St. John Bosco (1815-1888), Italian priest, visionary and founder of the religious order of the Salesians of San Juan Bosco, had a revelation in 1862 through this well known dream: In it appeared a great flagship (symbol of the Catholic Church), piloted by the Pope, floundering in a fierce storm and pernicious attack from all sides by enemy galleons, heavily laden with armaments and shooting missiles, anti-Catholic books, pamphlets and other forms of propaganda and untruths. Suddenly in the midst of this perilous dreamscape two enormous columns emerge from the sea. Atop one column appears the Holy Eucharist and atop the other a statue of Mary Help of Christians. Despite all perils the Pope is able to anchor and stabilize the ship to the two columns as the adversaries perish. The smaller accompanying fleet (representing the far flung churches of the world) draws near to the mother ship to be saved.
In explaining the dream St. John Bosco prophesized the dangers and challenges to the modern world and foresaw the trials we would face as church, surviving and stabilizing through Faith and the mystical gift and power of the divine body and blood of Jesus Christ in the form of the Holy Eucharist, and with faith and devotion to and intercession of our Holy Mother.