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 I’m Here
I left a career in software engineering to follow Christ more fully, offering my life in service to the Church. This year with the Salesian Lay Missioners is a gift — time set aside to live the Gospel with intention, humility, and joy. I want to grow in holiness and help others encounter Christ in meaningful, personal ways.
Drawn to the Salesians
What drew me to the Salesians was their joyful spirituality, their deep love for the young, and the strength of their community life. The family spirit and rhythm of shared prayer and mission resonate deeply with me. I’m excited to live, serve, and pray alongside others seeking God.
Ready to Teach, Listen, and Love
With experience mentoring middle school boys and leading young engineers, I love helping others grow — intellectually, spiritually, and personally. I feel especially called to teach, but I’m ready for anything: classrooms, food lines, or faith sharing. My passion for evangelization, languages, and accompaniment makes me eager to serve wherever I’m needed.
Called to Love and Simplicity
Christ is the center of my life, and I seek to respond to His love by giving myself in service. I have been blessed with a strong family, and as the oldest of ten children, I’ve grown up learning how to care for others with patience, compassion, and joy. Daily prayer, the Eucharist, Scripture, and the rosary are cornerstones of my spiritual life. I believe that in serving those who are most in need, we discover Christ in new and transformative ways.
A Mission of Presence and Growth
In 2024, I served in the Appalachian region of the U.S., assisting families with home repairs and supporting food pantries. That experience taught me how relational ministry and simple acts of charity open hearts to God. I’m comfortable working with children—whether helping out in classrooms or simply accompanying them in everyday moments. I believe in showing God’s love through action, listening, and presence. Wherever I serve, I hope to grow in humility, trust, and availability to God’s will.
Drawn to the Salesians
I’ve long admired St. John Bosco’s joyful witness and his commitment to the young and the poor. What draws me to the Salesians is their deep sense of family, prayerful community life, and focus on accompanying youth through education and love. I’m especially grateful that SLMs live a rhythm of daily Mass, communal prayer, and shared mission. It’s an honor to be part of this family and to serve Christ through the spirit of Don Bosco.
Finding Christ in Poverty and Presence
From early mission trips in Kentucky to leading construction crews in disaster-impacted areas, I’ve encountered Christ most powerfully in the midst of poverty and simplicity. Whether serving in Guatemala, working at Camp Wojtyla in Colorado, or caring for infants in the NICU, I’ve found that love is most real when it’s sacrificial and grounded in presence. These experiences have formed in me a deep desire to serve with joy, to see the face of God in every child, and to embrace a life that is free from distraction and rooted in trust.
Love for Children, Love for Community
God has given me a heart for children — their littleness, their longing to be seen, their deep need for love. I’ve worked with kids through camps, retreats, and youth ministry, and I’ve come to realize that while I can never be enough for them, God can — and He works through me when I surrender to Him. I also long for community — one that prays together, shares life together, and chooses each other even when it’s hard. I know community life requires patience, communication, and a willingness to be shaped by others, and I welcome that challenge.
Why the Salesians
I feel like I didn’t choose the Salesians — God chose them for me. Their mission, rooted in joy, youth, and family, mirrors what I most long to give and receive. The spirituality of Don Bosco, the rhythms of daily prayer and Mass, and the opportunity to serve the young and the poor — all of it resonates with the deepest desires of my heart. I pray my time as a Salesian Lay Missioner is only the beginning of a lifelong relationship with this beautiful family. Whether I’m singing, comforting a child, or simply listening — I’m here to give all for Christ.
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