Joaquim Magalhães de Castro
The Salesians celebrate a century of missionary work in India, dedicating themselves to the education of young people, the care of children, and the support and training of the poorest and most vulnerable, especially on the streets of Kolkata, a vast metropolis of 22 million inhabitants in the east of the country. Thanks to their tireless commitment, which has shaped the history of the nation – the independent Republic of India was founded in 1947 – the Salesians operate today in 11 provinces, 420 Don Bosco Tech centers, 174 shelters for at-risk youth, and 34 migrant support centers in India. The Salesian Province of Calcutta celebrates its centenary in the presence of the Rector Major, Father Fabio Attard, who is expected in that city on February 5th, where he will meet with all members of Don Bosco’s great Salesian family: religious brothers, Salesian nuns, former students, lay cooperators, and missionaries.
In 1876, Pope Pius IX offered Don Bosco twelve vicariates in India that urgently needed personnel. Don Bosco agreed to take on one of them and asked for twenty months to prepare his men. The bishops of the diocese of Padroado, in Mylapore, were instrumental in bringing the Salesians to India. Negotiations began as early as 1896, with Monsignor Antonio de Souza Barroso, who had learned of Don Bosco’s desire to send the Salesians to India. His successor, Bishop Teotônio de Castro, had a personal reason for pursuing this cause. As a young seminarian, he was a fervent admirer of Don Bosco and, after his ordination, he traveled twice to Turin to meet with the saint. Blessing him and his future works, Don Bosco told him: “You will do very well.”
After lengthy negotiations, the first group of Salesian missionaries to India landed in Bombay on January 6, 1906, under the leadership of Father George Tomatis. With him were two other priests, a brother, a scholastic, and an aspirant. Traveling by train from Bombay, they arrived in Thanjavur on January 14, 1906. In this city, the new missionaries began their work with six orphans at the St. Francis Xavier Orphanage. The number of children grew rapidly, reaching 800 in 1928. Vocations were constant. The first Indian boy to join the congregation was Karunal, sent to Italy in 1907 as an aspirant. From Italy, he went to Portugal for the novitiate. Unfortunately, he fell ill and died in Lisbon in 1909. Two others chose to follow Don Bosco: Ignatius Muthu and Arulsamy, both also sent to Italy in 1908 and later to Portugal for the novitiate. They took their vows in 1911. Ignatius Muthu was ordained a priest in Mylapore in 1916.
The Salesians also went to Shillong, in northeastern India. The wounds of the First World War (1914-1918) were still open, and the British Empire feared unrest in its more remote territories. The northeast was considered an unstable frontier region, inhabited by tribal communities and important mainly for its strategic importance in the defense of the Empire. The Salesians dedicated themselves, in particular, to the vocational training of unemployed young people, who were often labeled as potential “troublemakers”. Through vocational training in trades – printing, carpentry, tailoring, and mechanics – the Salesians of Don Bosco transformed these young people into skilled workers.
From their beginnings in Shillong, the provincial headquarters of the Salesians of Don Bosco later moved to Calcutta and, from there, established ten more provinces throughout India.
From 1926 to 2026, the Salesians of Calcutta celebrated a century of service, during which they trained educators, welcomed street children and restored their dignity, founded schools, and empowered leaders in the surrounding regions.
The Salesian Province of Calcutta encompasses Bihar, Sikkim, Bangladesh, and Nepal, with 40 houses served by 242 religious working in 32 parishes and overseeing more than 25 educational institutions. The network includes 30 secondary schools and 13 vocational schools, providing access to high-quality education.
The first project entrusted to the Salesians of Calcutta was the Catholic Orphanage Press (COP) and the adjacent Cathedral parish. They soon began traveling to neighboring areas, learning about the Bengali language and culture. For example, a Don Bosco institution was established and expanded in Krishnagar as early as 1928. The Salesians were also in charge of the St. Peter and St. Paul Primary School, which would be elevated to the status of a secondary school in 1951. Particular importance was given to missions among the indigenous Santhal communities. This mission initially focused on some districts of West Bengal and later expanded to parts of Bihar and Nepal. The Salesians’ connection with the Nepalese people dates back to the founding of the Salesian College of Sonada, in 1938.
The religious also extended their work to the neighboring region, Bangladesh, at the time part of India. In all these areas, the presence of the Salesians of Don Bosco is still valued today for their care for children and educational work with adolescents and young adults, which has a positive impact on social development.
Follow
