The event paid tribute to the Salesian house and to all the people who made possible the transformation of a neighbourhood that originally housed very humble, barely literate families and, in many cases, linked to the inmates of the San Miguel de los Reyes" prison in what is now a multifaceted work which has been, for entire generations of Sevillians, a school, parish, youth centre, social platform, theatre, cinema, sports centre... In all cases, accompanying thousands of boys and girls who have found the opportunity there to form themselves as people, citizens and Christians.
The gala evening highlighted the link that the house has always had with music, and included a series of official interventions by the Superior of the Province of Mary Help of Christians (SMX) Spain, Fr Fernando Miranda; the Rector of the work, Fr Santiago Muñoz Sanahúja; the Episcopal Vicar for Vicariate II, Msgr Emilio Hernández; and the Director General of the Valencian Institute of Youth (IVAJ), Vicente Ripoll. The journey of the centre to the present day was shown by means of a theatrical performance and a short audiovisual journey through the living history since 1898. And to conclude, a large group of young people performed the official anthem of the 125th anniversary.
The Rector, Fr Muñoz, in his words to the audience, also recalled the hundreds of Salesians who served in the house "leaving their mark thanks to their enthusiasm, their good work and their enormous generosity; some have also left their lives there, such as the eleven who died during the civil war or those who died with the soles of their shoes worn out by so much walking in the courtyard and their hearts exhausted by so much dedication."
Fr Miranda took the opportunity to thank the educators and the Salesian Family for their trust in the Salesians. "125 years ago we Salesians arrived in this place, sent to sow the seeds of the Salesian charism in a land of orchards and fields, with little future for many. And today this charism is still here, rooted and fruitful. THANK YOU is the word that comes from the heart and that is the backbone of an event like this, which, beyond the milestones that have marked this journey, is embodied in names, concrete faces, stories of life and death, dreams realised and frustrated, which open us to a present and a future of hope and faith, which are a Living History, as the motto of the anniversary says."
This event opened the 125th anniversary of the work and marks the beginning of many other events that will continue to serve as a tribute to the past, to the present and that will support the hope-filled future of this Salesian house, always and forever at the service of the children and young people of the city of Valencia.
https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/19690-spain-opening-ceremony-of-the-125th-anniversary-of-the-san-antonio-abad-work-in-valencia#sigProIda054caa721
