This year, the XLIII Days of Salesian Spirituality will take place from January 16 to 19, as usual, in Valdocco. They represent, for the entire Salesian Family spread around the world, a precious opportunity for meeting, reflection, and spiritual renewal. Every year, in January, religious, laypeople, and young people gather to rediscover the roots of the Salesian charism, celebrating the figure and legacy of Saint John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Congregation and a great friend of the young. The goal is to promote a communal reflection on the values of faith, fraternity, and educational mission, according to the Salesian spirit, in a context of celebration and prayer.

Origin and meaning of the Days of Salesian Spirituality
The tradition of the Days of Salesian Spirituality has its roots in the educational practice of Don Bosco, who understood the importance of cultivating moments of formation for his young people and for the collaborators who assisted him in his mission. From the early decades of the Congregation’s life, there was a need to periodically gather to reread the experiences lived in Salesian works and to dialogue with the challenges of the present. Over the years, the Salesian charism has spread well beyond the borders of Piedmont, reaching all five continents. At the same time, the need to come together for common reflection and discernment has become increasingly pressing, making it essential to have an opportunity for meeting that we now know as the Days of Salesian Spirituality.

The Days, typically celebrated in January close to the liturgical feast of Saint John Bosco (January 31), represent the synthesis of an entire year of work, prayer, and reflection around the theme proposed by the Rector Major of the Salesians with the so-called Strenna. The Strenna is an annual message that, starting from a phrase or a key concept, aims to guide Salesian life and mission in the world. During these days, participants delve into the meaning of this message, engaging with other Salesian realities, sharing testimonies, and allowing themselves to be inspired by moments of prayer and celebration.

Structure and highlights
The Days of Salesian Spirituality usually take place in a location particularly significant for the Congregation, such as Colle Don Bosco or Valdocco in Turin, where Saint John Bosco took his first steps in youth apostolate. In other cases, to facilitate the participation of the faithful and members of the Salesian Family residing in various parts of the world, parallel events or live streaming connections may be organized. This allows anyone interested, even from a distance, to follow the main moments of prayer, listen to meditations, and interact with the speakers.

During these days, the agenda is marked by a series of appointments that range from theological and pastoral reflection to moments of conviviality and celebration. Among the highlights are:

1. Conferences and thematic presentations: authoritative figures from the Salesian world, theologians, educators, and leaders of the works present insights on the annual theme. These presentations provide a broad overview of contemporary educational and pastoral challenges, helping to place the Salesian charism in today’s context.

2. Group work and workshops: to move from the theoretical to the practical, participants are involved in working groups or workshops, where they have the opportunity to compare experiences lived in their own realities and to imagine new ways of evangelization and youth accompaniment.

3. Celebrations and moments of prayer: the Days of Salesian Spirituality are not only about study and deepening but also, and above all, an opportunity to meet God. The liturgies and community prayers that punctuate the entire duration of the event constitute a source of spiritual nourishment that supports and strengthens the sense of belonging to the great Salesian Family.

4. Testimonies and sharing of experiences: listening to the stories of missionaries, educators, and young people from different socio-cultural contexts is a fundamental element. These concrete testimonies give a face to Salesian values and demonstrate the vitality of a charism that, more than a century after Don Bosco’s death, continues to inspire generations of believers.

5. Meeting with the Rector Major: a particularly awaited and significant moment is the meeting with the Rector Major, who represents the successor of Don Bosco. In his address, he urges the entire Salesian Family to continue with commitment the educational and pastoral work, reminding them of the importance of uniting spiritual life with concrete action in favor of young people, especially those in need.

The protagonists: the Salesian Family on the move
The Days of Salesian Spirituality involve not only Salesian religious (SDB) and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) but also bring together all the groups that make up the varied Salesian Family: Salesian Cooperators, former students of Don Bosco, Volunteers of Don Bosco, and many others. This plurality of expressions and belonging reveals the richness of a charism that has been able to take on different forms and sensitivities, but always converging in love for young people and for the Church.

Towards a continuous renewal of the charism
One of the most important messages that emerge from the Days of Salesian Spirituality is the need for a continuous and creative renewal of Don Bosco’s charism. The world is changing at a dizzying pace, with unprecedented challenges concerning the technological, social, and educational spheres. To remain faithful to the founder and the Gospel, the Salesian Family is called to always be outgoing, not to settle for “tried and tested” formulas, but to experiment with forms of apostolate that can speak to today’s youth.

Faithfulness to Don Bosco does not mean blindly repeating what has been done in the past, but deepening his spirit and preventive method, to find new languages and educational experiences suitable for the present. This is the profound meaning of the Days of Salesian Spirituality: a time of listening, reflection, and sharing that opens to the future, keeping a firm gaze on that original inspiration that has made the Salesian Congregation a point of reference for millions of young people around the world.

The Days of Salesian Spirituality, celebrated every year in January, are not just a fixed appointment on the Salesian calendar, but a true “spiritual laboratory” where the richness of a constantly evolving charism is felt. In an era where human relationships are often fragmented and the search for meaning is increasingly pressing, the Salesian message retains its relevance: to place the young at the center, to love them, to value them, to accompany them on the journey towards human and Christian maturity. And it is precisely in this perspective that the Days of Salesian Spirituality reveal themselves as a precious gift for the Salesian Family and for the entire Church, a sign that Don Bosco’s educational passion still lives today, fruitful and full of hope, capable of generating good fruits in every corner of the planet.

To learn more, click HERE.

            The Salesian Family, born from Don Bosco’s intuition, has continued to grow over time and has taken on different forms, while remaining faithful to its roots. Among these Salesian realities is the Community of the Mission of Don Bosco (CMB), a private missionary association of the faithful, which has officially been part of the Salesian Family since 2010.

The origins of the CMB
            It all began in 1983 in Rome, at the Gerini Institute, during a meeting of young Salesian Cooperators. At the concluding Mass, a clear inspiration remained imprinted in the hearts and minds of some of the participants: your life and your faith must take on a missionary dimension wherever you may be. From this inspiration, the Community of the Mission of Don Bosco was born at the Salesian Institute in Bologna.
            We asked Deacon Guido Pedroni, founder and general custodian of the CMB, to narrate the story of its foundation. The CMB is composed of laypeople presently found in various parts of the world. It is a missionary community in style and in preferences, deeply rooted in the Salesian spirit and in the lives of its founders. Alongside Guido Pedroni, four other laypeople have shared the ideal of the CMB from the beginning: Paola Terenziani (who passed away a few years ago and whose cause for beatification has begun), Rita Terenziani, Andrea Bongiovanni, and Giacomo Borghi. Recently, Daniele Landi, who was already present at the origins of the Community, has joined these figures, gathered in the so-called “Mother Tent.”

A Marian and Missionary Community
            It is noteworthy that the CMB is the only group of the Salesian Family founded by a layperson and born from a missionary and community dream. It is profoundly Marian, as the definitive act of belonging to the Community, the Act of Dedication, is inspired by the life of Mary, who was entirely dedicated to Jesus. As Guido Pedroni recounts, the CMB was born from “an intuition, the Act of Dedication, which for us is a true consecration to God and to the Community after the example of Mary and Don Bosco.”

Its Way of Life and Spirituality
            The CMB way of life of the CMB is one of living faith, of opening new missionary presences, of carrying out various projects, of establishing educational relationships, and of experiencing community life. It is a way of life marked by initiative, that can even be described as “recklessness.” It is based on four pillars: to inspire, to involve, to create, and to believe. This means to inspire motivations, to involve people in action, to create authentic relationships, and to believe in the Providence of the Spirit that precedes and safeguards every choice made.
            For the CMB, living in a “State of Mission” means witnessing to the Gospel at every moment of the day and in every place, whether it be Africa, America, Italy, a nomadic camp, or a classroom. The essential thing is to feel part of the Church’s mission, embodied in the way of Don Bosco for the good of young people.
            There are three cornerstones of the spirituality of the CMB:
            – Unity, built on fraternal dialogue;
            – Charity, towards young people and the poor in the spirit of communion;
            – Essentiality, embodied in the simple and familial sharing typical of the Salesian spirit.
            Other distinctive elements are the conferral of a specific mandate and the awareness of the “State of Mission.” The charismatic identity is rooted in the Salesian spirituality, enriched by some unique traits of the CMB. In particular, these traits are a spirituality of quest and an attitude of familiarity, which lay the foundations for unity among the members of the Community and of the Association.

Missions and Dissemination in the world
            Initially, the CMB was engaged in the Ethiopian missions. However, over time, the commitment shifted from mere leisure time activity to commitment in daily life. These have guided the fundamental CMB options. In a climate of deep friendship, of intense spiritual life rooted in the Word of God, and of concrete work for the poor and for young people, the Dedication emerged. It became clear that the missionary endeavor was meant not only forEthiopia but for every needy place in the world.
            In 1988, the first Rule of Life was drafted. In 1994 the CMB became an Association with its own legal structure in order to continue the missionary commitment and animation initiatives in the Bologna area.
            All the missionary presences of the CMB arose from a call and a sign. Currently, the Community is present in Europe, Africa, South America, and Central America. The first missionary expedition took place in 1998 in Madagascar. Since then, it has spread to nine countries: Italy, Madagascar, Burundi, Haiti, Ghana, Chile, Argentina, Ukraine, and Mozambique. The two most recent “adventures” concern Mozambique and Ukraine.
            In the coming months, a new presence will be opened in Mozambique. Last September, in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin-Valdocco, the missionary crucifix was handed over to Angelica and, symbolically, to three other young people from Madagascar and Burundi, who were absent for bureaucratic reasons. They will form the first community in that country.
            In Ukraine, several CMB members have traveled multiple times to provide aid to this war-stricken place and now, with the help of the Salesians, are trying to understand what new challenge that the Spirit is showing.

A Vocation of Trust and Service
            It is evident that the CMB vocation is missionary and Marian within the Salesian charism. But it also possesses its own peculiar identity, forged by history and the signs of the Lord’s presence that have emerged in the Community’s pivotal events. It is a story intertwined with the life of Don Bosco and that of the people who were part of it. It has never been easy to remain faithful to the call of the Spirit, as he always invites people to widen their horizon and to trust even “in the dark.”
            The CMB mission is one of testimony and of service, of fraternal sharing and of unrelenting trust in God. The witness of one’s life, of educational service, of the sharing of goods, time, and talent resulting from community discernment, and the taking on of responsibility for every project is rooted in that undiminished trust in God after the example of Don Bosco.

Marco Fulgaro

To my dearest Family

My dearest sons and daughters,

The dream that makes you dream. This is the entire legacy I leave you: a dream. That dream that guided my life. Now it is your dream. I am giving you the most precious things that I have. It came from above, and like everything that is born of God it cannot die. It was my vocation and my mission.

If you are here today, it is because you were chosen for a mission. This is your vocation: you are called to continue what I began. To bring to fulfilment, today, all God’s dreams that are also mine. And to fulfil them together, as a family.

So I ask you to get on the move and go. Get on the move, once again. Get on the move, relentlessly, without ceasing.
Like Abraham, like Joseph and Mary, like Levi, Simon, Andrew, and all the others. Like I did.
Go, God says. I’ll tell you where to go. Do not tire of it. Never stop.
I have often told you: we will rest in Heaven. Let this be your direction. Go to Heaven and take as many boys, girls and young people with you as possible.

Believe in the highest and most beautiful truths. Trust in God the Creator, in the Holy Spirit who moves everything towards good, in the embrace of Christ present in every person and who awaits everyone at the end of their life; believe, He awaits you, in the family.
Trust the Teacher, let her take your hand. She will never abandon you.
A mother always keeps the fire burning and the door open.

Wherever you are, build! On your feet, always. If you are lying down, get up! The world needs you!
Our flock is threatened, wolves are lurking: their fangs are called physical violence, affective-sexual violence, economic violence, cyber-violence and terrible social exclusion.

Love people. Love each one individually. Respect everyone’s path, be it a straight line or curved, because every person is sacred.
Cry with those who cry, but work so that there are no more tears in this world. “Do not weep” Jesus told the widow of Nain. Give back living children to the mothers of this world.

Your way of loving is a transformative power that leads to happiness. Have pure love, sow joy and be a blessing wherever you go. Don’t waste your life. Infect the world with your joy.

Save yourself from indifference. Enjoy the miracle of light, living water and shared bread. Remember that faith makes people human. Always. Watch, learn, and be patient, and let God dictate the timing of Providence.

Leave no room for bitter, dark thoughts. This world is the first miracle that God has done, and God has placed in your hands the grace of new miracles. Always expect a miracle in everyday life.

Synchronize the beating of your heart with the tears of so many impoverished young people. And the anger of those who have only encountered injustice and abuse. Keep the doors open at all times. Be responsible for this world and the life of every young person. Consider that every injustice against a poor person is an open wound in the heart of God.

Make peace among human beings, and do not listen to the voice of those who spread hatred and divisions. May there be peace and forgiveness in your homes and houses.  Together you form a real family, a solid city, an inclusive space. An Oratory. Be an Oratory.

May every young man and young woman you meet grow in wisdom, in age, in grace before God and before others and become the protagonist of a new humanity.

Every day ask God for the gift of courage. Always remember that Jesus overcame fear for us. You will conquer the world with Mary’s weapon – tenderness.  As Pope Francis recommended: Jesus has given us a light that shines in the darkness: defend it, protect it. That special light is the greatest wealth entrusted to your life.

And above all, dream! Don’t be afraid to dream. Dream! You dream of a world that is not yet seen, but that will certainly come. 
Organize hope. Take care of creation. Hope leads us to believe in the existence of a creation that extends until its definitive fulfilment, when God will be all in all.
Our dream is like life: it’s all we have.
Don’t let it die.
So let’s go, let’s change the world. Together.

Don Bosco

The Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) was founded on 18 April 1869 by Don Bosco, as the second group of his work after the Salesians, with the aim of “promoting the glories of the divine Mother of the Saviour, in order to merit Her protection in life and particularly at the point of death.”

            The Pious Association of Mary Help of Christians was founded after the opening of the Basilica dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, which took place on 9 June 1868 in Turin. With the building of the Basilica, Don Bosco saw with his own eyes the realisation of the famous dream of 1844, in which the Virgin Mary, in the likeness of a shepherdess, made him see “a wondrously big Church” in whose interior there was “a white banner on which was written in huge letters: HIC DOMUS MEA, INDE GLORIA MEA.” Many individuals, especially from among ordinary folk, had contributed offerings to the building of the Shrine as a sign of gratitude for graces received from Mary Help of Christians. The faithful had made “repeated requests that a pious Association of devotees be started, who, united in the same spirit of prayer and piety, would pay homage to the great Mother of the Saviour, invoked under the title of Help of Christians.” This popular request – made even though an ancient (12th century) and strong devotion to Our Lady existed in Turin under the title of the Consolata – indicates that the initiative came from above.

Thus one can also understand the reason for the request for approval of the Association made by Don Bosco himself: “The undersigned humbly asks Your Grace that for the sole desire of promoting the glory of God and the good of souls he agree that in the church of Mary Help of Christians consecrated a year ago by Your Grace to Divine Worship, a pious union of the faithful be started under the name of Association of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians. The main aim would be to promote adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and devotion to Maria Auxilium Christianorum: a title which seems to be of great pleasure to the august Queen of Heaven.” His request was not only accepted, but in less than a year from its foundation (February 1870) the Pious Association of Mary Help of Christians became an Archconfraternity.

            The name “ADMA” that Don Bosco gave to this association, meant the Association of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians, where the word “devotees” reflected what St Francis de Sales taught: “Devotion is simply a spiritual activity and liveliness by means of which Divine Love works in us, and causes us to work briskly and lovingly.” This devotion is further specified: “Don Bosco, aware of our difficulties and frailty, took a further, even more beautiful step: we are not general devotees, but devotees of Mary Help of Christians. In his experience, the gift of love which unites the Father and the Son (grace) and which drives us to action (charity), passes explicitly, almost sensitively, through Mary’s maternal mediation”, as Don Bosco’s successor, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, points out.
            Don Bosco founded ADMA to share grace and spread and defend the faith of the people, spreading adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to the Virgin Help of Christians, two pillars of our faith, throughout the world. This seed sown by the saint has now spread to 50 countries around the world, with around 800 groups attached to the Turin Primary ADMA.
            Today in ADMA, at the school of Don Bosco, paths of prayer, apostolate and service are followed in a family spirit. Devotion to the Eucharist and to Mary Help of Christians is lived and spread, valuing participation in liturgical life and reconciliation. Christian formation is aimed at imitating Mary in living the “spirituality of daily life”, seeking to cultivate a Christian environment of welcome and solidarity in the family and wherever people live.
            On the occasion of the 150th year of the foundation of ADMA, the successor of Don Bosco, in his letter “Entrust, confide, smile!” he left the Association some instructions. The invitation is to let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit for a renewed evangelising impulse, anchored to the two pillars, the Eucharist and devotion to Mary Help of Christians with certain emphases:
            – living holiness in the family, giving witness mainly through perseverance in love between spouses, parents and children, brothers and sisters, young and old;
            – bringing Our Lady into the home, imitating Mary in all that one can;
            – offering a way to holiness and apostolate that is simple and accessible to all;
            – participating in the Eucharist, without which there is no path to holiness;
            – entrusting ourselves to Mary, convinced that she will take us “by the hand” to lead us to the encounter with her Son Jesus.

            The privileged opportunities for living and spreading devotion to Mary Help of Christians among ordinary folk, and asking for graces, are the practices of piety: the commemoration of the 24th of each month, the rosary, the novena in preparation for the feast of Mary Help of Christians, the blessing of Mary Help of Christians, pilgrimages to Marian shrines, processions, collaboration in parish life.
            Members of ADMA are part of the great Salesian Family tree, a movement of people promoted by Don Bosco under the guidance of Mary Help of Christians, for the mission to youth and ordinary folk: “We must unite” he wrote in 1878 “among ourselves and all with the Congregation… aiming at the same goal and using the same means… as in a single family with the bonds of fraternal charity which spurs us to help and support each other for the benefit of our neighbour.” In the Salesian Family ADMA retains the task of emphasising the particular Eucharistic and Marian devotion lived and spread by St John Bosco, devotion which expresses the founding element of the Salesian charism. From this perspective, among other things ADMA promotes the International Congress of Mary Help of Christians for the whole Salesian Family, the next one to be held in Fatima from 29 August to 1 September 2024. The title chosen for this event will be “I will give you a teacher”, in memory of Don Bosco’s dream at nine years of age. This will be the 200th anniversary of the dream.
            In order to get to know ADMA better, as well as the website admadonbosco.org, you can also follow their monthly formation and communion sheet “ADMA on line” and their book series Notebooks of Mary Help of Christians, both of which are on the same site. You can also follow them on their social media channels Facebook and Youtube, and a brochure can be downloaded from HERE.

I had always admired Don Bosco, his passion for young people, his spirituality made of joy and concreteness, but I was unaware that there was a large Family around him. When someone spoke to me for the first time about the Salesian Family some time ago, he pointed to a large oak standing majestically in front of me and said: ‘Look at that tree. The Salesian Family is like that: it has a strong and solid trunk that is Don Bosco, well rooted to the ground, to the concrete reality of everyday life – the young, the poor, the challenges of every day that await answers, … – and it has many branches that look to the sky – the various Groups born from his charism. There are groups of religious and groups of lay people, men and women, as many as thirty-two that share the same spirituality, the same passion for the mission, but each one realises it in its own specific way!”.

I liked the image of the tree: the branches were close to each other, growing independently, but united to the trunk and nourished by the same sap of the plant. Together they made the tree leafy, lush, an exceptional shelter for the many birds that had chosen it as their home. It could have been a home for me too! I also liked the idea of ‘family’: it smelled good, of intimacy, of mutual support.

The first thing that attracted my interest was the fact that all the Groups together, despite their autonomy, form a large reality where an atmosphere of fraternity and joy, of closeness and trust is experienced. It is a style that characterises all the Groups: the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the Salesian Cooperators, the ADMA Association, and all those which, over the years, have been founded by ‘sons of Don Bosco’, each with its own special character. There are Sisters who take care of lepers and those who carry out their mission in small centres where others do not come; religious who put themselves at the service of local peoples and others who take in children. Then there are groups of lay people, from those who evangelise through mass media to those involved in missionary activity ad gentes or who are committed to being active in the social sphere, bringing the values received in Salesian circles. Finally, there are also Secular Institutes for men and women, with consecrated lay people committed to becoming missionaries in the heart of the world.

A great variety of vocations united by the one charism, the one spirituality: that of Don Bosco.

I also wanted to enter this adventure. As I went along I understood what “belonging” meant: just as being part of a natural family does not simply mean having the same surname, but is also participating in its history, sharing its values, its projects, its labours, so it is for the Salesian Family. Belonging to it is a choice, a vocation to which one responds, and from that moment on we grow together, bonds are created and strengthened, we dream together, plan together, build together, support, LOVE. This is what making Family is all about!

Already in 2009, the Successor of Don Bosco at the time, Fr Pascual Chávez, said emphatically: ‘I make the pressing invitation to this Family to acquire a new mentality, to think and act always as a Movement, with an intense spirit of communion (concord), with a convinced desire for cooperation (unity of intentions), with a mature capacity to work as a network (unity of projects)’.

Not a mere aggregation of groups, then, which like live monads in a self-referential manner, ignoring others, but rather the response to a call to live in full communion, bringing about a true Copernican revolution! It is a matter of being able to feel, when one joins a Salesian group, that one is not alone, that in the first place one joins a Family, a Movement of apostolic spirituality, which then becomes specific in a particular way of living the same gift. It is a matter of learning to recognise oneself as part of a whole and to understand that by walking and working together with others, we are all enriched and can achieve better results. It is a matter of learning to recognise the riches of the charisms of others, of committing oneself to the growth not only of one’s own, but also of the other groups, and of building a communion made up of respect for the specificities of each one, of collaboration, of appreciation for all.

Don Bosco truly had an original and fascinating intuition: join forces for a more effective mission!

In a letter to Cardinal John Cagliero (27 April 1876) Don Bosco wrote: ‘Once it was enough to unite together in prayer, but now that there are so many means of perversion, especially to the detriment of the youth of both sexes, it is necessary to unite in the field of action and work’.

And again in the January 1878 Salesian Bulletin, addressing the Cooperators: ‘We must unite among ourselves and all with the Congregation. Let us therefore unite by aiming at the same end and using the same means to achieve it. Let us therefore unite as one family with the bonds of fraternal charity’.

This, “working together” does not always mean, however, working “cheek by jowl”. It does not mean intervening in uniform ways. It does not mean all doing the same thing, but knowing how to interpret the personal and social contexts of young people together, knowing how to find potential intervention strategies to achieve shared goals – knowing how to coordinate together, mutually, with common as well as individual responsibility.

As in any family, everyone has their own role in the Don Bosco Family, but everyone is striving to achieve the same goals. Each group has its own specific character which must be respected and valued; it has its own characterisation that does not exhaust the charism that the Spirit has given through Don Bosco to the Church and to the world, but brings to light aspects of it that are always new and original. No one, on the other hand, can claim to be the ‘owner’ of the charism, but simply its custodian! In the Salesian Family it can be said that each group is incomplete without the other. All this makes me think of a face of Don Bosco made up of many pieces of a jigsaw puzzle: if some pieces are missing, the features of the figure will be disfigured, the face will not be recognisable. The pieces put together will show a complete Don Bosco.

Together, in communion, living the mission! In this way all the Groups can collaborate in formation and appreciation of the charism. Starting from concrete situations, they can plan together and foster shared commitment in their neighbourhood, where each can offer its own “specialisation”. They can network in a fraternal spirit to be more effective.

We know only too well how urgent it is, today, to commit ourselves to a fairer and more humane world; how necessary it is to indicate horizons of hope to so many young people; how indispensable it is to bear witness to solidarity, unity, communion in a society constantly tempted to close in on itself.

Yes, this is truly a beautiful Family!

I want to sing my thanks to Don Bosco. Ever available to the Holy Spirit, he sowed a seed in the earth. That seed sprouted, it became a large plant with many branches, leaves, flowers: … one big tree.

Now I know that whoever feels the same passion as Don Bosco, the same desire to make himself a mission for the young, the poor, the least, will find a place among its branches and will contribute to making the world more beautiful.

Giuseppina BELLOCCHI