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CONSTITUTIONS
of the Society of St Francis de Sales

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Third Edition 2015
Translation revised 2023
Copyright © Editrice SDB 2023
NOTE TO THE REVISED ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE
CONSTITUTIONS AND REGULATIONS OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS DE SALES
With the encouragement of the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, a small team of native English speakers from across the
English-speaking world and one native Italian speaker, all with considerable Salesian and administrative experience and language competence,
was assembled to revise the translation of the 2015 Third Edition of our Constitutions and Regulations. The team focused on accuracy
of translation, fluency of language, and consistency with regard to the use of British English conventions, since the original translation
has used that ‘flavour’ of English.
This text also contains the modifications introduced by GC28.
31 January 2023
Text design by Editrice SDB
Set in EB Garamond

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Contents
CONSTITUTIONS
of the Society of St Francis de Sales
Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Presentation of the Third Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Part One
THE SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO IN THE CHURCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1. The Society of St Francis de Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2. The Salesian spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3. The profession of the Salesian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Part Two
SENT TO THE YOUNG – IN COMMUNITIES – FOLLOWING CHRIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4. Sent to the young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Those to whom our mission is directed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Our educational and pastoral service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Criteria for Salesian activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Those who share responsibility for the mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5. In fraternal and apostolic communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
6. Following the obedient, poor and chaste Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Our obedience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Our poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Our chastity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7. In dialogue with the Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Part Three
FORMED FOR THE MISSION OF PASTORS AND EDUCATORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
8. General aspects of our formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Salesian formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Initial formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9. The formation process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Part Four
THE SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN OUR SOCIETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
10. General principles and criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
11. Service of authority in the world community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
12. Service of authority in the provincial community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
13. Service of authority in the local community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
14. Administration of temporal goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
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GENERAL REGULATIONS
Part One
SENT TO THE YOUNG – IN COMMUNITIES – FOLLOWING CHRIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
1. Those to whom our mission is directed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
2. Our pastoral and educational service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
3. Activities and works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
The Oratory and the Youth Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
The school, vocational training centres and institutions of higher education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Hostels and boarding schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Initiatives at the service of vocations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
The missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Parishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Social communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Service in non-Salesian structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4. Service to the Salesian Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
5. Fraternal and apostolic communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
6. Following the obedient, poor and chaste Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Our obedience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Our poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Our chastity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
7. In dialogue with the Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Part Two
FORMED FOR THE MISSION OF PASTORS AND EDUCATORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
8. General aspects of formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Formation communities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Intellectual formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Pastoral experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Practical guide for formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
9. The formation process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Immediate preparation for the novitiate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
The novitiate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Formation after the novitiate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Ongoing Formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Part Three
THE SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN OUR SOCIETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
10. The Rector Major and his Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
The General Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Regional structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
11. The service of authority in the provincial community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
The provincial and his council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
The provincial chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
12. The service of authority in the local community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
The rector and his council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
The assembly of the confreres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
13. The administration of temporal goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
General norms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
At world level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
The provinces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
The houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
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PRESENTATION
Here at last, dear confreres, is our renewed and approved Rule of Life. It is offered to you in a manual which every
Salesian should keep with him as his identity card.
It contains the Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales, our “basic code”, revised and re-written in
accordance with the requirements of Vatican II (“Ecclesiae Sanctae” II, 1,12-14).
In addition, it contains the updated version of the General Regulations, which form an integral part of the
particular law of our Society.
In the manual you will also find some of the writings of our father, St John Bosco, which are enriched with his
spiritual experience.
The serious and wide-ranging revision of the text was carried out by the whole Congregation over a period of
many years and is the fruit of the work of no fewer than three General Chapters (20th, 21st and 22nd); it ensures
continuity with our origins, the ecclesial character of the Salesian apostolic consecration and the natural tendency
of Don Bosco’s mission to reach out to the whole world.
On 25 November 1984, Solemnity of Christ the King, the Apostolic See approved the present Constitutions, once
again declaring authoritatively “the authenticity of the gospel way of life traced out by the founder.” They set out
the spiritual riches of our Salesian tradition; they define its apostolic project; they trace out our path of holiness and
invite us to witness to it as the most precious gift we can offer the young.
On 8 December 1984, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the date “on which all our greatest enterprises
and events began and reached fulfilment”, the Rector Major promulgated this precious rewritten text. We welcome
our rule of life with gratitude and trust as being the “living testament of Don Bosco” coming from the hands of the
Virgin Help of Christians herself, and we open our hearts in thanksgiving as we pray:
We thank you Father
because you have called us individually by name
from every continent
to be in the Church signs and bearers of your love.
For us too, Father, you have made to rise up
from the very heart of Christ, your apostle,
that pastoral love
which marks our ecclesial fervour
with the gift of predilection for young people.
We adore you with filial gratitude
because your Paraclete, the Spirit of the Lord,
is always with us by the grace of his consecration
as we live day by day the fullness of our gift,
renewing the mystery of the baptismal Covenant
through its more intimate and complete expression.
Grant, merciful Father,
that with Mary’s guidance,
we may persevere to the end
on this way that leads to Love.
In our religious profession
You have made to blossom in us a new and exhilarating reality
which is the offering of ourselves
in the work of salvation and the liturgy of life.
Teach us to see and contemplate
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6 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
through the indications of this Rule,
the undivided heart of your only Son;
permeate our freedom with the power of your Spirit,
so that all of us who adhere to Don Bosco
may faithfully fulfil with your help
all that by your gift we have promised.
Rome, 8 December 1984
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Fr Egidio Viganò
Rector Major
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PRESENTATION OF THE THIRD EDITION
My dear confreres,
31 years have passed since the promulgation of the renewed and approved text of our Rule of Life, the fruit
of the work of no fewer than three General Chapters in accordance with the requirements of Vatican II.
As the then Rector Major, Fr. Egidio Viganò said in presenting the Constitutions and Regulations these
“set out the spiritual riches of our Salesian tradition; they define its apostolic project; they trace out our path of
holiness and invite us to witness to it as the most precious gift we can offer the young.” As such, the text retains
all its validity and its richness, and therefore should be known, reflected on, prayed about and brought to life.
Nevertheless, seeking to bring the Rule of Life into harmony with the new requirements of the Congregation,
during the last General Chapters (23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th) some modifications considered appropriate
were made and later approved by the Holy See.
In relation to our Rule of Life renewed in 1984, in this third edition changes have been introduced in
the Constitutions in articles 5, 95, 128, 132(14), 133, 134, 137, 142, 151(8), in the General Regulations in
articles 3, 13, 24, 38, 76, 107, 114, 127 and 128 and consequently in the Analytical Index in the words Centre(s),
Directory, Past Pupils, Salesian Family, Salesian Cooperators, Vicar of the Rector Major. I think it would be
therefore appropriate to publish a third edition containing these modifications. I hope that it will provide the
opportunity once again for us to welcome the text of the Constitutions “as a precious treasure” entrusted to us
by Don Bosco. Again he is saying to us: “If you have loved me in the past, continue to love me in the future by
the exact observance of our Constitutions.” May Mary Help of Christians make us docile to the transforming
action of the Holy Spirit so that following the example of the first Salesians, we may model our lives on that of
Don Bosco especially in this bicentenary year of his birth.
Fr Ángel Fernández Artime
Rector Major
Rome, 16 August 2015
The Bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth
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ABBREVIATIONS
Sacred Scripture
Acts
Acts of the Apostles
Col
Letter of St Paul to the Colossians
1 Cor First letter of St Paul to the Corinthians
2 Cor Second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians
Eph
Letter of St Paul to the Ephesians
Ezek
Ezekiel
Gal
Letter of St Paul to the Galatians
Gen
Genesis
Heb
Letter to the Hebrews
Is
Isaiah
Jn
Gospel of St John
1 Jn
First letter of St John
Lk
Gospel of St Luke
Mk
Gospel of St Mark
Mt
Gospel of St Matthew
1 Pet
First letter of St Peter
Phil
Letter of St Paul to the Philippians
Prov
Proverbs
Ps
Psalms
Qo
Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes)
Rev
Revelation (Apocalypse)
Rom
Letter of St Paul to the Romans
1 Sam First book of Samuel
Sir
Sirach
1 Thess First letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians
1 Tim First letter of St Paul to Timothy
Wis
Wisdom
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Abbreviations 9
Documents of the Church
AA
Apostolicam Actuositatem, Decree of Vatican II
AG
Ad Gentes, Decree of Vatican II
CIC
Codex luris Canonici
EN
Evangelii Nuntiandi, Apostolic Exhortation of Paul VI, 1975
ET
Evangelica Testificatio , Apostolic Exhortation of Paul VI, 1971
GS
Gaudium et Spes, Constitution of Vatican II
IGLH Institutio Generalis de Liturgia Horarum
IM
Inter Mirifica, Decree of Vatican II
LG
Lumen Gentium, Constitution of Vatican II
MR
Mutuae Relationes, Directives, SCRIS – S. Congreg. for Bishops, 1978
PC
Perfectae Caritatis, Decree of Vatican II
PO
Presbyterorum Ordinis, Decree of Vatican II
RD
Redemptionis Donum, Apostolic Exhortation of John Paul II, 1984
SC
Sacrosanctum Concilium, Constitution of Vatican II
Salesian sources
ASC
Salesian Central Archives
BM
Biographical Memoirs (English translation)
C
Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
C 1875 Rules or Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales, Turin 1875 (OE XXVII, 10-99)
DB
Don Bosco
MB
Memorie biografiche (19 volumes)
MO
Memoirs of the Oratory of St Francis de Sales (New Rochelle, 2010)
OE
Opere edite (published works)
R
General Regulations
Don Rua Circular letters of Don Rua
Note: The Scriptural texts in English are from the New Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition).
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2 Pages 11-20

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FOREWORD
For us Salesians, our Rule Book is Don Bosco’s living testament. “If you have loved me in the past,” he tells us,
“continue to love me in the future by the exact observance of our Constitutions.”1
Fr Michael Rua, Don Bosco’s first successor, reminds us: “When Don Bosco sent his first sons to America he
had himself photographed in the act of handing to Fr John Cagliero, who headed the expedition, the book of the
Constitutions as though to say: ‘I would like to go with you myself, but since I cannot do so these Constitutions
will take my place. Keep them as you would a precious treasure!’”2
1 BM XVII, 232.
2 Don Rua, 1 Dec. 1909.
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Part One
THE SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO
IN THE CHURCH
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1. THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS DE SALES
God’s action in the
foundation and life of
our Society
“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 until my dying breath I would dedicate myself entirely to
my poor boys.”3
To ensure the continuation of this mission, the Spirit inspired him to initiate various
apostolic endeavours, 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.
1 MO, 30.
2 BM II, 35.
3 BM XVIII, 216.
Nature and mission of
our Society
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 the poorest of them.
By carrying out this mission we find our own way to holiness.
Our apostolic
consecration
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 and sisters.
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.
1 LG 44.
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14 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
Form of our Society
4. Our Society is made up of clerics and laymen who complement one another 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
1 PC 8; CIC, can 675 §1.
2 BM V, 8.
3 BM XVII 337, 338, 257.
Our Society in the
Salesian Family
R 36, 41, 147
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.
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 part in the Salesian mission
in the world.
1 ASC, Progetto CG1, ms DB; BM XVII, 10-11.
Our Society in the
Church
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, especially the poorest of them; we pay special attention to apostolic
vocations; we are educators of the faith in low-income areas, 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
1 LG 48; GS 45.
Our Society in the
contemporary world
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 low-income groups, the desire to work with the Church
and in her name, inspire and shape our pastoral activity so as to bring about a more
just world and one of greater fellowship in Christ.
1 GS 1.
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The Salesians of Don Bosco in the Church 15
The presence of Mary
in our Society
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 lowly servant in whom the Lord has done great things,3
that we may become witnesses to the young of her Son’s boundless love.
1 BM VII, 197; XVII, 232; XVIII, 373.
2 DB, Maraviglie della Madre di Dio, Turin 1868, p. 45 (OE XX, 237).
3 Lk 1:48-49.
Patrons and Protectors 9. As members of the pilgrim Church, we are conscious of our communion in the
of our Society
heavenly kingdom with our brethren 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.
1 LG 49.
2 C 1875, V, 6.
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2. THE SALESIAN SPIRIT
Pastoral charity the
centre of our spirit
“Keep on doing the things that you have learned and
received and heard and seen in me, 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 in and focused on pastoral charity, characterized by the youthful
dynamism which was revealed so strongly in our Founder and at the beginnings of
our Society. It is an apostolic impetus that makes us seek souls and serve God alone.
Christ of the Gospel
the source of our spirit
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 everyone;
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.
1 LG 3; AG 3.
Union with God
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.
1 Jn 15:5.
Sense of the Church
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 the Church, 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 Pope are at stake.”1
1 BM V, 383.
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The Salesians of Don Bosco in the Church 17
Predilection for the
young
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
1 DB, Il Giovane provveduto, Turin 1847, p. 7 (OE II, 187).
2 Don Ruffino, Cronaca dell’oratorio, ASC 110, quaderno 5, p. 10.
Salesian loving-kindness 15. Sent to young people by the God who is all charity,1 the Salesian is open and
friendly, 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.
1 DB, Esercizio di divozione alla misericordia di Dio, Turin 1847 p. 81 (OE II, 151).
Family spirit
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.
1 BM XVII, 88-89.
Optimism and joy
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 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 the happiness of Christian life and a sense of celebration: “Let
us serve the Lord in holy joy.”4
1 BM VII 317.
2 1 Thess 5:21.
3 Phil 3:1.
4 DB, Il Giovane provveduto, Turin 1847, p. 6 (OE II, 186).
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18 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
Work and temperance
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
1 BM XII, 338.
2 BM XVII, 250.
3 C 1875, XIII, 13.
Initiative and
flexibility
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: “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.
1 BM XIV, 662.
The Preventive System
and Salesian spirit
20. Under the guidance of Mary his teacher, Don Bosco lived a spiritual and educational
experience with the boys of the first Oratory, which he called the “Preventive System”.
For him this was a freely-given 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 gives his life
to save them.
Don Bosco passes this on to us as a way of living and 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.
Don Bosco our model
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 though he saw 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
1 Heb 11:27.
2 Don Rua, 24 Aug. 1894.
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3. THE PROFESSION OF THE SALESIAN
Personal vocation of
the Salesian
“Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you
fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets
and followed him.” (Mk 1:17-18)
22. Each one of us is called by God to form part of the Salesian Society. Because of
this God gives him personal gifts, and by faithful correspondence he finds his way to
complete fulfilment in Christ.
The Society recognizes his vocation and helps him to develop it; as a responsible member
he puts himself and his gifts at the service of the community and of its common tasks.
Every call is an indication that the Lord loves the Congregation, wants to see it vibrant
for the good of the Church and never ceases to enrich it with new apostolic energy.
Meaning of our
profession
23. Religious profession is a sign of a loving encounter between the Lord who calls
and the disciple who responds by giving himself totally to God and to his brothers
and sisters.
It is one of the most lofty choices a believer can consciously make, an act which recalls
and endorses the mystery of his baptismal covenant by giving it a deeper and fuller
expression.
By publicly binding himself in the eyes of the Church, through whose ministry he
is more intimately consecrated to the service of God,1 the Salesian begins a new life
which is lived out in a service of permanent dedication to the young.
Profession is also the expression of a mutual commitment between the professed member
who enters the Society and the Society which receives him with joy.2
1 MR 8; LG 44.
2 LG 44; PC 5; CIC, can. 654.
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20 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
Formula of profession
24. Our formula of profession is the following:
“God my Father, you consecrated me to yourself on the day of my baptism.
In response to the love of the Lord Jesus your Son, who calls me to follow him more
closely,
and led by the Holy Spirit who is light and strength, with complete freedom I, N.N.,
offer myself totally to you.
I pledge myself
to devote all my strength to those to whom you will send me, especially to young
people who are poorest; to live in the Salesian Society in communion of spirit and
action with my brothers;
and in this way to share in the life and mission of your Church.
And so, in the presence of my brothers, and before Fr N. N. (who takes the place of the)
Rector Major of the Society of St Francis de Sales,
I make the vow for ever to live obedient, poor and chaste
according to the way of the gospel set out in the Salesian Constitutions.
Father, may your grace, the intercession of Mary Help of Christians, of St Joseph, of
St Francis de Sales, and of St John Bosco, together with the assistance of my brother
Salesians keep me faithful day by day.”
(for those making temporary profession):
“And so, in the presence of my brothers, and before Fr N. N. (who takes the place of
the) Rector Major of the Society of St Francis de Sales,
although it is my intention to offer myself to you for all my life, in accordance with
the Church’s dispositions
I make the vow for ... year(s) to live obedient, poor and chaste according to the way of
the gospel set out in the Salesian Constitutions.
Father, may your grace, the intercession of Mary Help of Christians, of St Joseph, of
St Francis de Sales, and of St John Bosco, together with the assistance of my brother
Salesians keep me faithful day by day.”
The Superior responds:
“In the name of the Church
and of the Salesian Society
I welcome you among the Salesians of Don Bosco as a confrere committed by perpetual
(temporary) vows.”
Profession a source of
sanctification
25. The action of the Spirit is for the professed member a lasting source of grace and
a support for his daily efforts to grow towards the perfect love1 of God and human
beings.
The confreres who are living or have lived to the full the gospel project of the Constitutions
are a stimulus and help for us on the path to holiness.
The witness of such holiness, achieved within the Salesian mission, reveals the unique
worth of the beatitudes and is the most precious gift we can offer to the young.
1 PC 1.
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Part Two
SENT TO THE YOUNG
IN COMMUNITIES
FOLLOWING CHRIST
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4. SENT TO THE YOUNG
THOSE TO WHOM OUR MISSION IS DIRECTED
“As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he
had compassion for them, because they were like sheep
without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many
things.” (Mk 1:17-18)
The young to whom we 26. The Lord made clear to Don Bosco that he was to direct his mission first and
are sent
foremost to the young, especially to the poorest of them.
We are called to the same mission and are aware of its supreme importance: young
people are at the age when they must make basic life-choices which affect the future
of society and of the Church.
R 1, 3, 11, 15, 26
With Don Bosco we reaffirm our preference for the young who are poor, abandoned
and at risk,1 those who have greater need of love and evangelisation, and we work
especially in areas of greatest poverty.
1 BM XIV, 536.
Young workers
R2
27. Young people from poor areas who are looking for work, and young workers in
general, often encounter difficulties and easily become victims of injustice.
Making the concern of Don Bosco our own, we go to them to prepare them to take
their place with dignity in society and in the Church and to alert them to the role they
can play in the Christian transformation of social life.
Young people called to
serve the Church
R 9, 16, 17
28. To meet the needs of his people the Lord continually calls some to follow him,
and enriches them with a variety of gifts in the service of the Kingdom.
We are convinced that many young people are rich in spiritual potential and give
indications of an apostolic vocation.
We help them discover, accept and develop the gift of a lay, consecrated or priestly
vocation, for the benefit of the whole Church and of the Salesian Family.
With equal zeal we nurture adult vocations.
In poorer areas
R 14, 25, 26
29. Our priority commitment to young people who are poor fits in well with pastoral
involvement among poor people in general.
We recognise the gospel values which they stand for, and the need they have of support
in their efforts at human advancement and growth in the faith. Hence we support
them by “all the means that Christian charity suggests.”1
We also give our attention to the lay people responsible for evangelization of their
local area, and to the family where different generations come together2 and build the
future of humankind.
1 C 1875, 1, 7.
2 GS 52.
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People not yet
evangelized
R 18-24
Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 23
30. People still awaiting the gospel message were the special object of Don Bosco’s
concern and apostolic effort. They continue to stimulate our zeal and keep it alive.
We look upon missionary work as an essential feature of our Congregation.
Through our missionary activity we carry out a patient work of evangelisation by
founding the Church within a group of people.1 This work mobilizes all the educational
and pastoral commitments proper to our charism.
Following the example of the Son of God, who made himself in all things like us, the
Salesian missionary makes his own the values of these people and shares their hopes
and anxieties.2
1 AG 6.
2 AG 3, 12, 26.
OUR EDUCATIONAL AND PASTORAL SERVICE
Total development
R 4, 5, 22
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery
of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to
proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Lk 4:18-19)
31. Ours is a sharing in the mission of the Church, which brings about the saving
design of God, the coming of His Kingdom, by bringing people the message of the
gospel which is closely tied in with the development of the temporal order.1
We educate and evangelise according to a plan for total human well-being directed to
Christ, the perfect Man.2 Faithful to the intentions of our Founder, our purpose is to
form “upright citizens and good Christians.”3
1 EN 31.
2 GS 41.
3 Plan of Regulations of the Oratory, 1854 (BM II, 36).
Personal development
R 4, 6
32. As educators we work together with our young people to bring all their talents
and aptitudes to full maturity.
According to circumstances we share our food with them, further their technical skills
and give them an all-round education.
Always and in every case we help them to be open to truth and to develop in themselves
a responsible freedom. To this end we commit ourselves to inculcating in them a
convinced appreciation of true values which will lead them to a life of dialogue and
service.
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24 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
Social and collective
development
R 6, 26
33. Don Bosco clearly saw the social implications of his work.
We work in poor areas and for poor young people. We work with them, educating
them to assume their moral, professional and social responsibilities, and favouring
their involvement in groups and in the larger community.
In a way appropriate to religious, we share in the witness and commitment of the
Church to justice and peace. While not getting involved in ideologies or party politics,
we reject everything that encourages deprivation, injustice and violence. We cooperate
with all who are trying to build a society more worthy of human dignity.
The advancement to which we dedicate ourselves in the spirit of the gospel makes
tangible the love of Christ which sets us free, and is a sign that the Kingdom of God
is among us.
Evangelization and
catechesis
R7
34. “This Society had its beginning in a simple catechism lesson.”1 For us too, evangelizing
and catechizing are the fundamental characteristics of our mission.
Like Don Bosco, we are all called to be educators to the faith at every opportunity.
Our highest knowledge therefore is to know Jesus Christ, and our greatest delight is
to reveal to all people the unfathomable riches of his mystery.2
We walk side by side with the young so as to lead them to the risen Lord, and so
discover in him and in his gospel the deepest meaning of their own existence, and thus
grow into new creatures in Christ.
The Virgin Mary is present in this process as a mother. We make her known and loved
as the one who believed,3 who helps and who infuses hope.
1 BM IX, 35.
2 Eph 3:8-19.
3 Lk 1:45.
Introduction to
ecclesial life
R8
35. We introduce the young to the experience of ecclesial life by bringing them into a
faith community and helping them take part in it.
To this end we promote and animate groups and movements for formation and apostolic
and social action. In these the young people grow in the awareness of their own responsibilities
and learn to give their irreplaceable contribution to the transformation of the world
and to the life of the Church, and so become themselves the “first apostles of the
young, in direct contact with them.”1
1 AA 12.
Introduction to
liturgical life
R7
36. We introduce the young to a conscious and active participation in the Church’s
liturgy, the summit and source of all Christian life.1
With them we celebrate the encounter with Christ, by listening to his Word, in prayer
and in the sacraments.
The Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation celebrated with care are means of
exceptional value for education to Christian liberty, to conversion of heart and to a
spirit of sharing and service in the ecclesial community.
1 SC 10.
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Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 25
Vocational guidance
R 9, 16, 17
37. We educate the young to develop their own human and baptismal vocation by a
daily life progressively inspired and unified by the gospel.
The family atmosphere of welcome and faith, created by the witness of a community
which gives of itself with joy, is the most efficacious setting for the discovery and
guidance of vocations.
This work of collaboration with God’s design, the crown of all our educational and
pastoral activity, is sustained by prayer and personal contact, above all in spiritual
direction.
The Preventive System 38. Don Bosco has handed on to us his Preventive System as a means for carrying out
in our mission
our educational and pastoral service.
“This system is based entirely on reason, religion and loving kindness.”1 Instead of
constraint, it appeals to the resources of intelligence, love and the desire for God which
everyone has in the depths of his being.
It brings educators and youngsters together in a unique experience of life, marked by
a spirit of family, trust and dialogue.
R 4, 5, 13, 15
Imitating God’s patience, we encounter the young at their present stage of freedom.
We accompany them, so that they develop solid convictions and gradually assume
responsibility for the delicate process of their growth as human beings and in the faith.
1 MB XIII, 919, but cf. also BM IV, 382.
Assistance as an
attitude and method
39. The practice of the Preventive System demands a fundamental disposition on our
part: an empathy with the young and a willingness to be with them: “Here in your
midst I feel completely at home; for me, living means being here with you.”1
We are present as brothers among the young in an active and friendly way, helping
them in their efforts to grow in what is good, and encouraging them to cast off every
form of slavery, so that their weakness may not be overcome by evil.
This presence affords us a true understanding of the world of the young and unites
us with them in all the healthy aspects of their restless energy.
1 BM IV, 455.
CRITERIA FOR SALESIAN ACTIVITY
“For though I am free with respect to all, I have made
myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them…
To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the
weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I
might by any means save some.” (1 Cor 9:19,22)
Don Bosco’s Oratory a
permanent criterion
40. Don Bosco lived a pastoral experience in his first Oratory which serves as a model;
it was for the youngsters a home that welcomed, a parish that evangelized, a school
that prepared them for life, and a playground where friends could meet and enjoy
themselves.
As we carry out our mission today, the Valdocco experience is still the lasting criterion
for discernment and renewal in all our activities and works.
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26 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
Inspirational criteria
for our activity and
works
R1
41. Our apostolic activity is carried out in a variety of ways, which depend in the first
place upon the actual needs of those for whom we are working.
We give practical expression to the redeeming love of Christ by organizing activities
and works of an educational and pastoral nature designed to meet the needs of the
neighbourhood and of the Church. Sensitive to the signs of the times and with initiative
and continual flexibility we evaluate these activities, renew them and create new ones.
The education and evangelization of many young people, especially among the very
poor, means that we have to go to them where they are to be found, and provide
adequate forms of service in the context of their own lifestyle.
Activities and works
R 11-30, 35
42. We carry out our mission chiefly in works that make possible the human and
Christian education of the young, such as oratories and youth centres, schools and
vocational training centres, boarding establishments and houses for young people in
difficulty.
In parishes and mission residences we contribute to the spreading of the gospel and
to the advancement of the people. We collaborate in the pastoral programme of the
particular Church out of the riches of our specific vocation.
In specialized centres we make available our pedagogical and catechetical expertise in
the service of the young.
In retreat houses we provide for the Christian formation of groups, especially of young
people.
We dedicate ourselves also to every other kind of work which has as its scope the
salvation of the young.
Social communication
R 31-34, 41
43. We work in the social communication sector. This is a significant field of activity1
which constitutes one of the apostolic priorities of the Salesian mission.
Our Founder had an instinctive grasp of the value of this means of mass education
which creates culture and spreads patterns of life; he showed great originality in the
apostolic undertakings which he initiated to defend and sustain the faith of the people.
Following his example we utilize as God’s gift the great possibilities which social
communication offers us for education and evangelization.
1 IM 1.
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Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 27
THOSE WHO SHARE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MISSION
“The one who plants and the one who waters have
a common purpose and each will receive his wages
according to the labour of each. For we are God’s servants,
working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
(1 Cor 3:8-9)
The mission is given to
the community
44. The apostolic mandate which the Church entrusts to us is taken up and put into
effect in the first place by the provincial and local communities. The members have
complementary functions and each one of their tasks is important. They are aware
that pastoral objectives are achieved through unity and joint brotherly responsibility.
The provincial and the rector, as animators of dialogue and teamwork, guide the
community in pastoral discernment, so that it may accomplish its apostolic plan in
unity and fidelity.
Common and
complementary
responsibilities
45. Each of us is responsible for the common mission, and participates in it with the
richness of his own personal gifts and with the lay and priestly characteristics of the
one Salesian vocation.
The Salesian coadjutor brother brings to every field of education and pastoral activity
the specific qualities of his lay status, which make him in a particular way a witness to
God’s Kingdom in the world, close as he is to the young and to the realities of working
life.
The Salesian priest or deacon brings to the common work of promoting human
development and of educating in the faith the specific quality of his ministry, which
makes him a sign of Christ the Good Shepherd, especially by preaching the gospel and
administering the sacraments.
The significant and complementary presence of clerical and lay Salesians in the community
constitutes an essential element of its make up and of its apostolic completeness.
Young Salesians
46. The family spirit and the dynamic drive which is characteristic of our mission
among young people make the contribution of young Salesians in the apostolate particularly
important.
They are closer to the rising generations; they can provide inspiration and enthusiasm;
they are ready to try new solutions.
The community, by encouraging and guiding this generosity, helps them to mature
as religious and apostles.
The educative
community and lay
people associated with
our work
R 4, 5, 148
47. We bring about in our works the Educative and Pastoral Community which involves
young people and adults, parents and educators, in a family atmosphere, so that it can
become a living experience of Church and a revelation of God’s plan for us.
Lay people associated with our work make a contribution all their own in this community
because of their experience and pattern of life.
We welcome and encourage their collaboration, and we give them the opportunity to
get a deeper knowledge of the Salesian spirit and the practice of the Preventive System.
We foster the spiritual growth of each of them, and to those who may be so inclined
we suggest a closer sharing of our mission in the Salesian Family.
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Solidarity with the
particular Church
R 2, 13, 25, 35
28 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
48. The community lives and expresses its apostolic commitment within the particular
Church. We become part of its pastoral action which has the Bishop at its head1 and
the directives of the Bishops’ Conference as a springboard for action on a wider scale.
We offer the particular Church the contribution of our work and Salesian pedagogy,
and we receive from it direction and support.
To forge more systematic links we share initiatives with other groups belonging to the
Salesian Family and with other religious institutes.
We are ready to cooperate with civil organisations working in the fields of education
and social development.
1 CIC, can. 678 §1.
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5. IN FRATERNAL AND APOSTOLIC COMMUNITIES
Importance of life in
community
R 20
“Let love be genuine... love one another with mutual
affection; outdo one another in showing honour…
Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality
to strangers… Live in harmony with one another.”
(Rom 12:9-10,13,16)
49. To live and work together is for us Salesians a fundamental requirement and a sure
way of fulfilling our vocation.
This is why we come together in communities,1 where our love for each other leads us
to share all we have in a family spirit, and so create communion between person and
person.
The community is a reflection of the mystery of the Trinity: there we find a response
to the deep aspirations of the heart, and we become signs of love and unity for the
young.
1 CIC, can. 608.
The bonds of unity
R 42
50. God calls us to live in community and entrusts us with brothers to love.
Brotherly love, our apostolic mission and the practice of the evangelical counsels are
the bonds which form us into one and constantly reinforce our communion.
We thus become one heart and one soul to love and serve God,1 and to help one
another.
1 C 1875, II, 1.
Relationships of
fraternal friendship
51. St Paul exhorts us: “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves
with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another
and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other.”1
The family spirit is the hallmark of the Salesian community and inspires every moment
of its life: work and prayer, meals and recreation, meetings and other encounters.
In an atmosphere of brotherly friendship we share our joys and sorrows, and we are
partners in our apostolic plans and experiences.
1 Col 3:12-13.
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30 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
The confrere in the
community
R 43
Sick and aging
confreres
52. The community receives each confrere with an open heart. It accepts him as he is
and fosters his growth to maturity. It offers him the opportunity to use and develop
his gifts of nature and of grace. It provides for his needs and sustains him in moments
of doubt and difficulty, weariness and ill health.
Don Bosco used to say to those who asked to remain with him: “Bread, work and
paradise: I can offer you these three things in the Lord’s name.”1
The confrere pledges himself to build up the community in which he lives. He loves
it, despite its imperfections, and knows that in it he finds the presence of Christ.
He accepts fraternal correction, fights whatever he discovers in himself which militates
against the community and gives his own generous contribution to the community
life and work. He thanks God that he is among brothers who encourage him and help
him.
1 BM XVIII, 357.
53. The community surrounds its sick and aged confreres with care and affection.
They in their turn, accepting their condition and serving the community in whatever
way they can, are a source of blessing for it; they enrich its family spirit and deepen its
unity.
Their life takes on a new apostolic significance. As they offer their limitations and
sufferings in a spirit of faith for their brothers and for the young, they are united with
the redeeming passion of the Lord, and continue to share in the Salesian mission.
Death of the confrere
R 47
54. The community supports with greater love and prayer the confrere who is gravely
ill. When the hour comes for him to bring his consecrated life to its highest fulfilment,
his brothers help him to enter fully into Christ’s paschal mystery.
Death for the Salesian is made bright by the hope of entering into the joy of his Lord,1
and when it happens that a Salesian dies working for souls, the Congregation has won
a great triumph.2
The memory of departed confreres unites, in a love that will not pass away,3 those who
are still pilgrims with those who are already resting in Christ.
1 Mt 25:21.
2 BM XVII, 250.
3 1 Cor 13:8.
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Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 31
The rector in the
community
R 42, 48
55. The rector represents Christ who unites his followers in the service of the Father.
He is at the centre of the community, a brother among brothers, who recognise his
responsibility and authority.
His first task is to animate the community so that it may live faithful to the Constitutions
and grow in unity. He coordinates the efforts of all, bearing in mind the rights, duties
and capabilities of every member.
He also has a direct responsibility toward each confrere; he helps him realise his own
personal vocation and carry out the work entrusted to him.
He extends his concern to the young and to our colleagues, so that they may share in
the community’s mission with increasing responsibility.
In his words, frequent contacts and opportune decisions he is a father, teacher and
spiritual guide.
A welcoming
community
R 21, 45
56. With simplicity the confreres lead a life of self-giving and sharing, by welcoming
others and offering them hospitality. By their kindness and cheerfulness they are able
to draw everyone into the Salesian family spirit.
Nevertheless, to foster mutual respect and expressions of brotherly communion, every
community should reserve certain parts of the religious house for the confreres alone.1
1 CIC, can 667 §1.
An open community
57. The Salesian community works in communion with the particular Church.
It is open to the world’s values and attentive to the cultural milieu in which it carries
out its apostolic work. At one with those among whom it lives, it cultivates good
relations with all.
Thus it becomes a sign revealing Christ and his saving presence among us, and becomes
a leaven giving rise to new vocations after the example of the first community of Valdocco.
The provincial
community
58. Local communities are a living part of the provincial community. The latter fosters
fraternal communion among them and supports them in their mission.
It shows a loving concern for new confreres; it is solicitous for the formation of every
member, rejoices in their success and the happy occasions in their lives, grieves over
their loss and keeps alive their memory.
Attentive to the youth situation, it coordinates and evaluates our apostolic work through
its various services; it encourages collaboration, stimulates pastoral work for vocations,
provides for the continuity of our works, and is open to new activities.
It cultivates the spirit of brotherhood and expresses it concretely through solidarity
with other provinces, with the Congregation and with the Salesian Family.
The world community 59. Religious profession incorporates the Salesian in the Society, making him a participant
in the communion of spirit, witness and service that is its life within the Universal
Church.
R 103
Union with the Rector Major and his Council, solidarity in apostolic initiatives,
communication and exchange of information about the work of the confreres, all
increase this communion, deepen the sense of belonging and dispose us to give our
service to the world community.
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6. FOLLOWING THE OBEDIENT, POOR AND CHASTE
CHRIST
Following Christ
“I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing
value of knowing Christ ... because Christ Jesus has
made me his own.” (Phil 3:8,12)
60. By religious profession we mean to live the grace of our baptism radically and more
fully.
We follow Jesus Christ, who “chaste and poor, redeemed and sanctified men through
obedience,”1 and we share more closely in his paschal mystery, his self-emptying and
his life in the Spirit.
Surrendering ourselves totally to God whom we love above all else, we commit ourselves
to a form of life based entirely on gospel values.
1 PC 1.
Fraternal and apostolic 61. Don Bosco frequently points out how the sincere practice of the vows strengthens
love
the bonds of brotherly love and makes our apostolic work coherent.
The profession of the counsels helps us to live a life of communion with our brothers
in the religious community as in a family which enjoys the presence of the Lord.1
The evangelical counsels render our pastoral charity solicitious and fruitful by fostering
purification of the heart and spiritual freedom:2 the obedient, poor and chaste Salesian
is quick to love and serve those to whom the Lord sends him, especially poor youth.
1 PC 15.
2 LG 46.
A particular sign of
God’s presence
62. The practice of the counsels, lived in the spirit of the beatitudes, makes our proclamation
of the gospel more convincing.
In a world tempted by atheism and the idolatry of pleasure, possessions and power,
our way of life bears witness, especially to the young, that God exists, that his love can
fill a life completely, and that the need to love, the urge to possess, and the freedom to
control one’s whole existence, find their fullest meaning in Christ the Saviour.
Our way of life also affects our manner of dressing, which is meant to be an external
sign of this witness and service. The clerics follow the dispositions of the particular
Churches in the countries in which they reside,1 and the lay members adopt the simple
style which Don Bosco recommended.2
1 CIC, can. 669.
2 C 1875, XV, 1-3.
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Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 33
Witness of the world
to come
63. The offering of his own freedom through obedience, the spirit of evangelical poverty
and the love which becomes a gift in chastity, make the Salesian a sign of the power of
the resurrection.
The evangelical counsels, fashioning his heart entirely for the Kingdom, help him
discern and welcome God’s action in history; in the simplicity and hard work of daily
life they transform him into an educator who proclaims to the young “a new heaven
and a new earth,”1 awakening in them hope and the dedication and joy to which it
gives rise.2
1 Rev 21:1.
2 Rom 12:12.
OUR OBEDIENCE
Gospel significance of
our obedience
“Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through
what he suffered; and having being made perfect he
became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey
him.” (Heb 5:8-9)
64. Our Saviour assured us that he came on earth to do not his own will but that of
his Father in heaven.1
By professing obedience we offer our will to God and by carrying out the mission
entrusted to us we relive Christ’s own obedience in the Church and in the Congregation.
Docile to the Spirit and attentive to the signs he gives us in the events of each day, we
take the gospel as our supreme rule of life,2 the Constitutions as a sure path to follow,
and the superiors and the community as day by day interpreters of God’s will.
1 C 1875, III, 1.
2 PC 2.
Salesian style of
obedience and
authority
R 50
65. In Salesian tradition, obedience and authority are practised in a family spirit of
love which inspires relationships of mutual esteem and trust.
The superior directs, guides and encourages, making discreet use of his authority.
All the confreres collaborate by obeying readily and sincerely, “with cheerfulness and
humility.”1
The service of authority and the willingness to obey are the principles of cohesion in
the Congregation, and guarantee its permanence; for the Salesian they are the path to
holiness and the source of energy in his work, of joy and of peace.
1 C 1875, Ill, 2.
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34 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
Shared responsibility
in obedience
66. In the community, in view of the mission entrusted to us, we all obey even though
we have different tasks to perform.
In listening to the Word of God and celebrating the Eucharist, we express and renew
our common dedication to the divine will.
In matters of importance we seek the will of the Lord together in patient brotherly
dialogue, with a deep awareness of shared responsibility.
The superior exercises his authority by listening to the confreres, encouraging all to
make their contribution and promoting a union of wills in faith and charity. He concludes
this phase of searching in common by making appropriate decisions. These will normally
emerge from a convergence of the views expressed.
We all then set to work to carry out these decisions by our sincere collaboration, even
when our own views have not prevailed.
Personal obedience and 67. The Salesian is expected to obey in freedom of spirit and with an awareness of
freedom
his personal responsibility, pledging his “powers of intellect and will, and his gifts of
nature and grace.”1
He obeys with faith and sees in the superior an aid and a sign which God uses to
manifest his will.
Obedience like this “leads to maturity by extending the freedom of the sons of God.”2
1 PC 14.
2 PC 14.
Requirements of the
vow of obedience
68. By vowing obedience the Salesian pledges himself to obey lawful superiors in
matters concerning the observance of the Constitutions.1
When an order is given expressly by virtue of the vow of obedience, the obligation
to obey is a grave one. Only major superiors and rectors can command in this way,
but they should do so rarely, in writing or before two witnesses, and only when some
serious reason requires it.2
1 CIC, can 601.
2 CIC, can 49ff.
Personal gifts and
obedience
69. Each one places his abilities and talents at the service of the common mission.
The superior, with the help of the community, has a special responsibility for the
discernment of these gifts, and for promoting their development and right use.
If the concrete demands of charity and the apostolate require the sacrifice of personal
wishes or plans which are in themselves lawful, the confrere accepts with faith whatever
obedience asks of him, while still retaining the right of recourse to a higher authority.
Before taking on tasks or offices other than those assigned to him in the community,
he seeks authorisation from the lawful superior.1
1 CIC, can. 671.
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Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 35
The talk with the
superior
R 49
Obedience and the
mystery of the cross
70. Faithful to Don Bosco’s recommendation, each confrere meets frequently with
his superior for a friendly talk.
This is one of the best opportunities for dialogue, both for his own personal advantage
and for promoting the good running of the community.
In it he speaks with confidence of his own life and work and, if he so wishes, also of
the state of his conscience.
71. “Substitute acts of penance,” Don Bosco tells us, “with acts of obedience.”1
Sometimes obedience will clash with our own selfish attitudes and desires for independence,
or may really test our love. This is the moment to look to Christ, who was obedient
even unto death:2 “Father, if this [cup] cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be
done.”3
The mystery of his death and resurrection teaches us how fruitful it is for us to obey:
the grain of wheat which dies in the obscurity of the earth bears much fruit.4
1 BM XIII, 68.
2 Phil 2:8 cf. BM IV, 163.
3 Mt 26:42.
4 Jn 12:24.
OUR POVERTY
Gospel significance of
our poverty
“Jesus said to him: ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell
your possessions and give the money to the poor, and
you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow
me.’ ” (Mt 19:21)
72. We are aware of the generosity of our Lord Jesus Christ: though he was rich he
made himself poor so that through his poverty we might become rich.1
We are called to a life closely modelled on the gospel. We choose to follow “the Saviour
who was born in poverty, lived deprived of everything and died stripped on the cross.”2
Like the apostles at our Lord’s invitation we free ourselves from concern and worry
about earthly goods3 and, trusting in the providence of the Father, we dedicate ourselves
to the service of the gospel.
1 2 Cor 8:9.
2 C 1875 (Introduction), p. xxiv.
3 Mt 6:25ff.
Poverty and the
Salesian mission
73. Don Bosco lived his poverty in detachment of heart and generous service of others;
his manner was marked by austerity, hard work and much initiative.
Following his example, we too live detached from all earthly goods;1 we participate
with a spirit of enterprise in the mission of the Church and in her struggle for justice
and peace, especially by educating those in need.
The witness of our poverty, lived in a common sharing of our goods, helps the young
to overcome their selfish possessive instinct and opens them to the Christian sense of
sharing.
1 C 1875, IV, 7.
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36 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
Requirements of the
vow of poverty
R 51-53
74. By the vow of poverty we undertake not to use and not to dispose of material
goods without the consent of the lawful superior.
Each confrere retains the ownership of his patrimony and the right to acquire other
goods, but before his profession he freely disposes of their use and enjoyment and
cedes their administration to others.
Before perpetual profession he draws up his will in conformity with the norms of civil
law. After serious reflection, as an expression of his complete abandonment to divine
Providence, he may also renounce definitively the goods of which he has retained the
ownership in accordance with universal law and that of the Society.
Personal commitment
to poverty
R 55
75. Each one of us bears prime responsibility for his own poverty, daily living out by
the frugality of his life the detachment he has promised.
He accepts his dependence on the superior and community in the use of temporal
goods, but he knows too that permission does not dispense him from being poor in
spirit and in fact.1
He is careful not to give way gradually to a desire for a comfortable and easy life, which
poses a direct threat to fidelity and to apostolic generosity.
When his state of poverty causes him some inconvenience or suffering,2 he is glad to
be able to share in the blessings promised by the Lord to the poor in spirit.3
1 PC 13.
2 C 1875 (Introduction), p. xxvi.
3 Mt 5:3.
Christian sharing of
goods
R 56-58, 63, 197, 201
76. After the example of the first Christians, we share together our material goods,1
the fruits of our work, the gifts we receive and whatever comes to us from pensions,
subsidies and insurance policies. We do the same with our talents, our energies and
our experience.
In the community the good of each individual becomes the good of all.
As brothers we share what we have with the other communities of the province, and
we show solidarity with the needs of the entire Congregation, of the Church and of
the world.
1 Acts 4:32.
Witness of poverty in
the community and in
our works
R 1, 58-65
77. Every community is sensitive to the conditions of its neighbourhood and bears
witness to its poverty by a simple and frugal way of life in unpretentious dwellings.
Following the example and spirit of our Founder, we accept ownership of the means
we need for our work, and we administer them in such a way that all may realise they
are being used for the service of others.
Our choice of works and of their location is made in response to the needs of those in
want; the criterion for our buildings is that they be simple and functional.
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Work
R 64
Solidarity with the
poor
Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 37
78. Unremitting and self-sacrificing work is a characteristic left us by Don Bosco, and
is a concrete expression of our poverty.
In our daily labours we are at one with the poor who live by the sweat of their brow,
and we bear witness to the human and Christian value of work.1
1 ET 20.
79. The spirit of poverty leads us to be one with the poor and to love them in Christ.1
For this reason we make every effort to stay close to them, to alleviate their needs,
making our own their lawful aspirations for a more human society.
In seeking and accepting help for the service of the needy, we imitate Don Bosco in his
zeal and gratitude, and like him we retain the freedom the gospel gives us. “Remember
well,” he tells us, “that what we have is not ours; it belongs to the poor; woe to us if
we do not use it well.”2
1 PC 13.
2 BM V, 450.
OUR CHASTITY
Gospel significance of
our chastity
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life...
nor things present, nor things to come... nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39)
80. Consecrated chastity because of the Kingdom is a “precious gift given to some by
the Father.”1 Responding in faith we accept it with gratitude and we pledge ourselves
by vow to live perfect continence in celibacy.2
We follow Jesus Christ closely choosing an intensely evangelical way of loving God
and our neighbour with an undivided heart.3
Thus, with a specific vocation we take our place in the mystery of the Church, which
is totally united to Christ, and sharing in its fruitfulness we dedicate ourselves to our
mission.4
1 LG 42.
2 CIC, can. 599.
3 LG 42.
4 ET 13-14; RD 11.
Chastity and the
Salesian mission
81. Don Bosco lived chastity as a love for God and for the young which had no limits.
He wanted it to be a distinctive mark of the Salesian Society: “Anyone devoting his
life to destitute youth should certainly strive to enrich himself with every virtue, but
the virtue he should specially cultivate is chastity.”1
Our tradition has always considered chastity a resplendent virtue, bearing a special
message for the education of youth. Through it we bear witness to the predilection
of Christ for the young; it allows us to love them in an open and uncomplicated way,
so that they “know they are loved”,2 and it enables us to educate them to love and to
purity.
1 C 1875, V, 1.
2 DB, Letter from Rome 1884, BM XVII, 88.
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38 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
Chastity and human
maturity
R 68
82. The educational and pastoral demands of our mission and the fact that the observance
of perfect continence touches some of the deepest drives of human nature,1 require
of the Salesian psychological balance and affective maturity.
Don Bosco used to warn: Whoever has not a well-grounded hope of being able, with
divine help, to preserve the virtue of chastity in word, in deed and in thought, should
not make profession in this Society, for he would often find himself in danger.2
1 PC 12.
2 C 1875, V, 2.
Chastity and
community life
83. Consecrated chastity, a “sign and stimulus of love”,1 frees and enables us to become
all things to all people. It develops in us a Christian sense of personal relationships,
encourages true friendships, and helps to make the community a family.
In its turn, the community’s fraternal atmosphere helps us to live our celibacy because
of the Kingdom with joy, and sustained by its love and understanding to come safely
through difficult times.
1 LG 42.
Attitudes and means
for growing in chastity
R 44, 66-68
84. Our chastity is not a conquest made once for all time. It has its moments of peace
and moments of trial. It is a gift which because of human weakness demands a daily
pledge of fidelity.
For this reason the Salesian, faithful to the Constitutions, lives a life of work and
temperance, practices mortification and the custody of the senses, makes discreet and
prudent use of the means of social communication, and does not neglect the natural
means which contribute to physical and mental health.
Above all, he implores God’s help and lives in his presence; he nourishes his love
for Christ at the table of the Word and the Eucharist, and humbly purifies it in the
Sacrament of Reconciliation; he entrusts himself with simplicity to a spiritual director.
He turns with filial trust to Mary, the Immaculate Help of Christians, who helps him
to love as Don Bosco did.
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7. IN DIALOGUE WITH THE LORD
The gift of prayer
R 69
“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach
and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with
gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Col
3:16-17)
85. The community expresses in a visible manner the mystery of the Church, which
is not born of any human will but is the fruit of the Lord’s death and resurrection. In
the same way God brings our community together and keeps it united by his call, his
Word, his love.
In praying, the Salesian community responds to this call; it deepens its awareness of its
intimate and living relationship with God, and of its saving mission, making its own
Don Bosco’s prayer: “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle.”
Salesian prayer
R 77
86. Docile to the Holy Spirit, Don Bosco lived an experience of humble, trusting and
apostolic prayer in which praying and living were spontaneously united.
We learn from him to recognize the action of grace in the lives of the young; we pray
for them so that the design of the Father may be fulfilled in each of them, and we pray
with them to witness to our faith and share the same hope of salvation.
Salesian prayer is joyful and creative, simple and profound. It lends itself to community
participation, is drawn from life experience and flows back into it.
The community
attentive to the Word
87. The people of God are gathered together before all else by the Word of the living
God.1
For us the Word, listened to with faith, is a source of spiritual life, food for prayer, light
to see God’s will in the events of life, and strength to live out our vocation faithfully.
With the Sacred Scriptures daily in hand,2 we welcome the Word as Mary did and
ponder it in our heart,3 so that it will bear fruit and we may proclaim it with zeal.
1 PO 4.
2 PC 6.
3 Lk 2:19,51.
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40 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
The community made
one by the Eucharist
R 70
88. The hearing of the Word finds its privileged place in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Each day this is the central act of every Salesian community; it calls for joyful participation
in a living liturgy.
There the community celebrates the paschal mystery and unites itself to the immolated
body of Christ, which it receives so as to build itself in him into a fraternal communion
and renew its apostolic commitment.
Concelebration stresses the richness of this mystery; it expresses the triple unity of
sacrifice, priesthood and community, a community whose members are all at the service
of the same mission.
For us sons of Don Bosco the Eucharistic presence in our houses is a reason for frequent
encounters with Christ. From him we draw energy and endurance in our work for the
young.
The mystery of Christ
in time
R 70
89. The Liturgy of the Hours extends the grace of the Eucharistic mystery throughout
the day.1
The community, united to Christ and to the Church, praises and makes supplication
to the Father, nourishes its union with him2 and maintains an attentive attitude to the
divine will. Without prejudice to the obligations assumed by clerics at their ordination,3
the community celebrates Lauds as morning prayer and Vespers as evening prayer with
the dignity and fervour that Don Bosco recommended.
Sunday is the day of Easter joy. Lived in apostolic activity, piety and cheerfulness, it
reinvigorates the Salesian’s confidence and optimism.
The commemoration of the mysteries of the Lord, as they occur in the liturgical year,
makes of our life a time of salvation in hope.4
1 IGLH 10,12.
2 LG 3.
3 CIC, can 1174 §1.
4 SC 102.
The community in
continual conversion
R 73
90. The Word of God calls us to continual conversion.
Aware of our weakness, we respond by vigilance and sincere repentance, brotherly
correction, mutual forgiveness and the calm acceptance of our daily cross.
This commitment to conversion on the part of each member and of the whole community
is brought to its fulfilment by the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Prepared by the daily examination of conscience and received frequently according to
the Church’s directives, this sacrament gives us the joy of the Father’s pardon, rebuilds
brotherly communion and purifies our apostolic intentions.
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Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 41
Opportune times for
conversion
R 72
91. Our will for conversion is strengthened in the monthly recollection and in the
annual retreat. These are occasions of spiritual renewal which Don Bosco considered
the fundamental part and the synthesis of all the practices of piety.1
For the community and for every Salesian these are privileged moments for listening
to the Word of God, discerning his will and purifying our hearts.
These times of grace restore to our spirit a deep unity in the Lord Jesus and keep alive
in us the expectation of his return.
1 C 1875, (Introduction), p. xxxiv.
Mary in the life and
prayer of the Salesian
R 74
92. Mary, Mother of God, holds a unique place in the history of salvation.
She is a model of prayer and pastoral love, the teacher of wisdom and the guide of our
Family.
We contemplate and imitate her faith, her concern for the needy, her fidelity at the
hour of the cross and her joy at the wonders wrought by the Father.
Mary Immaculate, Help of Christians, leads us to the fullness of our offering to the
Lord and gives us courage for the service of our brethren.
We develop a strong filial devotion to her. We pray the rosary each day and celebrate
her feasts to encourage a more convinced and personal imitation.
Personal prayer
R 71
93. We can form praying communities only if individually we become men of prayer.
Each one needs to express his own personal way of being a son of God, expressing his
gratitude, telling him about his yearnings and his concerns in the apostolate.
For us mental prayer is essential. It strengthens our intimate union with God, saves
us from routine, keeps our heart free and fosters our dedication to others. For Don
Bosco it is a guarantee of joyous perseverance in our vocation.
The memory of our
dead confreres
R 47, 76
94. Faith in the risen Christ sustains our hope and keeps alive our communion with
our brothers who rest in Christ’s peace. They have spent their lives in the Congregation
and not a few have suffered even to the point of martyrdom for love of the Lord.
United with them in an exchange of spiritual benefits, we gratefully offer for them the
prescribed suffrages.
Their remembrance is an incentive to continue faithfully in our mission.
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Life as prayer
42 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
95. Immersed in the world and in the cares of the pastoral life, the Salesian learns to
meet God through those to whom he is sent.
Discovering the fruits of the Spirit1 in the lives of people, especially the young, he gives
thanks for everything;2 as he shares their problems and sufferings, he invokes upon
them the light and strength of God’s presence.
He draws on the love of the Good Shepherd, whose witness he wants to be, and shares
in the spiritual riches offered him by the community.
His need of God, keenly felt in his apostolic commitment, leads him to celebrate the
liturgy of life, attaining that “tireless industry made holy by prayer and union with
God that should be the characteristic of the sons of Don Bosco.”3
1 Gal 5:22.
2 Eph 5:20.
3 R 1924, art. 291.
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Part Three
FORMED FOR THE MISSION
OF PASTORS AND EDUCATORS
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8. GENERAL ASPECTS OF OUR FORMATION
SALESIAN FORMATION
Vocation and
formation
“But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every
way into him who is the head, into Christ.” (Eph 4:15)
96. Jesus called his Apostles individually to be with him, and to be sent forth to preach
the gospel.1 Patiently and lovingly he prepared them and gave them the Holy Spirit to
guide them into the fullness of Truth.2
He calls us too to live out in the Church our Founder’s project as apostles of the
young.
We respond to this call by committing ourselves to an adequate ongoing formation
for which the Lord daily gives us his grace.
1 Mk 3:14.
2 Jn 16:13.
Salesian orientation of
formation
97. The first Salesians found their sure guide in Don Bosco. Living at the very heart
of his community in action, they learned to model their own lives on his.
We too find in him our model. The religious and apostolic nature of the Salesian
calling dictates the specific direction our formation must take, a direction necessary
for the life and unity of the Congregation.
The formation
experience
98. Enlightened by the person of Christ and by his gospel lived according to Don
Bosco’s spirit, the Salesian commits himself to a formation process which will last all
his life and will keep pace with his maturing in other ways. He learns by experience
the meaning of the Salesian vocation at the various moments of his life and accepts
the ascetical demands it makes on him.
With the help of Mary, his Mother and Teacher, he gradually becomes a pastor and
educator of the young in the lay or priestly state which he has embraced.
Personal and
community
commitment
R 85
99. Each Salesian accepts responsibility for his own formation. Docile to the Holy
Spirit he develops his talents and his gifts of grace in a constant effort of conversion
and renewal, as he lives and works for the common mission.
The natural environment for vocational growth is the community which the confrere
joins with trust and in which he gives his responsible collaboration. The very life of
the community, united in Christ and open to the needs of the times, is itself a factor
in formation, and hence must continually move forward and be renewed.
Unity of formation
and different cultures
100. The principle of unity in the Congregation is the charism of our Founder, which
of its richness gives rise to different ways of living the one Salesian vocation. Formation
is therefore one in its essential content and diversified in its concrete expressions; it
accepts and develops whatever is true, noble and just in the various cultures.1
1 Phil 4:8.
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The provincial
community and
formation
R 84
Formed for the mission of pastors and educators 45
101. The provincial community welcomes and follows up the vocation of every confrere,
sees to the preparation of formation personnel, provides formation structures, and
makes each local community aware of its obligations in the formation sector.
It is the duty of the provincial community, through the various organs of animation
and government, to lay down the method of formation according to the needs of its
own cultural context and in conformity with the directives of the Church and of the
Congregation.
In the exercise of this common responsibility, every Salesian, through prayer and personal
witness, contributes to the sustaining and renewal of the vocation of his brothers.
INITIAL FORMATION
“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Sam 3:9)
Complexity and unity
of initial formation
102. The aim of initial formation is the human maturing of the young confrere, his
intellectual preparation and the deepening of his consecrated life, as he is gradually
introduced to educational and pastoral work.
In the formative experience these elements must be harmonized into a living unity.
Formation
communities
R 78, 80, 81
103. Initial formation is ordinarily carried out in communities specifically designed
for the purpose.
In accordance with Don Bosco’s style of education these communities are open and
keep in mind the aspirations of the young for a more personal and fraternal lifestyle.
In them our spirit is lived in a more intense manner; together the members form
a family founded on faith and enthusiasm for Christ, united in mutual esteem and
common endeavour.
Those in formation and their formators contribute according to their different roles
to the creation of an atmosphere of shared responsibility, and work with the aims of
formation clearly in view.
Role of formators
R 78
104. Formators in formation communities have a specific and necessary role.
They ensure that those in formation have the opportunities for a valid experience and
for serious doctrinal reflection in an appropriate setting.
Aware of being instruments through whom the Lord is working, they make every
effort to constitute with the rector, who is the leader of the community and its spiritual
guide, a group that is convinced of its common responsibility.
Chosen for this task are men of faith and sufficient pastoral experience, capable of a
living communication of the Salesian ideal and of genuine dialogue with the young
confreres.
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46 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
The Salesian in initial
formation
R 79
105. For the Salesian the time of initial formation is not so much a period of marking
time as already one of work and holiness. It is a time of dialogue between God, whose
initiative calls him and leads him forward, and his own freedom as he gradually assumes
responsibility for his own formation.
In this process of growing responsibility he is sustained by prayer, spiritual direction,
personal reflection, study and brotherly relationships.
Formation curriculum 106. Lay Salesians, future priests and permanent deacons normally have the same
initial formation and follow a curriculum of equivalent level, with the same phases
and similar content and objectives.
R 95, 97, 98
The necessary differences are determined by the specific vocation of each one, by his
personal gifts and inclinations and the duties of our apostolate.
Incorporation in the
Society and periods of
formation
107. Before being definitively incorporated into the Society, each one passes through
the following periods of formation: preparation for the novitiate, the novitiate itself
and the period of temporary profession.
These periods are necessary for both the candidate and the community, so that they
may work together to discern God’s will and correspond with it.
The candidate gradually gets to know the Society, and the Society in turn can evaluate
his suitability for Salesian life.
Admissions
R 81, 93, 94
108. After the candidate has freely presented his application, admission to the novitiate,
to temporary or perpetual profession, to the ministries and to holy orders, is made by
the provincial with the consent of his council after hearing the opinion of the rector
of the community with his council.
The superiors base their judgement on positive indications of the candidate’s suitability
and keep in mind first of all the canonical requirements.1
1 CIC, can. 642-645; 1019-1054.
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9. THE FORMATION PROCESS
Preparation for the
novitiate
R 88
“The one who began a good work among you will bring
it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil 1:6)
109. To anyone who is thinking of becoming a Salesian, an environment and suitable
conditions are offered to enable him to discern his own vocation and to mature as a
man and a Christian. In this way, and with the help of a spiritual guide, he is able to
make a choice with greater awareness of what he is doing, and without any external or
internal pressures.
A period of special preparation is required immediately prior to the novitiate to deepen
the candidate’s vocational choice and verify his suitability for beginning the novitiate.
This preparation is made through an experience of Salesian community and apostolic
life.
The novitiate
R 89, 92
110. The novitiate offers the candidate the possibility of beginning the Salesian religious
experience.
For this reason the novitiate community must always provide an example of life founded
on faith and nourished by prayer, in which evangelical simplicity, joy, friendship and
mutual respect create a climate of trust and docility.
With the help of the director the novice examines carefully the motives for his choice,
makes certain of his suitability for the Salesian calling, and prepares himself to give his
all to God for the service of the young in the spirit of Don Bosco.
Duration of the
novitiate
R 93
111. In accordance with canon law,1 the novitiate lasts twelve months; it begins when
the candidate, after being admitted by the provincial, enters the canonically erected
novitiate house and places himself under the guidance of the director of novices.
The novitiate is invalidated by an absence of more than three months, continuous or
broken. An absence of more than fifteen days must be made good.
1 CIC, can. 647 §3; 648; 649 §1.
The director of novices 112. The director of novices is the spiritual guide who coordinates and animates all
the work of formation of the novitiate.
He must be a man of prudence with spiritual and Salesian experience and an up-to-date
knowledge of practical psychology and youth problems. He should be able to relate
easily to people, engage in dialogue, and inspire confidence in the novices by his kindness.
He must be perpetually professed and is appointed by the provincial with the consent
of his council and the approval of the Rector Major. He remains in office for three
years and may be reappointed.
Period of temporary
profession
R 95, 96
113. The first profession marks the beginning of a period of consecrated life. In this
period the confrere with the help of the community and of a spiritual guide, completes
his maturing process with perpetual profession in view, and develops the different
aspects of his vocation as a lay Salesian or as a candidate for the priesthood.
During the first three years of this period, profession may be either triennial or annual;
in the next three years it will ordinarily be triennial.
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48 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
The immediate
postnovitiate
114. The first profession is followed by a period of religious maturing which continues
the formative experience of the novitiate and serves as a preparation for practical training.
The deepening of the life of faith and of the spirit of Don Bosco, together with an
adequate philosophical, pedagogical and catechetical preparation that interacts with
the prevailing culture, disposes the young confrere to a progressive integration of
faith, culture and life.
Practical training
R 86, 96
115. Throughout the whole of initial formation, importance is given not only to
study but also to the pastoral activities of our mission.
The practical training phase provides opportunity for a deeper living experience of
Salesian educative and pastoral action. During this time the young confrere gets practice
in the Preventive System, particularly in Salesian assistance.
With the support of the rector and the community, he is able to integrate his activity
and the fundamental values of his vocation.
Specific formation of
the Salesian priest and
the Salesian brother
R 97, 98
116. After practical training the Salesian goes on to complete his initial formation.
The specific formation of a candidate for the priestly ministry follows the norms and
directives laid down by the Church and the Congregation, and has for its scope the
preparation of a priest who will be a Salesian pastor and educator.
The specific formation of the lay Salesian offers him the opportunity to deepen his
knowledge of the spiritual heritage of the Congregation. He receives an adequate
theological preparation appropriate to his consecrated lay status, and completes his
formation with a view to the educative and apostolic work that awaits him.
Perpetual profession
R 94
117. A member makes his perpetual profession when he has reached the level of Salesian
spiritual maturity commensurate with the importance of such a step.
The celebration of this act is preceded by an appropriate period of immediate preparation,
and is marked by the fraternal recognition of the provincial community.
Perpetual profession takes place ordinarily six years after the first profession; if he
considers it opportune the provincial can prolong this period, but not beyond nine
years.
Need for ongoing
formation
R 99-102
118. In the context of a society characterized by pluralism and rapid changes, the
evolving nature of each individual and the quality and fruitfulness of our apostolic
religious life call for a continuation of our formation after the initial phases. We try
to grow in our human qualities, to conform ourselves more closely to Christ, and to
renew our fidelity to Don Bosco, so that we can respond to the ever new demands
arising from the situation of the young and the poor.
Through personal and community initiatives we nurture our Salesian spiritual life,
ensure our theological and pastoral updating, and develop our professional competence
and our apostolic inventiveness.
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Formed for the mission of pastors and educators 49
Ongoing formation as a
personal frame of mind
119. Living in the midst of the young and in constant contact with low-income
surroundings, the Salesian tries to discern the voice of the Spirit in the events of each
day, and so acquires the ability to learn from life’s experiences. He sees his ordinary
activities as effective means of formation, and he also makes use of any other means of
formation that may be offered him.
Even when he is fully occupied he finds opportunities for renewing the religious and
pastoral meaning of his life and learning to carry out his work with greater competence.
R 10, 19, 99-102
He also feels it his task to make the best formative use of any situation, and to see it as
a favourable opportunity for growing in his vocation.
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Part Four
THE SERVICE OF AUTHORITY
IN OUR SOCIETY
Contents

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10. GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND CRITERIA
Basic structure of our
Society
“Whoever wishes to become great among you must
be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among
you must be slave of all. For the son of man came not
to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom
for many.” (Mk 10:43-45)
120. Our Society is made up of provincial communities, and these in turn are divided
into local communities.
Government at the world level ensures unity of life and action in differing environments
and situations.
Central, provincial and local government is exercised with ordinary authority by a
superior assisted by his council.
Supreme authority over the whole Congregation belongs to the General Chapter.
Provincial chapters are granted specific powers within the domain of the province.
Nature of the service
of authority
121. In imitation of Christ and in his name, authority in the Congregation is exercised
according to the spirit of Don Bosco as a service to brothers for discerning and fulfilling
the Father’s will. This service is directed to fostering charity, coordinating the efforts of
all, animating, orientating, making decisions, giving corrections, so that our mission
may be accomplished.
According to our tradition, communities are guided by a member who is a priest and
who by the grace of his priestly ministry and pastoral experience sustains and directs
the spirit and activity of his brothers.
He is obliged to make the profession of faith prescribed by canon law.1
1 CIC, can. 833 §8.
Unity in the
government of the
Society
122. Superiors at every level of government share in one and the same authority and
exercise it in communion with the Rector Major for the benefit of the whole Society.
In this way, while fostering the good of each individual community, they are solicitous
for the unity, growth and perfecting of the whole Congregation.
Participation and
shared responsibility
R 169
123. Our common vocation requires the responsible and effective participation of all
the members in the life and action of the local, provincial and world communities,
not only in terms of implementation but also of planning, organizing and evaluating,
according to their respective roles and competence.
This shared responsibility calls for the participation of the confreres, in the most suitable
way, in the choice of those responsible for government at the different levels, and in
the working out of their more important decisions.
It is the duty of those who exercise authority to promote and guide this contribution
by means of adequate information, personal dialogue and community reflection.
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Subsidiarity and
decentralization
52 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
124. Authority of any kind and at every level leaves to the initiative of lower bodies and
individuals whatever can be decided and done by them, according to their respective
competence. In this way the worth of individuals and communities is recognized, and
more real involvement is encouraged.
The principle of subsidiarity implies decentralization which, while safeguarding unity,
recognizes a proper autonomy and consequently a right distribution of powers between
the different organs of government.
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11. SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY
The Supreme Pontiff
“Tend the flock of God that is in your charge, not under
compulsion but willingly ... Do not lord it over those in
your charge but be examples to the flock.” (1 Pet 5:2-3)
125. The Salesian Society has as its highest superior the Supreme Pontiff. Even by
reason of the vow of obedience, the members are filially submissive to his authority,
and available for the good of the universal Church. They welcome his magisterium
with docility and help the faithful, especially the young, to accept his teachings.
The Rector Major
R 103
126. The Rector Major, Superior of the Salesian Society, is the successor of Don
Bosco, the father and the centre of unity of the Salesian Family.
His main concern is to promote, in communion with the General Council, the constant
fidelity of the members to the Salesian charism, so as to fulfil the mission confided by
God to our Society.
R 104, 105
127. The Rector Major has ordinary power of government which he exercises according
to law over all the provinces, houses and members in both spiritual and temporal
matters. He visits personally or through others all the provinces and local communities.
He convokes and presides over meetings of the General Council. He is the official
representative of the Society.
128. The Rector Major is elected by the General Chapter for a term of six years and
may be re-elected only for a second six-year period. He may not resign his office without
the consent of the Apostolic See.
129. To be elected as Rector Major, a member must be a priest, perpetually professed
for at least ten years, and distinguished for love of the Church and the Congregation,
an exemplary life, pastoral zeal, ability and prudence in governing.
The General Council
130. The General Council cooperates with the Rector Major in animating and governing
the Congregation.
It is the task of the Council to identify and study the problems which concern the
common welfare of the Society, promote fraternal union among the different provinces,
and develop an ever more efficient organization for the fulfilment of the Salesian mission
in the world.
R 106
131. The members of the Council collaborate with the Rector Major by expressing
their opinion and by voting. In union with him they fulfil the responsibilities assigned
to them by the General Chapter and those which the Rector Major judges opportune
to entrust to them. For this reason they have their domicile in the same house in which
the Rector Major resides.
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R 107
The Vicar of the
Rector Major
54 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
132. §1. The Rector Major must have the consent of his Council for:
1. the erection or suppression of provinces, vice-provinces or other circumscriptions
[C. 156];
2. the opening and closing of houses or the modification of the scope of works already
in existence in accordance with canon law;1
3. the erection of novitiates [C. 110];
4. the convoking of the General Chapter in accordance with article 149 of the Constitutions;
5. the approval of deliberations of provincial chapters [C. 170];
6. the constitution of provincial conferences [C. 155];
7. the appointment of the substitute for a member of the General Council, in case of
death or impediment [C. 142];
8. the appointment of the Secretary General [C. 144];
9. the appointment of the Procurator and Postulator General [C. 145];
10. the appointment of provincials, superiors of vice-provinces or other circumscriptions
[C. 158, 162];
11. the termination of the office of provincials in conformity with article 163 of the
Constitutions, and of superiors of vice-provinces and other circumscriptions [C. 158];
12. the alienation of property and movable assets belonging to the stable patrimony
of the Congregation [C. 188];
13. the determination of the limits in terms of value within which the provincial and
his council may act in respect of all the operations referred to in article 188 of the
Constitutions [C. 189].
§2. The Rector Major must have the consent of the Councillors in residence, who
must be no fewer than three in number in the following cases:
1. dispensation from temporary religious profession;
2. the appointment of provincial councillors [C. 167];
3. the granting of authorization for financial operations referred to in article 188 of
the Constitutions, except for what is provided for in art. 132, §1, 12.
§3. In the case of dismissal of members, the Rector Major and his Council proceed in
collegial fashion in accordance with canon law.
§4. In addition the Rector Major will consult his Council in other important matters
whenever he considers it opportune to do so.
1 CIC, can. 609-612.
133. The General Council is made up of the Vicar of the Rector Major, the Councillors
in charge of special Sectors, and the Regional Councillors in charge of groups of
provinces.
The Councillors in charge of special Sectors are: the Councillor for Formation, the
Councillor for Youth Ministry, the Councillor for Social Communication, the Councillor
for the Missions and the Economer General.
134. The Vicar is the first collaborator of the Rector Major in the government of the
Society and has ordinary vicarious power.
He takes the Rector Major’s place whenever he is absent or impeded. To him is entrusted
particularly the care of religious life and discipline.
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The service of authority in our Society 55
The Councillor for
Formation
135. The Councillor for Formation has the duty of furthering the integral and ongoing
formation of the members.
He follows the phases of initial formation with particular care, to ensure that in them
the content, arrangement of studies, formation methods and structures provide the
conditions necessary for growth in the Salesian vocation.
The Councillor for
Youth Ministry
136. The Councillor for Youth Ministry animates and gives direction to Salesian educative
and apostolic activity in its different expressions. He ensures that the priority of our
commitment to youth and the inspirational role of the Preventive System are achieved
in them. He assists the provinces in the development of their pastoral plans and undertakings,
so that they may be faithful to the spirit of Don Bosco and respond adequately to the
needs of the times and of different places.
The Councillor for
Social Communication
137. The Councillor for Social Communication has the duty of animating the
Congregation in this Sector. He promotes Salesian activity in the Social Communication
Sector, and in particular coordinates the structures and centres at world level for which
the Congregation has responsibility in this field.
The Councillor for the
Missions
R 24
138. The Councillor for the Missions fosters missionary spirit and commitment throughout
the whole Society. He coordinates initiatives and directs activity in the missions so that
it may respond in a Salesian way to the urgent needs of the peoples to be evangelized.
It is also his duty to see that provision is made for the specific preparation and updating
of missionaries.
The Economer General 139. The Economer General administers those goods which do not belong to any
particular province or house but to the whole Society.
He coordinates and monitors the administration of the provinces, so as to ensure that
their management accords with the requirements of religious poverty and is at the
service of the Salesian mission.
R 192
He is watchful to make sure that the norms necessary for sound administration are
observed.
The Regional
Councillors
R 135-137
140. The Regional Councillors promote a more direct liaison between the provinces
and the Rector Major and his Council. They look after the interests of the provinces
assigned to them. They foster a knowledge in the General Council of the local situations
in which our mission is carried out.
R 126-128
141. §1. The members of the General Council are elected by the General Chapter
in separate ballots for each one. Each regional councillor is elected and chosen by
preference from a list presented by the Chapter members of the group of provinces
concerned.
§2. To be elected to the General Council a member must have been perpetually professed
for at least ten years. It is also necessary that the Vicar of the Rector Major be a priest.
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56 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
142. §1. The Vicar of the Rector Major remains in office for six years and can only be
elected to the same office for a second six-year term.
At the end of the first six years, the Vicar of the Rector Major can be elected General
Councillor or Rector Major.
At the end of the second six-year period, he can only be elected Rector Major.
The General Councillors remain in office for six years. They can be elected to the same
office or to another office, as General Councillors, only for a second six-year term.
At the end of the first or second six-year period, the General Councillors can be elected
Vicar of the Rector Major or Rector Major.
§ 2. Should a member of the General Council die or be permanently unable to attend
to his duties, the Rector Major with the consent of his Council shall entrust his office
to whomsoever he judges most suitable in the Lord, but only until the expiry of the
six-year period.
R 111
143. On the death or cessation from office of the Rector Major, the Vicar assumes
the government of the Society ad interim and, in agreement with the other members
of the General Council, proceeds to the convocation of the General Chapter for the
election of the Rector Major and of the new Council.
The election must take place not more than nine months from the death or cessation
from office of the Rector Major.
The Secretary General
R 110
144. The Secretary General is at the service of the Rector Major and his Council in
the role of a notary. He is present without the right to vote at the meetings of the
Council, and draws up its minutes.
He is responsible for the offices of the General Secretariat and for the Society’s Central
Archives. He is appointed by the Rector Major with the consent of his Council, and
remains in office ad nutum.
The Procurator
General
145. The task of dealing with the Apostolic See is ordinarily entrusted to a Procurator
General who is appointed by the Rector Major with the consent of his Council and
remains in office ad nutum.
Causes of beatification and canonization promoted by the Congregation are entrusted
to the Postulator General, chosen in the same way as the Procurator.
The General Chapter
146. The General Chapter is the principal sign of the Congregation’s unity in diversity.
It is the fraternal meeting in which Salesians carry out a communal reflection to keep
themselves faithful to the gospel and to the charism of the Founder, and sensitive to
the needs of time and place.
Through the General Chapter the entire Society, opening itself to the guidance of the
Spirit of the Lord, seeks to discern God’s will at a specific moment in history for the
purpose of rendering the Church better service.1
1 CIC, can. 631.
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The service of authority in our Society 57
147. The General Chapter has supreme authority over the Society and exercises it in
accordance with law.
In particular it belongs to the General Chapter to lay down laws for the whole Society,
to treat of matters of greater importance and to elect the Rector Major and the members
of the General Council.
148. The deliberations of the General Chapter must always be based upon the Constitutions
approved by the Apostolic See and must contain nothing contrary to their spirit. They
are binding on all the members as soon as they have been promulgated by the Rector
Major.
Nevertheless, for the promulgation of deliberations which modify the Constitutions
the previous approval of the Apostolic See must be obtained.
149. The General Chapter will meet ordinarily every six years and in the case referred
to in article 143 of the Constitutions; and extraordinarily whenever it is required by a
grave reason recognized as such by the Rector Major with the consent of his Council.
R 111-113, 116, 117,
120-123, 125, 134
150. The General Chapter is convoked by the Rector Major, or in the circumstances
referred to in article 143 by his Vicar. It is presided over by the Rector Major or in his
absence by his Vicar.
R 114, 115, 118
151. The following attend the General Chapter with the right to vote:
1. the Rector Major;
2. the Rectors Major emeriti;
3. the members of the General Council, those not confirmed in office as well as the
new members from the time of their election;
4. the Secretary General;
5. the Procurator General;
6. the Moderator of the General Chapter;
7. the provincials and superiors of vice-provinces, or if they are seriously impeded their
vicars, with the prior approval of the Rector Major;
8. the delegates of the juridical circumscriptions referred to in art. 156 of the Constitutions,
all perpetually professed, elected in accordance with art. 171,5 of the Constitutions
and the General Regulations.
152. For the validity of the acts of the General Chapter at least two-thirds of the
members must be present.
In dealing with matters indicated in article 148 of the Constitutions, whatever is approved
by an absolute majority of those present shall have the force of law.
For modification to the text of the Constitutions a two-thirds majority of those present
is required.
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58 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
R 126-133
153. In the elections of the Rector Major and of the members of the General Council,
whoever receives the vote of an absolute majority of those present will be considered
elected.
If the first scrutiny should be ineffective, there shall be a second and a third. If the
third also should be inconclusive there shall be a fourth in which the only candidates
shall be the two members who have obtained the highest number of votes in the third
scrutiny. If again there should be an equal number of votes, the senior by profession
shall prevail and in the case of equality of profession the senior in age.
Regional structures
R 135-138
154. In order to facilitate contact with the Rector Major and the General Council
and to foster bonds of union among themselves, provinces are gathered in groups,
each group being entrusted to a Regional Councillor.
The constitution of the groups of provinces is made by the General Chapter.
R 139-142
155. When parallel situations or similarity of problems allow for a closer union between
certain provinces, one or more provincial conferences may be set up within the group.
It belongs to the Rector Major with the consent of his Council to constitute provincial
conferences after consulting the provinces concerned.
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12. SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN THE PROVINCIAL
COMMUNITY
“Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock,
of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to
shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the
blood of his own Son.” (Acts 20:28)
Juridical circumscriptions 156. It belongs to the Rector Major with the consent of his Council and after adequate
consultation with the confreres concerned to divide the Society into juridical
circumscriptions, erect new ones, combine those already constituted, define them in
a different way or suppress them.
Normally the circumscriptions of our Society are provinces and vice-provinces.
As regards other eventual juridical circumscriptions, their internal structure and
representation at the General Chapter will be defined in the decree of erection, in line
with Salesian spirit and tradition.
The province
157. The province unites the different local communities in one large community. It
is canonically erected when the necessary and sufficient conditions exist for promoting
in a specific juridical circumscription the life and mission of the Congregation with
the autonomy that belongs to it according to the Constitutions.
Through its structures the province strengthens the bonds of communion between
the members and the local communities and offers a specific service to the particular
Church.
The vice-province
R 143-149
158. The vice-province is similar to the province. It is established when distance,
number or other circumstances require that some houses be detached from one or
more provinces, but the lack of personnel, financial resources or some other reason
does not warrant the establishment of a new province.
Its superior is appointed in the same way and with the same conditions as a provincial.
He remains in office for six years and governs with ordinary vicarious power with the
help of his council.
Provincial delegation
159. If, within the confines of a province, distance or other reasons prevent the provincial
from taking proper care of some local communities which, although having a certain
unity among them do not have the requisites necessary for erection as a vice-province,
the provincial with the consent of his council and the approval of the Rector Major,
can set up a delegation.
Its superior is appointed by the provincial with the consent of his council and the
approval of the Rector Major after due consultation among the confreres of the delegation.
He exercises those powers the provincial sees fit to delegate to him.
Enrolment of members 160. By first profession a member is enrolled in the juridical circumscription for whose
in a circumscription
service he asked to be admitted.
R 151-157
He can be enrolled in another juridical circumscription by permanent or temporary
transfer on the part of the competent authorities.
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60 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
The provincial
R 144-148, 153, 160
161. Each province is headed by a provincial. In union with the Rector Major and
with love and pastoral zeal he carries out his service of building up a fraternal provincial
community.
With the help of his council he animates the religious life and apostolic action of the
provincial community, cares for the formation of the members, especially the novices
and young confreres, and directs and controls the administration of the goods of the
province and of each house.
R 143, 149, 152, 153,
160
162. The provincial is appointed by the Rector Major with the consent of his Council
after wide consultation in the province concerned.
He must be a priest and perpetually professed for at least ten years. He exercises ordinary
power over all the houses and members of the province in both the internal and external
forum, in accordance with the norms of the Constitutions and of canon law.
He is the competent superior for granting permission to the confreres to publish
writings of religious or moral content1 and to preach to the confreres in their churches
or oratories.2
1 CIC, can. 832.
2 CIC, can. 765.
163. The provincial remains in office for six years. During this period, the Rector
Major with the consent of his Council may transfer him elsewhere or appoint him to
another office, if he judges such action necessary for the good of the Congregation.
When he has completed his term of six years he will ordinarily not hold the office of
provincial again for at least one year.
The provincial council 164. The council assists the provincial in everything that concerns the animation and
government of the province.
R 155, 159, 160
It is convoked and presided over by the provincial and is made up of the vice-provincial,
economer and ordinarily three or five other councillors.
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R 156-158
R 154
R 193-196
The service of authority in our Society 61
165. The provincial promotes the active and responsible collaboration of his councillors.
In matters of greater importance he should always listen to his council.
The provincial must have the consent of his council in the following cases:
1. admissions to the novitiate, to profession, to ministries and to sacred ordinations
[C. 108];
2. appointment or transfer of a rector [C. 177];
3. appointment of the director of novices [C. 112];
4. setting up of provincial delegations and appointment of the delegates [C. 159];
5. seeking from the Rector Major and his Council authorization to open and close
houses, modify the scope of existing works, and undertake works out of the ordinary
[C. 132];
6. convoking an extraordinary provincial chapter [C. 172];
7. financial operations referred to in article 188 of the Constitutions;
8. deciding which sectors of the communities’ activities are to be represented in local
councils [C.180];
9. modifying the normal roles and structures within a community [C. 182];
10. authorizing confreres to live outside a house of the Congregation [CIC. can. 665 §1].
166. For a member to be a provincial councillor he must be perpetually professed for
at least five years and no longer in the period of initial formation.
For the vice-provincial it is also required that he be a priest.
167. Provincial councillors are appointed by the Rector Major with the consent of
his Council on the proposal of the provincial, following a wide consultation among
the confreres of the province.
They remain in office for three years and may be reappointed, or even relieved from
office during that period.
168. The vice-provincial is the first collaborator of the provincial in everything that
concerns the ordinary government of the province, as also in those matters specially
entrusted to him.
He takes the place of the provincial whenever the latter is absent or impeded.
On the death of the provincial and until the Rector Major provides otherwise, the
vice-provincial assumes and exercises the whole government of the province.
169. It is the duty of the provincial economer to administer the goods of the province,
and to monitor and coordinate the economy of the individual houses, in agreement
with the provincial and in accordance with the established norms.
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62 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
The provincial chapter 170. The provincial chapter is the fraternal gathering in which the local communities
strengthen their sense of belonging to the provincial community, through their common
concern for its general problems.
It is also the representative assembly of all the confreres and local communities.
It deliberates about matters which regard the province, with the exception of whatever
is entrusted by the Constitutions and Regulations to other organs of government.
The deliberations of the provincial chapter have binding force after the approval of
the Rector Major with the consent of his Council, with the exception of what is
prescribed by article 171.5 of the Constitutions.
R 167, 190
R 168
R 161-165, 168
R 165
171. It is the task of the provincial chapter:
1. to decide on what pertains to the good running of the province;
2. to inquire into suitable means for promoting the religious and pastoral life of the
provincial community;
3. to study how the deliberations of the General Chapter may be put into practice;
4. to formulate and revise the provincial directory in matters left to be decided at the
provincial level;
5. to elect one or two delegates to the General Chapter and their substitutes in accordance
with the General Regulations.
172. The provincial chapter shall ordinarily be called together by the provincial every
three years and each time the General Chapter is convoked; extraordinarily, whenever
the provincial with the consent of his council and after consulting the Rector Major
shall judge it to be for the benefit of the province.
173. The following take part in the provincial chapter with the right to vote:
1. the provincial who presides;
2. the provincial councillors;
3. the superior of each provincial delegation;
4. the moderator of the provincial chapter;
5.the rector of each canonically erected house or if he is seriously impeded, the vice-rector
with the previous approval of the provincial;
6. the director of novices;
7. the delegates of the local communities and of the provincial community, elected
from those perpetually professed in accordance with the norms of the General Regulations.
174. All the perpetually and temporarily professed confreres take part in the election
of the delegates of the local and provincial communities.
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13. SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
The local community
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God,
serve one another with whatever gift each of you has
received; ... whoever serves must do so with the strength
that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in
everything through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 4:10-11)
175. The local community is made up of confreres who reside in a lawfully erected
house and in it live a common life in unity of spirit under the authority of the superior,1
sharing responsibility as they carry out the apostolic mission.
1 CIC, can. 608.
The rector
R 29, 172-179, 199
176. The superior of each local community is called the rector.
He is first in order of responsibility for its religious life, its apostolic activities and the
administration of its goods.
With the collaboration of his council he animates and governs the community in
accordance with the Constitutions and General Regulations.
R 170, 171
177. The rector must be a priest, perpetually professed for at least five years; he is
appointed by the provincial with the consent of his council and the approval of the
Rector Major, due regard being paid to the results of a consultation carried out among
the members of the province.
The rector is appointed for a period of three years and can be confirmed for a second
term of three years in the same community.
During his period of service he may be appointed to some other office if the provincial,
with the consent of his council, deems it necessary.
The local council
R 180
178. In every local community there shall be a council composed of confreres in
perpetual vows and no longer in initial formation, in number proportional to the
number of confreres and to the requirements of their activities.
The council is convoked and presided over by the rector, and has the task of collaborating
with him in animating and governing the community.
R 183
179. The following are members of the council:
1. the vice-rector and the economer;
2. the confreres responsible for the principal sectors of the community’s activity, as
laid down in article 180;
3. one or more members elected annually by the assembly of the confreres when the
latter are numerous, in accordance with articles 180 and 186 of the Constitutions.
R 183
180. It belongs to the provincial with the consent of his council, after hearing the
opinion of the local community, to decide which sectors of the community’s activity
shall be represented in the council. He will also decide whether any councillors are to
be elected by the assembly of the confreres, and how many they will be.
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R 180
R 181
R 182
R 198-202
Assembly of the
confreres
R 173, 184
64 Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales
181. The rector must have the consent of his council for:
1. the approval of the annual programme of the community’s life and activities, to be
submitted to the provincial for endorsement;
2. proposing to the provincial new experiments and substantial changes in the nature
of the work;
3. the approval of the annual financial budget and balance sheet of the community
and of the works for which we are responsible;
4. the financial operations envisaged by article 188 of the Constitutions;
5. deciding on the normal frequency of the council’s meetings.
In other matters of importance the rector should always listen to his council.
182. Whenever circumstances suggest that some exception should be made, the provincial,
with the consent of his council and after hearing the opinion of the local community
concerned, can modify the ordinary roles and structures within the community, especially
when it is small in number of confreres, provided always that the figure of the rector
is safeguarded.
183. The vice-rector is the first collaborator of the rector. He takes his place in matters
which have been especially entrusted to him and, if the rector is absent or impeded,
in everything concerning the ordinary government. He must therefore be a priest.
On the death of the rector and until the provincial provides otherwise, the vice-rector
takes up and exercises the government of the house.
184. The economer is the one immediately responsible for the administration of the
temporal goods of the religious house, in dependence on the rector with his council.
He carries out his service in a spirit of charity and poverty.
185. The role and duties of those responsible for the principal sectors of the community’s
activities will be laid down by the provincial chapter.
186. The assembly of the confreres, which is a gathering of all the Salesians of the
local community, is convoked and presided over by the rector for consultation on the
principal questions which concern the community’s religious life and activities.
It is also its duty to elect the delegate to the provincial chapter and his substitute, and
also to elect those members, if any, to the local council in accordance with article 180
of the Constitutions.
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14. ADMINISTRATION OF TEMPORAL GOODS
R 187
R 30, 190, 192, 202
“Be content with what you have; for [God] has said,
‘I will never leave you or forsake you’... Do not neglect
to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices
are pleasing to God.” (Heb 13:5,16)
187. The Salesian Society may acquire, possess, administer and alienate temporal goods.
This is true for the Congregation as a whole, for individual provinces and for each
house. Such goods should not be held in the name of an individual person and should
be retained only to the extent that they are directly useful for our works.
Acquiring and holding real estate with the sole object of producing income and every
other kind of permanent interest-bearing investment is forbidden except in the cases
referred to in article 188 of the Constitutions.
188. The authorization of the Rector Major with the consent of his Council is needed
for:
1. acquiring, alienating, exchanging, mortgaging or renting real estate;
2. contracting loans with or without mortgage;
3. accepting inheritances, bequests or donations to which obligations are attached
(when no obligation is attached it is sufficient merely to notify the Rector Major);
4. establishing annuities, scholarships, Mass obligations, special or charitable foundations;
5. constructing new buildings, demolishing existing ones or making major alterations.
When such authorization is applied for either at the provincial or local level, adequate
documentation must be submitted together with the opinion of the provincial and
his council, and also that of the rector and his council when a local house is concerned.
189. With regard to all the operations referred to in article 188, it belongs to the Rector
Major with the consent of his Council, after hearing the opinion of the provincials with
their respective councils and in the light of relevant decisions of the Apostolic See, to
determine the financial limits within which each provincial, with the consent of his
council, is competent to grant authorizations by an analogous procedure.
In the case of operations which exceed the amount laid down by the Apostolic See, or
of things donated to the Church as the result of a vow, or objects which are precious
by reason of their artistic or historical value,1 the permission of the Apostolic See itself
is required.
1 CIC, can. 638 §3.
190. All temporal goods are administered respectively by the Economer General and
by provincial and local economers, under the direction and control of the appropriate
superiors and councils, in conformity with canonical dispositions, in accordance with
the Constitutions and General Regulations, and in compliance with the laws of each
country.
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CONCLUSION
The particular law of
our Society
“I will run the way of your commands; you will give
freedom to my heart.” (Ps 119:32 Grail translation)
191. The life and activity of communities and confreres are regulated by the universal
law of the Church and the particular law of the Society.
The latter is expressed in the Constitutions, which represent our basic code, the General
Regulations, the deliberations of the General Chapter, the general and provincial
directories, and in other decisions made by competent authorities.
Meaning and
interpretation of the
Constitutions
192. The present Constitutions enshrine the spiritual riches of the traditions of the
Salesians of Don Bosco, and define the apostolic project of our Society.
The Church, in approving them, assures us of the authenticity of the gospel way of
life traced out by our Founder, and recognizes in it “a special benefit for the whole
People of God.”1
The Apostolic See alone is their authentic interpreter, but for the practical direction
of the Society and the good of the confreres the Rector Major with his Council, as
well as the General Chapter, can give interpretations.
1 RD 14; PC 1.
Binding quality of the
Constitutions
193. The Constitutions are binding on every member in virtue of the obligations he
has freely assumed before the Church by religious profession.
Without prejudice to what is laid down by universal law,1 major superiors can dispense
temporarily from individual disciplinary articles.
1 CIC, can. 85-87; 90; 92; 93; 1245.
Separation from the
Society
194. Should it happen that a member believes in conscience that he should withdraw
from the Society, he shall do so before God after he has taken the advice of prudent
persons, and with the support of the understanding and charity of his confreres.
He may not however leave the Society until his temporary profession has expired or he
has not been admitted to further profession, or until he has been lawfully freed from
the vows and obligations he assumed at the profession itself by passing to another
institute, by dispensation or by dismissal in conformity with the universal law.1
1 CIC, can. 685; 688; 689; 691-704.
Fidelity and
perseverance
195. Fidelity to the commitment made at our religious profession is a response which
we continually renew to the special covenant that the Lord has made with us.
Our perseverance is founded entirely on the fidelity of God who loved us first, and is
nourished by the grace of his consecration.
It is sustained too by love for the young to whom we are sent, and is expressed in
gratitude to the Lord for the gifts that Salesian life offers us.
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The service of authority in our Society 67
A way that leads to love 196. Our living Rule is Jesus Christ, the Saviour announced in the gospel, who is alive
today in the Church and in the world, and whom we find present in Don Bosco who
devoted his life to the young.
In response to the predilection of the Lord Jesus who has called us by name, and led
by Mary, we willingly accept the Constitutions as Don Bosco’s will and testament, for
us our book of life and for the poor and the little ones a pledge of hope.
We meditate on them with faith and pledge ourselves to put them into practice; they
are for us, the Lord’s disciples, a way that leads to Love.
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GENERAL
REGULATIONS

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Part One
SENT TO THE YOUNG
IN COMMUNITIES
FOLLOWING CHRIST
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1. THOSE TO WHOM OUR MISSION IS ADDRESSED
C 26, 77
C 27
C 26
1. Keeping in mind its own social milieu, every province should study the situation
and condition of youth and the common people, and periodically verify that its works
and activities are providing an effective service for young people who are poor: in
the first place for youngsters who because of economic, social and cultural poverty,
sometimes of an extreme nature, have no possibility of success in life; for those who
are poor at an affective, moral and spiritual level, and therefore exposed to indifference,
atheism and delinquency; and for those who live on the fringe of society and of the
Church.
2. The provinces will encourage commitment to the education of young workers.
They will take part in the pastoral activity of the particular Churches by offering
initiatives and special services. They will try to be well informed about the world of
work and the conditions in which young people are working. They will see that centres
of professional training pay heed to pastoral, pedagogical and technical aspects, and
that adequate programmes are drawn up to educate the youngsters to an authentic
spirituality of work.
3. Our pastoral and educational service is directed primarily to boys and young men.
Girls are also welcomed in our works in line with the criteria and norms indicated by
the provincial chapter.
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2. OUR PASTORAL AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICE
C 31-39, 47
C 38, 47
C 32, 33
C 34, 36
C 35
C 37
4. Each provincial community will draw up its educative and pastoral plan, drawing
inspiration from the Preventive System, to respond to the situation of poor young
people and poor neighbourhoods.
A local plan should also be drawn up with the involvement of all the members of the
Educative and Pastoral Community and in harmony with that of the province, for the
purpose of directing all initiatives to the task of evangelization.
5. The application of the plan requires that in all our works and settings we establish
the Educative and Pastoral Community, whose animating nucleus is the Salesian community.
Let all the Salesians play an active part in the drawing up, realization and subsequent
revision of the plan, and let them see to it that in a family spirit the young people, their
parents and other collaborators also take part, according to their different roles.
6. Characteristic aspects of our pedagogy should be expressed in the plan and realized
in practice through appropriate processes; such aspects are: the active and responsible
involvement of the young people themselves; a sensitive education for love; a serious
cultural, social and professional preparation; communication in its artistic and recreational
expressions.
7. At the heart of the plan should be an explicit programme of education to the faith,
which will accompany the general development of the youngsters and coordinate the
different forms of catechesis, celebrations and apostolic undertakings.
8. We encourage the formation of groups and associations according to the age and
interests of the young, and we ensure their continuity. Special care shall be taken of
groups having a Christian commitment, and those that share the Salesian mission and
live its spirit.
Attention should also be given to local ecumenical movements, especially in areas
where different religious denominations exist.
9. Due attention should be given to the vocational guidance of young people with the
help of trained educators and a programme of suitable activities.
Special regard should be paid to the discovery, and subsequent follow-up by suitable
initiatives, of those youngsters who show signs of lay, religious or priestly vocations.
10. To systematically maintain and provide for its various pastoral and educative activities,
each province is to draw up a programme for the training and updating of personnel,
due regard being paid to the aptitudes and inclinations of the confreres and the needs
of the works.
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3. ACTIVITIES AND WORKS
The Oratory and the Youth Centre
11. The Oratory is an educational environment with a strong missionary slant, and
open to boys and young people.
It should be organized as a service to the neighbourhood with the object of evangelizing,
and offers to individuals and groups the opportunity of developing their own interests,
using ways and means appropriate to their different ages.
The activities should always have an educational scope and should foster a healthy use
C 42
of spare time.
12. The youth centre is an environment intended for older youth with their different
requirements. It preserves the characteristics of the Oratory, but the emphasis on
group activity is more marked and personal contacts are facilitated to a greater extent.
Formative and apostolic activities should play a more important role than those which
C 42
are only recreational.
The school, vocational training centres and institutions of higher education
C 41, 42
13. The Salesian school at various levels, vocational training centres and institutions
of higher education foster the total development of the young person through the
assimilation and critical re-elaboration of culture and education to the faith in view
of the Christian transformation of society.
The educational process, carried out in a Salesian manner and with recognized technical
and pedagogical expertise, should be based on solid cultural values, and be tailored
to the needs of the young. The programme should provide a harmonious balance
between intellectual and technical training and extracurricular activities.
A periodic evaluation should be made to ensure that the contents of the curriculum
and pedagogical and training methods are still valid as regards their relationship with
the social milieu, the world of work and the pastoral indications of the Church.
C 29, 33
14. A Salesian school should be for the economically and socially disadvantaged: this
should be reflected in its setting, its culture, its curriculum and its choice of students.
Services to meet local needs should be provided, such as courses for cultural and professional
training, literacy and remedial programmes, scholarships and other initiatives of the
kind.
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74 General Regulations
Hostels and boarding schools
15. Hostels and boarding schools are a service offered to youngsters who have no
family or who are temporarily away from home. In such establishments priority should
be given to whatever fosters personal relationships, enables the boarders to share responsibility
for the organization of their daily life, and offers them scope for different group activities.
Contact should be maintained with their families or those responsible for them, and
C 42
also with their school or the places where they work.
Initiatives at the service of vocations
C 6, 28, 37
16. Vocational guidance centres welcome and keep in touch with young people who
feel called to some commitment in the Church and in the Congregation.
This service can also be carried out by organizing local and regional meetings, by means
of activities of special groups, or by placing young people in one of our communities.
C 6, 28, 37
17. The aspirantate is a centre of Salesian vocational guidance. It keeps itself open to
the neighbourhood and in contact with families, and helps older boys and young men
who show an aptitude for the religious and priestly life to know their own apostolic
vocation and to correspond with it.
The missions
18. It is the duty of each provincial with his council to lay down guidelines for the
animation and coordination of missionary activity.
Provinces which have mission territories within their boundaries should have at heart
the service to be rendered to the missions and should prepare personnel for dialogue
C 30
with cultures not yet evangelized, including those of ethnic minorities.
C 30, 118
19. Every missionary should be afforded the possibility of frequenting study centres
organized by the particular Churches or by provinces for his specific preparation and
updating, for learning languages, and for ethnic and anthropological studies.
20. Normally no missionary residence should have fewer than three confreres. Periodic
meetings should be arranged among the missionaries to foster community life, mutual
C 49
help, spiritual growth, and the exchange of pastoral experiences.
21. Every missionary may return periodically to his native land, in accordance with
the norms of his province or provincial conference. His provincial will present him to
the provincial of the area where he intends to reside and will provide him with what
is necessary for his stay.
The confreres of the province which receives him should see to it that he is given a
generous and fraternal welcome.
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Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 75
22. In non-Christian countries Salesians, by the application of their educational and
pastoral method, should create conditions favouring a free process of conversion to
the Christian faith with respect shown for the cultural and religious values of the
neighbourhood.
In places where the religious, social or political context does not allow of forms of
explicit evangelization, the Congregation should maintain and develop a missionary
C 30
presence of witness and service.
23. In accordance with the prescriptions of the Dicastery for Evangelization, formal
agreements are to be drawn up with the ecclesiastical authorities in the territories
where an apostolic work is entrusted to us.
C 30, 138
Parishes
C 29, 42
C 29, 31, 33, 44
C 48
24. To support missionary activity, the Rector Major with the consent of his Council
and in agreement with the local provincial, may set up mission offices to serve the
whole Congregation.
Their organization and method of functioning will depend on the provincial or provincials
in whose territory the offices operate, in the light of a statutory agreement made previously
with the Rector Major, and in agreement with the General Councillor for the Missions
and with the Economer General.
For the setting up of local offices or the making of twinning arrangements the provincial
has the competence, with the consent of his council and in agreement with the General
Councillor for the Missions.
25. We carry out our mission also in parishes; in this way we respond to the pastoral
needs of the particular Churches in those areas which offer us adequate scope for
service to the young and poor people in general.
The acceptance of a parish is effected by means of a contract between the provincial
and the Local Ordinary, after obtaining the approval of the Rector Major with the
consent of his Council.
26. A parish entrusted to the Congregation should be distinguished by its low-income
population and its interest in the young, especially those who are poorer.
The religious community is responsible for its animation. It should consider the oratory
and youth centre an integral part of its pastoral project; it should set great store by the
systematic catechesis of all and show zeal for bringing back those who have lapsed; it
should see that evangelization is linked with human advancement, and should favour
the vocational development of each individual.
27. The parish priest or administrator is chosen by the provincial after hearing the
opinion of his council, and is presented by him to the Local Ordinary.
He is responsible for the discharge of the obligations assumed by the Congregation
before the Church, and fulfils them in collaboration with the other confreres assigned
to the parish.
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C 48
C 44, 176
C 190
76 General Regulations
28. The confreres attached to the parish should have the stability which the office
and the good of the faithful demand. Nevertheless the superior will judge when the
moment is opportune for a necessary rotation of persons and duties, according to the
practice of the particular Churches. The parish priest should not normally remain in
office for more than nine years. When he is changed, the bishop must be informed in
advance.
29. Where the situation allows it, the house serving the parish should itself be canonically
erected with the parish priest as its rector.
Whenever the offices of rector and parish priest remain distinct, the rector must see
that the unity and Salesian identity of the community is preserved, and should encourage
the sharing of responsibility of the confreres in the realization of the parish pastoral
plan.
30. In respect of administrative operations, the prescriptions of article 190 of the
General Regulations are to be followed, due regard being paid to obligations to the
parish community in accordance with canon law.
There must be a clear distinction, with appropriate registers and documentation, between
what belongs to the parish qua talis and to the Congregation.
Social communication
C 6, 43
31. As far as local possibilities permit, the provincial with his council should promote
our pastoral presence in the social communication sector: he should prepare confreres
to enter the fields of publishing, cinema, radio and television; he should establish and
build up our centres for the publishing and diffusion of books, aids and periodicals,
and found centres for the production and transmission of audiovisual, radio and television
programmes.
These services should be established on sound legal and economic foundations, and
there should be liaison and cooperation between those in charge of them and the
General Councillor for Social Communication.
C 6, 43
32. Salesians should take care to educate their charges to an understanding of the
various forms of expression found in social communication, and to a critical aesthetic
and moral sense. They should also encourage musical and dramatic activity, and promote
reading and cinema clubs.
C 6, 43, 59
33. The channels of information and dialogue both inside and outside the Congregation
and Salesian Family (bulletins, ANS, short films, video-cassettes, etc.), should be developed,
with appropriate use also of the means offered by recent advances in technology.
Publishing houses in the same country or region should devise suitable methods of
collaboration so as to adopt a unified plan.
34. Whenever required by canon law, the ecclesiastical review of matter for publication
C 43
will be preceded by that of censors appointed by the provincial.
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Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 77
Service in non-Salesian structures
C 41, 42, 44
35. Service to the young may sometimes require our presence in non-Salesian institutes
for a more immediate collaboration with the particular Church in pastoral work for
youth or for the world of work, and in the care of vocations.
It belongs to the provincial with the consent of his council to accept such undertakings
and to assess their validity.
Members assigned to such activities must take care to remain a real part of the Salesian
community. The latter will in turn show a fraternal and responsible interest in their
work.
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4. SERVICE TO THE SALESIAN FAMILY
C5
C5
C 5, 47
C5
C5
C 5, 6, 43
36. It is the duty of the provincial and the rector, assisted by their respective delegates,
to sensitize the communities so that they may discharge their duties in the Salesian
Family.
The community, in agreement with those responsible for the various groups, with
respect for their autonomy and in a spirit of service, offers them spiritual assistance,
promotes meetings, encourages collaboration and initiatives in the educational and
pastoral fields, and cultivates the common commitment for vocations.
37. In response to their requests and as far as lies within our power, we offer the
Daughters of Mary Help of Christians our fraternal help and our priestly ministry.
We collaborate with them in deepening our understanding of Don Bosco’s spirituality
and pedagogy, and particularly in keeping alive the Marian dimension of the Salesian
charism.
38. Every community should feel it its duty to increase and support the Association
of Salesian Cooperators for the good of the Church. It should help in the formation
of its members, promote and spread knowledge of this particular vocation, especially
among our more committed young people and among our lay colleagues.
39. The community should maintain friendly relations with the past pupils, giving
special attention to the younger ones. It should show a real interest in them and promote
opportunities for meetings, formation and collaboration.
It should encourage and support the Association of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco,
and through it try to contact those who have distanced themselves.
It should help those who are more sensitive to Salesian values to develop in themselves
the Cooperator vocation.
40. We provide a service of spiritual assistance to the Volunteers of Don Bosco, and
to the religious and secular institutes which affirm in their statutes that they have a
project of apostolic life according to the Salesian spirit, which have made the request
to belong to the Salesian Family through a General Chapter, and which have received
official recognition by the Rector Major.
41. The Salesian Bulletin, founded by Don Bosco, spreads knowledge of Salesian
spirit and activity, especially in its missionary and educational aspects.
It is concerned with the problems of youth, encourages collaboration and tries to
foster vocations.
It is as well an instrument for formation and a bond of union between the different
branches of the Salesian Family.
It is edited in accordance with the directives of the Rector Major and his Council in
various editions and languages.
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5. FRATERNAL AND APOSTOLIC COMMUNITIES
C 50, 55
C 52
C 84
C 56
C 54, 94
C 55
42. Once a year let both the local and provincial communities, gathered around the
rector and provincial respectively, celebrate the community feast day as a sign of its
fraternal communion and an expression of its gratitude.
43. For reasons of health, to foster apostolic activity and life together and an atmosphere
of prayer and recollection, every confrere should regulate his work in an orderly manner,
and the local community should see to it that there is a balanced distribution of duties
with opportune periods for rest and silence, and for suitable relaxation in common.
44. Following the example of our Founder and aware of the austerity demanded by
religious life and the obligations arising from our work, the superior and every member
of the community should keep their conscience alert to their moral obligations in the
choice of reading matter, film and stage presentations, and in the use of communications
media.
45. The community will warmly welcome those who come into contact with us or
are guests, especially if they are confreres.
A previous understanding with the rector is needed before invitations to meals are
given.
Externs however are not permitted to live with the community except with the permission
of the provincial.
46. The community maintains cordial relations with each confrere’s family, and shows
them love and gratitude.
The Salesian who has left his home to follow Christ loses none of his love for his
relatives and especially for his parents; he gives it expression by his prayers, messages
and visits.
47. Each community, as a sign of brotherly communion, should remember all deceased
confreres in a special way; for this purpose individual communities should decide on
an opportune moment for the daily reading of the necrology in one of the community
practices.
48. In keeping with the Salesian tradition, the rector or someone in his place should
address the community by way of a “good night”, preferably after evening prayer.
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6. FOLLOWING THE OBEDIENT, POOR AND CHASTE
CHRIST
Our obedience
49. In an atmosphere of mutual trust every confrere should frequently see his rector
to let him know the state of his health, how his apostolic activity is proceeding, the
difficulties he faces in religious life and fraternal charity, and everything that may contribute
to the welfare of the individual members and of the community.
Let the rector consider that one of his principal duties is to always be available to
C 70
receive and listen to the confreres.
50. To promote family spirit and avoid upsetting the community programme, a confrere
who has to be absent from the house, especially for visits, journeys or holidays, should
have an understanding with his rector. In the case of a prolonged absence he will
C 65
follow what is prescribed by the Church in canon 665 §1.
Our poverty
Requirements of the
vow
C 74
51. The ceding of the use and usufruct of his goods and of their administration carries
with it the express condition that the member shall not be involved in responsibility
for their management.
With the permission of the provincial and for a just reason he can change this cession
and arrangement concerning his goods and can perform those acts with regard to
property which the civil law prescribes.
He must also observe all this with regard to goods which come into his possession
after profession.
He will also inform the provincial from time to time of the goods of which he retains
the ownership, and of their condition.
52. The will by which, in accordance with civil law, a member disposes of his present
and future goods, is to be drawn up in two copies, one of which will be kept in the
provincial archives. The provisions of canon and civil law shall be observed for any
C 74
eventual changes to it.
53. In the spirit of gospel detachment a member, after at least ten years of perpetual
profession and with the consent of the Rector Major, may definitively renounce the
ownership of all his personal goods. This act of renunciation shall be drawn up in
C 74
accordance with the prescription of the civil law of his own country.
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Sent to the young – in communities – following Christ 81
C 74, 194
Personal poverty
C 76
C 76
C 76
54. Should a confrere leave the Society, he shall once again have full rights over property
and movable assets, the ownership of which he reserved to himself. He shall not,
however, have the right to demand any of their fruits, nor any account of their administration.
Fraternal help will be afforded him to face the initial difficulties of his new situation; he
shall not, however, be entitled to anything for the period he has spent in the Congregation.
55. Every member lives out his poverty by temperance in the use of food and drink,
simplicity in dress and moderate use of holidays and amusements.
He furnishes his room in a simple manner, taking care not to make it a refuge which
keeps him separated from his confreres and from young people.
He is watchful so as not to become a slave to any habit opposed to the spirit of poverty.
Faithful to a constant tradition he abstains from smoking as a form of Salesian temperance
and as a witness in his personal work of education.
56. The members cannot retain for themselves anything they may acquire by their
own work or because of their membership of the Society, but everything must be
placed among the common goods.
Whatever money they receive from the community to carry out their work or for small
individual needs they will use with a sense of responsibility and give an account to the
superior of how it was spent.
57. Royalties received by Salesians for their publications or other productions are
fruits of work which as members they place in common for the benefit of the Society.
Hence every confrere, whether author or publisher, shall cede the copyrights he acquires
in accordance with what is laid down by the province and in the manner prescribed
by the laws of the respective countries.
Community poverty
and service
C 76-77
58. It belongs to provincial chapters to lay down norms with a view to establishing
a modest and effectively uniform level of community life throughout the province,
while taking into account special situations.
In particular they will regulate:
1. the use of personal equipment which can be taken to another house when a member
is transferred;
2. the holidays permitted to members for a proper restoration of their physical and
mental energies;
3. the norms for a practical exercise of solidarity between the houses of the province,
and the help the communities will offer for the general needs of the province.
59. The Society should not retain possession of any real estate apart from its houses
and the property needed for its work, in accordance with article 187 of the Constitutions.
In any case, whatever has the appearance of counter-witness to poverty should be
avoided, remembering that effective service can often be rendered with very simple
C 77
material structures and in works we do not own.
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C 77
C 77
C 77
C 76, 77
C 77, 78
C 77
82 General Regulations
60. The purpose of our works is to give service to others; they should therefore be
open and available for the needs of the neighbourhood. Space and facilities required
for the pastoral needs of the area should not be left unused.
61. Our meals should conform to the demands of religious poverty in line with the
customs of the different countries.
The interior decoration of the house, the furniture and equipment should be simple
and functional and should never give the impression of wealth and luxury. This holds
good also for our churches, while maintaining in them a proper decorum.
62. Proper attention should be given to the maintenance of assets and property. Special
importance attaches to the preservation of libraries, archives and other documentary
material, because of their cultural and community value.
63. Means of transport shall be the property of the house or province; they should not
be for exclusive personal use but at the disposal of the community, which will make
use of them only as a means of service and with criteria of poverty.
64. With a sense of economy and in keeping with our family spirit, domestic work
and services should as far as possible be done by the confreres. They will try to acquire
the relevant basic skills especially during the period of initial formation.
65. The community, whether local or provincial, should examine its own state of
poverty at intervals it considers opportune, both as regards its collective witness and
the services it renders, and should study the means to ensure a constant renewal.
Our chastity
C 84
66. The giving of witness and pastoral service requires the presence of the Salesian in
the world.
Faithful to the vocation he has chosen he will avoid the comforts and attractions of
the world. He will be prudent in making visits or frequenting amusements, excluding
anything not in keeping with religious chastity.
67. Female personnel should be employed in our houses and works only when necessary
C 84
and due regard should be paid to the requirements of religious life.
C 82, 84
68. In his relationships with others and in his friendships, the Salesian should be
consistent with the obligations assumed at his profession. Let him therefore avoid any
ambiguous or dangerous conduct or behaviour, which could obscure his witness to
chastity.
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7. IN DIALOGUE WITH THE LORD
C 85
C 88, 89
C 93
C 91
C 90
C 92
C 9, 21
69. At the beginning of the year every community should draw up the programme
for its life of prayer, bearing in mind its apostolic commitments and the demands of
fraternal life.
70. The members will celebrate, in common if possible, Lauds as morning prayer and
Vespers as evening prayer. Other prayers may be substituted, according to circumstances.
All the members will be faithful to the daily celebration of the Eucharist.
71. Every day the members will spend at least half an hour in common for meditation
and some time in spiritual reading. It is for the local community to devise different
ways in which this can be done and encourage the confreres in the fulfilment of this
duty.
72. The community will devote at least three hours to the monthly recollection, and
every three months a whole day will be given over to a suitably prepared recollection.
Every year the members will make a retreat of six days in the manner laid down by the
provincial chapter, which they will conclude with the renewal of the commitments
assumed at religious profession.
73. In harmony with Salesian tradition and the teaching of the Church, Friday is to
be a day of community penance for the members. In Lent the community should
establish some common practice of mortification to help the members prepare for
Easter and open them to a greater sharing with the poor.
74. As well as the Rosary, by means of which Mary teaches her children how to unite
themselves with the mysteries of Christ, the monthly commemoration, the daily prayer
after meditation and the frequent use of the Blessing of Mary Help of Christians
are other signs of unity in our Marian devotion. The details will be laid down in the
provincial directory.
The members, both individually and as a community, should feel the obligation of
zealously spreading devotion to Mary Help of Christians and of fostering, wherever
possible, the Association of Mary Help of Christians.
75. Our father Don Bosco will be commemorated on the last day of each month. The
feasts of our saints and beatified members should be celebrated as family events and
devotion to our servants of God should be fostered.
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84 General Regulations
76. Salesians will express love and gratitude to confreres, relatives and benefactors who
have been called by the Father to eternal life, by praying for the repose of their souls
both privately and as a community.
In particular:
1. on the death of a confrere or novice the community to which he belonged will have
thirty Masses said, and one Mass will be said in every house of the province;
2. on the death of the Rector Major or a Rector Major emeritus, in addition to the
thirty Masses one Mass will be said in every house of the Congregation;
3. on the death of parents of confreres, the house to which the confrere belongs will
have ten Masses said;
4. each year:
– for the deceased confreres every priest will say Mass on the day following the liturgical
solemnity of Don Bosco; in addition the provincial will have one Mass said during
every retreat;
– for the deceased parents of confreres one Mass will be celebrated in every house on
25 November, anniversary of the death of Mamma Margaret;
– for deceased benefactors and members of the Salesian Family, a Mass will be celebrated
C 94
in each community on 5 November.
77. Our community life of prayer will have a practical guide in the form of a manual
to be prepared by the provinces, provincial conferences or regions, which will contain
C 86
a common core of prayers as indicated by the Rector Major with his Council.
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Part Two
FORMED FOR THE MISSION
OF PASTORS AND EDUCATORS
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8. GENERAL ASPECTS OF FORMATION
Formation communities
C 103, 104
78. Formation communities must have a rector and a team of formation personnel
who are specially prepared, above all as regards spiritual direction which is ordinarily
given by the rector himself.
Those being formed and their formators must share responsibility for periodic planning
and evaluation of their work.
Those in formation should play their part in practical ways in the running of the
community.
C 70, 105
79. During the period of initial formation, once a month the confreres will have the
friendly talk with the superior referred to in article 70 of the Constitutions.
C 103
80. To educate those being formed to a sense of personal responsibility in the use of
time and to encourage the spirit of initiative, there should be reasonable flexibility in
the timetable and the day’s activities, with priority for the more pressing needs of the
community.
C 103, 108
81. The local community, since it shares the responsibility for the growth of each
confrere, is invited to express its opinion whenever one of its members seeks admission
to profession or to holy orders. This will be done in the form most in keeping with
charity.
Intellectual formation
82. Our Salesian mission orientates and characterizes at all levels the intellectual formation
of the members in a way that is original and unique. Therefore the programme of
studies must preserve a balance between serious and scientific reflection and the religious
and apostolic dimensions of our way of life.
Those branches of study shall be cultivated with special care which deal with the
C 97
education of and pastoral work for youth, catechesis and social communication.
83. During the years of initial formation the studies should be so structured as to lead
to degrees and qualifications recognized by the State, where circumstances allow.
C 101
84. The provinces able to do so should have their own study centre for the formation
of the confreres and to provide qualified services of spiritual, pastoral and cultural
animation.
When the study centre is interprovincial, the provinces concerned shall give their responsible
collaboration to enable it to achieve its aim.
As far as possible it should also be open to externs, religious and lay, as a service to the
particular Church.
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Formed for the mission of pastors and educators 87
85. The assimilation of the Salesian spirit is fundamentally a fact of living communication.
But for this vital experience to be really efficacious it should be accompanied throughout
the whole process of initial formation by a gradual and systematic study of Salesian
spirituality and the history of the Society.
Pastoral experiences
C 115
86. The pastoral experiences should be carried out in activities proper to our mission,
and should have as their purpose the development of an apostolic spirit and of the
educative and pastoral potential of the Salesian in formation.
Such experiences should be diversified and graded so that they respond to the personal
and religious development of the individual confrere and to the phase of formation
he has reached.
The community has the responsibility for programming these pastoral experiences,
following up their realization with the presence and guidance of the formation personnel
and their periodic evaluation.
Practical guide for formation
C 100, 101
87. The practical guide for formation at world level will be the Salesian “Ratio
fundamentalis Institutionis et Studiorum”, and at provincial level a directory approved
by the Rector Major with the consent of his Council.
The “Ratio” sets out in an integral and instructive way the complexus of principles
and norms concerning formation which are found in the Constitutions, General Regulations
and other documents of the Church and of the Congregation.
The provincial directory applies the principles and norms of Salesian formation to the
concrete local situations.
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9. THE FORMATION PROCESS
Immediate preparation for the novitiate
C 109
88. Under ordinary circumstances the period of immediate preparation for the novitiate
should not be less than six months in length and should be spent in a Salesian community.
The details are to be laid down in the provincial directory.
The novitiate
C 110
89. The house of novitiate should be in contact with the social and apostolic realities
of the neighbourhood. If circumstances make it desirable, the novitiate may be established
alongside another suitable community.
C 108
90. When the candidate considers himself ready and sufficiently prepared he makes
his application to begin the novitiate.
To be admitted he must be free from the impediments listed in Canon Law (CIC can.
643-645 §1), show the aptitudes and maturity necessary for entering upon the Salesian
life, and his health must be such as to enable him to observe all the Constitutions of
the Society.
The eventual dismissal of a novice belongs to the provincial of the province in which
the novitiate house is located.
C 110
91. Studies during the novitiate should be carried out seriously and follow a precise
programme which forms part of the overall plan of studies. They should have as their
overriding objective initiation into the mystery of Christ, so that the novice by means
of contact with the Word of God may develop a deeper life of faith and a loving
knowledge of God.
A solid theological basis for the religious life should also be presented. The Constitutions,
the life of Don Bosco and our traditions should be studied.
C 110
C 108, 111
92. The novices are to make a retreat at an appropriate time at the beginning of the
novitiate, and again before making vows.
93. The novice may freely leave the Institute during the novitiate. If he remains he
will be admitted to profession after he has made the necessary application and if he is
judged suitable; otherwise he is sent away.
In special cases the provincial may prolong the novitiate, but not beyond a further six
months in accordance with can. 653.
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C 108, 117
Formed for the mission of pastors and educators 89
94. When a religious in perpetual vows asks to pass from his own institute to our
Society, he must undergo a period of trial of at least three years’ duration in one of
our communities, so that he may assimilate our spirit.
At the end of this time he may make a formal request for admission, and if he is
accepted may make his perpetual profession in accordance with canon law.
Formation after the novitiate
C 113, 114
95. Immediately after the novitiate all confreres must continue their formation for at
least two years in formation communities, preferably Salesian studentates.
A general philosophical and pedagogical formation is given during this phase, with
an introduction to theology. Technical, scientific or professional training may also be
commenced or continued with specific qualifications in view.
C 115
96. Practical training lasts ordinarily two years and is carried out before perpetual
profession in a community that can provide whatever is necessary for the validity of
this experience.
C 116
97. Members who are preparing for the priesthood must receive, over a minimum
period of four years, a more intense and specifically priestly formation in formation
communities, preferably studentates.
They must attend seriously to theological studies, preferably in Salesian centres.
They must not undertake duties or other studies during this period that will interfere
with the specific purpose of this formative phase.
C 116
98. In the phase which completes their initial formation following the practical training,
lay Salesians must be afforded the possibility of acquiring a serious theological, Salesian
and pedagogical preparation suited to their cultural level.
They should be engaged also, according to their talents, in studies aimed at their professional
preparation in view of the apostolic work they will later carry out.
Ongoing formation
C 118, 119
99. Ongoing formation requires that each confrere develop his capacity for communication
and dialogue; he should form in himself an open and discerning mentality and a spirit
of initiative and in this way renew his own plan of life as and when necessary.
Each one should cultivate the habit of reading and the study of those branches of
knowledge proper to his mission; he should maintain his openness to prayer, meditation,
and to personal and community spiritual direction.
C 118, 119
100. Let every confrere study with his superiors the field of further qualification best
suited to his abilities and to the needs of the province, giving preference to whatever
concerns our mission.
He should preserve that availability which is characteristic of our spirit and be ready
for periodic requalification.
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90 General Regulations
C 101, 118, 119, 161
101. It is the duty of the provincial and his council to promote ordinary means and
also extraordinary initiatives for spiritual and cultural formation.
Meetings of rectors, pastoral animators, economers and other confreres should be
occasions for deepening our Salesian identity in its educational and pastoral dimensions.
An attitude of ready acceptance should be fostered to formative opportunities offered
by different bodies of the Church and of society.
Interprovincial initiatives should be carried out by the provincials concerned in agreement
with the Regional Councillor.
C 101, 118, 119
102. All Salesians in their mature years should periodically be offered the possibility
of spending an appropriate period of time for their renewal.
Provinces should take this need into account in their planning, and each confrere
should respond to it for his own good and that of the community.
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Part Three
THE SERVICE OF AUTHORITY
IN OUR SOCIETY
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10. THE SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN THE WORLD
COMMUNITY
C 59, 126
C 140, 154; R 135-137
103. The Rector Major shall be attentive to the needs of the universal Church, and
shall keep in active contact with provinces, houses and members. He shall seek the
collaboration of all, promote formal and informal meetings, and spread knowledge
of the apostolic activity of the Congregation within the Salesian Family.
The members in turn shall express their love for Don Bosco and the Congregation by
keeping united with the Rector Major and accepting his directives. They shall help
him by prayer and dialogue, and above all by fidelity to the Constitutions.
104. The Rector Major and the General Council, at the beginning of the six-year
period, will establish the times and ways for carrying out extraordinary visitations in
each region, exploiting the possibilities offered by art. 104 of the General Regulations,
so as to ensure, in any case,
– the possibility for each confrere to have a personal chat with the delegate of the
Rector Major;
– knowledge of the local situations in which our mission is carried out;
– the effective exercise of the powers of jurisdiction required by the nature of the visit;
– the presence of the Regional at least at some moments during the visitation, if made
by another Visitor;
– communication between the Visitor and the Regional to ensure further accompaniment
by the Regional after the visit;
– adequate time for the Regional Councillor to carry out the tasks proper to his office
in the service of the region and the individual provinces.
C 127
105. The Rector Major, as Superior of the Society, is the Grand Chancellor of the
Pontifical Salesian University (UPS). He is the representative of the Apostolic See for
the UPS and the representative of the UPS before the Apostolic See.
By virtue of the mandate of the Dicastery for Catholic Education, he has full power
over the University, and is the guardian and interpreter of its statutes.
He carries out the functions of Grand Chancellor either personally or through a delegate,
chosen preferably from among the members of the General Council.
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C 131, 132
C 133
C 144
The service of authority in our Society 93
106. In addition to the cases enumerated in article 132, §1 of the Constitutions, the
Rector Major requires the consent of his Council:
1. for beginning extraordinary juridical proceedings which could compromise the
Society;
2. for setting up mission offices at the level of the whole Congregation [R 24];
3. for accepting parishes [R 25];
4. for the approval of provincial formation directories [R 87];
5. for the appointment of a delegate for a central secretariat [R 108];
6. for establishing administrative-technical offices and advisory boards referred to in
article 107 of the General Regulations, and determining their mode of operation and
the offices and roles of their members;
7. for the appointment of his personal delegate for a delegation [R 138];
8. for the approval of binding decisions made by provincial conferences [C 139];
9. for establishing the manner of making the consultation preceding the appointment
of provincial councillors [R 154];
10. for the approval of the financial budget and balance sheet prepared by the Economer
General’s department [C 190, R 192].
107. The animation of the Salesian mission at world level calls for the identification of
common objectives and for cooperation among the Councillors in charge of specific
Sectors and for the coordination of their interventions with the Regional Councillors,
through systematic meetings of planning and evaluation.
The General Councillors in charge of specific Sectors can avail themselves of the services
of administrative-technical offices and advisory boards in carrying out the duties confided
to them.
Their establishment, mode of operation and internal organization are to be determined
by the Rector Major with the consent of his Council.
108. For areas of particular importance which do not form part of the duties assigned
by the Constitutions to individual Councillors, appropriate central secretariats may
be set up depending directly on the Rector Major.
The establishment of such secretariats belongs to the General Chapter. Their immediate
responsibility is entrusted to a central delegate who is appointed by the Rector Major
with the consent of his Council and remains ad nutum.
109. To ensure a more regular discharge of business with the Apostolic See it is desirable
that this be done through the Rector Major.
110. The official organ for the promulgation of directives of the Rector Major and his
Council and for official information is the ‘Acts of the General Council’. Its publication
is the responsibility of the General Secretariat.
The General Chapter
C 143, 150
111. Except in the case provided for by article 143 of the Constitutions, the convocation
of the General Chapter will be made at least one year before it opens. It will be announced
to all members by means of a circular letter which will indicate the principal purpose,
place and opening date of the Chapter.
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C 150
C 150
C 151.8
C 151.8
C 150
C 150
C 151.8
C 150
94 General Regulations
112. For the preparation of the General Chapter the Rector Major, or in his absence
his Vicar, will appoint a Moderator to whom the provincial chapters, local communities
and individual members will send their proposals and study contributions if any. He
will also appoint a technical commission to work with the Moderator in establishing
a plan of preparation for the General Chapter and in securing the interest and active
participation of the members.
113. The Rector Major, or in his absence the Vicar, will also appoint a precapitular
commission which, under the responsibility of the Moderator and in agreement with
the Rector Major, will draw up the reports or schemata to be sent in good time to
those taking part in the General Chapter.
114. Provinces with fewer than 200 professed members, and vice-provinces, will send
to the General Chapter one delegate elected by the respective chapters. Moreover,
provinces will send another delegate for every additional two hundred members or
fraction thereof. Other eventual juridical circumscriptions referred to in article 156
of the Constitutions will have their representation defined in their decree of erection.
115. At least three months before the opening of the General Chapter, the provincials
will send the Moderator the minutes of the elections, which will be examined by
an appropriate commission appointed by the Rector Major, or in his absence by his
Vicar.
If any defects should be discovered, the Moderator will see that they are rectified in
good time, and if necessary the elections are repeated.
116. In the first session of the General Chapter the President will appoint two or
more secretaries and if necessary also other Chapter officials. If necessary the President
can also choose other secretaries and officials who are not members of the General
Chapter.
It is the duty of the secretaries to record accurately in the minutes, the acts and deliberations
of the General Chapter, the decisions made and a summary of the discussions.
117. Once the secretaries have been appointed the Moderator, in the name of the
President and with the consent of the assembly, will declare the Chapter lawfully
opened.
118. If, at the opening of the General Chapter, the election of any delegate is found
to be invalid or still doubtful, the Moderator will inform the Chapter of this at the
first session.
The first act of the Chapter will then be to pronounce on each case, so that with the
authority with which it is invested it may either declare an election null and void, or
rectify its invalidity.
119. In one of the early sessions, the Rector Major, or his Vicar, shall present a general
report on the state of the Congregation, and this shall be the object of study and
analysis by the assembly.
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C 150
C 150
C 150
C 151
C 150
C 150
C 141, 153
The service of authority in our Society 95
120. The meetings of the General Chapter will be presided over by the Rector Major,
or in his absence, by his Vicar. He will be helped in the direction and conduct of the
work by the Moderator and by three chairmen, elected by an absolute majority by the
General Chapter from a list of names prepared by the President.
The President, the Moderator and the three Chairmen constitute the Presidency of
the General Chapter.
121. The General Chapter will elect by absolute majority at least five members who,
with the Moderator and Chairmen, will form the central commission which, under
the presidency of the Rector Major, has the duty of coordinating the work of the
Chapter and ensuring its smooth functioning.
122. The General Chapter works through groups called commissions, which have
the task of studying the schemata or reports assigned to them. As soon as possible
the Moderator will inform the General Chapter of the themes and the commissions
dealing with them, and will ask for its approval. The commissions will be constituted
by the President, who will keep in mind each one’s preferences.
123. It is the duty of the members of the Chapter to be present at its meetings; for
this reason they may not absent themselves without the permission of the President.
124. The confreres shall be given full and timely information about the work of the
Chapter.
A commission of Chapter members, chosen from the various groups of provinces, is
responsible for such information and in general for all contacts with the mass media.
It will function in agreement with the Presidency of the Chapter.
All who take part in any way in the General Chapter must exercise discretion and
respect for persons concerned, whenever referring to the work, events or discussions
of the Chapter.
125. The Rector Major and the capitular assembly have the faculty of calling other
persons to the General Chapter as experts or observers without the right to vote; they
may or may not be Salesians.
Experts may take part in discussions in the commissions to which they are invited;
they may speak in the assembly only when requested. Observers may speak both in
the commissions and in the assembly.
126. It is for the General Chapter to decide on the date for the elections, providing
for an appropriate period of reflection before the election of each Council member.
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C 141, 153
C 141, 153
C 153
C 153
C 153
C 153
C 153
96 General Regulations
127. The election of the Rector Major and members of his Council is an act which
calls for the full responsibility of every Chapter member before the Congregation. It
must therefore be prepared for by prayer and carried out in a spirit of faith.
Every elector may request and provide information about the qualities of those eligible,
but must avoid whatever may offend against fraternal charity.
With reference to art. 133 of the Constitutions, the election of the Councillors for the
Sectors is to be preceded by a process of discernment on the part of Chapter members
divided according to regions, on the important challenges of the Sector and on the
profile of the candidates. Such a process of discernment concludes with the proposal
to the assembly of one candidate from one’s own region and of another from outside
the region, identified through secret ballot.
128. In accordance with the prescription of article 141, §1 of the Constitutions for
the election of Regional Councillors, the members from each group of provinces will
choose by secret vote in a single ballot the confreres to be presented to the assembly,
writing one name on each voting paper. They will then present to the assembly a list
containing the names of those who have received votes with the number given to each.
129. At the beginning of the electoral session, the President will announce its purpose.
Two secretaries and three scrutineers will then be elected by secret ballot; the scrutineers
and the President are obliged to maintain secrecy even after the Chapter.
130. Should any elector be ill in the house where the General Chapter is being held,
and be unable to be present but able to write, two scrutineers will go to him to receive
in a ballot-box his vote which will be added to the others.
131. The election procedure is to be carried out by means of an electronic system
(intranet). All Chapter members are to have access to the personal details of the individual
members who can be elected. The individual voters will express their vote by selecting
the surname of the member for whom they wish to express a preference.
If there is a technical malfunction of the system, the procedure for election by means
of a paper ballot will be used.
The scrutineers will verify that the number of votes in the electronic system corresponds
to the number of voters. If the number of votes exceeds the number of voters, the
ballot shall be null and void; if, on the other hand, it corresponds to or is lower, the
scrutiny is to begin. The secretaries will record the names as they are read out by a
scrutineer.
132. Whoever has received the votes of an absolute majority of those present is elected
and will be proclaimed as such by the President; on accepting he will immediately
enter into office. If the President himself is elected, the proclamation will be made by
the oldest member of the assembly.
133. After the elections the Rector Major will inform all members of the Society of
the names of those elected and the offices assigned to them.
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C 150
The service of authority in our Society 97
134. In the last session of the Chapter, after everything prescribed by the regulations
has been carried out, the Moderator, in the name of the President and with the approval
of the assembly, will declare the General Chapter closed.
Regional structures
C 140, 154
135. The Regional Councillors will keep in touch with the individual provinces: they
must visit them periodically, arranging meetings of provincial councils. In agreement
with the provincials, they may meet with rectors and other groups of confreres and lay
people to point out to them whatever they consider more opportune for the welfare
of the Congregation and for the provision of a better service for the province and the
particular Church.
They shall have at least one annual meeting with all the provincials of the Region and
liaise with bodies in the Region, formation communities and any provincial conferences.
C 140, 154
136. In addition it is the duty of the Regional Councillors:
1. to further a concrete and creative family sense in the relationship of confreres and
provinces among themselves and with the Rector Major and his Council;
2. to attend diligently to the official business of the provinces of the group and of the
provincial conferences;
3. to foster the efficient functioning of interprovincial structures, where they exist,
and the setting up of regional offices of documentation regarding the religious, cultural
and social services of the areas of their competence, where this is possible and advisable.
C 140, 154
137. In the fulfilment of their office, Regional Councillors will act with proper discretion
so as not to substitute themselves unduly for the local, provincial or other superiors,
nor intrude in matters of their specific competence.
C 154
138. If particular reasons require that certain provinces be detached from one or more
groups, without an entirely new group entrusted to a Regional Councillor being
constituted, the General Chapter may unite them in a delegation, for which the Rector
Major with the consent of his Council and after consulting the provinces concerned
will appoint his personal delegate, to whom he will assign such duties as he considers
opportune.
C 155
139. The provinces of each conference meet at least once a year to study problems
concerning the animation and coordination of their joint Salesian activity.
The conference is presided over by the Regional Councillor or his delegate.
The conclusions of the conference are ordinarily indicative.
In special cases the conference can make binding decisions, which acquire their force
only after the approval of the Rector Major with the consent of his Council.
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C 155
C 155
C 155
98 General Regulations
140. The following take part in the meetings of the conference:
1. the Regional Councillor or his delegate;
2. the provincials of the conference;
3. one or more delegates for each province, selected according to the norms laid down
in the regulations of the provincial conference.
141. Experts and observers, both religious and lay, may be invited to participate in the
work of the conference in the manner to be laid down by each conference in its own
regulations.
142. The following tasks, among others, are assigned to the provincial conference:
1. to study and further the application of the general directives of the Congregation
regarding its government and work, and particularly those of the General Chapter;
2. to provide for the coordination of common pastoral activity, of the formation,
qualification and updating of confreres, and of the means of social communication,
by promoting generous collaboration in the exchange of members and resources;
3. to promote liaison and collaboration with other organizations and institutions interested
in the problems of youth and of development;
4. to examine and encourage appropriate experimentation, particularly in the field of
community poverty and in our service to the poorest young people and ordinary folk;
5. to draw up its regulations and decide upon possible interprovincial structures, secretariats
and offices for animation and coordination.
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11. THE SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN THE PROVINCIAL
COMMUNITY
The provincial and his council
C 162
143. Before appointing a provincial the Rector Major will consult the professed members
of the province in accordance with article 162 of the Constitutions, and will ask each
one for a list of three names of members of their own or other provinces and arranged
in order of preference.
C 161
144. The provincial is the bond of union between the province and the Rector Major
with his Council; he fosters relationships with the civil authorities and with ecclesiastical
and religious organizations in his area.
C 161
145. The provincial should keep in contact with the rectors and give them special
attention. He should call them together at least once a year to treat of matters of
general interest for the province.
C 161
146. The provincial will see to it that he has frequent personal contact with the members,
always in a spirit of service and fraternal communion.
1. Once a year he will make with particular care the provincial visitation to each community.
2. During the visitation he should meet each member, hold a meeting of the local
council, and carry out with the community a review of their religious observance, the
witness of their consecrated life, their apostolic zeal in pastoral activities, their concern
for fostering vocations, and the financial situation. The provincial councillors may
assist him in this task.
3. At the end of the provincial visitation he should write down in the register kept for
this purpose in the archives of the house his observations and decisions of a general
character. Those of a confidential nature he should communicate separately. At the
next visitation he should verify that they have been carried out.
C 5, 161
147. By means of opportune contacts with the various groups of the Salesian Family
and through his delegate, the provincial will seek to promote the sense of belonging
to a common vocation and a deeper understanding of what this means.
C 47, 161
148. Aware of the important role played by our lay colleagues, the provincial should
show a keen interest in their Salesian preparation and should ascertain how they are
integrated in our works.
C 162
149. The provincial may stay the execution of a superior order, in accordance with
universal law, if there are motives to the contrary so grave and evident as to justify
him in believing that if the superiors concerned had known of them they would have
acted otherwise, but in such a case he must inform them fully and immediately. If the
suspended order concerns a member, the latter shall place himself at the disposal of
the provincial while a reply is awaited (CIC, can. 41).
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C 160
C 162
C 161, 162
C 167
C 164
C 165
100 General Regulations
150. A member is assigned to a specific Salesian house by a precept of obedience from
his own provincial or other competent authority. The number of confreres in a house
shall normally not be fewer than six.
151. The provincial, after hearing the opinion of his council and the member concerned,
may if requested and for a just reason send him temporarily to another province under
a written agreement with the provincial who receives him. Permanent changes of province
require the authorization of the Rector Major.
152. Members will exercise the ministry of hearing confessions with the permission
of the provincial, in accordance with canon law.
153. To change the provincial house the provincial must have the consent of his
council and seek the authorization of the Rector Major.
He shall also have an understanding with him if he will be absent from the province
for a considerable length of time.
154. The manner in which the consultation preceding the appointment of provincial
councillors is made shall be laid down by the Rector Major with the consent of his
Council.
155. It is the duty of the provincial council to collaborate with the provincial for the
development of the Salesian life and mission, help him gain knowledge of situations,
and see that the provincial plan is being put into practice through contacts with those
responsible and with the respective commissions.
The council shall be called together by the provincial at least once a month, and the
agenda shall be made known in advance.
156. In addition to those already indicated in the Constitutions, the provincial needs
the consent of his council according to the General Regulations in the following cases:
1. authorizing coeducational schools [R 3];
2. drawing up contracts with local Ordinaries and other bodies [R 23, 25];
3. setting up mission offices and twinning arrangements [R 24];
4. allowing a confrere to carry out pastoral work in non-Salesian institutions [R 35];
5. changing the location of the provincial house [R 153];
6. appointing the moderator of the provincial chapter and inviting experts and observers
[R 168];
7. establishing the manner in which the consultation for the appointment of rectors
shall be carried out [R 170];
8. transferring a rector to another office during his term of appointment [R 171];
9. requesting authorization for the financial operations referred to in article 188 of
the Constitutions [R 193];
10. approving the financial budget and balance sheet of the province [C 190; R 196];
11. fixing the contributions to be requested from the houses for the needs of the
province [R 197];
12. authorizing modifications, or solutions to economic problems, or other undertakings
of considerable importance in the houses [R 200].
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11.1 Page 101

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C 157, 165
C 165
C 164
C 162, 164
The service of authority in our Society 101
157. The provincial must hear the opinion of his council, according to canon law and
the General Regulations, in the following cases:
1. for the choice and preparation of personnel for formation communities;
2. for the selection of parish priests [R 27];
3. for the temporary transfer of a confrere to another province [R 151];
4. for the appointment of the provincial secretary [R 159];
5. for the setting up of offices and secretariats, and the establishing of commissions for
consultation or pastoral activity at the provincial level [R 160];
6. for setting in motion the process of dismissal of a member [CIC, can. 697].
158. When matters of particular importance concerning a local community are dealt
with in the provincial council, care shall be taken to ascertain the views of the community
concerned.
159. The provincial and his council have at their service a secretary who has the role
of a notary.
He is present at the meetings of the council without the right to vote, unless he is one
of the councillors; he records the minutes. He is in charge of the provincial archives
and sees to the collecting and recording of statistics. He is appointed by the provincial
after hearing the opinion of his council and remains ad nutum.
160. It belongs to the provincial, after hearing the opinion of his council, to set up
offices and secretariats and to establish commissions for consultation or pastoral activity
at the provincial level.
The provincial chapter
C 173
161. The elections of the delegates of the local communities to the provincial chapter
and of the delegates of the provinces to the General Chapter will be made separately
by secret ballot according to the norms of article 153 of the Constitutions.
C 173
162. After the delegates are chosen, an equivalent number of substitutes will be elected
to take their place if they are definitively prevented from taking part in the provincial
or General Chapter. The manner in which the substitution is to take place for the
General Chapter will be decided by the provincial chapter.
C 173
163. In the case of local communities having fewer than six professed members, if
circumstances permit, the provincial should arrange that they meet together so as
to form the number of at least six professed members, under the presidency of the
rector who is senior by first profession. Thus united they will elect the delegate for the
provincial chapter and his substitute according to the norms of the General Regulations.
If however because of special circumstances the members of a house with fewer than
six professed members cannot join with another in like condition, with the consent
of the provincial, the members of such a house shall join the members of a house with
six or more professed members and together with them and with equal rights, active
and passive, will proceed to the election of the delegate and his substitute.
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C 173
C 173, 174
C 173
102 General Regulations
164. Besides what is prescribed in article 165 of the General Regulations, voting by
letter is allowed with the approval of the provincial in the following cases;
1. when because of distance or other serious reasons the members of communities
with fewer than six professed members cannot meet together nor join the members
of another house with six or more professed members for the election of the delegate
to the provincial chapter;
2. when a confrere cannot be present for serious reasons at the election of the delegate
of his own community;
3. when a member of the provincial chapter cannot attend the chapter for the election
of the delegate of the province to the General Chapter.
165. For the election of the delegates of the provincial community the following is to
be observed:
1. When the election of the delegates of each community has been completed, the
provincial will notify the confreres of the names of those elected, and will send them
a list of the perpetually professed members of the province who are eligible for the
provincial chapter. This list will include confreres temporarily and lawfully absent
from the province and exclude confreres of other provinces present for the same reasons;
2. confreres who for lawful reasons are temporarily absent from their province will
participate in the election of the delegate of the community in which they reside, but
for the election of the delegates of the provincial community they will receive from
their own provincial a voting-paper which they will return to him duly completed;
3. the number of those to be elected is in the proportion of 1 for every 25 or fraction of
25 members of the province; in arriving at this number both temporarily and perpetually
professed members are included as well as confreres temporarily absent from the province
for lawful reasons;
4. each confrere with the right to vote will receive from his provincial a voting-paper
on which he may indicate as many names as there are members to be elected;
5. it is for the provincial to collect the voting papers and guarantee the secrecy of the
voting;
6. the counting of the votes will be done by scrutineers appointed by the provincial.
Those who have the highest number of votes in successive sequence will be elected. If
votes are equal the senior by profession will be elected, or in the case of further equality
the senior in age;
7. if the substitute of a delegate of a community is elected on the provincial list a new
election for the substitute will be made. If one of those elected on the provincial list
cannot take part in the chapter, he will be substituted by the first of the non-elected
members who received the highest number of votes.
166. The following confreres are to be considered as lawfully absent from the province:
1. those who by express mandate of their own provincial are living temporarily in
houses of other provinces for reasons of health, study or other duties;
2. those who received permission for absentia a domo without giving up their right to
active and passive voice;
3. those with permission for absentia a domo who have renounced their right to active
and passive voice; but this last group, while being included for the purpose of article
165 of the General Regulations, are not to be included in the list for the election
referred to in nos. 1 and 2 of the same article.
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C 171
C 172, 173
C 123
The service of authority in our Society 103
167. In addition to what is prescribed in article 171 of the Constitutions, it belongs
to the provincial chapter:
1. to study and analyse the report of the provincial on the state of the province;
2. to verify what has been done in response to the guidelines issued by the previous
provincial chapter;
3. to suggest ideas and criteria for the planning and reorganization of the works of the
province;
4.to establish standing orders for the functioning of the provincial chapter in accordance
with canon law (CIC, can. 632);
5. to forward proposals to the Moderator of the General Chapter.
168. With the consent of his council, the provincial has the power of appointing the
moderator and of inviting Salesians and non-Salesians to the provincial chapter as
experts or observers, without the right to vote.
169. In elections, consultations and appointments, it should be kept in mind that it
is desirable for chapters and councils to express by the significant presence of clerical
and lay members the complementary relationship between them that is characteristic
of our Society.
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12. THE SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY
The rector and his council
C 177
170. The manner of making the consultation for the appointment of the rector will
be determined by the provincial with the consent of his council and in the light of any
indications made by the provincial chapter. When a rector is confirmed for a second
three-year term of office in the same community, the approval of the Rector Major
referred to in article 177 of the Constitutions is not required.
C 177
C 55, 176
C 55, 176, 186
C 176
C 55, 176
171. The period of service of the rector shall not normally exceed six years without an
interruption of at least one year.
Even during his three-year term he may be appointed to some other office if the provincial,
with the consent of his council, deems it necessary.
172. The rector should keep himself free from commitments which could interfere
with his fundamental duties of service to the confreres. He should not absent himself
from the house for any notable length of time without necessity and without an
understanding with the provincial.
173. He must see that the confreres practise the shared responsibility and collaboration
in the family spirit desired by Don Bosco. He should respect areas of responsibility,
fostering in an atmosphere of healthy freedom the employment of natural gifts and
personal talents for attaining the common end.
He must ensure that the assembly of the confreres and the council of the community
function in the most effective way.
He should encourage meetings and events which contribute to brotherhood, updating
and relaxation.
174. He should programme with the community the best way of carrying out and
periodically reviewing the community expression of its prayer life, allowing scope for
opportune initiative.
He should ensure that the confreres have opportunities for frequent confession and
freedom as regards direction of conscience.
175. Basing himself on Salesian sources and by means of common spiritual direction,
conferences, “good nights” and informal meetings, he should take care that the community
becomes deeply imbued with our spirit, and lives it in an intense way.
In addition he will see to it that official documents of the Church and the Congregation
are brought to the knowledge of all the confreres.
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C 55, 176
C 176
C 176
C 176
C 178, 181
C 182
C 183
C 179, 180
The service of authority in our Society 105
176. He should show, especially in his personal relationships with the confreres, his
concern for their health and particular needs. He should show special care for the
confreres still in the period of initial formation, for the sick and the aged and for those
who are in difficulty.
He should take an interest also in the parents of confreres, and consider them as united
to the community in a special way.
177. On the death of a confrere, the rector is to write his obituary letter without delay.
He shall send copies to the General Secretariat, to the provinces and communities particularly
interested and to formation communities.
178. He should keep the archives in order and up to date, and compile or see to the
compiling of the house chronicle.
179. Conscious of the fact that he belongs to the provincial community, he should
give the provincial a clear and simple account of how the community is progressing.
180. The local council will meet as often as the council itself determines, but at least
once a month. In addition it must be called together whenever the rector considers it
necessary or whenever he is asked to do so by at least one third of its members.
The agenda to be dealt with should be made known in advance and the minutes are
to be signed by the rector and members of the council and kept in the archives.
The rector should keep the confreres duly informed about decisions of common interest.
The members of the council must remember their solidarity as regards decisions taken,
and that in any case they are obliged in conscience to have respect for persons and to
be discreet regarding matters discussed.
181. Where there is no local council, the rector must consult the provincial in those
cases in which the Constitutions call for the opinion or consent of the said council.
182. It is customary for the vice-rector to be responsible for one of the principal
sectors of the educative and pastoral activity of the community. Ordinarily, however,
the office of vice-rector should not be combined with that of economer.
The community should be informed of the special duties of the vice-rector referred
to in article 183 of the Constitutions.
183. The appointment of the vice-rector, the economer and those responsible for the
principal sectors of the activity of the community is made by the provincial. In the
case of the appointment of the vice-rector and the economer he shall first hear the
opinion of the rector.
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106 General Regulations
The assembly of the confreres
C 186
184. With regard to the community the principal tasks and duties of the assembly of
the confreres are:
1. to seek appropriate means of fostering religious and apostolic life;
2. to identify and examine the more important problems;
3. to draw up a programme each year covering the life, activities and updating of the
community, and to review this programme;
4. to participate in the elaboration of the educative and pastoral plan;
5. to be informed and reflect on the financial situation, in view also of community
poverty.
The frequency of meetings is decided by the assembly itself, but they shall take place
at least three times a year.
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13. THE ADMINISTRATION OF TEMPORAL GOODS
General norms
185. Where necessary, advisory groups of confreres should be set up at various levels
to provide advice and guidance in the solution of administrative problems, in the
drawing up and examination of financial budgets and balance sheets, in the preparation
of economic programmes and the realization of building projects. The expertise of
non-Salesians may also be made use of.
186. To ensure the availability of personnel with the necessary competence for the
administrative sector, specialized courses for economers should be organized periodically
within a province or group of provinces.
C 187
187. Any money surplus to the requirements for running expenses at different levels
should, when convenient, be deposited in banks in the account of a house or institute
of the Society and not in the name of an individual person. These accounts should be
operable by three, or at least two, signatures, with one signature sufficient for transactions.
When the superior in question considers it opportune, two signatures may be jointly
required for transactions.
188. The following operations in favour of third parties are forbidden: making loans,
acting as guarantors, accepting obligations, issuing or backing letters of credit, mortgaging
the property of the Society and similar operations.
189. As far as non-Salesian employees are concerned, the legislation of the country
must be followed in regard to the documentation needed on taking up or leaving
employment, social security, social welfare and insurance, and a just wage must be
paid.
It is also necessary to take out and keep up to date insurance policies against damage
or harm to property or persons, to the extent judged appropriate by the competent
superiors.
C 171
190. The formulation of detailed rules of administration at provincial and local levels
is left to provincial chapters. In particular they will give directives concerning:
1. the keeping of official records, administrative archives for official documents, agreements
and covenants, wills, registers, files of obligations, inventories, etc.;
2. property registration, the safe custody of articles of value and of important documents;
3. legacies for religious purposes and bursaries;
4. the keeping of accounts and centralization of administration where there are different
groups involved in a single work;
5. financial arrangements between parish and house in conformity with canon law
and the Constitutions;
6. every other norm which local experience may suggest.
The provincial chapter may delegate this task to the provincial with his council.
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C 190
108 General Regulations
191. If any member, no matter what office he holds, should contract debts or any
other kind of obligation without authorization from a competent superior, he alone
remains responsible. Neither the Society nor the province nor the house to which he
belongs accepts any responsibility in the matter.
Should a corporate body – province or house – raise a loan, even with due authorization,
it alone remains responsible for repayment; a clause to this effect should be written
into the loan contract.
At world level
C 139, 188
192. The Economer General supervises the whole Society as regards the operations
listed in article 188 of the Constitutions. He supervises the administration of the
provinces and the houses, and in particular examines the annual report which is drawn
up and despatched according to the indications of article 196 of the General Regulations.
He renders an account of his administration to the Rector Major and his Council at
least once a year and whenever he is called upon to do so.
The provinces
C 169, 190
193. The provincial economer administers those goods which do not belong to a
particular house of the province, and those which individual confreres have entrusted
to the Congregation. He supervises and monitors the administration of each house.
He carries out his duties in dependence on the provincial, who will make decisions
with the consent of his council in the case of operations referred to in article 188 of
the Constitutions and others of a certain importance.
C 169, 190
194. The provincial economer will have an understanding with the provincial concerning:
1. the help he gives local economers to ensure the exact fulfilment of their duties and
in coordinating initiatives at provincial level;
2. the visits he makes to the houses to examine the condition of buildings and property,
and to check the administration, maintenance and hygienic conditions;
3. the calling of the annual meeting of local economers;
4. the prompt submission of the annual financial report and other periodic reports
on forms supplied by him;
5. the withdrawal from the houses of the contributions referred to in article 197 of
the General Regulations.
C 169, 190
195. Among the rights and duties of the provincial economer is also included the
supervision of all building operations in the province, even when these concern a
house already in existence and where the work is to be carried out under the immediate
control of the local economer and the responsibility of the rector.
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C 169, 190
C 76, 190
The service of authority in our Society 109
196. The provincial economer should be solicitous in keeping the provincial and his
council periodically informed about his administration, and in drawing up the annual
financial budget and balance sheet which they have to approve.
The balance sheet will include the cash income and expenditure and the situation
of the province in regard to capital assets and liabilities, together with a summary of
the financial reports of the individual houses; a copy, signed by the provincial and his
council, will be sent to the Economer General.
197. The provincial with the consent of his council will decide on and inform the
houses of the contributions required from them for the needs of the province, and
will likewise withdraw surplus funds that may be available in certain houses.
He will draw up a periodic plan of financial solidarity among all the houses of the
province, in order to help those in greater need and to provide funds for extraordinary
works and purchases programmed in the provincial chapter.
He will also ensure solidarity with the worldwide Congregation, especially at moments
and in ways called for by the Rector Major and his Council.
The houses
C 184, 190
C 176, 184, 190
C 184, 190
198. The administration of the goods of each house is entrusted to the local economer,
who will act in dependence on the rector and his council.
Every financial transaction in any sector of the house, even that of the rector, must be
referred back for accounting purposes to the economer’s office, which will be organized
in a manner proportionate to the importance and complexity of the work involved.
Even confreres in charge of works which by statute or agreement have a separate administrative
council, must render an account of their administration to the religious superiors.
This must be done even when there exist separate administrations for the community
and the work concerned.
199. It is the economer’s duty to manage affairs with diligence and precision.
In agreement with the rector he will make the necessary purchases, look after employees
and take care of insurance matters; he will be watchful to see that abuses and waste of
every kind are avoided, and that furnishings and rooms are kept simple, functional,
clean and well ordered.
The rector will keep himself frequently informed of everything that relates to the
financial state of the house.
200. Without prejudice to what is laid down in article 188 of the Constitutions, the
rector and the economer will not make modifications, seek solutions to economic
problems, or take other initiatives of any considerable importance without the consent
of the local council and without the authorization of the provincial and his council.
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C 176, 184, 190
C 184, 190
110 General Regulations
201. The rector and the economer will be solicitous in satisfying their financial obligations
to the provincial in the manner laid down, and in transferring to him any surplus
remaining at the end of the financial year, in obedience to article 197 of the General
Regulations.
They will also diligently fulfil any other obligations they have undertaken and pay any
debts contracted both with other Salesian houses and with externs.
202. The economer will keep himself always ready to give an account of his management
to the rector and his council. He will send a report of his administration to the provincial
and provincial economer annually and whenever he is asked to do so.
As opportunity offers, and especially when the programme for the year’s work and
the economic situation are being discussed, he will seek the involvement of the entire
community with regard to the financial situation, ordinary and extraordinary, of the
house.
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