(ANS – Turin) – During the afternoon of the third day of the Salesian Family Spirituality Days, special attention was given to the Association of Salesian Cooperators, protagonists of a rich and well-structured sharing that wove together memory, present life, and a prophetic vision of the future, in preparation for the 150th anniversary of the Association’s foundation (1876–2026).
The session, animated by the World Council of Salesian Cooperators, focused on the theme: “Don Bosco’s prophetic dream continues: history and roots – the dream lives today, moving toward the future.”
It offered the Salesian Family a comprehensive reflection on the identity, journey, and mission of Salesian Cooperators in today’s world.
At the Roots of a Shared Dream
Opening the session, Italo Canaletti, World Councilor for the Italy–Middle East–Malta Region, retraced the historical and charismatic origins of the Association. The foundational reference remains May 9, 1876, the date when Pope Pius IX granted pontifical recognition to the Pious Union of Salesian Cooperators. However, as was emphasized, Salesian Cooperators had long been present in Don Bosco’s heart, mind, and works, as a concrete response to the growing educational and pastoral needs of his time.
Through Don Bosco’s own writings and significant historical milestones, the prophetic vision of the Saint of Youth clearly emerged: a Salesian vocation lived in the world by lay people and diocesan priests, men and women called to be evangelical leaven in society. This intuition was far ahead of its time and found full recognition in the post–Vatican II journey of the Church.
Special attention was given to the evolution of identity expressed even in language: from “Salesian Cooperators” understood primarily as collaborators, to “Salesian Cooperators” as a true vocational identity. This was not merely a change in terminology, but a deeper awareness of their charismatic calling. Today, the Association counts more than 30,000 members in 102 countries, organized into 11 Regions, and is recognized as a public association of the faithful and an integral part of the Salesian Family.
Faces and Stories of a Living Vocation
The historical reflection was followed by personal testimonies that embodied the charism in everyday life.
Noemi, a Salesian Cooperator, shared a vocation born within a deeply Salesian family context and lived today as a wife, mother, and grandmother, close to young people and families as a presence of education and faith.
Alfonso, a diocesan priest and Salesian Cooperator, spoke of a journey that began in the oratory and youth center, shaped by meaningful encounters with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, and now lived through parish ministry, bringing the Salesian spirit into ordinary pastoral life.
Different stories, united by one conviction: to be Salesians in the world, wherever life calls them.
A Three-Year Journey to Remember, Renew, and Relaunch
The second part of the session focused on the present, with an address by Borja Pérez, World Councilor for the Iberian Region, who presented the three-year path of preparation for the 150th anniversary, launched by the World Council in 2023.
This journey is marked by three key verbs:
- Remember (2023–2024): the dream, the origins, synodality, a sense of belonging, and the universal nature of the Association.
- Renew (2024–2025): the Promise and formation, with renewed centrality given to the Project of Apostolic Life, lived as a shared “book of life.”
- Relaunch (2025–2026): looking to the future by listening to social, ecclesial, and associative realities, in preparation for the Sixth World Congress.
This path has been lived in a synodal style, involving all Regions worldwide through online meetings, interregional webinars, shared moments of prayer, strong communication efforts, and the collection of hundreds of testimonies.
The Promise: The Heart of a Life Given
Further testimonies brought renewed focus to the meaning of the Apostolic Promise.
Enzo described the Promise as daily fidelity, lived in the normal rhythm of family and professional life, alongside the fragilities and hopes of the people encountered.
Antonio Lloret, a Salesian Cooperator from Madrid, spoke of the Promise as the beginning of a lifelong journey, marked by ongoing formation, coherence of life, and availability to the Association.
Looking Ahead: Serving with Trust
The third section projected the assembly toward the future through the reflection of Antonio Boccia, World Coordinator of the Salesian Cooperators. His contribution drew inspiration from the 2026 Strenna, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Referring to the Gospel image of the servants at the wedding feast of Cana, Boccia described the lay vocation as a humble, concrete, and trusting service—capable of filling the “jars” of history with the water of everyday life, leaving God to bring about the transformation. Salesian lay identity thus emerged as a prophetic force, a bridge between Church and street, especially close to young people, called to witness a credible, incarnate, and lived Gospel.
His address concluded with a strong invitation: to create welcoming environments, offer experiences of service, invest in formation, and highlight the beauty of the lay vocation, so that Don Bosco’s dream may continue to generate life.
A Song for Walking Together
The session concluded with the premiere presentation of the anthem of the Sixth World Congress of Salesian Cooperators, a musical expression of the Association’s international and missionary dimension:
“Salesian Cooperators, you and I are the mission.”
Final words of gratitude and encouragement were offered by the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard, who acknowledged Salesian Cooperators as a living and indispensable presence in the Church and in the Salesian Family—a sign of a faith that continues to generate the future.