Nine days dedicated to the august mother of the Saviour under the title of Mary Help of Christians
St John Bosco The name Mary Help of Christians echoes a long history of the Christian people’s trust...
Don Bosco
Don Bosco and the Holy Rosary
BSOL Editor October is the month of the Rosary, and for Don Bosco it was for many...
Life of the Young Dominic Savio, Pupil of the Oratory of St Francis de Sales
‘So I am the cloth; let her be the tailor.’ With these words, on 2...
Getting to know Don Bosco (17). Giuseppe Buzzetti
Fr Bruno FERRERO Joseph Buzzetti, a young bricklayer captivated by Don Bosco, was among the first and most...
The preventive system (7/7). The retrospective look. The exposition of the Biographical Memoirs
We continue with the seventh and final instalment on the main texts of Don Bosco’s...
The preventive system (6/7). To a formator of priests. The reply to the rector of the Seminary of Montpellier, Dupuy
We continue with the sixth instalment on the main texts of Don Bosco’s preventive system....
The preventive system (5/7). Invitation to read the book by Alberto DU BOYS, “Don Bosco and the Pious Salesian Society”
We continue with the fifth instalment on the main texts of Don Bosco’s preventive system....
The preventive system (4/7). The letter to the Minister of the Interior Francis Crispi
We continue with the fourth instalment on the main texts of Don Bosco’s preventive system....
The preventive system (3/7). Appendix to the Inauguration of the Patronage of St. Peter in Nice
We continue with the third instalment on the main texts of Don Bosco’s preventive system....
The preventive system (2/7). The dialogue with the teacher Francesco Bodrato
We continue with the second instalment on the main texts of Don Bosco’s preventive system....
The preventive system (1/7). The conversation with the Minister of the Interior Urbano Rattazzi
Introduction to the series on the main texts of the preventive system A method...
Getting to know Don Bosco (16). Giovanni Cagliero
The story of John Cagliero begins in 1851 when, as a young boy, he asked...
Prophecy of 1870: Paris, Church, Italy
Solemn Prophecy: The Future of Paris, Rome, and the Church: A Warning and Encouragement to...
Don Bosco’s surname
P. Natale CERRATO A surname can tell a story, evoke a place, and even become a source of...
We get to know Don Bosco (15). The definitive choice for the poor
At the most critical moment of the origins of the Oratory, Don Bosco finds himself...
Don Bosco in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican
On 31 January 1936, the Vatican Basilica welcomed the monument to St John Bosco. A...
The Salesian coat of arms. A programme of life enclosed in an image
There are images that do not limit themselves to representing an institution: they tell its...
Four name days in ten days
Fr Francesco MOTTO And what name days! Don Bosco never forgot the name-day of religious authorities and benefactors,...
Let us get to know Don Bosco (14). The Marchioness of Barolo
Giulietta Colbert di Barolo, a French noblewoman marked by exile and by profound family trials,...
Three laces to lead to perdition (1869)
In the dream that Don Bosco recounted to his young people on the evening of...
The Leisure of Don Bosco
The concept of “doing nothing” didn’t exist in Don Bosco’s mind, not even when he...
Cina 1926-2026: A Hundred Years of Grace
On 28 May 2026, Salesian China Province of Mary Help of Christians (CIN) became 100...
Getting to know Don Bosco (13). The theologian Giovanni Borel
Anonymous, Portrait of Don Giovanni Borel (1801–1873), late 19th century, tempera on copper, 37.5 ×...
Don Bosco and Saints Joachim and Anne
Saints Joachim and Anne, oil on canvas by Guido Guidi, 1914. Basilica of the Sacred...
Don Bosco and the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel
On 16 July, the Church celebrates the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount...
Get to know Don Bosco (12). Saint Joseph Cafasso
Saint Joseph Cafasso, Piero Dalle Ceste (1938), above the altar dedicated to him in the...
Three Illustrious Judges (1860)
It is to this divine goodness that Father Bonetti alludes when...
Don Bosco and the devotion to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
The relic of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, kept behind the altar of the...
We know Don Bosco (11). I saw the holiness and humanity of Don Bosco
Giovanni Battista Bertagna was born in Castelnuovo d’Asti on 26 October 1828. He graduated in...
Mary … Mary … Mary Peter and Paul (1884)
Teresio BOSCO El Greco, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, 1595-1600, oil on canvas, Museu Nacional d’Art de...
24 June, the feast of the Rector Major
For over a century and a half, on the day of the Nativity of St...
Łosiówka: Don Bosco’s heart beats in Krakow
In the Dębniki district, along the banks of the Vistula, stands one of the first...
Get to know Don Bosco (10). Don Bosco at the crossroads
The vocational discernment of John Bosco, initially attracted to the Franciscan religious life as a...
The “Little” Priest of Valdocco
Over time, there has been no shortage of caricatures and superficial judgments about Don Giovanni...
Get to know Don Bosco (9). A loving father
Don Bosco was able to win over poor young people not only because of his...
Association of Devotees of Mary Help of Christians
The booklet by Don Bosco, “Association of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians canonically...
VI World Congress of Salesian Cooperators
From 6 to 10 May 2026, the VI World Congress of the Association of Salesian...
Vision of St Dominic Savio (1876)
The following text recounts the “Vision of Saint Dominic Savio”, as told by Don Giovanni...
Getting to know Don Bosco (8). The spirit of Saint Francis de Sales
Between Don Bosco’s Oratory and Saint Francis de Sales, there was a bond that progressively...
Saint Joseph and work
In the panorama of Christian spirituality, Saint Joseph occupies a unique place: a silent, just,...
The month of May dedicated to Mary Immaculate for the use of the people
In 1858, St. John Bosco published “The Month of May dedicated to Mary Immaculate for...
Getting to know Don Bosco (7). Don Bosco’s eyes
The story of Don Bosco’s eyes reveals a surprising and deeply human trait of the...
Don Bosco in the house of Nino Baglieri: the voice of the saint of the young continues to speak
Last month, the house of the Servant of God Nino Baglieri in Modica welcomed the...
Getting to know Don Bosco (6). A will of steel and a heart of gold
Don Bosco’s personality was the result of a blend between his impulsive, fiery nature and...
A prodigious bidente (1875)
In the dream recounted by Don Bosco on the night of 25 April 1875, the...
Don Bosco’s Invitation to Confession
Confession holds a central place in the life and mission of Saint John Bosco. For...
Getting to know Don Bosco (5). “I was always in his company” Giorgio Moglia, farmer
Cascina Moglia, where Giovanni Bosco lived for about two years. Giorgio Moglia testified at...
A beautiful and tall church (1844)
In 1844, a time full of questions about the future of the Oratory, Don Bosco...
Vallecrosia: 150 years of Salesian presence between memory and future
In 2026, the Salesian community of Vallecrosia will celebrate a significant milestone: 150 years of...
Getting to know Don Bosco (4). Black bread swapped for white bread
We present the testimony of Don Secondo Marchisio, a Salesian priest, which was gathered during...
‘Nobelitis’, or when you start to believe you’re an expert in everything
The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious award a scientist can receive. Yet, this supreme...
Getting to know Don Bosco (3). Don Bosco’s brothers
Young Giovanni’s relationships with his two brothers were very different. Antonio, his difficult half-brother who...
A Report from the 44th Spirituality Days of the Salesian Family
From 15 to 18 January 2026, Valdocco hosted the 44th Spirituality Days of the Salesian...
Interview with Fr. Gábor VITÁLIS, Superior of the Hungary Province
We interviewed Fr. Gábor Vitális, the new superior of the Salesian Province of Hungary, about...
The Phylloxera (1876)
In 1876, during the third series of spiritual exercises preached in Lanzo, Don Bosco recounted...
Don Bosco and Pope Pius IX
Don Bosco was profoundly faithful to the Church and to Pope Pius IX, whom he...
Getting to know Don Bosco (2). Margherita, Christian Mother and Educator
The fountain of Mamma Margaret at the foot of Don Bosco Hill (1960s) Young...
Fr. Osvaldo, in Mexico since 1969. Fidelity to the missionary charism
In the context of the 150th anniversary of the Salesian missions, the testimony of Fr....
“Everything for you… until my last breath”
The room where Don Bosco actually breathed his last (Valdocco, Turin) “It costs me...
And who is Don Bosco?
To understand Don Bosco, one must perhaps consider contrasting judgements, the voices of the Church,...
Interview with Fr Juan Aaron CEREZO HUERTA, superior of the Mexico-México Province
Fr. Juan Aaron CEREZO HUERTA, born in Mexico City in 1968, is the new Salesian...
Don Bosco: publicist, not journalist
When speaking of Don Bosco and his relationship with the press, a misunderstanding can arise....
Novena to Saint John Bosco
Saint John Bosco, apostle of the young and father of the orphaned, continues to be...
Getting to know Don Bosco (1). The family’s economic situation
We are launching a new column titled “Knowing Don Bosco”. Conceived by the Salesian Fr....
Don Bosco in a stagecoach
How far and how did the Saint of Youth travel? Let us retrace these paths....
Strenna 2026. ‘Do whatever he tells you’
P. Fabio ATTARD Strenna 2026. ‘Do whatever he tells you’ Believers, free to serve Commentary on Strenna 2026...
Don Bosco and the Name of Jesus
In the spirituality of Saint John Bosco, the Name of Jesus was not a mere...
Mary saves him (1878)
Set on the night of Good Friday in 1878, the story “Mary Saves Him” is...
Christmas with Don Bosco and his boys
At the beginning of the Christmas novena in December 1859, Don Bosco offered the young...
Don Bosco and the good press: a rediscovered letter
The discovery of an unpublished letter from Don Bosco always offers an opportunity to shed...
That Hail Mary of don Bosco’s
The meeting between Don Bosco and the young Bartolomeo Garelli, which took place on 8...
Why don’t you speak? (1868)
In the following recounted speech, delivered by Don Bosco between 30 April and 1 May...
It’s your turn! said the gravedigger (1868)
In the dream that Don Giovanni Bosco recounted to his young people on the evening...
The Salesian Bulletin. It is not just another magazine
It is distributed all over the world in dozens of different languages. Certainly it has...
Our Lady of Good Counsel of Genazzano
In Genazzano, a small village in Lazio, an extraordinary Marian icon has been venerated for...
Letter from Nizza Monferrato
An apparently simple letter, yet rich in spiritual and educational meaning: this is what Don...
Rector Major’s missionary appeal 2025
“An Appeal for Renewed Charismatic Fidelity and Missionary Generosity” Dear Confreres, A fraternal and heartfelt...
A grace obtained, a missed votive offering, an indelible memory
Every unpublished document generally contains something new. Well, the documents we are presenting here not...
The Salesian search engine www.donbosco.info has been enhanced
Following its launch on 31 January 2025 and presentation at General Chapter 29, the Salesian...
Pains of Hell (1887)
In this passage, taken from his 1887 memoirs, Don Giovanni Bosco recounts the most disturbing...
Let me be alone; I suffer too much (1867)
The following dream, recounted by Don Bosco to his young people in 1867, begins with...
At Don Bosco’s school. Offering little sacrifices to Our Lady
For Saint John Bosco, devotion to Our Lady was not a mere accessory religious sentiment,...
A Raging Bull; Humility, Work and Temperance (1876)
This vivid dream narrative, recounted by Don Bosco at the end of the 1876 spiritual...
Monsters that Hurt Young People (1865)
In this lively account, dated 24 February 1865, Don Bosco speaks to his pupils about...
Crown of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
The publication “Crown of the Seven Sorrows of Mary” represents a cherished devotion that St....
Lotteries: real feats
Don Bosco was not only a tireless educator and pastor of souls, but also a...
Becoming a sign of hope in eSwatini – Lesotho – South Africa after 130 years
In the heart of Southern Africa, amidst the natural beauty and social challenges of eSwatini,...
The shepherdess, the sheep and lambs (1867)
In the following passage, Don Bosco, founder of the Valdocco Oratory, recounts a dream he...
Don Bosco with his Salesians
If Don Bosco happily joked with his boys to see them cheerful and serene, he...
The Seven Joys of the Madonna
At the heart of St. John Bosco’s educational and spiritual work, the figure of the...
The festive oratory at Valdocco
In 1935, following the canonisation of Don Bosco in 1934, the Salesians took care to...
Nobody frightened the hens (1876)
Set in January 1876, the piece features one of Don Bosco’s most evocative “dreams,” his...
Don Bosco and the Church of the Holy Shroud
The Holy Shroud of Turin, one of Christianity’s most revered relics, has a thousand-year history...
The Tenth Hill (1864)
Don Bosco’s dream of the “Tenth Hill”, recounted in October 1864, is one of the...
Missionary volunteering changes the lives of young people in Mexico
Missionary volunteering is an experience that profoundly transforms the lives of young people. In Mexico,...
The Little Lambs and the Summer Storm (1878)
The dreamlike tale that follows, recounted by Don Bosco on the evening of 24 October...
Visiting Rome with Don Bosco. Chronicle of his first trip to Rome
The first time Don Bosco went to Rome was in 1858, from February 18 to...
Visit to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome (also in 3D)
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome is a prominent church for...
Don Bosco’s devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Don Bosco’s devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus originated from the revelations to Saint...
Don Bosco attends a devils meeting (1884)
The following pages take us into the heart of Saint John Bosco’s mystical experience, through...