Founder

Upon becoming a priest, Don Bosco realized how he needed to live out his vocation. The Industrial Revolution was spreading into Northern Italy; there was a great deal of poverty, desolation, turmoil and revolution on the streets of the city. Young people had been abandoned and lived in hopelessness. In the face of such situations he made his decision: “I must, by any available means, prevent children ending up in these situations.” He knew that education was the key to helping these young people. He sought to teach them (many could only learn after their day’s work and not all wanted to), and to get fairer treatment for them with their employers. He looked to help other young people who still slept under bridges and on the streets. Even when they stole from him, as some did, he never gave up hope. He never lost his confidence in youth. Don Bosco started technical schools to educate the young people in skilled jobs like printing, bookbinding and mechanics. In those days, these were the skills that would guarantee better conditions and a better future for them. He also started Festive Oratories (centers where children could gather on Sundays and holidays for study, recreation and prayer), which, in fact, is the starting point of all the future endeavors of Don Bosco. All this while, from his ‘old boys’ Don Bosco had been building up a Society of men who would help him to develop and continue his work with the young. In December 1859 these young men were formed into a simple society for this purpose. In May 1862, 22 of them professed to form the Society of St. Francis de Sales. In 1869 the society was officially recognized by the Catholic Church and are known by the name ‘Salesians of Don Bosco’. The Salesians are to be found working throughout the world, in every continent, thousands of Priests and Brothers who continue the mission of Don Bosco inspiring and animating huge numbers of people who come in contact with them that form part of the great ‘Salesian Movement’.