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.

Spain - 1967 - In 1967 the Salesian ‘Juventud Misionera’ (Missionary Youth) magazine sent this beautiful photograph to its readers as a Christmas greeting. The purpose of this greeting was to encourage people to learn about the activities of the missionaries from the different places of their apostolate. The ones presenting this nice greeting card are the children of the Lotha ethnic group in India, an ethnic group of 58,000 people, according to the 1981 census, living in the Wokha district of Naga Pradesh. The  ‘Juventud Misionera’ magazine was a publication aimed at direct communication regarding the Salesian missions, in a simple and appealing way, dealing with important issues such as human rights, poverty and solidarity.

Panama - 1933 - A group of young students from the tailoring workshop is immortalised in this photograph dating back to 1933. In the foreground some very young people intent on carrying out tailoring work are portrayed, while in the background some of the clothes already made can be seen. The photograph, together with other valuable historical testimonies of Panama, is available on the Flickr profile of the Central America Salesian Bulletin.