Don Bosco, the Missionary

The missionary dimension was always an original inspiration of Don Bosco. It can be said that the missionary ideal was almost part of don Bosco’s fundamental make up. Don Bosco had great desire to become a missionary and preach the good news in foreign lands but he realized that divine providence had other plans for him. 

Although don Bosco never went to missions himself, he was to fulfill his life-long desire by sending his sons as missionaries to, many far-off countries. During his life time don Bosco organized eight missionary expeditions. His successors followed up the program which he had started. 

Missionary work is a charismatic aspect of the Salesian congregation, that today the whole world is a mission territory that the concept of evangelization is to be understood in an integral sense and that all Salesians are called to be missionaries. The intense missionary sense of the church is embodied perfectly in the words of Jesus to his disciples “You will be my witness to the ends of the earth” (Acts.1:8). Don Bosco made his own this pressing demand of Jesus and immediately after approval of the constitutions in 1874; he sent first missionary expedition to Argentina on 11th November 1875. He gave the first group of missionaries 20 recommendations which today is a piece of classic in missionary literature among the members of the Salesian Family. Don Bosco’s only concern was “the glory of god and salvation of souls”. Don Rua tells us that some times don Bosco would look at the map of the world and felt sad that there were still many parts of the world that did not know Jesus Christ and demonstrated ardent desire to send missionaries to preach gospel to the young.