Salesians

the salesian society of St. John Bosco. Founded in Turin in 1841 by Giovanni Bosco,* it is the third largest Roman Catholic order. In 1970 it had 20,423 members throughout the world and supported 1,533 institutions. Don Bosco envisioned reaching young men spiritually by means of song festivals (a daily average of 576 festivals are sponsored). Soon the work spread to operating orphanages, day schools, evening schools, savings banks, sports associations, asylums for poor students, and agricultural colonies. The order maintains 140 mission stations in Asia, Africa, and South America and cares for nearly half-a-million orphans. Pius IX gave the order apostolic approval in 1868.