Rectors Major
The Rector Major, superior of the Salesian Society, is the successor of Don Bosco: the father and the centre of unity of the Salesian Family. His chief concern is to promote, in communion with the General Council, the constant fidelity of the members to the Salesian charism, so as to carry out the mission entrusted to the Society by the Lord (cf. Constitutions SDB, art. 126).
| No. | Rector Major | Lifespan | Term of office | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Fr Michele Rua (Blessed) | 1837–1910 | 1888–1910 | record |
| 2nd | Fr Paolo Albera | 1844–1921 | 1910–1921 | record |
| 3rd | Fr Filippo Rinaldi (Blessed) | 1856–1931 | 1922–1931 | record |
| 4th | Fr Pietro Ricaldone | 1870–1951 | 1932–1951 | record |
| 5th | Fr Renato Ziggiotti | 1892–1983 | 1952–1965 | record |
| 6th | Fr Luigi Ricceri | 1901–1989 | 1965–1977 | record |
| 7th | Fr Egidio Viganò | 1920–1995 | 1977–1995 | record |
| 8th | Fr Juan Edmundo Vecchi | 1931–2002 | 1996–2002 | record |
| 9th | Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva | 1947– | 2002–2014 (emeritus) | — |
| 10th | Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime | 1960– | 2014–2024 (emeritus) | — |
| 11th | Fr Fabio Attard | 1959– | since 2025 | — |
