Don Bosco. Salesian Family

The Salesian Congregation in the world

One spirituality, two families
Saint Francis de Sales inspired a veritable school of spirituality, recognised in the Church alongside other established traditions such as the Augustinian, Benedictine, Franciscan, Dominican, Carmelite and Ignatian ones. Some twenty groups draw inspiration directly from this spirituality (among them also the Salesians of Don Bosco) and belong to the so-called Salesian Family in the broad sense.
Distinct from it, the Salesian Family of Saint John Bosco refers explicitly to the charism of Don Bosco. It is a worldwide ecclesial reality that currently brings together 32 religious institutions and movements officially recognised, to which are added another 27 groups that have requested membership. When in Salesian settings or writings the “Salesian Family” is spoken of, the latter is meant, the Salesian Family of Saint John Bosco.

The common mission
The heart of the action of the whole Family is the service to the young, especially the poorest and most needy, through three fundamental axes: education, evangelization and human promotion. The method of reference is Don Bosco’s Preventive System, founded on three pillars: reason, religion and loving-kindness.
The members of these groups today number more than 400,000, and they live in mutual communion by sharing the same spirituality, even though their vocations and forms of life are distinct.

The origins: Don Bosco the founder
Don Bosco founded the Salesian Society of Saint Francis de Sales in 1859, but he soon realized that a single institute was not enough to meet the immense task of education with the young. He himself declared, “I have always needed everyone!”. Convinced that the educational work required the contribution of all — priests and lay people, aristocrats and workers, men and women — he gradually broadened the family he was building.
He thus founded three other fundamental groups:
1869 — the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA)
1872 — the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, together with Saint Mary Domenica Mazzarello
1876 — the Salesian Cooperators
With these four branches he laid the foundation of the Salesian Family. Over time, numerous other groups that arose on different continents — initiated by Salesians or inspired by their charism — joined one after another, each with its own identity, but united by the same charismatic root.

The Charter of the Mission and the unity of the Family
The members of the Salesian Family are guided by common orientations which are summarized in the Charter of the Mission of the Salesian Family, drawn up collegially by the representatives of all the groups. Certain words recur frequently and describe its essence: mission, communion, apostolate, Salesianity, the young, education, evangelization, Preventive System, spirit and spirituality.
The Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco plays a role of reference and unity for the whole Family, in continuity with the succession of Don Bosco.

A worldwide presence
Today the Salesian Family is one of the most widespread and numerous ecclesial realities in the world, present on every continent, committed to the integral education of the young and to evangelical witness through a multiplicity of charisms and forms of life.

We present the groups that currently belong to the Salesian Family of Saint John Bosco