About Don Bosco

 
Don Bosco is the founder of the Salesian Society, and along with St. Mary Mazzarello, of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. We see him as a great Father and Teacher brought to the world by the Lord.
 
St.John Bosco distinguished himself by his zealous apostolate among the young whom he wished to form into God fearing and well trained craftsmen. For this he made use of a system inspired by the teaching of St.Francis de Sales based on reason, religion and loving kindness. Both by his preaching as well as by his life, he inculcated in all three great devotions: to the Holy Eucharist, to Mary Help of Christians and to the Pope. His achievements as a writer, as a zealous promoter of priestly vocations and as an ardent patron of the foreign missions were remarkable. Open to the needs of the times, he gave to his institutions the hallmark of flexibility which enables them to offer always renewed and timely service in the cause of the gospel.
 
About Don Bosco Bhavan
 
In a meeting with Fr. Bellido in Bangalore in 1968, on the matter of vocations it was decided to set up an apostolic school from where students could be sent to the provinces of Madras, Calcutta and Guwahati after their high school studies. In order to begin a school for such a junior a aspirantate, 16 acres of land was bought at Mullakara, Mannuthy on December 6, 1969. The state Government on July 29, 1971 sanctioned the high school at Mannuthy. The school named Don Bosco High School was opened on 24 August 1971.  A separate building for the Aspirantate was constructed in 1974.  This became the venue for the recruitment of vocations for the then provinces of Madras, Calcutta and Guwahati.

The province of Madras was bifurcated into Madras and Bangalore in 1979. The Province of Bangalore was again bifurcated into Bangalore and Hyderabad in 1991. Guwahati was divided into Guwahati and Dimapur in 1981. After such a division the aspirants who completed the high school were sent to the provinces of Bangalore, Calcutta, Guwahati and Dimapur.

A group of post PDC students were accommodated here for a preparatory course in 1978-79 after which they were sent to Don Bosco, Vaduthala to do their graduation before proceeding to the Novitiate. From 1979 to 1988, the post SSLC students who were selected from different parts of Kerala and meant for the Bangalore province were also kept here for a preparatory course of one year after which they proceeded to Don Bosco, Vaduthala for their PDC cum pre novitiate training. The venue of PDC cum pre novitiate was shifted to Don Bosco, Aluva in 1982.

As the Aspirants coming from Malayalam medium schools were finding it difficult to cope up with the sudden change to English Medium in 8th standard, it was decided to have a year of English coaching for them before they were admitted to eighth standard in our English medium school. This additional year of preparation was introduced in June 1988.

The provincial chapter 1995 held at K.J.C. Bangalore decided to stop taking 8th standard boys to the aspirantate due to the low rate of perseverance when compared to the huge investment. It was also decided to discontinue the practice of having a preparatory course of 1 year before PDC as an year of proper pre-novitiate course after PDC was introduced. The aspirants doing PDC at Don Bosco, Aluva were shifted to Don Bosco Bhavan, Mannuthy in June 1996. In the meanwhile the experiment of sending Post SSLC boys for PDC without the preparatory course of one year proved to be a dismal failure as several boys from the first two batches failed for PDC. Due to this, and in response to the repeated requests from the house council of Don Bosco Bhavan, The provincial council in its meeting of June-1999, decided to allow the preparatory course of one year to be resumed from 1999 onwards.

 

About  Don Bosco Congregation
 

The Histroy of Salesian Congregation began when little Johny Bosco dreamed a very strange dream at the age of nine. We may date the origins of the society to a surprise encounter that brought him face to face with a frightened street urchin in a church sacristy on 8th December 1841 or perhaps to the little band of 17 young men who gathered on 26th January 1854 in the room of Don Bosco.

Salesians are an international organization of men dedicated full time to the service of the young people, especially those who are poorer and disadvantaged. Youth development through education and evangelization is our concern. This total dedication to the young is our best gift to the humanity.

We are present in 128 nations. Salesians in the whole world number around 17000. There are eight regions containing 96 provinces and a total of 2036 works. The Salesian family members numbers about 402500. It consists of 23 different organizations that have sprung up over the years that drew their inspiration from Don Bosco, his style and charisma. The first three that originated during Don Bosco’s life time besides the society of St. Francis de Sales are the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the Salesian Co-Operators and the Past Pupils.  
 
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