The Salesians are a Roman Catholic religious organisation founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco (Don Bosco), an Italian priest. His main objective was to help poor children during the Industrial Revolution. Don Bosco himself came from a family of farmers living in poverty. He dedicated his life working for children and youth, establishing oratories and houses, and creating the Salesian Family, which today is a world-wide and vibrant organisation encompassing several entities. One of the most visible signs of this global Salesian communion is a simple world map with all Salesian provinces around the 132 countries. Click on the image below to view different sizes of the 2017 map depicting Salesians around the world.

Don Bosco named the organisation ‘Salesian’, because he wanted its members to acquire and perfect  the characteristic virtues, charity and kindness of Saint Francis de Sales. Indeed, 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“.

This famous sentence of St. Francis de Sales sums it all up:

“man is the perfection of the universe; the spirit is the perfection of man; love, that of the spirit; and charity, that of love”

“Walk with your feet on earth. But your heart be in heaven” – Don Bosco