Salesians poised to overtake Jesuits as largest male religious institute
December 23, 2025
The Salesians of Don Bosco are poised to surpass the Society of Jesus as the Church’s largest male religious institute, according to the newly released online edition of the Annuario Pontificio.
The Jesuits, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola and approved in 1540, have 13,768 members, 9,978 of whom are priests—down from 36,000 members in 1965 and 14,839 in 2020.
The Salesians, founded by St. John Bosco and approved in 1874, have 13,694 members, 9,294 of whom are priests—down from more than 18,000 members in 2001, but up from 13,606 in 2021.
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