(ANS – São Paulo) – On the evening of Sunday, August 31, the Salesian Province of São Paulo, Brazil, celebrated the opening solemnity of the celebrations for the 140th anniversary of the Salesian presence in São Paulo at the Coração de Jesus High School (Campos Elíseos – São Paulo). The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, Metropolitan Archbishop of São Paulo, inside the Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The ceremony, which was also concelebrated by Fr. Alexandre Luís de Oliveira, Superior of the Salesian Province of São Paulo, Brazil (BSP), and Bishop Rogério Augusto das Neves, Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo, was attended by numerous civil authorities, including Fernando Padula, Secretary of Education.

In his homily, Cardinal Odilo stressed the importance of the Salesian heritage and renewed the call to hope. “God has been generous in giving us consecrated men and women who have dedicated their lives to the service of others,” he said. “Times change, challenges are different, but the mission of cultivating faith and sowing hope remains. We are called to continue sowing the faith, cultivating charity, and building a Church present in the lives of people, especially the most humble.’

Immediately after the Mass, a photo exhibition was opened, entitled “140 years of Salesian presence in São Paulo,” organized by the Museum of Salesian Work in Brazil. The exhibition is divided into three core themes: “The Origins and Foundation; Feasts, Rites, and Traditionsy Arts, Crafts, and Trade. Between objects, photographs, and memories, the exhibition not only recovers more than a century of history, but also reaffirms the Salesian mission to educate in order to transform.

“The exhibition pays homage to the past and, at the same time, renews Don Bosco’s commitment to young people in every generation,” the organizers stressed. The exhibition is travelling and will subsequently be shown in other Salesian houses in the provinces, reinforcing the Salesian memory and identity.

“This celebration of 140 years is a look at the past, but above all a look full of prophecy,” commented the Director of the Coração de Jesus High School, Fr. Edson Donizetti. “It is such a beautiful story, which offers so many elements, which fills us above all with hope. It is then up to each of us to glimpse the possibilities, to build a rich present and a future in accordance with the Salesian mission and Salesian charism, as Don Bosco, alive in heaven, certainly expects of us,” he concluded.

Fr. Alexandre Luís de Oliveira then spoke, highlighting how this celebration renews the relevance of and faith in the Salesian charism. “Celebrating the 140th anniversary of the arrival of the Salesians in São Paulo, in the Campos Elíseos neighborhood of the Paulist capital, means celebrating a history that has faces, memories, and steps taken, signs of commitment to the Salesian charism that we have inherited from Saint John Bosco,” said the Provincial. “This jubilee date makes us thank God for these years in which the city of São Paulo has welcomed the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Salesian Family. At the same time, we look to the future full of lively hope. We believe in the relevance of the Salesian charism: educating and evangelising children, adolescents, and young people. Thus, we look to the past with gratitude, to the present with faith, and to the future with great hope.”

140 years of Salesian presence in São Paulo

The Salesian presence in Brazil began in 1883, when the first Salesians, sent by Don Bosco himself, arrived in Niterói (RJ). Two years later, in 1885, the sons of Don Bosco arrived in São Paulo and founded the Coração de Jesus High School, the second Salesian house in the country and the first in the state.

Since then, the mission has expanded to several cities in the State of São Paulo, consolidating education, evangelization, and social promotion, especially among the young and the neediest families.

Bishop Hilário Moser, SDB, Bishop Emeritus of Tubarão (SC), spoke of the importance of celebrating this history. “Salesian work was born from the heart of Jesus and the heart of Don Bosco,” he said. “At that time, the diocesan bishop, Bishop Lino Deodato Rodrigues de Carvalho, together with the Vincentians, wanted to build a chapel dedicated to the Heart of Jesus. It was then that the Salesians arrived and transformed the chapel into this magnificent shrine. The Heart of Jesus is the heart of this work, as is the heart of Don Bosco, for Don Bosco was a true missionary. This work, which has sprung from the heart of Don Bosco and the Heart of Jesus, truly deserves to be celebrated, and I hope it expands further. For the good of the young and for the good of our State’

Three other commemorative events are also planned for this year, all of which will be held at the Coração de Jesus High School, confirming the historical and missionary importance of this Salesian presence in the heart of São Paulo. On September 19, a commemorative stamp will be launched, accompanied by a solemn literary and musical session. On October 24, there will be a seminar on “Plural and Inclusive Education: Artificial Intelligence, Ethnic-Racial Relations and Emotional Health under discussion”. In conclusion, there will be a 140th anniversary celebration with the Educational-Pastoral Community on November 28.