Teaching Civil Devotion with Saint Francis de Sales
P. Wirth MORAND Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva in the 17th century, revolutionised Christian spirituality by proposing...
Salesian charism
The spirit of St Francis de Sales in Don Bosco
BSOL Editor Stained glass window of Saint Francis de Sales, Church of Saint Nicholas (Église Saint-Nicolas), Combloux,...
A beautiful and tall church (1844)
St John Bosco In 1844, a time full of questions about the future of the Oratory, Don Bosco...
No place is far away…if there is a bridge
This year’s Salesian missionary theme is Salesian missionary solidarity and the precious work of the...
Educating to the divine starting from the human with Saint Francis de Sales
Saint Francis de Sales proposes a pedagogy of faith that begins with human experience to...
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...
The Phylloxera (1876)
In 1876, during the third series of spiritual exercises preached in Lanzo, Don Bosco recounted...
Don Bosco and Pope Pius IX
P. Natale CERRATO 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
Fr Bruno FERRERO 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...
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....
Salesian Holiness 2025
Fr Pierluigi CAMERONI Download the 2025 Salesian Holiness poster The Salesian Postulation presents the 2025 annual dossier, documenting...
Towards the 150th anniversary of the departure of the first FMA missionaries
After celebrating 150 years since the first missionary expedition of the Salesians of Don Bosco,...
Fr. Giuseppe Tomaselli, apostle of the good press
Fr. Giuseppe Tomaselli (1902-1989) is one of the emblematic figures of the Salesian charism of...
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...
A challenge to our humanity
The wealth that risks making us blind and deaf The parable of the rich man...
Christmas with Don Bosco and his boys
At the beginning of the Christmas novena in December 1859, Don Bosco offered the young...
Interview with Fr Xavier ERNST, superior of the France – Southern Belgium Province
Fr. Xavier Ernst, born in Belgium in 1981, is the new superior of the France-Southern...
Where mission meets the screen: 150 years of salesian evangelisation (video)
In an age where young people communicate through images, videos, social media platforms, and instant...
‘I came to serve and give my life’. Rudolf Lunkenbein (1939-1976)
In July 1976, in the heart of the Brazilian Mato Grosso, a young German Salesian...
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...
Fr. Giovanni Bocchi (1929-2016). A Salesian missionary between Italy and Cameroon
May 2026 will mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Fr. Giovanni Bocchi, a...
Living Don Bosco’s Dream
In the photo: Carlo GASTINI, the promoter and first leader of the Don Bosco Past...
That Hail Mary of don Bosco’s
The meeting between Don Bosco and the young Bartolomeo Garelli, which took place on 8...
Interview with the Councillor for East Asia Oceania, Fr. William MATTHEWS
Let’s get to know Fr. William Matthews, a Salesian of Burmese origin who grew up...
Blessed Philip Rinaldi. A father who brought Don Bosco into the heart of the twentieth century
In the journey of Salesian history, Blessed Philip Rinaldi occupies a special place. The third...
Why don’t you speak? (1868)
In the following recounted speech, delivered by Don Bosco between 30 April and 1 May...
The Christmas Grotto, where Heaven meets Earth
The mystery of Christmas begins with a scandal of love: the Great becoming small. It...
The Salesian Bulletin. It is not just another magazine
It is distributed all over the world in dozens of different languages. Certainly it has...
Interview with the Councilor for Formation, Fr. Silvio ROGGIA
The General Counsellor for Formation, Fr Silvio Roggia, shares with depth and simplicity the journey...
Maria Troncatti: woman of reconciliation and peace
Maria Troncatti, Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, is a witness of consecrated life “in...
Interview with the Councillor for Youth Ministry, Father Rafael Bejarano Rivera
We interviewed Father Rafael Bejarano Rivera, a Colombian Salesian, elected General Councilor for Youth Ministry...
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...
150 Years of the First Missionary Expedition. To thank, to rethink, to relaunch
150 years have passed since the First Salesian Missionary Expedition. But the 150th Salesian Missionary...
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...
Interview with the General Councillor, fr. Fidel ORENDAIN
Communication, now more than ever, is a decisive area for education and evangelisation. For this...
From the Pharisee’s Table to the Heart of Ministry
Humility and Charity in the Education and Evangelisation of Young People In chapter 14 of...
In Don Bosco’s footsteps: Blessed Michael Rua (1837-1910)
“We will always go halves!” At 9 years of age Michael (already fatherless) was admitted...
Discourse of the Rector Major in Catania. Called to be signs of hope
On 27 September 2025, Father Fabio Attard, Rector Major of the Salesians, received honorary citizenship...
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,...
The hands of Sister Maria Troncatti
Sister Maria Troncatti, Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, declared a saint on 19 October...
Interview with the Councillor for Missions, Fr. Jorge Mario CRISAFULLI
Could you briefly introduce yourself? I was born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, on 19 March...
On 20th October, the Novena of Blessed Michele Rua begins
Blessed Michele Rua (1837-1910) represents an extraordinary figure in the history of Salesian spirituality. As...
Abide by the limit, cross the limit. Blessed Titus Zeman, martyr, and the relevance of his message today
Prof. Lodovica Maria ZANET Don Tito Zeman (1915-1969), a Slovak Salesian, lived his priestly vocation with evangelical radicalism right...
Interview with the Regional for East and Southern Africa, Fr. Innocent Bizimana
Can you introduce yourself? My name is Innocent Bizimana. I was born in Musha...
Sister Maria Troncatti, missionary of hope among the peoples
In the photo, Mr. Juwà Bosco, a member of the Shuar people, miraculously healed through...
Being V.I.D.E.S. volunteers to overcome borders
Salesian Missionary Volunteering in France-Belgium is a window open to the world. Through V.I.D.E.S. –...
A Raging Bull; Humility, Work and Temperance (1876)
This vivid dream narrative, recounted by Don Bosco at the end of the 1876 spiritual...
The mission has no borders: from East Timor to Japan
The Salesians arrived in Japan in 1927 and, thanks to the commitment of many missionaries,...
Monsters that Hurt Young People (1865)
In this lively account, dated 24 February 1865, Don Bosco speaks to his pupils about...
The Venerable Monsignor Stefano Ferrando
Ángel Card. FERNÁNDEZ ARTIME Monsignor Stefano Ferrando was an extraordinary example of missionary dedication and episcopal service, combining the...
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...
Cardinal Augustus Hlond
The second of 11 children, his father was a railway worker. Having received a simple...
Don Jose-Luis Carreno, Salesian missionary
Fr. José Luis Carreño (1905-1986) was described by historian Joseph Thekkedath as “the most beloved...
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...
Salesian House of Castel Gandolfo
Amidst the green hills of the Castelli Romani and the tranquil waters of Lake Albano...
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...
Female education with Saint Francis de Sales
The educational thinking of Saint Francis de Sales reveals a profound and innovative vision of...
Joseph Augustus Arribat: Righteous Among the Nations
1. Biographical Profile The Venerable Joseph Augustus Arribat was born on 17 December 1879 in...
Venerable Ottavio Ortiz Arrieta Coya, Bishop
Octavio Ortiz Arrieta Coya, born in Lima, Peru, on 19 April 1878, was the first...
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...
The Syndrome of Philip and the Syndrome of Andrew
In the Gospel account of John, chapter 6, verses 4-14, which recounts the multiplication of...
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...
Educating the Human Heart with Saint Francis de Sales
St. Francis de Sales places the heart at the centre of human formation, as the...
Don Bosco and the Sacred Heart. Protect, atone, love
In 1886, on the eve of the consecration of the new Basilica of the Sacred...
The Venerable Father Carlo Crespi “witness and pilgrim of hope”
ather Carlo Crespi, a Salesian missionary in Ecuador, lived his life dedicated to faith and...
Patagonia: “The greatest enterprise of our Congregation”
Upon arriving in Patagonia, the Salesians—led by Don Bosco—aimed to establish an Apostolic Vicariate to...
The Evangelical Radicality of Blessed Stefano Sándor
Stefano Sándor (Szolnok 1914 – Budapest 1953) was a Salesian coadjutor martyr. A cheerful and...
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...
Educating Beyond Weaknesses
The encounter between Jesus and Peter sheds a special light on our mission as evangelizers...
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...
With Nino Baglieri, Pilgrim of Hope, on the Journey of the Jubilee
The path of the 2025 Jubilee, dedicated to Hope, finds a shining witness in the...
Fr. Peter Ricaldone is Reborn in Mirabello Monferrato
Fr. Peter Ricaldone (Mirabello Monferrato, 27 April 1870 – Rome, 25 November 1951) was the...
Novena to Mary Help of Christians 2025
This 2025 Novena to Mary Help of Christians invites us to rediscover ourselves as children...
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...
St Dominic Savio. The places of his childhood
Saint Dominic Savio, the “little great saint,” lived his brief but intense childhood among the...
Father Crespi and the Jubilee of 1925
In 1925, in anticipation of the Holy Year, Father Carlo Crespi promoted an international missionary...
When the Lord Knocks
A confrere told me, “Father, we only need your closeness, your listening, your prayer. This...
Salesians in Ukraine (video)
The Salesian Vice-Province of Mary Help of Christians of the Byzantine Rite (UKR) has reshaped...
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...
Educating our emotions with Saint Francis de Sales
Modern psychology has demonstrated the importance and influence of emotions in the life of the...
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...
If Patagonia must wait… let’s go to Asia
The expansion of Salesian missionaries in Argentina during the second half of the 19th century...