(ANS - Catania)– One of the many works of the Salesians in the city of Catania is the parish of Santa Maria delle Salette. It recently opened a gaming room to take the young people away from bad influences and direct them instead along the paths of human growth.

The Salesian parish is in the San Cristoforo area, the oldest and largest in the city. It is the area which houses the most troubled families in the city with unemployment, relational problems and delinquency, and where drug smuggling is almost the normal way of survival.

Cultural and social resources are almost non-existent. There are no sports facilities, libraries or Entertainment Centres, nowhere for people to meet except street corners, betting shops and pool halls and video-game centres (of which there are more than fifty!). These are often nurseries of anti-social behaviour and recruiting centres where young people are enticed into criminality and drug smuggling.

Because of this, the Salesians and people of good will have decided to come together to fight educational poverty, providing not only a good school but also other educational facilities in the territory.

Roberto, a twenty-eight year old electrician, says: "Together with Fr Marcello Mazzeo and Fr Alberto, we wondered how to help these kids and we thought, maybe we could create a “good” gaming room with not only pool or table soccer but also a play-station and computers, where kids could connect to the social networks. The most important thing, however, was the presence of an educator who would always be there, joining in the games and building a relationship of trust and support that is often lacking in their families."

The aim of this initiative was to create a multipurpose game room, dedicated to Pope John Paul II and, thanks to the contribution of the Salesian Social Services and Don Bosco Missions, equipped to meet the interests of teenagers and young people: computer games, board games, billiards, interactive games, TV, movies, listening to music and an internet point ... so as to involve them in a healthy educational environment, helping them to become good Christians and honest citizens, to grow in faith, and to enjoy activities not previously available in the area. They are accompanied by psychologists and educators who help them to work on their own personal experience.

TV2000, the television channel of the Italian Episcopal Conference, will transmit a programme tomorrow, 10 June, at 15.20 and at 17.30 (Italian time), on this initiative and the work of the Salesians of Catania.  

Published 09/06/2015