St. John Bosco, commonly known as Don Bosco, was born on 16 August 1815 at Becchi, a village near Turin, Italy. He lost his father at the age of two. His childhood was steeped in poverty and even though he liked to study, he could not pursue his dream due to fierce opposition from his stepbrother, Anthony. However his mother encouraged and supported him to follow his dream. Eventually he had to leave home, work for his own upkeep, and pursue his studies.

Through heroic sacrifices and by dint of hard work, he was able to complete his studies and seminary training and became a priest in1841. As a priest he dedicated himself to the service of boys, especially the poor and disadvantaged youth by offering them education, food and lodging. With the help of generous persons, he opened technical schools, hostels and other institutions. Soon he founded a society of collaborators and extended his work to all Europe and eventually to other continents..

Don Bosco died on 31 January 1888, at the age of 73. He was declared a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1934. Pope John Paul II called him “Father and Teacher of Youth.”

Don Bosco in the world:

The work of this humble priest has grown from a tiny seed into a large tree. The Fathers and Brothers now numbering 15,298 take care of the boys; the Sisters numbering approximately 16500 take care of the girls, the Co- operators who, while with their families, continue to work for the welfare of the young. The Past Pupils, volunteers and members of the Salesian Family are now continuing the legacy he left behind. The Salesians of Don Bosco now work in over 132 countries through 1965 institutions, continues to bring hope and support to the lives of the young especially the poor and disadvantaged in the society.

Don Bosco in India:

Don Bosco had a great desire to respond to the many invitations he received from India but he was not able to send his Salesians to India during his lifetime. The first successor of Don Bosco, Bl. Michael Rua sent the first batch of Salesians to India under the leadership of Father Tomatis to Tanjore in South India in 1906. However, due to several overwhelming reasons, the work of the Salesians did not grow spectacular as expected. In 1922, Fr. Rinaldi, the 4th successor of Don Bosco, sent another group of Salesians under the leadership of Fr. Louis Mathias to Shillong to look after the Assam Missions. Under the dynamic leadership of Fr. Louis Mathias the Salesian presences multiplied all over India and more so in the North East India. Today there are over 2751 Salesians serving the educational needs of children and youth through 384 centres scattered throughout the country. Besides the Salesians, other members of the Salesian Family, Co-operators, Past Pupils, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC), Sisters of Mary Immaculate (SMI) others - carry on the mission of Don Bosco in India.