. The girl's name was Mary Stardero, and she had come to have Don Bosco bless her.
"I stopped to say a few words to the old woman, who was the child's aunt, and she showed me the eyes of the little blind girl. I looked at them closely, feeling great sympathy for her. The eyes had no cornea in the pupil, and were as white as two mushrooms.
"Had I stayed, I would have witnessed a miracle, but the boys who did so told me about it a few minutes later.
"Don Bosco came into the sacristy, and the old woman asked him to bless the little girl.
" ‘How long have you had pain in your eyes?’ he asked her.
" ‘A long time. For two years, I haven't been able to see anything.’
" ‘Did you go to the doctors? What did they say?’
" ‘The doctors say her eyes are gone, and there's no hope of recovery,’ put in her aunt.
" ‘Can you make out the difference between big and small things?’ Don Bosco went on.
" ‘I don't see anything at all,’ Mary answered.
" ‘Take the bandage off,’ said Don Bosco as he led the child to a window where there was a great deal of light.
" ‘I see nothing!’
" ‘Would you like to see?’
" ‘I want to see more than anything else in the world!’ sobbed the child.
" 'Will you use your eyes for the good of your soul, and not to offend God?’
" ‘I promise with all my heart!’
" ‘Then you will regain your sight!’
"Don Bosco asked both the aunt and the girl whether they were devoted to Our Lady, and whether they had confidence in Her. He then bade them kneel and say the Hail Mary and the Hail Holy Queen and encouraged them to have complete confidence in the Madonna.
"After blessing the child, he held out to her a medal of Mary, Help of Christians.
" ‘For the glory of God and the Most Blessed Virgin,’ he said, ‘tell me what have I in my hand?’
" ‘She's blind,’ put in her aunt, ‘She can't see a thing!’
"Don Bosco paid her no heed, but repeated his question.
" ‘Look closely. What have I in my hand?’
"Opening a pair of beautiful eyes, the little girl stared at the medal, then threw up her arms. ‘I can see!’ she cried. ‘I can see!’
" ‘What do you see?’
" ‘A medal of the Madonna!’
" ‘And what is on the other side of the medal?’ Don Bosco turned over the medal.
" ‘St. Joseph with the flowering rod in his hand!’
" ‘Holy Virgin!’ cried her aunt, ‘Do you really see?’
" ‘Of course I see! Our Lady has granted me this grace!’
"She reached out to take the medal, but Don Bosco deliberately let it fall, and it rolled into a corner of the sacristy. The aunt went to pick it up, but Don Bosco stopped her. ‘Let the child do it,’ he said. ‘Then we'll see if Our Lady has obtained a complete cure for her.’
"The child found the medal at once. At this, the aunt began to weep, and, after thanking Don Bosco and the Madonna, she went away in tears. The little girl, instead, beside herself with joy, without another word ran off, followed at a distance by her weeping aunt."