Our History
The Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco (Daughters of Mary Help of Christians) are God’s response to young people’s need for care, accompaniment, education, and faith formation. During the lifetime of our co-founders, St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello (1837-1881) and St. John Bosco (1815-1888), young people faced the ill effects of a world shaped by the Industrial Revolution and the unification of Italy. Child labor, poverty, war, and anti-Catholic sentiment limited their access to necessities like education, housing, clothing, and food. Faith formation was also not readily available. Priests, religious sisters and brothers, found themselves quickly losing their schools and ministries due to anti-clerical laws that ultimately hurt the poor who benefited from their services.
In was during this time that St. John Bosco (known as “Don Bosco” from the Italian word for “Father) ministered as a priest in the bustling city of Turin, Italy. In Turin, political factions tried to attract vulnerable youth to their causes and draw them away from the practice of the Catholic faith and traditional family values.
In was during this time that St. John Bosco (known as “Don Bosco” from the Italian word for “Father) ministered as a priest in the bustling city of Turin, Italy. In Turin, political factions tried to attract vulnerable youth to their causes and draw them away from the practice of the Catholic faith and traditional family values.
Don Bosco would roam the city streets and invite young boys to his “Oratory.” It was at the Oratory where the boys would be safe from the dangers of the world. There they could gather to play, receive an education, learn a trade, and grow in their faith. There they received clothing, food, and shelter in a family atmosphere. Don Bosco’s boys would eventually become his first Salesian priests and brothers as the God unfolded His plan for a new religious congregation.
While St. John Bosco was caring for the boys in Turin, St. Mary Mazzarello, and her best friend, Petronilla, were gathering young girls in their small village of Mornese, Italy. They taught them how to sew so they could earn money in a way that kept them safe from exploitation. During these lessons, “Mother Mazzarello” also included faith formation, games, and of course, snacks and songs, creating her own “Oratory” similar to what Don Bosco was doing in Turin.
In fact, in one of Don Bosco's dreams, Mary, the Blessed Mother, made it clear that girls “were her children too.” And when the Holy Spirit brought Don Bosco and Mary Mazzarello together in 1864, it was clear that their missions were remarkably similar and from this encounter, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians were born.
On August 5, 1972, the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco) began with the first profession of Mary Mazzarello and other like-minded young women who joined her in her mission with the young. To Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello, God entrusted a passion to help young people achieve a better life and to foster within them a desire for holiness. Their work spread rapidly into a worldwide family dedicated to young people. Today, there are over 10,500 sisters in 97 countries worldwide!