On 11 November 1875,at Valdocco, Turin, the first ten Salesian missionaries received their mandate from Don Bosco to embark on a new adventure as missionaries. In the days that followed, those same missionaries left from the port of Genoa: their destination was Argentina, Tierra del Fuego, and one of the first pieces of advice given by the holy priest was to ‘take an interest in and look after the children of Italian emigrants,’ who already numbered more than 30,000 at that time.
On Wednesday 12 November 2025, in Genoa, as part of the celebrations, the new missionaries who will have received the Missionary Cross the previous day in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin will be present, accompanied by the 11th Successor of Don Bosco, the Rector Major, Fr Fabio Attard, the Mother General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, missionary animators, Salesians from around the world, young people, and members of the Salesian Family.
The programme for the commemoration in Genoa includes:
- Monday, 10 November, at 8:30 p.m. (UTC+1), the screening of several missionary documentaries at the Don Bosco Cinema – ‘Club Amici del Cinema’ in Genoa Sampierdarena;
- Tuesday, 11 November, at 8:30 p.m., a missionary prayer vigil with musical interludes by Maestro Stefano Mhanna, at the Don Bosco-San Gaetano church in Sampierdarena, Genoa;
- Wednesday, 12 November, at 9:30 a.m., arrival of the missionaries at the Old Port; at 10 a.m., boat trip to the Lanterna, with Fr Attard and Mother Chiara Cazzuola; at 11:15 a.m., unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the Porto Antico; at 12 noon, welcome at Don Bosco in Sampierdarena Genoa by young people; at 12:30 p.m., Mass in the parish church, followed by the opening of the Museum of Missionary Expeditions.
The newly opened museum will then be open to anyone who wishes to visit it, by contacting the Institute (telephone 010 6402601).
‘We are honoured as the Sampierdarena Genoa Work to welcome the leaders of the Salesian Congregation with the new courageous missionaries because they are an example and an inspiration to make our lives a gift of love,’ emphasises Fr Sergio Pellini, Director of the Sampierdarena Genoa Work. ‘The year 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of the First Salesian Missionary Expedition, an important event for the Salesian Family. On 11 November 1875, Don Bosco bid farewell to the first ten confreres bound for Argentina, thus beginning a missionary tradition that has taken the Salesians to 137 countries around the world.’
‘This anniversary,’ Fr Pellini said, ‘is an opportunity to renew our missionary zeal and commitment to live the Salesian charism with creativity and courage. These days are intended to renew the missionary sensitivity of Salesians and lay people, to promote commitment to the poorest and most needy young people, and to celebrate Salesian history and charism.’
In 1872, St John Bosco started the work that today is the Don Bosco Institute in Sampierdarena, Genoa. To talk about this work is to talk about the life and history not only of a neighbourhood but of an entire city that proved to be the right choice for the Congregation, given its working-class and industrial vocation. In fact, for 150 years, Don Bosco has lived in symbiosis with Genoa, which has always viewed the Salesians' efforts to ensure a peaceful atmosphere of encouragement, trust and youth leadership with great interest and affection: an educational system that develops the whole person by promoting growth and freedom, creating positive situations and environments that stimulate and support young people, giving quality and commitment to life.
Today, at the Salesian institute in Sampierdarena, Genoa, dozens of educators serve around 200 primary and secondary school children, 450 young people in vocational training, 12 young people from the Territorial Educational Community (CET), and around 600 boys and girls from sports associations who attend the oratory: These are young people of about 30 different nationalities who, every day, in their studies, play and work, dialogue and meet, enriching the social fabric of the Genoa area.
In recent months, to complete the work, the Museum of Missionary Expeditions has been created to help visitors give thanks, rethink and relaunch missionary work.
