About
the
Salesian
Brothers and Priests
John Bosco was born in 1815 and grew up in a small farming area called
il Becchi, in Northern Italy. His father Francis died when John was
only two years old. The photograph to the right is of the farm building
Francis bought shortly before he died. John's mother, Margaret, moved
her three boys, herself and her mother-in-law into this building after
her husband's death. She converted it so that it had two bedrooms,
a kitchen-living room for the family, a barn for the animals and hay
storage. Don Bosco lived here until he was 16.
(Click here for a biography of Don Bosco)
Don Bosco 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 120 countries and number 17, 000 members, the second
largest community of men in the Catholic Church.
Don Bosco's vision of a community made up of lay and ordained ministers
was unique. Bro. Larry King, SDB, tells an amusing story. "Some
years ago I was camping with a group of my Salesian brothers. We were
sitting around a campfire at night talking, singing, and laughing…
The noise attracted a nearby camper who came over to see who we were.
After listening to us for a few minutes the visitor suddenly exclaimed,
'You're all bachelors, for Christ's sake?' To which I immediately
replied, 'Yes! For Christ's sake, we are all bachelors!'"
Salesians are not really bachelors, but we do live for the sake of
Jesus Christ and his Gospel. 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 (SDB) form a community of religious. Some
are lay religious like Br. Larry King, SDB, quoted above, and some are ordained religious priests. We refer to ourselves as
the Salesians of Don Bosco. The Salesians minister to young people
in high schools, parishes, youth centers, boys and girls clubs and
retreat ministry. The Salesians divide the world into 108 ministerial
areas called Provinces." Here in the United States there are
two provinces: The Eastern Province with headquarters in New Rochelle,
New York, and the Western Province with headquarters in San Francisco,
California.
The Salesians form the largest missionary order in the Catholic Church.
The two provinces of the United States sponsor a mission in Sierra
Leone, in West Africa.
