During the proceedings, the 2026–2029 Policy Document was approved by an overwhelming majority, together with the 2025 Social Report and the 2025 Financial Report.

“The National Assembly concludes with a result that goes beyond the voting figures. The almost unanimous approval of the documents expresses a shared vision and a strong sense of responsibility,” declared the National President of Salesians for Social, Fr Francesco Preite. “From Naples we set out again more united, aware that educating for social justice means building together opportunities, rights and a future for the most vulnerable young people. A network that chooses to walk together is a network capable of bringing about change.”

A network that chooses to walk together

The Assembly opened with the testimony of Alice, from the Salesians for Social Action Youth Forum, who recounted her journey of growth stemming from her experience in the Civil Service. Her speech highlighted the value of educational communities capable of welcoming, listening to and empowering young people. The presence of the young men and women from the Youth Forum, hailing from various Italian regions, was a tangible sign of participation, active citizenship and shared responsibility. Following their Civil Service, many of them chose to continue their commitment within the network as volunteers, remaining active participants alongside minors and their most vulnerable peers.

This was followed by institutional greetings from Fr Gianpaolo Roma, Superior of the Southern Italy Province (IME), Fr Giuseppe Russo, Regional President of “Salesians for Social – Southern Italy”, and Fr Elio Cesari, Director of the National Centre for Salesian Works (CNOS). Fr Giorgio de Giorgi, the newly-appointed Provincial of the Special District of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, also addressed the Assembly. In their speeches they emphasised the value of Salesian education as a concrete response to new social vulnerabilities and as a fundamental contribution to building the common good, through the promotion of rights, participation and the inclusion of the younger generations.

The report by the National President of Salesians for Social Issues strongly emphasised the theme of the Assembly: “Those who love educate. Educating for social justice”. To educate today means standing by the most vulnerable young people, understanding the causes of inequality and helping to transform them. The report reaffirmed the identity of Salesians for Social as an APS (Public Benefit Association) network: a collective entity called to represent local areas, coordinate initiatives, promote development and influence social and educational policies. In the spirit of Don Bosco’s Preventive System, the Network is called to move increasingly from being together to acting as one, making education an evangelical, social and public choice.

Alongside the plenary sessions, ample space was dedicated to discussion among participants through working groups, dialogues and presentations that allowed for the sharing of experiences, good practices and perspectives for the future. The guided tour of the Don Bosco centre in Naples, led by Rector Fr Fabio Bellino, was also particularly significant, offering an opportunity to gain an up-close understanding of an institution that continues to serve as an educational and social hub for the local area.

From the Rione Sanità: a story of hope

One of the most moving moments of the Assembly was the visit to the Catacombs of San Gaudioso and the Rione Sanità, accompanied by a meeting with Fr Antonio Loffredo. The experience of working in the Sanità district offered concrete evidence of how it is possible to transform fragility, marginalisation and deprivation into opportunities for development, culture, employment and youth leadership, through the direct involvement of communities and the younger generations.

The concluding Eucharist, presided over by Fr Silvio Zanchetta, Superior of the North-East Italy Province (INE) and Delegate for the Conference of Salesian Provincials of Italy (CISI), entrusted the network’s journey to the light of the Gospel and the educational charism of Don Bosco.

Belonging, sustainability and social justice

In the Assembly’s closing remarks, Fr Preite presented the network with three key words to guide its path in the coming years: belonging, sustainability and social justice: “We have chosen to be a network that does not merely manage services, but seeks to be an educational presence, a public voice and a social alliance in favour of the most vulnerable young people. A network capable of combining the Salesian charism, rights, participation and the common good, within the framework of the Italian Constitution and the challenges of our time.”

Don Bosco’s dream continues

The common thread running through the entire Assembly was the reference to Don Bosco’s charism and the Preventive System, reinterpreted today as a proposal for social justice and a concrete response to educational and social inequalities.

From Naples, the Association Network sets out anew with a renewed sense of responsibility: to transform shared words into concrete choices, approved documents into actions, and the alliances forged into real opportunities for the most vulnerable young people.

Because, today as in Don Bosco’s time, to educate means to generate hope, dignity and a future.

{gallery}Italia – Assemblea Naz SCS 2026{/gallery}