Concern for others, service to young people, preaching the Gospel and various social activities are aspects of the life of St. John Bosco - a 19th century Italian educator - that have been embodied by the Congregation he founded. The Salesians, officially known as the Society of St. Francis de Sales, were founded in 1859 and are found in 133 countries, including those in the Holy Land. Fr. ALEJANDRO LEÓN sdb mor Salesian Inspector of the Middle East "The Salesians have been in the Middle East for 130 years and have carried out the typical activities of our congregation. At the beginning we had orphanages, both for locals and for migrants, especially Italians. Lately we have three major activities: the first one is the professional schools, work-oriented. We have five schools, two of them in Egypt, very large and well-known. The second are the oratories, youth centers for activities and evangelization. Some oratories are for Christians only, some for Muslims only and some for both. Finally, for the last 10-15 years we have been working in the field of refugee assistance." Father Alejandro León has been the Salesian Inspector of the Middle East for two years. F ALEJANDRO LEÓN sdb mor Salesian Inspector of the Middle East "We live a situation full of challenges, just think of the 10 years of war in Syria, the great economic crisis that hit Lebanon, to which were added, first, the pandemic of coronavirus and then the explosion in the harbor. Then think of Egypt, the extreme poverty in which the country lives, the devaluation of the currency, while here in Palestine with the Arab-Israeli conflict ... we try to be close to the people". In the Holy Land, Salesian works are scattered in five countries. Fr. ALEJANDRO LEÓN sdb mor Salesian Inspector of the Middle East "Then we have two communities in Syria: one in Damascus and the other in Aleppo, but we operate on three works, because there is one in the mountains, the valley of the Christians, where our cooperators are. In Lebanon we have one community, which operates in two large works. Here in the Holy Land, we are present in Nazareth, Jerusalem (which has become a theological study) and in Beit Shemesh, Beit Jamal. In Palestine we are present in Bethlehem and Cremisan. Finally, in Egypt we are in Alexandria and Cairo with two works." Following the example of Don Bosco, who was interested in youth, Fr. Alejandro welcomed members of the Canção Nova Community of the Salesian family, present in the Holy Land, for the celebration of Holy Mass and a time of sharing. Fr. ALEJANDRO LEÓN sdb mor Salesian Inspector of the Middle East "My wish is that little by little this fraternity between Canção Nova and the Salesians of the Holy Land will always continue to grow." CRISTIANO ASSUNÇÃO Responsible Canção Nova Mission - Jerusalem "For us, it's a bit like being 'the young cousins who visit the older ones' and from whom we can learn the wisdom, the Salesian charism especially here in the Holy Land." Read More