The Message of the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB The parable of the rich man and Lazarus, found in Luke 16:19–31, is not simply a story about the fair distribution of material wealth. It is a story that penetrates the heart of the human condition, confronting us with a disturbing question: who truly owns whom? Did the rich man own his wealth, or did … Continue reading A Challenge to Our Humanity. Wealth that Risks Making Itself Blind and Deaf

(ANS – Rome) – The Sicilian town of San Cataldo, in the Province of Caltanissetta, is preparing to experience two special days—Saturday, January 10, and Sunday, January 11, 2026—filled with meaning, emotion, and shared pride for the arrival of Fr. Fabio Attard, the 11th Successor of Don Bosco and Rector Major of the Salesian Congregation worldwide. The significance of the Rector Major’s visit Fr. Attard’s visit comes at the conclusion of … Continue reading San Cataldo Prepares to Welcome the 11th Successor of Don Bosco: A Historic Event Marking the Centenary of the Salesian Presence

RMG, Rome – 24 December 2025 – On the occasion of Christmas, the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco addressed a simple and heartfelt message to Salesians and members of the Salesian Family, inviting them to contemplate the mystery of the birth of the Son of God. In his message, the Rector Major recalled that the birth of Jesus took place in a context of … Continue reading The Christmas Message of the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard

(ANS – Rome) – With the world premiere of the video and an accompanying interview with the Rector Major, next Saturday, December 27, 2025, at the Generalate of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Rome, the official presentation of the Rector Major’s Strenna for 2026 will take place on the theme: “Do whatever he tells you. Believers, free to serve.” Since the time of … Continue reading Official Presentation of the Rector Major’s Strenna for 2026: Next Saturday, December 27, 2025

(ANS – Rome) – In the traditional “Salesian goodnight” talk at the conclusion of the Winter Session of the General Council yesterday, Monday December 22, 2025, the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard, addressed his confreres at the Central Headquarters with a summary reflection aimed at understanding and implementing the Strenna for 2026, inspired by the Gospel theme of the Wedding at Cana: “Do whatever he tells … Continue reading Goodnight Talk of the Rector Major at the Conclusion of the Winter Session of the General Council

THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Fr Fabio Attard, SDB The mystery of Christmas begins with a “scandal of love”: the Great One who makes Himself little. It’s not a poetic image, but the most shocking reality in human history. God, the Infinite, chooses to become finite; the Almighty chooses the fragility of a newborn baby who cannot yet speak, walk, or defend Himself. It is pure … Continue reading The Christmas Grotto, Where Heaven Meets Earth

(ANS – Rome) – On the morning of Friday, December 5, 2025, the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Fabio Attard, met with a group of journalists and media professionals responsible for communications for Catholic congregations and institutions active in Rome. The visit, organized in collaboration with the ISCOM association, the Salesians, and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, allowed all those … Continue reading A Moment of Learning, Dialogue and Presentation of the Salesian Charism: the Rector Major Meets Journalists from Catholic Media Outlets

(ANS – Rome) – Fr. Fabio Attard, Rector Major of the Salesians and the 11th Successor of Don Bosco, was a guest on Tuesday, November 4, on the television program Chiesa Viva, (Church Alive) broadcast by the Catholic channel TV2000. On that occasion, joined by other guests and testimonies, he spoke to the general public about the mission of the Salesians and the relevance of Don Bosco’s … Continue reading Fr. Attard on TV2000: “Don Bosco’s charism is not built around things to do, but on attitudes to cultivate: listening to young people and being close to them.”

(ANS – Rome) – The poster that will accompany the Rector Major Fr Fabio Attard’s Strenna for 2026, has been chosen and is now available online. It is a graphic expression of the motto already announced last August: ‘DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU. Believers, free to serve’. Below is an explanation of the image that makes up the poster. The poster for STRENNA 2026, with the theme … Continue reading Poster Published for the Rector Major’s Strenna for 2026: DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU. Believers, Free to Serve

MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR: Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB – Humility and Charity in the Education and Evangelization of Young People – In chapter 14 of St. Luke’s Gospel, we find the account in which Jesus accepts an invitation to dine at the home of an important Pharisee. Jesus enters a space thick with social calculations and feigned religious attitudes wherein the dinner becomes a … Continue reading From the Pharisee’s Table to the Heart of Ministry

THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR – Don Fabio Attard, SDB (Rome, Italy) – The parable of the sower, narrated in the Synoptic Gospels, is a powerful and foundational image of the Christian message. At first glance, it might seem a simple allegory about the different reception of the Word of God. However, upon deeper inspection, it reveals a radical truth, especially when applied to … Continue reading The Divine Folly of the Sower Who “Sows in the Dark”

(ANS – Quito) – The first Animation Visit by the Rector Major, Fr Fabio Attard, outside Italy had as its destination the Salesian Sacred Heart of Jesus Province of Ecuador (ECU). For several days, September 11 to 15, the 11th Successor of Don Bosco met Salesians, lay people, young people, the university community and the Salesian Family, making his visit through the country a significant event … Continue reading Five Messages the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard, Delivered During His Visit

(ANS – Quito) – On the morning of Saturday, September 13, the Rector Major, Fr Fabio Attard, 11th Successor of Don Bosco, held a meeting with the Salesian Family and the laity in Ecuador. In the Coliseum of the Salesian Polytechnic University (UPS) in El Girón, Quito, more than 450 people gathered to share a space for dialogue, identity, and charism. With his close and profound … Continue reading Living the Charism Authentically Today: the Rector Major’s Appeal to the Salesian Family in Ecuador

Message of the Rector Major: Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB In these times, where day after day the news communicates experiences of conflict, war, and hatred, how great is the risk that we as believers end up being drawn into a reading of events reduced merely to a political level, or limit ourselves to taking sides for one faction or another with arguments tied to our … Continue reading Prophets of Forgiveness and Gratuity

THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR, Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB – In these times, when the news reports day after day about experiences of conflict, war, and hatred, there is a great risk that we as believers could end up being drawn into an interpretation of events that is reduced solely to the political level, or that we limit ourselves to taking sides in arguments that have … Continue reading Prophets of Forgiveness and Gratuitousness

(ANS – Castelnuovo Don Bosco) – On August 16, at the end of the Eucharistic celebration held to mark the 210th anniversary of the birth of St. John Bosco, the Mayor of Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Umberto Musso, together with members of the municipal administration, conferred honorary citizenship on Fr. Fabio Attard. In his speech of thanks, the Rector Major expressed deep emotion and gratitude, saying: “This is the … Continue reading Fr. Fabio Attard Receives Honorary Citizenship of Castelnuovo Don Bosco: A Symbolic Gesture of Belonging

(ANS – Rome) – The long-awaited theme of Strenna 2026 has been officially unveiled by the Rector Major, Fr Fabio Attard, who offers the Salesian Family a detailed and heartfelt overview of this year’s choice and the spiritual journey ahead. The new theme, “Do whatever He tells you” – Believers, free to serve, is deeply rooted in the Gospel and the heart of the Salesian charism, inviting … Continue reading “Do Whatever He Tells You:” Fr. Fabio Attard Unveils the Theme of Strenna 2026

MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR: Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB In the Gospel account of John, chapter 6, verses 4-14, which recounts the multiplication of the loaves, there are certain details that I dwell on at length whenever I meditate on or comment on this passage. It all begins when, faced with the ‘large’ hungry crowd, Jesus invites His disciples to take responsibility for feeding them. … Continue reading The Syndrome of Philip and the Syndrome of Andrew

(ANS – Rome) – The two-day annual board meeting of the Salesian Higher Education Institutions (IUS) kicked off on 21st July 2025 at the Salesian Headquarters in Via Marsala, Rome. Representatives from five global regions have gathered to evaluate ongoing projects, strategize for the future, and prepare for the IUS General Assembly in 2026, a pivotal event shaping the future of Salesian higher education. The meeting … Continue reading 20th IUS Board Meeting Begins at Salesian Headquarters in Rome

(ANS – Rome) – A very fraternal meeting marked by spiritual communion and a rediscovery of Salesian roots took place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, in Rome. Mother Chiara Cazzuola, Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), along with her fellow members of the FMA General Council, visited the newly renovated Salesian Central Headquarters to explore the recently inaugurated Don Bosco House … Continue reading The FMA General Council Visits the Don Bosco House Museum in Rome

(ANS – Rome) – The process of reshaping Salesian Italy, begun over a year ago to respond to the demands of profound and lasting change, continues with determination. The project is not a simple organizational reorganization, but a response to the call to renew the Salesian presence in Italy, aligning it with Don Bosco’s mission and charism. On the occasion of the CISI Presidency on July … Continue reading Reshaping Salesian Italy: a path of Reform and Shared Responsibility

(ANS – Vatican) – On July 12, 2025, Fr. Mauro Mantovani officially began his role as the new Rector of the Salesian Community at the Holy See, where he had previously served as Vicar. The solemn ceremony was presided over by the Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr. Fabio Attard, accompanied by his Vicar, Fr. Stefano Martoglio. Fr. Mauro Mantovani succeeds Fr. Stefano Vanoli, who led … Continue reading Fr. Mauro Mantovani Appointed New Rector of the Salesian Community at the Holy See

(ANS – Rome) – On the evening of Saturday, June 28, during Vespers in the chapel of the Zeffirino Namuncurà community, via della Bufalotta in Rome, the Rector Major Fr. Fabio Attard installed the new Rector, Fr. Giovanni Rolandi, who succeeds Fr. Silvio Roggia, elected Councillor for Formation at General Chapter 29. The ceremony took place in the presence of the confreres, relatives, and friends who … Continue reading Installation of Fr. Giovanni Rolandi as the new Rector of the International Theologate Zeffirino Namuncurà Community

(ANS – Rome) – On a day full of significance, during the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Salesian Congregation officially inaugurated the renovated Salesian Central Headquarters at Via Marsala, 42, in the heart of the capital, next to the Basilica envisioned and built by Don Bosco. Three years of intense work have restored the “Sacred Heart” structure, making it modern in its functions while … Continue reading The Renovated Salesian Central Headquarters: The Sacred Heart at the Center, the World as Its Horizon

(ANS – Rome) – On June 24, the Salesian Congregation celebrates the Feast of the Rector Major, a tradition that started in the time of Don Bosco. On this day, we honor our founder and his successors, especially the current Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard, the 11th Successor of Don Bosco. Fr. Attard has shared a message urging Salesians, collaborators, and young people to renew their dedication … Continue reading A Message of Peace from the Rector Major – 24th June

(ANS – Rome) – Punctual as every year, the Salesian Congregation – and with it the entire Salesian Family worldwide – awaits the end of June to joyfully and gratefully celebrate those who guide it with fatherly love and inspire it with foresight. This is what happens with Thanksgiving Day for the Rector Major, which generally takes place on 24 June, on the feast of St John … Continue reading Thanksgiving Day for the Rector Major 2025: Anticipation, Tradition, and Innovation

(ANS – Rome) – The Salesian Headquarters, located in Rome at Via Marsala 42, represents the organizational heart of the Congregation of the Salesians of Don Bosco worldwide. It is located at Sacred Heart, next to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Castro Pretorio, built by Don Bosco himself, and the spiritual heart of the devotion to the Sacred Heart worldwide. Next Friday, … Continue reading Official Opening of Salesian Headquarters

(ANS – Rome) – Today, June 24th, marks a significant day for the World Confederation of Past Pupils of Don Bosco, as they celebrate their Foundation Day and the Feast of the Rector Major. This tradition dates back to the time of Don Bosco, when Carlo Gastini, along with the first Past Pupils, met Don Bosco to express their gratitude. It was during that moment that Don Bosco emphasized the true purpose of their … Continue reading Celebrating Past Pupils Foundation Day and the Feast of the Rector Major

Jesus’ encounter with Peter illuminates and depicts with a particular light our mission as evangelizers and educators In the last chapter of the Gospel of John, chapter 21, we find Jesus’ encounter with Peter. We read a dialogue that is built on three questions and then ends with a mandate (Jn. 21:15-23). I would like to comment on this encounter, which casts a particular light … Continue reading The Message of the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard: Educating Beyond Weakness

(ANS – Turin) – On Saturday, May 24, 2025, in the premises of the Salesian Mother House in Valdocco, Turin, during the celebrations for the feast of Mary Help of Christians, the new Council of the Primary Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA), which took office on May 24, was received by the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Fabio Attard. … Continue reading Meeting of the New Primary ADMA Council with the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard

(ANS – Turin) – Every year, the Feast of Mary Help of Christians reawakens the heart of the global Salesian family. From the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin-Valdocco, a powerful wave of grace and spiritual energy radiates to Salesians and their communities across the world. This year will be no different, as the celebrations on May 23 and 24 promise a rich … Continue reading 2025 Feast of Mary Help of Christians in Turin with the Rector Major and the Salesian General Council