By the Numbers
Serve Like Don Bosco
St. John Bosco drew young people to God with his presence. But he couldn’t do it alone – he needed lay people like you!
Choosing to serve can feel risky. But you’ll be glad you did. Your experience will shape the way you work, pray, and see your purpose in life.
Deciding Your Next Steps in Life?
We discern with you how to best use your gifts. You can teach, work in a parish, run retreats, help at-risk children, care for refugees and more.
Jump into each day like Don Bosco. Pray with the Salesians, laugh with the children, and watch God provide for you in surprising ways. Pour yourself out to the kids. You’ll be amazed at what you can do!
Educating For Life
You can help break the cycle of poverty by providing a quality education to vulnerable youth. At Salesian schools, young children attend classes, participate in sports and other activities and have a safe place to learn and grow.
Health & Medical Services
Use your professional knowledge to serve the sick at a Salesian clinic, hospital, or dispensary. Be it a nurse or medical doctor, the impact of healthcare ministry is quick and powerful.
Taking Care of the At-Risk
Do you have a caring and empathetic heart? Do you desire to help provide basic living necessities for youth? Why not serve at one of many shelters and homes where you can help counsel, stabilize, and educate those youth at-risk.
Closer to Jesus
Be a Salesian Youth Minister and help young people come to know and love Jesus Christ. Our way of ministering to young people guides them to serve others and the Church in the style of St. John Bosco – to form ‘upright citizens and good Christians.’
Reaching out to those in need
As a Salesian Lay Missioner, you will have the unique opportunity to make lasting positive impacts on entire communities – establishing school outreach programs, evaluating community needs, or simply listening to those who want to be heard. You can be that change!
Meet the SLMs
Meet the current lay missioners who have committed themselves to furthering Don Bosco’s and the church’s mission of serving those at-risk.
Why have you joined the Salesian Lay Missioner program and/or what do you hope to accomplish thru your SLM mission?
Discern God’s call for religious life or missionary life ; Help the poor get out of poverty via education
What do you expect to do on mission?
Teaching English
Discovering the Salesian Charism
My first real encounter with the Salesians came through a visit to one of their schools. I was struck immediately by the joy of the students, the warmth of the Sisters, and the strong sense of family. That visit stayed with me. Later, attending a Salesian Lay Missioner Discernment Weekend, I again saw the strong love within the Salesian family and a commitment to bring a sense of community and the love of God to everyone. I knew I had found a home where prayer, mission, and community come together in a beautiful way.
Serving in Florida and Louisiana
I spent my first year as an SLM serving at the Mary Help of Christians Center in Tampa, Florida. It was a year of growth, service, and grace—a true immersion into the Salesian way of life. In 2025, I began my current assignment at Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, Louisiana. Here, I support the mission by walking alongside young people, encouraging their growth in faith, character, and learning. It’s a privilege to be part of a community that believes in the goodness and potential of every student and has the willingness to be present for them.
A Heart for the Young and the Poor
What draws me to mission is the opportunity to serve the young and the poor with love and presence. I find great joy in the energy, honesty, and openness of children and teens. Whether it’s offering a kind word, helping with a project, or just being present to listen, I try to reflect Christ’s love through small acts of daily care. I believe every soul is precious, and there is no greater gift than helping someone discover God’s love for them.
Why I Serve
I’ve reached a point in life where I want to give everything I have and can to God—my time, my skills, my heart. I enjoy teaching, organizing, working with my hands, and doing little tasks unseen by all but the most observant. Whether I’m mentoring students, helping in the kitchen, or loading groceries in cars, I’m at peace and I try to provide an example of unconditional service and of striving for perfection because that is what God asked us to do.
What do you hope to accomplish thru your SLM mission?
To help people in need and to educate each other and build each other up so that we stay on God’s path for us.
Recent Posts
A Weekend of Discernment and Community in Port Chester
Aspiring Salesian Lay Missioners gathered for a weekend of prayer, reflection, and learning, deepening their understanding of the Salesian charism and discerning their call
Salesian Missions at UN Event: A Commitment to Poverty Alleviation
On November 15, 2024, Barbara Ekanga represented Salesian Lay Missioners at the World Day of the Poor, emphasizing global poverty solutions.
NOTES FROM THE FIELD: Marge Baldenweck Poipet, Cambodia
Don Bosco Poipet serves vulnerable children, providing education and support, showcasing Cambodian resilience despite challenging living conditions and struggles.
