Members of Secular Institutes are Catholics who choose to live a dedicated form of life known as Consecrated Secularity. These women are bound together by their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, practising the evangelical counsels in a way recognised and encouraged by the Church. Unlike the members of a religious institute, members of secular institutes live out their consecration in the world. They do not have a common life and they do not wear any special clothing or insignia. Yet, they have a special mission: to bring the message of Jesus to the fringes of our community, their presence sanctifies the work they do in offices, factories, schools, or hospitals, wherever they may find themselves working side by side with their fellow employees.

The Volunteers of Don Bosco is an Institute for women who feel drawn to live out this Consecrated Secular Commitment in the spirit of Saint Don John Bosco. Don Bosco was born into poverty on a farm near Turin, Italy in 1815. When he was nine years old he had a dream in which a "beautiful lady" appeared and instructed him in the way to care for needy youth. Don Bosco founded a religious order of Priests and Religious to help him in his work and he dedicated this society to Saint Francis of Sales, from whom the order get their popular name - Salesians.

The Salesian family has branched into many forms of service, including our own institute of consecrated seculars. The Volunteers of Don Bosco officially became a Secular Institute of Pontifical Right on August 5, 1978. The members enjoy close fraternal friendships, strong spiritual support and the joy of total dedication to Jesus, in the spirit of Don Bosco, and a life of service to their brothers and sisters in the world.