(ANS – Rome) – The Salesian Historical Institute (ISS) has published Issue No. 86 of Ricerche Storiche Salesiane (RSS), its biannual journal of religious and civil history, covering the January–June 2026 edition.

This latest issue presents a wide range of scholarly research exploring Salesian history, spirituality, missionary activity, and education.

The Studies section features three major articles. Angelo Giuseppe Dibisceglia examines the origins of the Salesian Cooperators (1876–1877) in recognition of the 150th anniversary of the Association, highlighting Don Bosco’s vision of involving laypeople in the Church’s mission. Paolo Pieraccini explores the founding of the Salesian Orphanage in Nazareth between 1893 and 1905, drawing on previously unexamined diplomatic and ecclesiastical archives to reveal the religious, political, and international dimensions of the project. Adriana Silva Castillo studies the origins of the first Catholic Women’s Union in Uruguay and the role of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in promoting the education and formation of young working women.

The Sources section includes a critical edition of the correspondence between Fr. Giovanni Cagliero and Don Bosco during the formative years of the Salesian missions in Argentina and Uruguay. Edited by Francesco Motto, the letters document the challenges of establishing Salesian works overseas, including new schools, parishes, missionary expansion, and the practical difficulties faced by the first missionaries.

In the Profiles section, readers will find studies on two significant Salesian figures: Fr. Giorgio Tomatis, leader of the first Salesian missionary expedition to colonial South India, and Venerable Fr. Rudolf Józef Komorek, the Polish Salesian missionary who served in Brazil.

The Nota section presents articles on Salesian historiography, missionary activity in Brazil, the history of technical education in Peru, and priestly formation in India. The Reviews section examines several recent publications related to Salesian history, spirituality, education, and missionary work, while the volume concludes with the 2023–2025 Bibliographic Repertory, edited by Cinzia Angelucci and Fr. Stanisław Zimniak, SDB.

Edited by Fr. Stanisław Zimniak, SDB, Ricerche Storiche Salesiane continues to serve as an important academic resource for scholars and members of the Salesian Family interested in preserving and studying the rich historical heritage of Don Bosco and the Salesian mission around the world.