Turin, Italy – March 2025 – On March 25, the 29th General Chapter of the Society of St. Francis de Sales elected Fr. Fabio Attard as the new Rector Major. He is the 11th Successor of Don Bosco, entrusted with leading the Salesian Congregation and continuing its mission of serving young people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, across 136 countries worldwide.
On the evening of March 25, upon his arrival from Rome to Turin, the new Rector Major was warmly welcomed and greeted. This was followed by the formal act of the profession of faith, the most solemn and institutional moment of the occasion. Fr. Attard then delivered his first address, outlining his vision and key directions for the Congregation. The day after his election, he also celebrated his first Mass as Rector Major in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Valdocco, Turin.
(ANS-Turin) – This morning marked a significant moment in the history of the Salesian Congregation: Fr. Fabio Attard, the new Rector Major and 11th Successor of Don Bosco, presided over his first Mass at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Valdocco, Turin. It was a solemn and deeply spiritual occasion marked by gratitude and reflection, during which the Salesian Family gathered to give thanks to God for the gift of the Eucharist and to meditate on the mission and vision of Don Bosco’s successor.
(ANS – Turin) – This was a special moment, a formal but necessary ritual, a time of great joy and unity, but also a chance to give meaning and depth to the beginning of a new journey that the Congregation has started with this 29th General Chapter. It all happened on Tuesday, March 25th, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, at the Grand Auditorium in Valdocco. That’s where Fr. Fabio Attard, the new Rector Major and the 11th Successor of Don Bosco, took the oath of faith.
Milan, Italy – March 25, 2025 – The newly elected Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Fabio Attard, was greeted by young people at the Salesian school in Milan while passing through on his way to Turin. At Turin, he assumed his new position through the solemn profession of faith as the new leader of the Salesian Congregation.
(ANS – Turin) – Congratulatory messages and best wishes are pouring in from around the world for Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB, who was elected by the 29th General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation as the Rector Major for the six-year term 2025–2031, and as such, the 11th Successor of Don Bosco. Trust, appreciation, esteem, gratitude, and prayers for his mission are the sentiments shared by the various personalities who have expressed their thoughts.
(ANS – Turin) – The election of Fr. Fabio Attard as the 11th successor of Don Bosco marks a historic moment for the Salesian Congregation and the Salesian Family worldwide. Elected during the 29th General Chapter of the Society of St. Francis de Sales, Fr. Fabio Attard fully embodies Don Bosco's charism and is preparing to lead the Salesian mission dedicated to young people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, in 136 nations. With extensive theological, pastoral, and academic experience, Fr. Attard is called to guide the Salesian Congregation toward a renewed future, bringing Don Bosco's dream to the heart of the contemporary world.
PHOTO GALLERY
INTERVIEWS
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Italy – GC29, Fr. Attard: “Listening to Young People Around the World, Don Bosco’s Method Is Still Relevant”(ANS – Turin) – "Avvenire" is a prominent Italian daily official newspaper of the Catholic Church in Italy which has featured an article on our New Rector Major Fr. Fabio Attard. We present you an extract from the article:
EDITORIAL
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RMG – Don Bosco: “The Fascinating Saint”(ANS - Rome) - Don Bosco is perhaps the most amazing and fascinating saint, history has ever produced. The humble work which he began for the welfare of his poor and abandoned boys in Italy has produced astonishing results, and today there are nearly 14000 Salesians working in 138 countries, and there are more than 200,000 members belonging to the 32 groups of the worldwide Salesian Family sharing the charism of Don Bosco and reaching out to the needy young people.
EVENTS
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France – Education and Poverty: When “ATD-Quart Monde” and the Don Bosco Network Share Their Reflections(ANS – Paris) – In France, three million children live in families whose income falls below the poverty line. For this reason, the topic of “Education and Poverty” deeply resonates with the Don Bosco Salesian Family. On Tuesday, April 1, the Don Bosco Foundation in France brought together two committed voices—Marie-Aleth Grard, president of “ATD-Quart Monde,” (ATD Altogether in Dignity – Fourth World) and Fr. Jean-Marie Petitclerc, SDB, Vice Provincial of the Salesian Province “St. Francis de Sales” of France and Southern Belgium—for a discussion on this crucial theme.
SPECIAL REPORTS
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United States – World Health Day: Salesian Missions highlights health programs for people living in poverty(ANS – New Rochelle) - Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, joins humanitarian and other international organizations in honoring World Health Day on April 7. In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) held the First World Health Assembly and designated the day to mark the founding of WHO. The first World Health Day was held in 1950. Every year it serves as an opportunity to draw worldwide attention to a particular theme of importance related to global health.
MESSAGES OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
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With Don Bosco - AlwaysTHE MESSAGE OF THE VICAR OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Fr Stefano Martoglio
To celebrate a General Chapter in one place or in some other place is not an indifferent matter. Certainly, being at Valdocco, in the "cradle of the charism", we have the opportunity to rediscover the beginnings of our history and rediscover the originality that constitutes the heart of our identity as consecrated persons and apostles to the young.
