The Rector Major of the Salesians (also known as successor of Don Bosco) is the title of a Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

 that is elected as the general superior of the Salesians of Don Bosco

Salesians of Don Bosco

The Salesians of Don Bosco is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco in an attempt, through works of charity, to care for the young and poor children of the industrial revolution...

. He is also considered the successor of Saint John Bosco in the top guidance of his Salesian Order.

The first general superior of the Order was Don Bosco himself since 1874, the year that was officially created the Order and approved the Salesian Constitutions by the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

, until his death in 1888. Since then, the Salesians elect their Superior in the General Chapter for a period of six years.

Between 1888 and 2010 there have been nine successors of Don Bosco, seven of them of Italian nationality, one Argentine

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 and one Mexican

Mexican people

Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....

. Following the Salesian tradition from their Italian origin, the Rector Mayor as addressed as Don (Father)

• DON GIOVANNI BOSCO (1815–1888)

Successor:

• I. Don MICHELE RUA
  Michael Rua
  Blessed Michael Rua was an Italian Catholic activist, a friend of Don Bosco and co-founder and first Rector Major of the Salesians.The last of nine children, he entered Don Bosco’s Oratory in 1852...
  
  (1837–1910), dichiarato BEATO dalla Chiesa il 28 ottobre 1972,

Rettor Maggiore dal 1888 (morte di san Giovanni Bosco) al 1910;

• II. Don PAOLO ALBERA (1844–1921),

Rettor Maggiore dal 1910 al 1921;

• III. Don FILIPPO RINALDI (1856–1931), dichiarato BEATO dalla Chiesa il 29 aprile 1990,

Rettor Maggiore dal 1922 al 1931;

• IV. Don PIETRO RICALDONE (1870–1951),

Rettor Maggiore dal 1932 al 1951;

• V. Don RENATO ZIGGIOTTI (1892–1983),

Rettor Maggiore dal 1952 al 1965;

• VI. Don LUIGI RICCERI (1901–1989),

Rettor Maggiore dal 1965 al 1977;

• VII. Don EGIDIO VIGANO' (1920–1995),

Rettor Maggiore dal 1977 al 1995;

• VIII. Don JUAN EDMUNDO VECCHI (1931–2002),

Rettor Maggiore dal 1995 al 2002;

N.	Name	Pic	Life	From	To
IX	Pascual Chávez Villanueva		20 dicembre 1947	2002	in carica