Spain - Salesian Family celebrates Don Bosco with its gaze on Youth Synod

30 January 2018

(ANS - Madrid) – These days, the Salesian Family is preparing for the celebration of the feast of its founder, St. John Bosco (1815-1888), on January 31st. Over 650 Salesian centers in Spain continue their work today in favor of the young, especially the neediest. Some 188,000 young people attend different Salesian centers where they receive education, technical training and values, which are provided by 1,635 Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) plus 14,500 educators and collaborators.

Schools, vocational training centers, youth centers, social intervention projects for young people at risk of exclusion and immigrants, parishes, shelters ... These are the main Salesian works used to form "good Christians and honest citizens", as per Don Bosco.

952 Salesians and 683 FMA work in Spain. Their educational centers are one of the country's largest non-university educational networks. Both congregations manage and animate 138 schools. 96,000 students attend these educational centers where 6,235 teachers teach. There are 60 Centers of Vocational Training, of Spain's Salesians and FMA, with about 18,700 students and over 1,400 teachers.

The 134 Salesian youth centers offer education in their free time to 42,300 children and young people. Approximately 5,150 animators volunteer to serve them.

Salesian work also reaches young people at risk of social exclusion. Salesians and FMA are currently carrying out 293 social projects through shelters, apartments for emancipation, migrant routes, work placement programs ... Almost 29,500 recipients benefit from these initiatives, and are supported by circa 1,670 educators.

In Madrid last autumn the Salesians celebrated the International Congress of Youth Ministry and Family, part of a process to make the family ever more the authentic subject and focus of Salesian Youth Ministry.

And why in 2018 the Salesian Family will closely follow the Synod of Bishops on "Youth, faith and vocational discernment". Furthermore, work is also being done to promote a vocational culture among Salesians to promote reflection of children and young people on the meaning of their lives and on how to achieve happiness through faith.

InfoANS

ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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