Fr Elio Cesari, President of the National Centre and Secretary General of the Conference of Provincials, explains the need that led to the development of the project.
The idea for the project stems from a profound need to clarify and consolidate the identity of the National Centre as a genuine pastoral entity, overcoming the risk of being regarded merely as an administrative or logistical structure, or a mere “service centre”. We have undertaken a journey of communion that was necessary for Salesian Italy, repeatedly urged by the CISI Presidency: as early as February 2023, we were invited to reflect on a shared vision for youth ministry, an encouragement later reiterated by the Regional Councillor in November 2023. Faced with rapid socio-cultural changes, there was an urgent need to move away from sectoral perspectives and ‘regionalist’ approaches in order to embrace a more organic national mindset.
What is the aim of the project?
The primary aim is to express and enhance the identity and mission of the National Centre, enabling it to function not only as an organisational base, but as a living (albeit distinctive) Educative and Pastoral Community (EPC) and a “charismatic hub” serving as a point of reference for the entire Salesian Congregation in Italy.
To achieve all this, the project is structured around four fundamental strategic areas: “All this converges towards a single purpose: to accompany young people towards an encounter with Jesus and towards human and Christian maturity,” explains Fr Cesari.
Reflection: to develop a profound and unified pedagogical and pastoral vision. Coordination: to build operational synergies between the various dimensions, overcoming fragmentation. Formation: strengthening educational communities by optimising resources and promoting formation programmes for laypeople and Salesians. Representation: communicating with a single, authoritative institutional voice, such as “Salesians Italy”.
What were the key stages of this process?
“It was a demanding journey of discernment, following a ‘transformative’ approach, lasting almost a year and a half, characterised by listening and sharing, supported by Fr Michal Vojtàš, a lecturer at the Pontifical Salesian University”.
The main stages were:
Who is the project aimed at?
The start of the 2023/24 pastoral year: at the urging of the Provincial of Central Italy and the Regional Councillor for the Mediterranean, the EPC Council (EPCC) of the Centre officially launched the work. September 2024: during a weekend of communal living in Genzano, the project took on its first concrete form. May 2025: during Fr Roberto Colameo’s provincial visitation, the project’s unstoppable progress and the completion of the process were confirmed, emphasising the importance of lay involvement. July 2025: the text was presented in detail to the CISI Presidency by the Secretary General, gathering suggestions to refine it. January 2026: the draft reached its final version, significantly signed on the Feast of St John Bosco.
The project is aimed at the whole of “Salesian Italy”, actively involving the Salesians of Don Bosco, National Offices, provinces, associations and the entire Salesian Family. It places a very strong emphasis on the involvement of lay people who share responsibility, so that they are not mere executors but key players in a shared pastoral vision.
The primary beneficiaries of this effort remain, of course, young people: the National Centre aims to act as a true “tailor of education”, capable of mending and caring for their lives.
Salesian Italy is currently undergoing the Reshaping process, as requested by the previous Rector Major, to achieve greater pastoral impact. How does this project fit into the journey of the Reshaping of Salesian Italy?
The project moves in perfect and deliberate synergy with this journey. In fact, the development of the National Centre project began in parallel with the Redesign process, which arose following the Joint Visit of the Mediterranean Region in October 2023, an event that acted as a powerful catalyst for internal reflection. In this context, the National Centre is called to be a strategic reference point for the Redesign.
Its role is to optimise resources across the territory, avoid duplication between individual provinces, and act as a vital ‘hub’ between the Provincial Educative and Pastoral Projects (SEPP) and the broader planning of the Mediterranean Region and the Rector Major.
The aim is to ensure that Salesian Italy grows together in a sustainable way, leaving no one behind.
Source: Don Bosco Italia
