The summer oratory has become an experience of sharing life with others, says Fr Riccardo Pascolini, President of the FOI, in an interview with Avvenire. "It is a real home open to all, where they learn to get to know and appreciate each other” especially among young people of foreign nationality or of different religious beliefs.
Summer activities have started in the Salesian oratories and youth centres. From North to South there are thousands of people involved – Salesians, leaders, collaborators, members of the Salesian Family and volunteers. Here are some examples of summer activities:
In Torre Annunziata, near Naples, Fr Antonio Carbone coordinates the activities in an economically depressed area, where young people are the first victims of the Camorra. In all, nearly 500 children are taking part, from 17 June to 16 July and then from 16 to 30 August, in the activities intended to educate them to live within the law. They learn to socialize and to live together and are offered educational support and activities geared towards the integral development of the personality .
In the Ballarò district of Palermo, the Santa Chiara oratory is in the front line in the defence of children's rights and in promoting the integration of migrants. It has launched "Grest", a festival with 150 kids from 11 different ethnic backgrounds, all aged between 7 and 14. At the end of July it will be the turn of the bigger ones who will organize street entertainment in the neighbourhood and sports tournaments. The children from the multicultural kindergarten will also have their fun in the swimming pools and games in the playground.
At San Dona di Piave attention is given to the poorest young people. They have young people of eight different faiths and 15 different nationalities. The Oratory has started its summer activities which will run for 5 consecutive weeks with about a thousand participants including young people and young leaders.
The oratory-youth centre of the Redeemer in Bari, which already has over 200 members, has expanded its summer educational initiatives through collaboration with APS Marcobaleno, the Points of Light, Save the Children, and the Caf / Cap Freedom from the Don Bosco district. It offers sports activities, educational workshops, story-telling and cinema.
Borgo Ragazzi Don Bosco in Rome began evening summer activities on 20 June with a programme entitled "Connected to ... the World." It includes sports, games, concerts, dances, competitions, musicals, theatre, cabaret, all in a multicultural context, involving also families.
The Don Bosco Oratory of L'Aquila, which was destroyed by the earthquake in 2009, rebuilt and inaugurated in 2013, provides a summer programme with 300 young people participating daily. It is a meeting place for the youth who gather for sporting and leisure activities, theatre, music and photography workshops, and formative group activities.
At Valdocco, the first oratory of Don Bosco, Summer Camp 2016 has started with 13 weeks of activity, from 13 June to 9 September. There are about 800 young participants, in a multicultural context, assisted by 250 leaders.
https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/special-reports/item/1270-italy-more-than-2-million-young-people-in-the-summer-oratories#sigProId33150fd9e9
