(ANS – Rome – October 8, 2026) – Friday, October 9, 2026, marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Salesian History Scholars (ACSSA), established in 1996 by the then Rector Major, Fr. Juan Edmundo Vecchi, to promote research, professional development, and collaboration among its members in the field of Salesian history and the Salesian Family. The association also seeks to spread knowledge of St. John Bosco and the congregations, associations, and groups that originated from him, fostering dialogue with civil and ecclesiastical institutions.

An Overview of the Association

ACSSA is a cultural association that brings together history enthusiasts and scholars engaged in research on Salesian history. Founded with approximately 20 members, ACSSA now has 243 members across five continents: 91 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, 114 Salesians of Don Bosco, 33 laypeople, and five members of other groups within the Salesian Family.

According to its statutes, the director of the Salesian Historical Institute (ISS) serves on ACSSA’s Executive Committee, ensuring that the association’s projects are carried out in close collaboration with the institute.

The cultural significance and growth of ACSSA are also reflected in the establishment of local or national sections in Poland, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, India, and Ecuador. Notably, these sections arose from grassroots initiatives proposed by the members themselves.

Over the years, ACSSA has significantly enriched Salesian cultural life by promoting and organizing the following initiatives:

• 29 continental seminars — From the series launched in 1999 to develop the methodology and themes for the 2000 World Congress to the seminar marking the 150th anniversary of the Salesian Missions in 2025.
• Seven world congresses — From the first congress in 1993, which focused on “Taking Stock of the Places and Methods of Developing Salesian Historical Knowledge,” to the congress scheduled for 2027 in Brasília, Brazil, on the theme “The Salesian Missions in the World.”

ACSSA has also published 11 volumes in its STUDI series, nine additional books in its VARIA series, and one further volume. Published in various languages, including Italian, French, Spanish, and English, these works have helped disseminate research on the people, initiatives, and works of the Salesian Family throughout the world.

Messages from the Rector Major and the Mother General of the FMA

To mark this anniversary, Fr. Fabio Attard, Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and Mother Chiara Cazzuola, Mother General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), sent congratulatory letters to the association’s leadership.

In her message, Mother Chiara Cazzuola wrote:

“These 30 years of life, and of intense activity, have been shaped by the desire to discover and increasingly value the historical memory of our institutions, born from the heart of Don Bosco.”

She continued:

“I wish that all of you (…) continue this valuable research work, so that the history of the Salesian charism — lived out throughout the world by so many brothers and sisters who staked their lives on realizing Don Bosco’s dream — may never wither away, but may continue through time and space in fidelity to an inspiration that remains fruitfully and wonderfully relevant today. True research, in which you play a leading role, is not merely an archive of data or a nostalgic exercise, but a mission of fidelity — and I would say of justice — driven by the shared awareness that we have received a heritage of values which must be understood, explored in depth and passed on. It is a constant call to responsibility not only toward the past, but also toward the present and the future.”

She added:

“We are the sons and daughters of a father who was the first to commit himself to leaving a record of his spiritual and apostolic experience, with a view to educating future generations and passing on to all the core values of a charism that unfolds throughout history and is guided by Providence.”

For his part, Fr. Fabio Attard emphasized the uniqueness of such an association within the global landscape of religious institutes. He also highlighted how ACSSA’s founding marked the beginning of “a new era” for the Salesian Historical Institute itself.

Furthermore, he underscored the importance of equal representation of the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians on the association’s Executive Committee.

For this reason, the Rector Major stated:

“I wish to express my sincere gratitude and my deep appreciation to you, because, through this work, you have become true animators of the Salesian Family in the field of historiography.”

After recalling ACSSA’s development and the most significant milestones in its history, the Rector Major concluded:

“ACSSA has carried out initiatives and produced works of considerable scientific and cultural value. These constitute a concrete testimony to the active presence of Jesus Christ in history which, as St. Paul VI affirmed, leaves clear traces in the journey of humankind. In our case, these traces help us to recognize the action of grace and Salesian charity alongside young people and in support of their integral growth.

“We Christians, in fact, are ‘children of memory’: a memory that does not confine us to the past, but generates life and opens us to the future, transcending the limits of earthly reality.”