The Rector Major’s support: a word that guides the journey

There is one thought that running through and illuminating the journey of Salesians for Social: gratitude that becomes encouragement. It is the thought expresed by the Rector Major, Fr Fabio Attard, the 11th Successor of Don Bosco and leader of the Salesian Congregation worldwide, who has chosen to accompany the journey of “Organising Hope” with strength and depth.

“A word first and foremost of appreciation and also of gratitude for the work that Salesians for Social is carrying out in all the provinces of Italy,” states Fr Fabio Attard, recognising the value of a widespread and concrete commitment. A work which, he emphasises, is “charismatically fundamental”, because it is rooted in the living experience of Don Bosco.

His message clearly sets out a direction: to interpret the present with depth, to understand the challenges facing local communities, and to develop responses that meet the needs of young people, especially the most vulnerable.

“The commitment to interpret the local context well, to look at the challenges we face […] and to reflect on the response we are called to give today” thus becomes a concrete call to action.

Rooted in the charism of Don Bosco, for the “Don Bosco of today”

At the heart of the Rector Major’s address is a clear and powerful invitation: to remain rooted in the Salesian charism, bringing it to life in the present.

“The word of gratitude also becomes a word of encouragement to continue rooting ourselves in what is the Salesian charism, the Don Bosco of today,” he states.

It is not a matter of preserving a memory, but of making it generative. Of embodying today the very same gaze of Don Bosco: a gaze capable of encountering, accompanying and promoting every young person.

It is a vision that unites spirituality and practicality, faith and social action. For, as Fr Attard recalls, the journey of the Congregation and the network has long been marked by a clear commitment: attention to social issues, active citizenship and the promotion of human rights.

A gaze on the present, with a vision of the future

A strong prophetic dimension also emerges in the Rector Major’s message. It is not enough to respond to needs: we must do so with courage, with vision, with shared responsibility.

“I invite you to look at the present with a vision of the future, strengthened by a charismatic awareness […] and with the courage to be present in a meaningful way today.”

It is an invitation that calls upon the entire Salesian social network: educators, workers, volunteers, communities. An invitation not to shrink from challenges, but to experience them as opportunities for mission.

“Organising Hope”, a journey born from the local communities

Within this framework, the participatory initiative “Organising Hope” took shape, a journey involving the entire network in the drafting of the Programme Document 2026–2029.

Not a slogan, but a concrete process of listening, dialogue and shared responsibility. A journey that places the most vulnerable young people at its centre and promotes community participation as a tool for social justice.

The journey, which has traversed Italy giving a voice to local communities and the diverse strands of the network, began in Turin with the Salesian Social Committee for Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, continued in Milan with the Salesian Social Committee for Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, involved the North-East in Mestre with the Salesian Social Committee – North-East (Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia), before heading south to Bari with the Salesian Committee for Social Action – Southern Italy, which brings together Basilicata, Campania, Calabria and Puglia. The dialogue also extended to the territories of the Salesian Committee for Social Action – Central Italy (Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Lazio, Sardinia, Abruzzo and Liguria) and the Salesian Committee for Social Action – Sicily, in a widespread dialogue involving the whole country.

At each stage, educators and workers discussed the five key areas – education, work, reception, formation and universal civil service – helping to build a shared vision for the future.

A journey that becomes a collective choice

“Organising hope” is first and foremost a choice: coming together, giving shape to dreams, transforming daily commitment into a shared project.

A journey that arises from listening to the local communities and that highlights the daily work of Salesian institutions alongside the most vulnerable young people, minors, young migrants, young people in difficult circumstances, and educational communities.

It is here that Don Bosco’s charism becomes a reality today, in the ability to be present, create opportunities, and shape the future.

The 2026 National Assembly in Naples

This journey will culminate in Naples on 5, 6 and 7 June 2026, at the Don Bosco Salesian Institute “E. Menechini”, in Via Don Bosco 8.

It is here that the Ordinary National Assembly of the association network will approve the new 2026–2029 Programme Document, the result of a truly participatory and shared process.

Not merely a decision-making moment, but a communal journey, in which the entire network recognises itself, renews itself and reaffirms its commitment.

A network that generates hope

The Rector Major’s message captures the deepest meaning of this journey: a network that, in the name of Don Bosco, continues to generate hope.

A concrete, organised, shared hope. A hope that takes shape in local communities, in relationships, in educational services. A hope that views the most vulnerable young people not as recipients, but as protagonists.

This is the strength of Salesians for Social: holding together charism and action, vision and daily life, to be today – with courage and responsibility – the living face of Don Bosco in Italy and throughout the world.

Visit the “Organising Hope” website