Origins and Founding
The Salesians of Don Bosco — formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (Latin: Societas Sancti Francisci Salesii; abbreviated SDB) — is one of the largest and most influential religious congregations of men in the Catholic Church. Founded on December 18, 1859, in Turin, Italy, by Saint John Bosco, the congregation was established with a singular and consuming purpose: the Christian education and salvation of poor, abandoned, and at-risk youth. From its very first day, the Salesians were born not out of abstract theological theory but out of the lived encounter between a priest and the desperate realities of industrial-age poverty.
The story of the Salesians begins not in 1859 but in 1841, when Don Bosco was just twenty-six years old. Newly ordained, he moved to Turin and was immediately confronted by the sight of thousands of boys flooding into the city — orphans, runaways, factory workers, street children — many of whom had no education, no faith, and no future. On December 8, 1841, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a ragged boy named Bartolomeo Garelli was chased from a church by an aggressive sacristan. Don Bosco heard the commotion, called the boy back, and spoke to him with kindness. That single act of mercy — a priest choosing a street child over an institutional rule — planted the first seed of everything that would follow.
Over the next eighteen years, Don Bosco built his ministry from the ground up. In 1845, he opened a night school for boys in Valdocco, a poor suburb of Turin. As the number of boys grew, he began housing them — first a handful, then dozens, then hundreds — in a humble shed that expanded over time into what became known as the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales. Don Bosco's own mother, Margaret Occhiena (later declared Venerable by the Church), moved to Turin to help him, becoming what many historians have called the co-foundress of the Salesian spirit. She brought warmth, domesticity, and maternal love to the Oratory, transforming it from an institution into a home.
By the early 1850s, Don Bosco began to sense that his work could not survive on his own shoulders alone. He needed a religious community — a body of men trained in his methods and bound by vow to continue his mission after his death. In 1854, he gathered four of his most trusted clerics — Michele Rua, Giovanni Cagliero, and two others — and told them plainly: "Our Lady wants us to found a Society. I have decided that we will call ourselves Salesians. Let's put ourselves under the protection of St. Francis de Sales."
The formal founding came on December 18, 1859, a Sunday. Don Bosco gathered seventeen young men from among the boys and clerics of his Oratory, and together they constituted the first chapter of the new congregation. The Society received the decretum laudis (decree of praise) from Pope Pius IX on July 23, 1864, and papal approbation on March 1, 1868. The constitutions were definitively approved on April 3, 1874, and the Rule of the Society was confirmed by Pope Pius IX in 1873.
Why "Salesians"? The Patronage of St. Francis de Sales
The choice of Saint Francis de Sales (1567–1622) as the patron of the new congregation was not accidental. It was the fruit of decades of spiritual reflection by Don Bosco and a deliberate theological statement about the kind of ministry and the kind of holiness he wished to embody.
Francis de Sales was the Bishop of Geneva in the early 17th century, renowned for his extraordinary gentleness, patience, and charity — qualities that earned him the title Doctor of the Church in 1877 and the designation as patron saint of Catholic writers and journalists in 1923. His spiritual classic, Introduction to the Devout Life, was revolutionary precisely because it was not written for monks or nuns but for ordinary people living in the world — merchants, mothers, soldiers, anyone seeking to live a holy life amid the noise of daily existence. This democratisation of holiness deeply moved young John Bosco during his seminary years.
Don Bosco himself offered three reasons for placing his congregation under Francis de Sales' protection. First, his financial patroness, the Marchioness Barolo, had originally envisioned founding a congregation of priests under Francis's patronage, and her support was vital to Don Bosco's early work. Second, Don Bosco needed, as he put it, "great calm and meekness" in his ministry to the young, and he hoped that from heaven, Francis would help him imitate "his extraordinary meekness and in winning souls." Third, Don Bosco wished to imitate Francis in combating errors against religion — particularly Protestantism, which was gaining ground in Piedmont during the Italian Risorgimento — with charity and moderation rather than hostility.
As early as his seminary years, Don Bosco had identified himself spiritually with Francis. A classmate recalled that when two seminarians shared the name John Bosco, the future saint distinguished himself by calling himself "Bosco Sales" — Sales meaning "willow," a soft and flexible wood — in contrast to the other's choice of "Bosco Nespolo" (medlar, a hard and knotty wood). Before his ordination, Don Bosco made nine spiritual resolutions, the fourth of which was: "The charity and gentleness of Saint Francis de Sales are to be my guide."
The motto Don Bosco adopted for the Society — Da mihi animas, caetera tolle ("Give me souls, take away the rest") — was one he attributed to Francis de Sales, and which he had hung on a poster above his own desk at the Oratory for many years. It encapsulates the Salesian ethos in a single cry: the salvation of souls, particularly young souls, is everything; all else is secondary.
The Coat of Arms and the Logo
The Salesian coat of arms was designed by a Turinese sculptor and professor named Boidi, and first appeared in a circular letter of Don Bosco on December 8, 1885. Every element of the shield carries symbolic weight.
At the centre stands a large anchor, representing the theological virtue of Hope. To one side is a shining star, symbolising Faith — the star of Bethlehem that guided the Wise Men to Christ, and that guides the faithful toward God. On the other side burns a heart on fire, representing Charity — the burning love of God that is the source and centre of all Salesian activity. Together, these three elements — star, anchor, heart — recall St. Paul's declaration in First Corinthians: "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love."
The figure of St. Francis de Sales appears on the shield, recalling the patronage of the Society. Beneath the anchor is a small wood — a direct reference to the founder, since Bosco means "wood" or "forest" in Italian. Behind the wood rise high mountains, signifying the heights of spiritual perfection toward which every Salesian strives. The shield is enfolded by interwoven palm and laurel branches, emblems of the prize reserved for a virtuous and sacrificial life. And at the base, the motto: Da mihi animas, caetera tolle.
The modern Salesian logo, adopted more recently, layers additional meaning onto the traditional identity. In the background, a globe represents the worldwide reach of the congregation. Within the globe, a stylised white "S" forms a snaking road — an image of an educational journey. In the foreground, an arrow pointing upward rests on three perpendicular legs topped by three closed circles, creating a stylised image of three human figures: a taller central figure embracing two smaller ones on either side. This represents Don Bosco reaching out to the young and his call to all Salesians to continue his work. The same image can also be read as a house with a sloping roof and three pillars — a visual expression of Don Bosco's pedagogy of Reason, Religion, and Loving Kindness, the three pillars upon which the entire Salesian educational system rests.
The Preventive System
At the heart of Salesian identity lies one of the most celebrated and enduring educational philosophies in the history of the Catholic Church: the Preventive System (Sistema Preventivo). Don Bosco first articulated it formally in a document written in 1877, titled The Preventive System in the Education of the Young, which was included in the Salesian Constitutions. But the system itself was not a theory developed in a study; it was born directly from years of hands-on experience with the most difficult and disadvantaged young people of 19th-century Turin.
Don Bosco contrasted his method with what he called the Repressive System — the dominant mode of education in his era, which relied on punishment, fear, and rigid discipline to control young people. He rejected it entirely. The Preventive System, by contrast, is built on the conviction that every young person carries within them the seed of goodness, and that the educator's task is not to crush bad behaviour through force but to nurture and develop that inner goodness through love, trust, and positive example. As Don Bosco wrote: "This system is all based on reason, religion and loving kindness. Because of this it excludes every violent punishment, and tries to do without even mild punishments."
The three pillars of the Preventive System are:
Reason (Ragionevolezza): Rules and expectations are explained, not merely imposed. The educator speaks to the young person's intelligence, treating them as a rational being capable of understanding why certain behaviours are expected. Requests are reasonable and flexible, adapted to the needs and circumstances of each individual. The educator does not simply command; he persuades, guides, and dialogues.
Religion (Religione): Faith is not an add-on to education but its deepest foundation. Don Bosco understood religion not as a set of abstract doctrines but as a living relationship with God — the recognition of God as Father, and the embrace of a life shaped by that conviction. Religious formation, sacramental life, devotion to Mary, and an understanding of the Gospel are woven into the fabric of daily life at every Salesian institution. The ideal of holiness presented by Don Bosco is one of youthful holiness — cheerful, active, and accessible — not the gloomy asceticism sometimes associated with religious life.
Loving Kindness (Amorevolezza): This is the quality that binds the other two together and gives them life. The educator must genuinely love the young people in his care — not with a distant, institutional benevolence, but with a personal, attentive, familial warmth. Don Bosco insisted that educators must make themselves loved, not merely respected or feared. They must be present among the young at all times, sharing in their games, their jokes, their struggles. The environment of a Salesian school or oratory is meant to feel like a family, not an institution.
Don Bosco himself modelled this system in every dimension of his own life. He was famous for his accessibility — boys could come to him at any hour, for any reason. He learned magic tricks, juggling, and acrobatics not for amusement but as a disarming tool: when a street child saw Don Bosco perform a trick, his defences dropped, and a relationship could begin. The Salesian concept of "assistance" — the educator's constant, loving, attentive presence among the young — became one of the hallmarks of the system. As one Salesian theologian has observed, the Preventive System is not merely a pedagogical method but a way of life, rooted in the conviction that education is a matter of the heart.
The system has been described as "open to additions and developments" — not a rigid, closed doctrine but a living tradition that adapts to changing circumstances while preserving its essential character. Today, Salesian schools around the world continue to apply its principles, from the bustling classrooms of Buenos Aires to the refugee camps of Uganda.
The Oratory Model: Home, School, Church, Playground
Alongside the Preventive System, the Salesians inherited from Don Bosco another foundational concept: the Oratory Model, captured in the four words Home, School, Church, Playground.
The Oratory was not simply a place where boys received instruction or attended Mass. It was an entire ecosystem of formation, in which every dimension of a young person's life was attended to. The Home aspect meant that the Oratory was a place of belonging — of warmth, safety, and familial love. The School aspect meant that education — academic, vocational, and moral — was central to the community's purpose. The Church aspect meant that faith and sacramental life permeated everything, from the daily Eucharist to the rhythms of the liturgical year. And the Playground meant that joy, recreation, sport, and fellowship were not peripheral indulgences but essential components of a healthy and holy formation.
This fourfold vision continues to animate Salesian works worldwide. Every Salesian school, youth centre, oratory, or parish is meant to embody all four elements — not in isolation but in integration. A Salesian school is not merely a school; it is a community where young people are formed as whole persons, body and soul, mind and heart.
Rapid Growth: From Turin to the World
The growth of the Salesian Congregation after its founding was nothing short of extraordinary — and it did not slow down after Don Bosco's death. At the moment of the formal founding in 1859, there were just 17 members alongside Don Bosco himself. By 1863, there were 39 Salesians. By the time Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888, the congregation had swelled to over 1,000 members operating in 57 houses across Italy, Spain, France, England, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.
The first great missionary expedition outside Italy took place in 1875, when Giovanni Cagliero led a group of Salesians to Argentina. Cagliero would later become the first Salesian bishop and cardinal, a testament to the extraordinary talent and spiritual depth of Don Bosco's early companions. Within a year of formal recognition, Salesian houses had appeared in France and Argentina. Over the following decade, the congregation expanded into Austria, Britain, Spain, and several countries in South America.
The death of Don Bosco in 1888 did not slow the Society's growth in the slightest. Under the leadership of his successors, the Salesians continued to expand at a remarkable pace. They arrived in Mexico in 1892 and Portugal in 1894. By 1911, the Salesians were established throughout the world, including Colombia, China, India, South Africa, Tunisia, Venezuela, and the United States. The congregation reached its peak numerical membership in 1967, with 21,614 professed members and 1,196 novices.
Today, the Salesians are present in more than 130 countries on all five continents. As of recent counts, the congregation numbers approximately 14,500 members — priests and brothers — active in roughly 1,870 presences worldwide, with 94 geographical provinces and over 130 bishops who have emerged from Salesian ranks. Although the number of individual religious has declined somewhat from its 20th-century zenith, the institutional and educational footprint of the Salesians has only continued to grow, sustained increasingly by a strong partnership between religious and lay educators.
The Salesian Family: Three Branches
Don Bosco understood from the beginning that his mission could not be carried out by priests and brothers alone. He envisioned a tripartite family — three interconnected branches, each serving a different dimension of the same mission.
The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) — the male religious congregation founded in 1859 — form the first and central branch. They are priests and brothers dedicated to the Christian education and evangelisation of young people, especially the poor. They operate schools, oratories, youth centres, parishes, and mission works across the globe.
The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) — the Salesian Sisters — form the second branch. Founded in 1872 at Mornese, Italy, by Don Bosco and Saint Maria Domenica Mazzarello, this congregation was established to carry out the same educational and pastoral mission among girls and young women. St. Mazzarello, a humble peasant woman of extraordinary virtue, became the congregation's first superior and was canonised by Pope Pius XII in 1951. Today the Salesian Sisters number approximately 14,000 members worldwide, working in over 93 countries. They are one of the largest female religious congregations in the Catholic Church.
The Association of Salesian Cooperators — the lay branch — form the third and final element of the Salesian Family. Founded by Don Bosco in 1876, the Cooperators are laypeople — men and women, married or single — who share the Salesian educational mission and support it through prayer, action, and financial contribution. They are not bound by religious vows but are united by a common commitment to the evangelisation of the young. The Cooperators have hundreds of thousands of members across the world and play an indispensable role in sustaining Salesian works at the local level.
Together, these three branches form what is known as the Salesian Family — a unified organism in which religious and lay, priests and sisters and cooperators, all work toward the same goal: the salvation of the young.
VIII. The Succession of Rectors Major
The Rector Major is the supreme superior of the Salesian Congregation — the successor of Don Bosco, described in the Constitutions as "the father and centre of unity of the Salesian Family." The Rector Major is elected by the General Chapter for a six-year term, and since March 2025, this office has been held by Father Fabio Attard.
The line of succession from Don Bosco to the present has been unbroken and continuous, each Rector Major leaving a distinct mark on the congregation's development:
Blessed Michele Rua (1888–1910) was Don Bosco's first and most intimate successor — a boy who had come to the Oratory as a child and remained Don Bosco's closest collaborator for thirty-six years. Known as "the Living Rule" for his austere fidelity to Don Bosco's example, Rua oversaw the expansion of the congregation from 773 members in 57 houses to 4,000 members in 345 houses across 33 countries. He was beatified by Pope Paul VI in 1972.
Father Paolo Albera (1910–1921) guided the congregation through the upheavals of World War I, during which over 2,000 Salesians were mobilised and 80 died in combat. He sent over 1,800 Salesians around the world and opened new missionary frontiers in Africa, Asia, and America. Under his leadership, membership grew from 4,788 to 8,836.
Blessed Filippo Rinaldi (1922–1931) led during a period of consolidation and spiritual renewal. He maintained the integrity of the Preventive System, promoted the formation of young Salesians, and oversaw the cause for Don Bosco's beatification, which was achieved in 1929. He was beatified in 1990.
Father Pietro Ricaldone (1932–1951) presided over Don Bosco's canonisation in 1934 and guided the congregation through the dark years of World War II, during which Salesian houses across Europe were bombed, occupied, and destroyed. He rebuilt and expanded the congregation's works in the postwar period.
Subsequent Rectors Major — Renato Ziggiotti (1952–1965), Luigi Ricceri (1965–1977), Egidio ViganΓ² (1977–1995), Juan Vecchi (1996–2002), Pascual ChΓ‘vez Villanueva (2002–2014), and Γngel FernΓ‘ndez Artime (2014–2025) — each navigated the challenges of their era: the Second Vatican Council, the cultural upheavals of the 1960s, the fall of communism, globalisation, and the renewal of the Salesian mission in the 21st century. Notably, the internationalization of the congregation is reflected in the succession itself: among the eleven Rectors Major since Don Bosco, seven have been Italian, but others have been Argentine, Mexican, and Spanish, reflecting the global character of the Salesian Family.
IX. Saints, Blesseds, and Martyrs
The Salesian Congregation has produced a remarkable number of saints, blesseds, venerables, and servants of God — a testament to the depth of holiness that Don Bosco's charisma has cultivated across generations. The Salesian Postulator's Office has been involved with 173 causes of holy men and women, and 55 causes are being actively followed up at any given time.
The canonised saints directly associated with the Salesian Family include:
Saint John Bosco (canonised 1934) — the founder himself, declared "Father and Teacher of Youth" by Pope John Paul II.
Saint Maria Domenica Mazzarello (canonised 1951) — co-founder of the Salesian Sisters, a woman of humble origins and extraordinary spiritual depth.
Saint Dominic Savio (canonised 1954) — perhaps the most celebrated of all Salesian youth saints. Born in 1842, Dominic came to Don Bosco's Oratory at the age of twelve and immediately asked the saint how he could become a saint. Don Bosco replied: "It is easy. The way to be a saint is to be always cheerful, do your duties to the best of your ability, and give your classmates good example." Dominic took this to heart with extraordinary fervour. He founded the Immaculate Conception Sodality among his companions — a youth apostolate dedicated to prayer and mutual spiritual encouragement. He died at the age of just fourteen, on March 9, 1857. Pope Pius XII canonised him in 1954, making him the youngest non-martyr saint in the Catholic Church until the canonisation of the Fatima visionaries in 2017. His famous declaration to a new boy at the Oratory — "Here we make holiness consist in being cheerful" — remains one of the most celebrated expressions of Salesian spirituality.
Saints Luigi Versiglia and Callistus Caravario (canonised 2000) — a Salesian bishop and a Salesian priest, both martyred in China on February 25, 1930, during the persecution of Christians under the Chinese Communist regime.
Saint ArtΓ©mides Zatti (canonised 2022) — a Salesian brother and pharmacist who dedicated his life to serving the sick and poor in Argentina. He exemplified the holiness of the lay Salesian vocation.
Among the blesseds, several stand out for particular significance. Blessed Michele Rua (beatified 1972) — Don Bosco's first successor. Blessed Laura VicuΓ±a (beatified 1988) — a young girl, just thirteen years old, who gave her life to save her mother from an abusive relationship, offering her suffering and death in prayer. Blessed Filippo Rinaldi (beatified 1990) — the third Rector Major. Blessed Joseph Kowalski and five young companions (beatified 1999) — Polish Salesians martyred by the Nazis during World War II. Blessed Enrico SΓ‘iz Aparicio and 62 companions (beatified 2007) — martyred during the Spanish Civil War. And Blessed Jan Εwierc and 8 companions (beatified 2025) — martyrs under the Nazi occupation of Poland.
The sheer diversity of Salesian holiness is itself a testament to the breadth of Don Bosco's charisma. Among the saints and blesseds of the Salesian Family are priests, brothers, sisters, laypeople, teenagers, bishops, martyrs, and missionaries — men and women from Italy, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Poland, China, Slovakia, and beyond. Salesian holiness is not confined to one vocation, one culture, or one mode of life. It is a holiness for everyone.
The Salesian Educational and Humanitarian Empire
The scope of Salesian educational and humanitarian work in the contemporary world is staggering. The Salesians are widely regarded as the largest private provider of vocational and technical training in the world, and their educational network rivals that of many national governments in its reach and impact.
Globally, the Salesian educational network encompasses approximately 3,646 schools, 826 vocational training centres, 62 higher education institutions, and 252 degree colleges. In addition, the Salesians operate more than 5,500 schools and youth centres serving millions of children, more than 80 colleges and universities, nearly 1,000 vocational and professional training programmes, and more than 40 agricultural educational programmes. The official university of the Salesian Society is the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome.
The Salesian mission extends far beyond formal education. More than 330 shelters and homes around the world provide safe harbour, food, clothing, counselling, and education to homeless and at-risk youth. The Salesian Youth Movement, launched in 1988, engages young people in faith, service, and community across the globe. Salesians work as chaplains in schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, and prisons. They run parish churches, community centres, and agricultural cooperatives. They respond to humanitarian crises — natural disasters, wars, displacement — providing emergency relief, clean water, food, and educational continuity in some of the most devastated regions on earth.
The Don Bosco Network — a worldwide federation of Salesian non-governmental organisations — coordinates these efforts at a global level. Salesian Missions, headquartered in New Rochelle, New York, serves as the U.S. development arm of the international Salesian mission, raising funds and mobilising resources for programmes in over 130 countries. To date, more than 3 million youth have received services funded by Salesian Missions alone. These services are provided to children regardless of race or religion — a principle deeply embedded in the Salesian ethos.
The geographic reach of Salesian missionary activity is extraordinary. In the postwar and post-conciliar period, the Salesians expanded aggressively into Africa and Asia. Following the society's General Chapter of 1978, then-Rector Major Egidio ViganΓ² launched "Project Africa," a new missionary outreach that brought Salesians into Angola, Benin, Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia — among many others. In Asia, Salesian works flourish in India, China, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. In the Americas, the Salesian presence is particularly deep in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and throughout Central and South America.
Salesian Spirituality
Salesian spirituality is, as the Salesians themselves describe it, "as simple as it is profound." It was never intended to be the exclusive property of monks or mystics. Don Bosco modelled it after Francis de Sales, who wrote his great spiritual masterwork, Introduction to the Devout Life, not for a monastery but for an ordinary woman living a busy life in the world. Don Bosco adapted this tradition for the young — and insisted that holiness was not a burden but a joy.
The Monthly Day of Recollection — a tradition begun by Don Bosco — is observed in Salesian communities around the world. On one day each month, members of the community withdraw from their ordinary activities for a period of prayer, reflection, and spiritual renewal. It is a practice designed to keep the interior life alive amid the busyness of apostolic work.
Each year, the Rector Major presents a Strenna — an Italian word meaning "gift" — which is a guiding spiritual theme for the entire Salesian Family for the coming year. The Strenna unites Salesians across 130 countries around a common reflection, a shared goal, and a spirit of faith. For 2026, the theme chosen by Rector Major Fr. Fabio Attard is "Do whatever He tells you" — believers, free to serve — drawing on the words of Mary at the Wedding at Cana.
The Salesian Legacy
The Salesians of Don Bosco stand today as one of the most dynamic, widespread, and influential religious congregations in the Catholic Church. Born from a single act of mercy on a December day in 1841 — a priest calling back a frightened boy — the congregation has grown into a global force for education, evangelisation, and human development. From the bustling youth centres of Buenos Aires to the refugee camps of Uganda, from the universities of Rome to the street-child programmes of Mumbai, the Salesian presence is a testament to the enduring power of Don Bosco's vision.
The congregation has not been without its difficulties. Like many large religious institutions, the Salesians have faced challenges in recent decades, including scandals that have demanded accountability and reform. The Church and the Salesian leadership have responded with measures aimed at safeguarding and transparency. But the core mission — the salvation and formation of the young — remains unchanged, and the spiritual energy of the Salesian Family continues to draw new generations into its orbit.
Pope John Paul II, who knew the Salesians well and who bestowed on Don Bosco the title "Father and Teacher of Youth," once declared: "The Salesian Family owes its origin to Don Bosco, its continuity to Don Rua." It is a fitting summation. Don Bosco lit the flame; his successors have kept it burning across the centuries, across continents, and across the countless lives of young people who have passed through Salesian hands — and who, in passing, have found not merely an education, but a path to God.
Da mihi animas, caetera tolle. "Give me souls, take away the rest." — Saint John Bosco
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