The Daughters of St. Paul and the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco are collaborating on their third annual Lenten Sponsorship Campaign. The campaign encourages almsgiving through sponsoring Catholic books that support the Salesian Sisters' ministry. The sponsored books will aid the Salesian Sisters in their work with women discerning religious life, schools, religious education programs, and faith camps. The curated book list focuses on faith formation, prayer, and discipleship, including titles like "Forgiven" and "Jesus in Space." The initiative originated in 2020 during the Year of the Word of God to ensure access to printed religious materials for those who cannot afford them.
13 days ago
The Daughters of St. Paul launched their third annual Lenten Sponsorship Campaign in partnership with the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco.1
Faithful are invited to participate in almsgiving by sponsoring Catholic books to support the sisters' ministries.1
Salesian Sisters serve women discerning religious life, schools, religious education programs, and faith-based camps across the U.S.1
Sponsored books target elementary school children, teens in youth groups, and sisters in formation.1
The campaign highlights five books chosen by the Salesian Sisters for faith formation: “Forgiven: A Guide to Confession & The Examen Prayer,” “Essential Eucharistic Adoration Prayers,” “Brilliant! 28 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People,” “Jesus in Space: A True Story That’s Out Of This World,” and “Beholding Beauty: Mary and the Song of Songs.”1
These resources aid sisters, students, families, and communities.1
The idea emerged in 2020 during the Year of the Word of God, addressing access barriers for those unable to afford books.1
Previous campaigns distributed over 1,000 books to Sisters of Life ministries and inner-city children via Vagabond Ministries; sponsored books are warehoused and shipped post-Lent.1
Sister Orianne Pietra Rene Dyck, FSP, emphasizes almsgiving's role in recognizing abundance, reflecting Christ's generosity, and serving Him in others.1
It fosters unity as one body in Christ, providing resources for deeper encounters with God.1
Promote Catholic book sponsorship to strengthen Salesian Sisters’ ministry
In a world where the education and spiritual formation of the young, especially the poor, face mounting challenges, the ministry of the Salesian Sisters—formally the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, founded by St. John Bosco—stands as a beacon of hope. These sisters dedicate themselves to Christian education for girls, running schools, technical training centers, and outreach programs that echo Don Bosco's preventive system of love, confidence, and moral guidance rather than punishment. Sponsoring the publication and distribution of Catholic books offers a powerful, tangible way to bolster their work, aligning almsgiving with the Church's publishing apostolate to spread the Gospel and foster vocations among the youth.
St. John Bosco envisioned a religious family to care for the most vulnerable: boys through the Salesians and girls through the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, established in 1872. From humble beginnings with twenty-seven sisters, this institute has grown globally, operating elementary schools, agricultural programs, hospitals, and missions, particularly in regions like Italy, South America, and beyond. Their approach emphasizes creating "homes" where poor girls feel welcomed, integrating them into society through education, culture, and faith, while promoting Gospel values like respect for the person and love for the marginalized.
The Salesian charism extends to printing and good literature, as seen in the society's establishments for diffusing Catholic reading materials in multiple languages. Today, amid scarce resources and complex demands, the sisters continue this legacy, facing "cultural and ecclesial winters" that require renewed vigor in evangelization. Sponsorship of Catholic books directly equips them with tools for catechesis, moral formation, and apostolic outreach, ensuring their institutions remain vibrant hubs for the young.
Catholic teaching unequivocally presents almsgiving as an act of charity, obligatory for all according to their means, encompassing money, goods, or assistance to the needy or charitable causes. It is not mere philanthropy but a service rendered for Christ's sake, making the donor like God Himself and rendering Him a debtor in return (Matthew 25:40). St. Thomas Aquinas clarifies that true almsgiving, done with delight and for God's sake, flows from charity itself, even as it satisfies justice and religion.
Pope Benedict XVI emphasized its Lenten power: sharing goods out of love for God brings joy greater than receiving, forgives sins, and draws us closer to the Lord and others. Like the widow's mite, it involves giving not just from abundance but from one's very self, mirroring Christ's poverty that enriches us. For the Salesian Sisters, book sponsorship qualifies as organized almsgiving—forestalling spiritual indigence by providing quality literature that educates, reforms, and evangelizes, much as individual gifts aid immediate needs. The wealthy act as stewards of common goods, bound to share with the poor, whose labors are interrupted by life's trials.
The Church views publishing as an essential apostolate, especially for institutes like the Salesians with their history of printing shops and book diffusion. Catholic publishers, particularly those under ecclesiastical sponsorship, must align with doctrine, seek permissions, and contribute to souls' good, avoiding works contrary to faith and morals. Bishops oversee this to ensure conformity, preventing unsuitable materials in sacred spaces.
Analogous to the Daughters of St. Paul—praised by recent popes for their publishing, digital media, and bookshops amid resource challenges—the Salesian Sisters can amplify their ministry through sponsored books that communicate Christ's Word prophetically. Popes have long encouraged this: St. Paul VI highlighted the Bible as the Church's "book of books," urging its spread for human progress and spiritual values. St. John Paul II called for skilled, credible witnesses in communications to make salvation's message heard globally. Even advertising for charity, health, and education serves re-evangelization. Sponsoring Catholic books thus becomes a "total gift" of self, deepening Christian vocation and bearing witness that love, not riches, governs existence.
Imagine funding a print run of catechisms for Salesian schools in underserved areas, or Bibles annotated for youth formation—each volume a seed of faith planted in fertile ground. Contributors become Salesian Co-operators, supporting without vows, as Don Bosco organized lay helpers for his works. This almsgiving guards society against unrest, appeases divine wrath, and paves paths to faith and moral reform.
To participate:
Discretion applies—aid the truly needy, saint or sinner, without premium on vice—but the sisters' proven track record merits trust.
In conclusion, Catholic book sponsorship fortifies the Salesian Sisters' irreplaceable ministry, weaving almsgiving, charity, and evangelization into one apostolic thread. By giving, you imitate Christ, aid the poor, and extend Don Bosco's dream worldwide. Let us respond generously, for as Scripture teaches, there is more joy in giving than receiving. May Mary Help of Christians intercede, guiding every sponsored page to hungry hearts.