The Salesians
John Bosco was born in 1815 and grew up in a small farming area called “i Becchi”, in Northern Italy.
His father Francis died when John was only two years old.
John’s mother, Margaret, moved her three boys, herself and her mother-in-law into this building after her husband’s death. She converted it so that it had two bedrooms, a kitchen-living room for the family, a barn for the animals and hay storage. Don Bosco lived here until he was 16.
Don Bosco was ordained to the priesthood in 1841 in Turin, Italy, where he began his ministry to youth.
He invited some of the young people who frequented his youth center, called the Oratory, to join him in his work. From these humble beginnings came the religious community of men dedicated to youth ministry and education.
In essence, The Salesians of Don Bosco is an international charitable, religious organization of the Catholic Church.
It was founded in Turin, Italy in 1859 by Don Bosco himself.
Today the Salesians serve in 133 countries, comprising of 90 Province and Vice-Provinces and it is the second largest religious community of men in the Catholic Church.
Don Bosco’s vision of a community made up of lay and ordained ministers was unique.
People ask us, “are Salesians just a group of bachelors living together?” To this, we say, Salesians are not really bachelors, but we do live for the sake of Jesus Christ and his Gospel. We are Catholic Christians who have made a solemn promise, a vow, to live our lives in the Salesian community and serve in the ministry of the Salesians. We take a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience. By these, we promise to share our lives together, in a chaste celibacy making ourselves available for ministry to youth.
The name ‘Salesian’ came from St. Francis De Sales, the Bishop of Geneva in the 1600s. john Bosco chose St. Francis De Sales as the Patron of the first foundation because of his patience and charity; two essential qualities needed for working with youths.
Salesians are unique because of their special educational methods invented by St. John Bosco. He called it the “Preventive System” of Education. Realising that giving bread to a hungry boy was only a temporary solution, Don Bosco developed what was actually the first “job placement” programme in industrialised Europe. He developed practical ways to help kids to help themselves. He did this through a programme of “play…learn…pray”. He replaced evil with reason, religion with kindness. He pioneered trade schools, technical schools and agricultural schools. St. John Bosco laboured tirelessly to make of every young person a ‘good’ Christian and responsible citizen. His methods worked a hundred years ago and they still work today on every continent and in every culture where there are poor kids who need a friend.
The Salesians work with young people because they believe very strongly in the value of every person, the possibility of a different and better world, and above all because they believe in the universal importance of education.
Professed Salesians are members of the religious congregation. We are Priests (Reverend Fathers), Salesian Brothers (Reverend Brothers), as well as Salesian Sisters known as Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
No, Salesians do not wear a habit. Only the Priests wear vestments at Mass. Other than that, Salesians wear regular clothes and blend well with lay people.
becoming Salesian
Salesians have Brothers and Priests, and these two categories have their functions and peculiar formation process.
Becoming a Salesian Priest:
Every religious community and every diocese has a formation program, which is divided into two stages. The Priests of the Salesians of Don Bosco follow the formation program described below:
The application process begins with the applicant contacting the Vocation Director who will interview him. The applicant will fill out and submit an application form. The formation team, made up of three to four Salesians, will review the application and the recommendation of the Vocation Director and decide the admission of the applicant into the Candidacy (Aspirantate) Program.
The Candidacy Program is a year to two years’ experience of living in a Salesian Community. During that time the candidate will follow a program of study, ministry, and prayer, which will give him an experience of the Salesian life. He may attend college or the Technical Institute courses at this time. Typically, the candidacy program of ANN Province is done in Onitsha and Ondo communities.
The Pre-novitiate program follows the candidacy program and can last anywhere from 6 months to a year. It is a time of discernment preparing the candidate for entry into Novitiate. The Pre-novitiate program of ANN Province takes place in the Pre-Novitiate Formation House in Akure community.
The Novitiate program for ANN Province still takes place in the Novitiate formation house in Ghana. It is a year-long intensive discernment and preparation program designed to help the individual prepare to take the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as a Salesian. At this point the person is a full member of the Salesians of Don Bosco and is referred to as a Brother, or a Novice. At the end of the novitiate year, the novice takes his vows for a period of one year.
Post-Novitiate for ANN Province takes place in the Formation house and Salesian school in the Ibadan community. After the novitiate and first profession the Brother (Cleric), will complete his studies in philosophy and may be given an opportunity to pursue university studies in a field that will prepare him for ministry in the Salesian community.
After university studies and before perpetual vows the Brother will be assigned to a Salesian Community and spend two years in full time ministry. We call this period Practical Training. He will be guided by the Salesians of his community in the practical application of Don Bosco’s methods of education and youth ministry.
Theology for ANN Province takes place in UPS (Universita Pontificia Salesiana) in Rome, although theology can also take place in Ibadan, seeing as the formation school is affiliated with UPS. A lot of theological studies can also happen in various parts of the world in Nairobi, Cameroon, Ireland etc, especially with Missionary specialization. Theology is a four-year program. In the first year the student is received as lector. In the second year he is received as acolyte. In the third year Ordination to the deaconate takes place. Upon completion of the fourth year, the student is ordained to the presbyter (priesthood). Of course, before he is ordained as a Deacon, he has to make his perpetual vows, commonly called the final profession. This is done together with those to become Reverend Brothers.
Becoming a Salesian Brother: The formation process for clerics and brothers are the same up to the practical training stage.
After the clerics continue to theology, Brothers are given the opportunity of going for more specific religious formation and then professional studies, in pursuing advanced degree work and professional certification in the field of his ministry.
After this, he takes his Perpetual Vows, committing himself to life long service as a Salesian.
Are you considering being a Salesian?
If none is close to you, please write to the Vocations Director of the Province via:
vd@donboscoann.org