The residence has served various purposes in the mission’s work. A Salesian explained, “Since the end of 2023, the residence has been rented by youth, from the interior of the country, who come here to study. It is a safe space for them to stay. We have hosted youth from abroad, and now have a space for the bishop and the missionaries who come to the capital for medical check-ups. The residence is also used for meetings in the Episcopal Conference.”
The project allows Salesians to help support the mission by providing a monthly rental income. In addition, a small space in the building is designated as a culture store for the exhibition and sale of crafts made by the local Indigenous communities. Indigenous artisans are now able to bring their crafts to Asunción, which provides an important means of income for them.
Salesian missionaries have been working in Paraguay since establishing a church in Asunción in 1896. Paraguay is among the poorest countries in South America. According to UNICEF, almost 23% of its population of 6.5 million people lives in poverty earning less than $1 per day. The gap between the small upper class and the large lower class is extreme and offers virtually no social mobility.
Conditions of poverty drive youth into early labor and a lack of literacy, in addition to a weak educational foundation, compounds the problem. Those in poverty face overcrowding, low quality housing and a lack of access to basic household services. Paraguayans who only graduate from primary school are twice as likely to live in poverty as those who have access to and complete secondary school.
