The Valdocco ADMA group, with its 200 members, serves as a global point of reference for the entire Association of Mary Help of Christians, a 100,000-member-strong movement and the fourth-largest group within the Salesian Family, founded by Don Bosco in Valdocco in 1869.
Salesians from five different Salesian regions and four continents—including representatives from Mexico, Poland, India, Vietnam, eSwatini, South Africa, DR Congo, Myanmar, West Africa, the Philippines, and Japan—accepted ADMA’s invitation to participate. Many of these Salesians come from countries where ADMA is still in its early stages of growth.
The meeting was lively and interactive, conducted primarily in English, Italian, and French, with the assistance of interpreters from both ADMA and the Salesian community. After a brief introduction by ADMA President Renato Valera, who outlined the association’s history, structure, communication tools, and activities in Valdocco, the floor was opened for a dynamic Q&A session lasting over an hour.
The attending Salesians showed particular interest in how to establish new ADMA groups within their unique cultural and religious contexts, how to address challenges such as an aging membership, generational differences, and engagement in the Salesian mission, and how to accompany ADMA aspirants during their initial formation before making their formal promise, as outlined in the 2003 ADMA regulations.
Since ADMA Valdocco consists largely of families spanning three generations, the theme of family repeatedly emerged as a crucial factor for ADMA’s future. The discussion emphasized that while no family is perfect—each facing its own struggles and triumphs—joining ADMA also means becoming part of the wider Salesian Family, which offers many spiritual and communal benefits.
Salesians encouraged ADMA members to continue their strong digital presence through their website and the monthly ADMA Online newsletter, which is available in 10 languages. Additionally, they requested more tangible signs of belonging, such as a Mary Help of Christians badge, and more shared experiences of faith and “Marian graces” through ADMA Online.
Fr. Gerry Martin, Provincial of the FIN Province, which will host the next International Congress of Mary Help of Christians in Manila, Philippines, from February 8-11, 2028, provided an update on the preparations and logistical arrangements for the event.
“We pray that the second-largest lay group of the Salesian Family will continue to grow, especially in the yet-to-be-explored regions of the Salesian world,” stated Fr. Václav Klement, Provincial of the Southern Africa Province (AFM).
