(ANS – Quito) – Fr Fernando Peraza Leal SDB has recently published a new book: “Los estigmas de nuestro tiempo y la pedagogía de la bondad” (The wounds of our time and the pedagogy of kindness). It was presented by Fr Julio Perelló SDB in the course of an official ceremony on Saturday 9 June at the Salesian Regional Centre for Ongoìng Formation in Quito.

Taking part in the ceremony were a number of Salesian Superiors,  members of Salesian communities in Quito, various representatives of the Salesian Family and lay people imbued with the Salesian charism.

In presenting the book by this Salesian expert on Salesian studies Fr Perelló said that “it is a deep study on the pedagogical and pastoral experience of Don Bosco with boys  in high risk situations. It is a serious piece of research, scientific and academically well done, in which the author proposes education to kindness as a genuine contribution to human and Christian maturity. Young people arriving in a Salesian house need to experience closeness and accompaniment in the way that our father  Don Bosco provided it.”

Fr Peraza Leal then said: “it may be that these pages seem to be a complicated mosaic of events and issues, of questions and concerns, of cries of rebellion and even of a deeply felt utopia. There are no easy remedies here, nor comforting or moralistic easy answers.”

The author continued: “throughout the book there is a disturbing insistence on the question of violence among the young and an attempt to give life though effort, competence and perseverance, to  the Christian inspiration of our professional projects and to the aims of kindness, reconciliation and joy , which continue with ever greater power to illuminate our paths through the night. This is the dramatic situation which has inspired my book, the ‘poetry’, as Don Bosco defined the art of education...”.

“Every Salesian is called, nowadays too, to take up the challenge of a specific pastoral approach  towards children, youngsters and young people at risk  in order to respond to the so-v called ‘wounds’ in our society, which often are considered socially unacceptable” Fr Peraza Leal added.

The event concluded with a sharing of ideas at which those taking part expressed  their gratitude to Fr Peraza Leal for his new pedagogical contribution and the constant reflections with which through his writings he has enriched the Salesians of the Interamerica Region.

Published 14/06/2012