The occasion, coinciding with the date of the arrival of the first three Salesians in the Lazio town 17 November 1928, was celebrated with a Mass at which the Bishop of Civitavecchia-Tarquinia Bishop Carlo Chenis SDB presided. “We are here to remember the past and to plan for the future,” he said. “ We need to examine and assess what we are doing. Young people nowadays in spiritual terms can’t distinguish right from left in order to make the sign of the cross. Civitavecchia, today more than ever needs  Don Bosco and his sons - the Salesians.”

Present at the celebration in addition to the Salesians in the community were some people who in the past used to work in the oratory and priests whose vocation could be traced to the Salesian house.

“After a difficult period, the Salesians are re-organising, and thanks also to the enterprise of the new parish priest Fr Enzo Policari, there is clearly a great desire to start afresh,” Marcello Simoni President of the Civitavecchia Past Pupils said. “Shortly restoration work on the Buonarroti theatre will start, but what is more important the Oratory is alive and well and wants to continue to offer good opportunities to the youngsters.”

Published 25/11/2008