Funchal, Portugal – 1950 – In October 2024, the Salesians of Portugal celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Salesian presence in Funchal, in the Madeira archipelago. Founded in 1921 by Father Laurindo Leal Pestana, to educate the poor and orphaned children of the island, the School of Arts and Crafts then passed to the Salesians in 1950. In addition to technical and vocational education, in 1952 they added secondary education. The development of the work was accompanied by the improvement and expansion of the structures, with the inauguration of the new building in 1960.