The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (), is a

religious congregation A religious congregation is a type of Religious institute (Catholic), religious institute in the Catholic Church. They are legally distinguished from Religious order (Catholic), religious orders – the other major type of religious institute – i ...

of men in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, founded in 1859 by the Italian priest

John Bosco John Melchior Bosco, Salesians of Don Bosco, SDB (; ; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco or Dom Bosco (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ), was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer. While working in Tu ...

to help poor and migrant youth during the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

. The congregation was named after

Francis de Sales Francis de Sales, Congregation of the Oratory, C.O., Order of Minims, O.M. (; ; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Savoyard state, Savoyard Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Geneva and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He became n ...

, a 17th-century bishop of

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

. The Salesians' charter describes the society's mission as "the Christian perfection of its associates obtained by the exercise of spiritual and corporal works of charity towards the young, especially the poor, and the education of boys to the priesthood". Its associated women's institute is the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, while the lay movement is the Association of Salesian Cooperators.

History

In 1845 Don

(" Don" being a traditional Italian honorific for priest) opened a night school for boys in Valdocco, now part of the municipality of

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. In the following years, he opened several more schools, and in 1857 drew up a set of rules for his helpers. Bosco admired the simple spirituality and philosophy of kindness of

and established the Society of St. Francis de Sales in his honor in 1859. The rule was approved definitively in 1873 by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

as the Rule of the Society of Saint Francis de Sales. The Society grew rapidly, with houses established in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

within a year of the Society's formal recognition. Its official print organ, ''Salesian Bulletin,'' was first published in 1877. Over the next decade the Salesians expanded into

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, and several countries in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. The death of Don Bosco in 1888 did not slow down the Society's growth. The Salesians arrived in Mexico and established their first institution in 1892 and in 1894 arrived in Portugal. By 1911 the Salesians were established throughout the world, including

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Present day

The Society continues to operate worldwide; in 2021, it counted 14,232 members in 1,703 houses. As of 2023, Salesians are present in more than 130 countries.

Symbols

Coat of arms

The Salesian coat of arms was designed by Professor Boidi. It was published for the first time in a circular letter of Don Bosco on 8 December 1885. It consists of a shining star, the large anchor, and the heart on fire to symbolize the

theological virtues Theological virtues are virtues associated in Christian theology and philosophy with salvation resulting from the grace of God. Virtues are traits or qualities which dispose one to conduct oneself in a morally good manner. Traditionally the theolo ...

of Faith, Hope and Charity. The figure of Saint Francis de Sales recalls the patron of the society. The small wood in the lower part refers to the founder of the society; the high mountains signify the heights of perfection towards which members strive; the interwoven palm and laurel that enfold the shield on either side are emblematic of the prize reserved for a virtuous and sacrificial life. The motto ''Da mihi animas, caetera tolle'' ("Give me souls, take away the rest") is featured at the bottom.

Logo

The Salesian logo is made up of two superimposed images. The logo combines elements from those of the German and Brazilian provinces. The idea of combining the two came out of suggestions from an enquiry about the new logo conducted throughout the Congregation and from contributions by the General Council. It is designed with the central theme "Don Bosco and the Salesians walking with the young through the world." The artistic work of combining the two was carried out by the designer Fabrizio Emigli, from the Litos Company, in Rome. In the background is a globe to represent the worldwide reach of the Salesians, and a stylized "S" in white is formed within the globe, resembling a snaking road representing an educational journey for the youth. In the foreground is an arrow pointing upwards, resting on three perpendicular legs on top of which are three closed circles, making a stylized image of three people: the first of these in the middle and taller than the others is the point of the arrow, and the other two beside it appear as it were to be embraced by the central figure. These three stylized figures represent Saint John Bosco reaching out to the young, and his call for Salesians to continue his work. The three stylized figures with the arrow pointing upwards can also be viewed as a house dwelling with a sloping roof and three pillars holding it up, represents John Bosco's pedagogy of Reason, Religion and Loving Kindness.

Organization

The Salesians of Don Bosco are headed by the Rector Major and the society's general council, while each of the ninety-four geographical provinces is headed by a Provincial. These officers serve six-year terms; the Rector Major and the members of the general council are elected by the General Chapter, which meets every six years or upon the death of the Rector Major. Each local Salesian community is headed by a superior, called a Rector (or more commonly, "Director"), who is appointed to a three-year term and can be renewed for a second three-year term. Since March 2025, Fabio Attard has been rector major.

Works

Salesian communities primarily operate shelters for homeless or at-risk youths; schools; technical, vocational, and language instruction centers for youths and adults; and boys' clubs and community centers. In some areas they run parish churches. Salesians are also active in publishing and other public communication activities, as well as mission work, especially in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

(

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

- in the

Yakutsk Yakutsk ( ) is the capital and largest city of Sakha, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one of Russia's most rapidly growing regional cities, with a population of 355,443 at the ...

area),

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, and

(

Yanomami The Yanomami, also spelled Yąnomamö or Yanomama, are a group of approximately 35,000 indigenous people of the Americas, indigenous people who live in some 200–250 villages in the Amazon rainforest on the border between Venezuela and Brazil. ...

). The ''Salesian Bulletin'' is now published in fifty-two editions, in thirty languages. In 1988, the Salesians branched to create the Salesian Youth Movement. Then in the 1990s, the Salesians launched new works in the area of tertiary education, and today have a network of over 58 colleges and universities. The official university of the Salesian Society is the

Salesian Pontifical University The Salesian Pontifical University (; ) is a pontifical university in Italy run by the Salesians of Don Bosco. It has three campuses, one in Rome, one in Turin, and one in Jerusalem. The Salesian Pontifical University is an ordinary member of ...

in Rome. A number of schools and churches established under the Salesians have been at the center of child sex abuse scandals, including Mary Help of Christians in

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

. Due to ongoing sexual assault lawsuits and settlements, several boarding schools were closed. center, 500px, Map showing the regional organization of the Salesians of Don Bosco, dotted with the location of the headquarters of Salesian provinces and vice-provinces

Saints, Blesseds, and other holy people

;Saints *

(16 August 1815 – 31 January 1888), founder of the Society, canonized on 1 April 1934 * Dominic Savio (2 April 1842 – 9 March 1857), student of John Bosco, canonized on 12 June 1954 * Luigi Versiglia (5 June 1873 – 25 February 1930),

Apostolic Vicar Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...

Shaoguan Shaoguan is a prefecture-level city in northern Guangdong Province ( Yuebei), South China, bordering Hunan to the northwest and Jiangxi to the northeast. It is home to the mummified remains of the sixth Zen Buddhist patriarch Huineng. Its built-u ...

and Martyr of China, canonized on 1 October 2000 * Callisto Caravario (18 June 1903 ― 25 February 1930), priest and Martyr of China, canonized on 1 October 2000 * Artémides Zatti (12 October 1880 – 15 March 1951), professed religious and pharmacist, canonized on 9 October 2022 ;Blesseds * August Czartoryski (2 August 1858 – 8 April 1893), Polish priest, beatified on 25 April 2004 * Michele Rua (9 June 1837 – 6 April 1910), Second Rector Major of the Salesians, beatified on 29 October 1972 * Bronisław Markiewicz (13 July 1842 – 29 January 1912), priest of the order and founder of the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel, beatified on 19 June 2005. * Luigi Variara (15 January 1875 - 1 February 1923), priest and founder of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, beatified on 14 April 2002 * Filippo Rinaldi (28 May 1856 – 5 December 1931), Third Rector Major of the Salesians, beatified on 29 April 1990 * Enrique Sáiz Aparicio and 59 Companions (died between July 1936 to March 1937), Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, beatified on 28 October 2007 * José Calasanz Marqués and 29 Companions (died between July 1936 to April 1938), Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, beatified on 11 March 2001 * Józef Kowalski (13 March 1911 – 4 July 1942), Martyr of the Nazi Occupation of Poland, beatified on 13 June 1999 * Elia Comini (7 May 1910 – 1 October 1944), priest and martyr, promulgation on decree on martyrdom on 18 December 2024 and is currently awaiting beatification * István Sándor (26 October 1914 – 8 June 1953), Hungarian laborer and martyred under communist rule, beatified on 19 October 2013 * Titus Zeman (4 January 1915 – 8 January 1969), Slovakian priest martyred under communist rule, beatified on 30 September 2017 ;Venerables * Andrea Beltrami (24 June 1870 - 30 December 1897), priest, declared Venerable on 15 December 1966 * Luigi Maria Olivares (18 October 1873 - 19 May 1943), professed religious and Bishop of Sutri-Nepi, declared Venerable on 20 December 2004 * August Hlond (5 July 1881 – 22 October 1948), cardinal and Primate of all Poland, declared Venerable on 19 May 2018 * Rudolf Komórek (11 October 1890 - 11 December 1949), priest, declared Venerable on 6 April 1995 * Ignác Stuchlý (14 December 1869 - 17 January 1953), Czech priest, declared Venerable on 21 December 2020 * Octavio Ortiz Arrieta (19 April 1879 - 1 March 1958), Bishop of Chachapoyas, declared Venerable on 27 February 2017 * Joseph-Auguste Arribat (17 December 1879 - 11 March 1963), French priest, declared Venerable on 8 July 2014 * Giuseppe Quadrio (28 November 1921 - 23 October 1963), priest, declared Venerable on 19 December 2009 * Vincenzo Cimatti (15 July 1871 - 6 October 1965), priest, declared Venerable on 21 December 1991 * Antônio de Almeida Lustosa (11 February 1886 - 14 August 1974), Archbishop of Fortaleza, declared Venerable on 22 June 2023 * Francesco Convertini (29 August 1898 - 11 February 1976), priest, declared Venerable on 20 January 2017 * José Vandor Puchner ech József(29 October 1909 - 8 October 1979), Hungarian priest, declared Venerable on 20 January 2017 ;Servants of God * Louis Mertens (22 July 1864 - 25 April 1920), French priest * Jan Świerc and 8 Companions (died between June 1941 to September 1942), Martyrs under the Nazi Occupation of Poland, declared Servants of God on 18 February 2003 * Bernard Štuhec (5 January 1920 - c. June 1945), cleric and martyr of Slovenia under communist rule, declared as Servant of God on 17 May 2018 * Costantino Vendrame (27 August 1893 - 30 January 1957), priest, declared as Servant of God on 16 September 2006 * Carlo Braga (23 May 1889 - 3 January 1971), Filipino priest, declared as Servant of God on 31 January 2013 * Giuseppe Cognata (14 October 1885 - 22 July 1972), Bishop of Bova and founder of the Salesian Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart * Rudolf Lunkenbein (1 April 1939 - 16 July 1976), German priest martyred in Brazil, declared as Servant of God on 7 September 2017 * Antoni Baraniak (1 January 1904 - 13 August 1977), Archbishop of Poznań * Carlo della Torre (7 July 1900 - 4 April 1982), founder of the Secular Institute of the Daughters of the Queenship of Mary, and cofounder of the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, declared as Servant of God on 14 July 2003 * Antônio Campelo de Aragão (5 December 1904 - 10 September 1988), Bishop of Petrolina, founder of the Sisters Messengers of Mary and Sisters Mediators of Peace, declared as Servant of God on 16 May 2023 *

Oreste Marengo Oreste Marengo (29 August 1906 - 30 July 1998) was an Italian people, Italian Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic prelate and professed member from the Salesians of Don Bosco. He served as the Diocese of Dibrugarh, Bishop of Diburugarh from 19 ...

(29 August 1906 - 30 July 1998), Bishop and Apostolic Administrator of Tura, declared as Servant of God on 9 July 2007 * Andrej Majcen (30 September 1904 - 30 September 1999), Slovenian priest, declared as Servant of God on 6 November 2008 * Silvio Galli (10 September 1927 - 12 June 2012), priest, declared as Servant of God on 19 February 2020 * Luigi Bolla (11 August 1932 - 6 February 2013), priest, declared as Servant of God on 16 December 2020

Other notable members

* Alfons Maria Stickler, cardinal *

Angelo Amato Angelo Amato, Salesians of Don Bosco, S.D.B. (8 June 1938 – 31 December 2024) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints between 2008 and 20 ...

, cardinal * Antonio María Javierre Ortas, cardinal * Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, bishop * Giovanni Cagliero, cardinal * Ignacio Velasco, cardinal * Javier de Nicoló, priest *

Jean-Bertrand Aristide Jean-Bertrand Aristide (; born 15 July 1953) is a Haitian former Salesian priest and politician who became Haiti's first democratically elected president in 1991 before being deposed in a coup d'état. As a priest, he taught liberation theo ...

, priest * John Lee Tae-seok, priest * Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, cardinal * Lucas Van Looy, bishop * Stefan Oster, bishop * Massimo Palombella, priest * Miguel Obando y Bravo, cardinal * Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, cardinal *

Raúl Silva Henríquez Raúl Silva Henríquez Salesians of Don Bosco, SDB (27 September 1907 – 9 April 1999) was a Chilean prelate of the Catholic Church, a Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal from 1962. He served as Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San ...

, cardinal * Raffaele Farina, cardinal * Rosalio José Castillo Lara, cardinal * Stefan Czmil, bishop * Štěpán Trochta, cardinal *

Tarcisio Bertone Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone (born 2 December 1934) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church and a Vatican City, Vatican diplomat. A Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal since 2003, he served as Archbishop of Vercelli from 1991 to 1995, as S ...

, cardinal * Broderick Pabillo, bishop * Leo Drona, bishop * Vincenzo Savio, bishop

References

External links

* (multilingual) {{DEFAULTSORT:Salesians Of Don Bosco 1874 establishments in Italy Catholic missionary orders Catholic teaching orders Founders of Indian schools and colleges Religious organizations established in 1874