Italy – Revitalising spaces, inspiring lives: the new face of the Don Bosco centre in Naples

From the very first moment, what struck everyone was the turnout: the institutional presence, with the attendance of Fr Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy, Councillor for the Mediterranean Region, and Fr Gianpaolo Roma, Salesian Provincial of Southern Italy, alongside many confreres from Southern Italy and the missionary territories in the Balkans. Alongside them was something even more precious: the people of Don Bosco.

There were the young people of today, with their infectious energy. There were the educators, who sow seeds of hope with patience every day. But, above all, there were many “faces from yesterday”: men and women who grew up here, who lived in these courtyards years ago, and who have returned to revisit, to recognise themselves, to say: “this is my home”. This return was perhaps one of the most beautiful signs of the day: when an educational place manages to remain in the heart, it means it has left a true mark.

On this day, the paths of regeneration were experienced in four renovated spaces: journeys that were more than just a guided tour. Walking through the chapel, pausing before the murals, entering the teaching kitchen or the formation centre, experiencing the oratory… all this became a story. Not just of completed works, but of lives that continue to be transformed. Every space spoke of the future, but also of deep roots.

Then the courtyard became a theatre and a dream. “A Dream in the Courtyard” was, in fact, the show staged by the Don Bosco youngsters, alongside the musical produced by the young people of Cisternino. Through their creativity, the youngsters showed that here we are not just building spaces, but possibilities. And when young people take to the stage, they are, in reality, already stepping onto the stage of life.

At the end of the performance, the symbolic ribbon-cutting took place, carried out jointly by a representative of the construction management, a Salesian, an educator and a young person from the oratory. Not a formal act, but a shared gesture: together, they wished to convey that this house does not belong to one person alone, but is the fruit of daily shared responsibility. This is how the Salesian charism continues to live: in communion.

“The Eucharistic celebration then brought everything together in a single offering,” said Fr Fabio Bellino, Rector of Don Bosco Naples. “We have entrusted these spaces, but above all the people who will live in them. Because, ultimately, what makes a place even more beautiful is how much it manages to generate life, relationships and hope.”

“Looking back on that morning,” continued Fr Bellino, “I carry one image in my heart: the courtyard full of people, the laughter, the hugs between those who hadn’t seen each other for years, the eyes of the young people turned towards the future. At that moment, I was certain that we were not simply inaugurating renovated spaces, but a new season.

Don Bosco Naples continues. And will continue as long as there are young people to welcome, dreams to cherish and a community capable of walking together.”