The Salesians of Don Bosco (or the Salesian Society, originally known as the Society of St. Francis de Sales) is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the mid nineteenth century by Giovanni Melchior Bosco (Saint John Bosco), in an attempt, through works of charity, to counteract what the church perceived as the pernicious moral influence of modern liberal thought introduced to Italy after the French Revolution. 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" [1] (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13398b.htm). The order is named for St. Francis of Sales, an early-modern bishop of Geneva.

History

In 1845 Bosco opened a night school for boys in Valdocco, now part of the municipality of Turin in Italy. In the coming years, he opened several more schools, and in 1857 drew up a set of rules for his helpers, which became the Rule of the Society of St. Francis de Sales, which Pope Pius IX approved definitively in 1874. The order grew rapidly, with houses established in France and Argentina within a year of the society's formal recognition. The order's official print organ, the Salesian Bulletin, was first published in 1877. Over the next decade, the Salesians expanded into Austria, Britain, Spain, and several countries in South America. The death of Bosco in 1888 did not slow the order's growth, and by 1911 the Salesians were established throughout the world, including China, India, South Africa, Tunisia, and the United States. The society continues to operate worldwide; in 1995, it counted more than 17,000 members in 1,616 houses [2] (http://www.salesians.ie/about_worldhist.htm).

Organization

The Salesians of Don Bosco are headed by a rector major and the society's general council; 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 chapter general, 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, who is appointed to a three-year term.

Works

Salesian communities operate, inter alia, shelters for homeless or at-risk youths; schools; technical, vocational, and language instruction centers for youths and adults; and boys' clubs and community centers. Salesians are also active in publishing and other public communication activities, as well as mission work, especially in Asia, Africa, and South America. The Salesian Bulletin is now published in fifty-two editions, in thirty languages.

External links

• Salesiani Don Bosco Home Page (http://www.sdb.org/) (primarily in Italian)
• National Salesian Web sites in Europe (http://www.don.bosco.net/)

Based on Catholic Encycolpedia entry (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13398b.htm), abbreviated and rewritten for NPOV.