"125 years of presence are an impressive achievement, a legacy that deserves to be celebrated with pride and gratitude, but also with the humility and simplicity typical of our affection" said the rector of the Salesian presence, Fr Santiago Muñoz, in his greeting to those present. For over a century, Salesian work has been a point of reference for many people in the neighbourhood and the city. "The Salesian values of love, closeness, service to others, have been rooted in generations of young people so that they reach their full potential to become responsible and committed citizens, as a testimony to this complete education offered by our Salesian houses, which not only aims to cultivate minds and fill them with knowledge, but also to fill their spirit", added the rector.
Subsequently, Fr Muñoz also stressed that "today, as we look back on 125 years of achievements and progress, we also look to the future with enthusiasm and determination." And he continued, "The challenges we face today are different from those of a century ago, but Salesian values continue to be our guide and Don Bosco's Preventive System continues to be our educational proposal."
To conclude the event, he invited those present to "continue to dream and celebrate this anniversary as a family", and referred to the motto of all Salesian houses in Spain in this academic pastoral year, "A dream for you", chosen on the occasion of the Bicentenary of the Dream that inspired Don Bosco's vocation when he was nine years old.
The anniversary will open with a solemn ceremony on 1 December in the theatre at the school, involving Salesian and local authorities. Two of the most important dates marked on the calendar will be the provincial feast day, scheduled for 17 February 2024; and then the visit of Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians, scheduled for 27 April 2024. The celebrations will then continue throughout the year, until November 2024.
Meanwhile, already this November, next Saturday, 11 November, the pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Virgen de los Desamparados, Our Lady of the Abandoned, Patroness of Valencia, will take place. The intention is to associate the 125th anniversary of the work with the centenary of the coronation of the statue in the basilica.
In addition, to close the pastoral year, from 28 to 30 June 2024, the faithful of the parish will travel to Barcelona to learn about the places of Don Bosco in the city, and to refresh their identity and their Salesian charism as people who are continuing this living history in Valencia.
It was on 28 November 1898, when the then Provincial of Salesian Spain and future Rector Major Fr Filippo Rinaldi began this Salesian work in the district of Sagunto in Valencia. The house, which is of humble origins, has experienced important moments since the decade 1910-1920, thanks to the work of Salesians such as Guillermo Viñas, a rector who left a deep mark on the institute. Later, after the darkness of the Civil War, the house managed to resume its tireless service and in the decades 1946-1966 – in collaboration with the archbishop of Valencia, Salesian Archbishop Marcelino Olaechea – further extended its pastoral activity.
Today the work is a complete Salesian house, with many activities and vibrant and active pastoral environments and a series of proposals aimed at the education and evangelisation of young people (currciulum of education to the faith, Educational sport, Professional animation, Art). All this from the perspective and in the spirit of Don Bosco, to make young people good Christians and upright citizens.
San Antonio Abad is, in the first instance, a house that focuses particularly on the care of boys and girls in situations of greater vulnerability in all environments and, above all, in various social projects, and also houses a series of provincial offices and the headquarters of the Ángel Tomás Solidarity Initiative Foundation and the Bosco Global NGO.
