The “Little” Priest of Valdocco
P. Natale CERRATO Over time, there has been no shortage of caricatures and superficial judgments about Don Giovanni...
Don Bosco
Get to know Don Bosco (9). A loving father
Fr Bruno FERRERO Don Bosco was able to win over poor young people not only because of his...
Association of Devotees of Mary Help of Christians
St John Bosco The booklet by Don Bosco, “Association of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians canonically...
VI World Congress of Salesian Cooperators
BSOL Editor 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
Fr Francesco MOTTO 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...
Don Bosco and the Sacred Heart. Protect, atone, love
In 1886, on the eve of the consecration of the new Basilica of the Sacred...
Don Bosco and Eucharistic processions
A little-known but important aspect of St John Bosco’s charism is Eucharistic processions. For the...
Patagonia: “The greatest enterprise of our Congregation”
Upon arriving in Patagonia, the Salesians—led by Don Bosco—aimed to establish an Apostolic Vicariate to...
St Francis de Sales instructs him. Future of vocations (1879)
In the prophetic dream Don Bosco recounted on 9 May 1879, Saint Francis de Sales...
From CGS20 to GC29. The “interior” journey of the Salesians: between fidelity to God and response to the young
At the conclusion of the 29th General Chapter of the Salesians, we invited Don Pascual...
Fr. Peter Ricaldone is Reborn in Mirabello Monferrato
Fr. Peter Ricaldone (Mirabello Monferrato, 27 April 1870 – Rome, 25 November 1951) was the...
Finally in Patagonia!
Between 1877 and 1880, the Salesian missionary shift towards Patagonia took place. After the offer...
Young people’s gifts to Mary (1865)
In a dream recounted by Don Bosco in the Chronicle of the Oratory, dated May...
The New Headquarters of the Salesians. Rome, Sacro Cuore (Sacred Heart)
Today, the original vocation of the Sacred Heart House sees a new beginning. Tradition and...
When the Lord Knocks
A confrere told me, “Father, we only need your closeness, your listening, your prayer. This...
The way to hell paved with feeble resolutions (1873)
San Giovanni Bosco recounts in a “good night” the result of a long plea to...
Don Bosco promoter of “divine mercy”
As a very young priest, Don Bosco published a booklet, in tiny format, entitled “Exercise...
Purity and ways it can be safeguarded (1884)
In this dream of Don Bosco, a heavenly garden appears: a green slope, festooned trees,...
Final Address of the Rector Major at the conclusion of the General Chapter 29
Dear confreres, We have come to the end of this experience of the 29th General...
Don Bosco International
Don Bosco International (DBI) is a non-governmental organisation based in Brussels, representing the Salesians of...
Social inclusion according to Don Bosco
Don Bosco’s far-sighted proposal for the ‘unaccompanied minors’ of Rome. The history of the church...
With Don Bosco. Always
P. Stefano MARTOGLIO It makes a difference whether or not a General Chapter is held in one place...
The dream of the 22 moons (1854)
In March 1854 on a feast day, after evening prayer Don Bosco gathered all the...
The Vicar of the Rector Major. Don Stefano Martoglio
We have the joy of announcing that Don Stefano Martoglio has been re-elected as Vicar...
New Rector Major: Fabius Attard
We are pleased to announce that Fr. Fabius Attard is the new Rector Major, the...
Rectors Major of the Salesian Congregation
The Salesian Congregation, founded in 1859 by Saint John Bosco, has had at its head...
150th anniversary of the first missionary expedition. Missionary Day
The Mission Sector of the Salesian Congregation prepared the usual materials for Salesian Mission Day...
Leaving for the missions… trusting in dreams
Don Bosco’s missionary dreams, without anticipating the course of future events, had the flavour of...
A Mysterious and Prophetic Wheel (1861)
The wise man’s heart,” we read in Holy Scripture, “knows times and judgments; for there...
We are Don Bosco, today
“You will complete the work I am starting; I will make the sketch, you will...
The Life of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles
The culminating moment of the Jubilee Year for every believer is the passage through the...
Our guest: Father Alphonse Owoudou, Chapter Moderator
On Sunday, February 16th, 2025, at Valdocco, Turin, the twenty-ninth General Chapter of the Salesian...
The Jubilee and devout practises for visiting churches. Dialogue
Saint John Bosco fully understood the importance of Jubilees in the life of the Church....
The history of the Salesian missions (1/5)
The 150th anniversary of the Salesian missions will be held on November 11, 2025. We...
The handkerchief of purity (1861)
On June 16, Don Bosco gave the boys the spiritual nosegay to pray for...
Hiking to Heaven (1861)
We shall now narrate another inspiring dream of Don Bosco which occurred on the nights...
Good, trustworthy and courageous slaves
In this Jubilee year, in this difficult world, we are invited to stand up, restart,...
Faith, our shield and our victory (1876)
“When I devoted myself to this part of the sacred ministry, I intended to consecrate...