First Part
The Salesians of Don Bosco
in the Church

I. THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS DE SALES

"I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. I will set up over them one shepherd.. He shall feed them and be their shepherd" (Ezek 34,11. 23).

1. With a feeling of humble gratitude we believe that the Society of St Francis de Sales came into being not as a merely human venture but by the initiative of God.¹ Through the motherly intervention of Mary, the Holy Spirit raised up St John Bosco to contribute to the salvation of youth, "that part of human society which is so exposed and yet so rich in promise".²

The Spirit formed within him the heart of a father and teacher, capable of total self giving: "I have promised God that I would give of myself to my last breath for my poor boys".³

To ensure the continuation of this mission, the Spirit inspired him to initiate various apostolic projects, first among them our Society.

The Church has acknowledged God’s hand in this, especially by approving our Constitutions and by proclaiming our Founder a saint.

From this active presence of the Holy Spirit we draw strength for our fidelity and support for our hope.

2. We, the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), form a community of the baptized. Submissive to the bidding of the Spirit we are resolved to carry out the Founder's apostolic plan in a specific form of religious life: to be in the Church signs and bearers of the love of God for young people, especially those who are poor.

By carrying out this mission we find our own way to holiness.

3. We live as disciples of the Lord by the grace of the Father, who consecrates us¹ through the gift of his Spirit and sends us out to be apostles of the young.

Through our religious profession we offer ourselves to God in order to follow Christ and work with him in building up the Kingdom. Our apostolic mission, our fraternal community and the practice of the evangelical counsels are the inseparable elements of our consecration which we live in a single movement of love towards God and towards our brothers.

Our mission sets the tenor of our whole life; it specifies the task we have in the Church and our place among other religious families.

4. Our Society is made up of clerics and laymen who complement each other as brothers in living out the same vocation.

We are recognized in the Church as a clerical religious institute of pontifical right, "dedicated to apostolic works".¹

Inspired by the goodness and zeal of St Francis de Sales, Don Bosco called us Salesians² and gave us a programme of life in the motto: "Da mihi animas, cetera tolle".³

5. Don Bosco inspired the start of a vast movement of persons who in different ways work for the salvation of the young.

He himself founded not only the Society of St Francis de Sales but also the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the Association of Salesian Cooperators. These live in communion with each other, share the same spirit and, with specifically distinct vocations, continue the mission he began. Together with these groups and with others born later we make up the Salesian Family.¹

Within this family, by the will of the Founder, we have particular responsibilities: to preserve unity of spirit and to foster dialogue and fraternal collaboration for our mutual enrichment and greater apostolic effectiveness.

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Our past pupils are also members by reason of the education they have received, and the bonds are closer when they commit themselves to take an active part in the Salesian mission in the world.

6. The Salesian vocation places us at the heart of the Church and puts us entirely at the service of her mission.

Faithful to the commitments Don Bosco has passed on to us, we are evangelizers of the young, and the more so if they are poor; we pay special attention to apostolic vocations; we are educators of the faith for the working classes, particularly by means of social communication; we proclaim the Gospel to those who have not yet received it.

In this way we contribute to building up the Church as the Body of Christ, so that also through us she may appear to the world as the "universal sacrament of salvation".¹

7. Our vocation calls us to be deeply united with the world and its history.¹ Open to the cultural values of the lands in which we work, we try to understand them and make them our own, so as to incarnate in them the message of the Gospel.

The needs of the young and of working-class areas, the desire to work with the Church and in her name, inspire and shape our concrete pastoral activity so as to bring about a more just world and one of greater brotherhood in Christ.

8. The Virgin Mary showed Don Bosco his field of labour among the young and was the constant guide and support of his work,¹ especially in the foundation of our Society.

We believe that Mary is present among us and continues her "mission as Mother of the Church and Help of Christians".²

We entrust ourselves to her, the humble servant in whom the Lord has done great things,³ that we may become witnesses to the young of her Son's boundless love.

9. As members of the pilgrim Church we are conscious of our fellowship with our brothers in the heavenly kingdom and feel the need of their help.¹

Don Bosco entrusted our Society in a special way to Mary, whom he made its principal patroness,² as well as to St Joseph and to St Francis de Sales, the zealous pastor and doctor of charity.

We hold in veneration as special protectors St Dominic Savio, a sign of the wonders that grace can achieve in adolescents, and the other glorified members of our family.

"What you have teamed and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you" (Phil 4,9).

10. Under the inspiration of God, Don Bosco lived and handed on to us an original style of life and action: the Salesian spirit.

It is summed up and centred in pastoral charity, characterized by that youthful dynamism which was revealed so strongly in our rounder and at the beginnings of our Society. It is an apostolic impetus that makes us seek souls and serve God alone.

11. The Salesian spirit finds its model and source in the very heart of Christ, apostle of the Father.¹

Reading the Gospel we become more aware of certain aspects of the figure of the Lord: gratitude to the Father for the gift of a divine vocation offered to all men; predilection for the little ones and the poor; zeal in preaching, healing and saving because of the urgency of the coming of the Kingdom; the preoccupation of the Good Shepherd who wins hearts by gentleness and self-giving; the desire to gather his disciples into the unity of brotherly communion.

12. As he works for the salvation of the young, the Salesian experiences the fatherhood of God and continually reminds himself of the divine dimension of his work: "Apart from me you can do nothing".¹

He cultivates union with God, aware of the need to pray without ceasing in a simple heart-to-heart colloquy with the living Christ and with the Father, whom he feels close at hand. Attentive to the presence of the Spirit and doing everything for God's love he becomes like Don Bosco a contemplative in action.

13. Our love for Christ necessarily gives rise to our love for his Church, the People of God, the centre of unity and communion of all the forces working for the Kingdom.

We feel ourselves a living part of her, and we cultivate in ourselves and in our communities a renewed ecclesial awareness. This we express in an attitude of filial loyalty to Peter's successor and to his teaching, and in our efforts to live in communion and collaboration with the bishops, clergy, religious and laity.

We educate young Christians to an authentic understanding of the Church and to work assiduously for its growth. Don Bosco tells us: "No effort should be spared when the Church and the Papacy are at stake".¹

14. Our vocation is graced by a special gift of God: predilection for the young: "That you are young is enough to make me love you very much".¹ This love is an expression of pastoral charity and gives meaning to our whole life.

For their welfare we give generously of our time, talents and health: "For you I study, for you I work, for you I live, for you I am ready even to give my life". ²

15. Sent to young people by the God who is 'all charity',¹ the Salesian is open and cordial, ready to make the first approach and to welcome others with unfailing kindliness, respect and patience.

His love is that of a father, brother and friend, able to draw out friendship in return; this is the loving-kindness so much recommended by Don Bosco.

His chastity and well-balanced attitude open his heart to spiritual fatherhood and give transparent witness to God's anticipating love.

16. Don Bosco wanted everyone to feel at home in his establishments. The Salesian house becomes a family when affection is mutual and when all, both confreres and young people, feel welcome and responsible for the common good.

In an atmosphere of mutual trust and daily forgiveness, the need and joy of sharing everything is experienced, and relationships are governed not so much by recourse to rules as by faith and the promptings of the heart.¹

This is a witness that enkindles in the young the desire to get to know and to follow the Salesian vocation.

17. The Salesian does not give way to discouragement in face of difficulties, because he has complete trust in the Father. "Let nothing upset you," Don Bosco used to say.¹

Inspired by the optimistic humanism of St Francis de Sales, he believes in man's natural and supernatural resources without losing sight of his weakness.

He is able to make his own what is good in the world and does not bewail his own times; he accepts all that is good,² especially if it appeals to the young.

Because he is a herald of the Good News he is always cheerful.³ He radiates this joy and is able to educate to a christian and festive way of life: "Let us serve the Lord in holy joy".⁴

18. "Work and temperance will make the Congregation flourish",¹ whereas the seeking of an easy and comfortable life will instead bring about its death.²

The Salesian gives himself to his mission with tireless energy, taking care to do everything with simplicity and moderation. He knows that by his work he is participating in the creative action of God and cooperating with Christ in building the Kingdom.

Temperance gives him the strength to control his heart, to master himself and remain even-tempered.

He does not look for unusual penances but accepts the daily demands and renunciations of the apostolic life. He is ready to suffer cold and heat, hunger and thirst, weariness and disdain whenever God's glory and the salvation of souls require it.³

19. The Salesian is called to be a realist and to be attentive to the signs of the times, convinced that the Lord manifests his will also through the demands of time and place.

Hence his spirit of initiative and apostolic creativity: "in those things which are for the benefit of young people in danger or which serve to win souls for God, I push ahead even to the extent of recklessness".¹

Timely response to these needs requires him to keep abreast of new trends and meet them with the well-balanced creativity of the Founder; periodically he evaluates his work.

20. Under the guidance of Mary his teacher, Don Bosco lived with the boys of the first Oratory a spiritual and educational experience which he called the "Preventive System". For him this was a spontaneous expression of love inspired by the love of a God who provides in advance for all his creatures, is ever present at their side, and freely gives his life to save them.

Don Bosco passes this on to us as a way of living and of handing on the gospel message, and of working with and through the young for their salvation, It permeates our approach to God, our personal relationships, and our manner of living in community through the exercise of a charity that knows how to make itself loved.

21. The Lord has given us Don Bosco as father and teacher.

We study and imitate him, admiring in him a splendid blending of nature and grace. He was deeply human, rich in the qualities of his people, open to the realities of this earth; and he was just as deeply the man of God, filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and living "as seeing him who is invisible".¹

These two aspects combined to create a closely-knit life project, the service of the young. He realized his aim with firmness, constancy and the sensitivity of a generous heart, in the midst of difficulties and fatigue. "He took no step, he said no word, he took up no task that was not directed to the saving of the young… Truly the only concern of his heart was for souls".²