(ANS - Rome) - For several years the Salesian House ofSacro Cuore in Rome has been a centre where people of every race and colour meet,   thanks to the Sacro Cuore Missionary Project. It has been a place of new life for the youth of the world. There is a whole range of activities for young people, Italians and immigrants, who attend the centre located next to Termini station, a real crossroads for the cultures and problems of the capital.

In 2009, together with the Missionary Sisters of the Risen Christ, the Salesians began to consider how they could make Sacro Cuore a reference point for many young people, especially the poorest. Among the various forms of youth poverty, they felt that the young refugees or asylum seekers who gathered around Termini station were the ones with the most pressing needs.

The project now caters for approximately 170/180 young refugees, people fleeing their countries because they are in grave danger or people who, for various reasons, are recognised by the Italian State as being in need of protection or humanitarian assistance. The majority are men aged between 20 and 30. Their place of origin varies over the years depending on the flow of migration.

The first problem is that of socialization. "We favour the creation of a social network for these young men who are at high risk of being ghettoized. Our goal is to create a 'home that welcomes' where they can feel at home regardless of their religion, ethnicity or origin and where they can meet young Italians whom they can relate to" says Fr Emanuele De Maria, the Salesian in charge of the project. To this end they organise outings and parties, as well as groups of interreligious dialogue.

Other activities are geared towards their integration into Italian society: Italian courses, primarily, but also computer literacy, supporting those who are studying to obtain a qualification, driving school, helping them to draw up a Curriculum Vitae or to prepare for a job interview.

All this is carried out under the coordination of the Salesians and the Missionary Sisters of the Risen Christ, with about 40 young volunteers and young people doing “Civil Service”. Before starting they are all given training in relation to their duties, and also formation in the Salesian way of doing things. As a result, many of the volunteers have discovered or resumed the paths of faith and spirituality.

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Published 27/11/2015