(ANS – Bogotá) – In an event marked by the deep-rooted charism of St John Bosco, the Casa De Nicoló educational community, part of the Salesian Province of Bogotá, Colombia (COB), commemorated the birthday of its founder, the Venerable Italian missionary Fr Javier de Nicoló, SDB. The day served as an opportunity to reaffirm the relevance of a preventive system based on joy, closeness and family spirit – fundamental pillars in the care of children and young people in highly vulnerable situations. During the tribute, the children and young people involved in the organisation’s programmes brought this legacy to life through various expressions of local culture. Dance, the visual arts and music served as a means of highlighting that the Salesian educational approach is, in essence, a pedagogy of love capable of rebuilding the social fabric and offering horizons of hope for the younger generations. The event was enriched by the participation of the music section of the District Institute for the Protection of Children and Youth (IDIPRON), a public body founded in its time by Fr de Nicoló himself. The Conservatory bearing his name presented a repertoire that added splendour to the fraternal celebration. The leadership of the Salesian work expressed public thanks to the educators, benefactors and institutional partners who support this ecosystem of social protection, reaffirming the Congregation’s commitment to continue responding with charismatic boldness to the challenges facing contemporary youth in Latin America.
