Salesian Family

The Salesian family is an ecclesial reality spread throughout the world, based on the charism of its founder Don Bosco. Currently it comprises 31 officially recognized groups with a total of 402,500 members living in mutual communion and continuing their mission. A vast movement of people who, in diverse ways, work for the benefit of youth that started with the Society of St. Francis of Sales (Salesians of Don Bosco), the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) and the Association of Salesian Co-operators. Spiritual father of the community, according to Don Bosco himself, is the Rector Major, his successor. The unity of the congregation is supported and enhanced by the Council of the Salesian Family which meets every year. The “Identity card of the Salesian Family” – a document that contains the identifying traits of the groups – states that one of the essential criteria for recognizing a new group is “the sharing of the spirit, of the educative method and of the missionary style, that is, of the spiritual and pedagogical patrimony of Don Bosco”.

Don Francesco Cereda, Sdb, Vicar of the Rector Major

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