(ANS – Rome) – Today 29 February, ANS offers its readers the opportunity to become better acquainted with the young people of Europe and the work of the Salesians on their behalf. After looking at Spain last month now we turn to Italy.

In the land where Don Bosco was born and his Preventive System was first put into practice the presence of the Salesians is widespread and well-known in society. Now as then, the young need educators and significant adults to accompany then as they grow up and thousands of Salesians are engaged in this everyday in Italy.

However, the society in which the Sons of Don Bosco are working is very different from that of Turin in the XIXth century. In the place of material poverty – still present, but in the main limited to certain areas of society – there are other poverties.

To make it easier to become familiar with the current youth situation in Italy, today in the Service section, we are publishing some assessments based on a survey of about  2000 young people in a diocese in Sardinia, in the belief that it represents more or less accurately the situation in a large part of the country.

In the News section, today and subsequent days, there will be the presentation of some Salesian projects specifically aimed at supporting and accompanying the young. Today it is the turn of the flower in the buttonhole of Youth Ministry  in north east Italy, Donboscoland; an example of work with the young marginalised; and a look at Salesian vocational training.

Published 29/02/2012