On the occasion of the First Vatican Council, several bishops asked Don Bosco to send Salesians to China, the United States and Egypt. Don Bosco studied for three years to try to understand what the distant country was of a nine-year-old child's dream. One day he was asked to go to Argentina and this led him to get to know about the indigenous people of Patagonia.
The project of the first expedition was thus formed, and had a threefold objective: it had to dedicate itself to poor and abandoned youth, take up the running of an educational institution and subsequently expand to other locations in Patagonia.
On 1 November 1875, Pope Pius IX received the members of the expedition and blessed them.
On 11 November, the Church of Mary Help of Christians in Valdocco then hosted the most significant celebration: the Mass sending out the first ten Salesian missionaries. Don Bosco offered them a long and developed homily. And each missionary brought with him a sheet with reminders from Don Bosco in which various principles were emphasised, such as: seek souls, not money, honours or dignity; take care of the sick, children, the elderly and the poor and you will earn the blessing of God and the benevolence of men; love each other, correct each other, do not envy or resent each other, because the good of one is also the good of all.
Then, three days later, on 14 November, the First Salesian Missionary Expedition sent and blessed by Don Bosco left the port of Genoa for Buenos Aires.
This first expedition had only 10 Salesians: six priests and four brothers. The expedition leader was Fr John Cagliero, 37 years old. He was accompanied, among others, by Fr Joseph Fagnano, 31, and the Fr Dominic Tomatis, 26. One of the four brothers, Vicente Gioia, played the role of cook.
After this first missionary expedition to America, Don Bosco sent others before his death: in November 1876, in 1877 and in the expeditions of 1878, 1881, 1883, 1885, 1886 and 1887.
On September 24, 2023, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, 10th Successor of Don Bosco, presided over the celebration of the sending of the 154th Salesian Missionary Expedition.
Don Bosco's last missionary dream took place in Barcelona on 10 April 1886. Don Bosco dreamed of being on a hill, from the top of which he could see a forest, but cultivated and covered by roads and paths. The Shepherdess stopped next to Don Bosco and said: "Good. Now draw a single line from one end to the other, from Santiago to Beijing, make its centre in the middle of Africa and you will have an exact idea of what the Salesians must do." "But how to do all this?" exclaimed Don Bosco. "The distances are immense, the places are difficult and the Salesians are few." She replied, “Don't worry. Your children, your children's children and their children will do this; but be firm in the observance of the Rules and in the spirit of the Congregation. These centres that you see will become houses of study and novitiates and will give multitudes of Missionaries. There's Hong Kong, there's Calcutta, there's Madagascar. These and many others will have houses, studies and novitiates". Don Bosco listened, looking and examining, then said: "And where can you find so many people?" "Look" replied the Shepherdess, "be of good will. There is only one thing to do: recommend that my children constantly cultivate Mary's virtue."
