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History
 We,
Salesians of Don Bosco are a community of brothers who share life
and ministry according to the spirit and method of their founder, St.
John Bosco. John Bosco was born in 1815 and grew up in a small farming
area called il Becchi, in
Northern Italy
. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1841 in
Turin,
Italy
where he began his ministry to youth. He invited some of the young
people who frequented his youth center, called the Oratory, to join him
in his work. From these humble beginnings came the religious community
of men dedicated to youth ministry and education. Today the Salesians
serve in over 100 countries and number over 17,000 members, the second
largest community of men in the Catholic Church.
We are Catholic Christians who have made a solemn
promise, a vow, to live our lives in the Salesian community and serve in
the ministry of the Salesians. We take a vow of poverty, chastity and
obedience. By these, we promise to share our lives together, in a chaste
celibacy making ourselves available for ministry to youth.
The
Salesians of Don Bosco form a community of religious. Some of us are
Ordained Religious... Priests, and some of us are Lay Religious...
Brothers. We refer
to ourselves as Salesians with the initials SDB, which stands for
Salesian of Don Bosco, following our name. In the
United States
the Salesians minister to young people in high schools, parishes, youth
centers, boys and girls clubs and retreat ministry. The Salesians form
the largest missionary group in the Catholic Church. |
