{"id":808,"date":"2026-09-24T13:51:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.ddev.site\/?page_id=808"},"modified":"2026-09-24T13:51:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:51:06","slug":"fondatore","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sdb-staging.178-32-140-152.plesk.page\/en\/don-bosco\/fondatore\/","title":{"rendered":"Don Bosco founder"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Salesian Congregation in the world<\/strong><\/p>\n

Founder of the Society of Saint Francis de Sales<\/strong>
\nIn 1859 Don Bosco officially gave life to the Society of Saint Francis de Sales, initially composed of a small group of young men who shared his mission. Their purpose was “the glory of God and the salvation of souls”, with a particular dedication to the young.
\nThe Congregation developed rapidly, opening schools, colleges, oratories and missionary works. Don Bosco himself sent the first missionaries to Latin America in 1875, manifesting an ardent missionary drive. The universal dimension of the charism was already present in his horizon: the salvation of the young knew no geographical boundaries.
\nHis sons, the Salesians, continued his mission entrusted by Providence in favour of the young.<\/p>\n

The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA)<\/strong>
\n Don Bosco soon realized that his work could not be limited to boys. With the collaboration of Saint Mary Domenica Mazzarello, in 1872 he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), dedicated to the Christian education of girls.
\n The FMAs share the same spirit and the same Salesian mission, lived out in its feminine form. Devotion to Mary Help of Christians holds a central place in the spirituality of the Institute. Don Bosco was deeply convinced of Mary’s maternal intervention in the history of salvation and in his work. To her he dedicated the basilica of Valdocco, a visible sign of his gratitude and of his faith.<\/p>\n

The Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA)<\/strong>
\n The Marian dimension of the Salesian charism also found expression in the foundation, in 1869, of the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA). It came into being with the aim of promoting devotion to the Eucharist and to Mary Help of Christians, in communion with the Pope and the Church.
\n For Don Bosco, devotion was not an accessory element, but an educational and spiritual force. The ADMA represents the contemplative and popular face of the Salesian charism: a network of faithful who support the educational work spiritually through prayer and Christian witness.<\/p>\n

The Salesian Cooperators<\/strong>
\n In 1876 Don Bosco founded the Union of Salesian Cooperators, today the Association of Salesian Cooperators. He wished to involve lay people in the Salesian mission, offering them a stable and organised form of participation, while remaining in their own state of life.
\n Cooperators share the spirit of Don Bosco and work in society as evangelical leaven, especially in the educational and family spheres. This intuition prophetically anticipated the recognition of the lay apostolate that would be fully developed in the twentieth century. Don Bosco understood that the mission in favour of the young demanded a broad ecclesial co-responsibility.<\/p>\n

The spiritual journey<\/strong>
\n Don Bosco’s spirituality is characterized by a strong sense of the presence of God and by a trusting abandonment to Providence. His life was marked by an intense sacramental life, by Marian devotion and by love of the Eucharist.
\n His motto, “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle<\/em>”, expresses the core of his interior life: an ardent desire for the salvation of souls and detachment from earthly goods. Holiness, for him, was not reserved to a few, but was a concrete proposal for all, especially for the young. Famous is his statement that holiness consists in “being very cheerful” and in faithfully fulfilling one’s daily duties.
\n Salesian joy is not superficiality, but the fruit of a life in grace and of the awareness of being loved by God. This vision permeates the whole Salesian Family and continues to inspire its educational works.<\/p>\n

A living legacy<\/strong>
\n Don Bosco died on 31 January 1888 in Turin. He was canonised in 1934. His work, however, did not end with his death. Today the Salesian Family, which refers to him, is present in numerous countries of the world and continues to serve the young through schools, oratories, parishes, vocational training centres, universities and social works.
\n His charism remains relevant because it is rooted in the Gospel and capable of reading the signs of the times. In every young person, especially the most fragile, the Salesians and the Salesian Family recognise sacred ground, a place where God is already at work.
\n Saint John Bosco continues to be teacher and father: a passionate educator, a zealous priest, an audacious founder. His life bears witness that holiness is possible when love of God and concrete dedication to one’s brothers and sisters are united. In his example, the Salesians of Don Bosco renew their mission every day: to be signs and bearers of God’s love to the young, especially the poorest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Salesian Congregation in the world Founder of the Society of Saint Francis de Sales In 1859 Don Bosco officially gave life to the Society of Saint Francis de Sales, initially composed of a small group of young men who shared his mission. Their purpose was “the glory of God and the salvation of souls”, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"parent":804,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-808","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdb-staging.178-32-140-152.plesk.page\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdb-staging.178-32-140-152.plesk.page\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdb-staging.178-32-140-152.plesk.page\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdb-staging.178-32-140-152.plesk.page\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sdb-staging.178-32-140-152.plesk.page\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/808\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdb-staging.178-32-140-152.plesk.page\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdb-staging.178-32-140-152.plesk.page\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}