CAGLIER0 11
newsletter for Salesian
'
Missionary Animation
Publication of the missions sector for SDB communities and friends of the salesian mission
There is poverty in the United States ft
The SFYC (Salesian Family Youth Centre) is located in a low-income
neighbourhood in Los Angeles CA Many of the children we serve were
born in the United States, but their parents are immigrants from Spanish
speaking countries - Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, among others.
Hello everyone,
In this month, in which we
remember the Salesian mission-
naries, radiators of Don Bosco's
charism throughout the world, we
pause to reflect on the sufferings of
the little ones. In our globalised
society, we would well to recognise
that the ·culture of waste' is now
increasingly rampant, and its effects
are devastatmg. As Christians. we
are called to overcome indifference
and to witness that the Gospel is
good news of Joy and leaves no
room for sadness. This summer in
Venezuela, I greatly appreciated the
smile and welcome o f the poor in
the 'barrio', ready to let you into
their humble ho mes without having
to hide their daily hardships and
humble living conditions. I have
experienced that to alleviate
suffenng, it is indeed necessary to
engage in social wo rks, to guaranty
fundamental rights, to educate the
young. It is even m ore important to
stop and share o ne's time with
those close to us.
Are we ca pable of ·wasting time· to
get close to, and to listen to, those
who suffer without falling into the
'efficiencyism' of those who want to
so lve all the pro blems of o thers1
With this doubt, wishing you a good
reading o f Caglieroll.
The majority of the children are bilingual, yet the Spanish they speak is
limited because they normally learn at home. Meanwhile, their parents take
on two or three backbreaking jobs just to survive. This results in their
children spending much of their time by themselves. Parents try to provide
everything for their children with the idea that "they should have what I
didn't have". This attitude creates a sort of entitlement and other
behavioural issues in their children.
Without a clear accompaniment and a support system many children will
end up living in danger and in fear; easy access to drugs and gangs
complicates matters. To give a real-life example, a couple of months ago,
a 14-year-old boy was kille d in a gang related crime in the neighbourhood.
The boy, at one point, was part of the SFYC but he had stopped
participating in the programme two years ago.
As regards education, many of our youth do not aspire to go to college or
trade schools. Once they finish high school or they drop out, they look for
a job in an attempt to help their families. There is one more element I
would like to mention The majority of our young people have an identity
crisis because they walk a wobbly path between being Latinos and being
United States citizens. Once this crisis is resolved, it becomes a huge
advantage for the young person and for society because he/she can then
navigate happily and productively in both the dominant cultures of the
country.
We are one of the important presences of Don Bosco in the SVO Province,
if you would like to know more about us, please visit our w ebsite at
www.SalesianClubs-LA.org.
▀ Jc Montenegro
Provincial Delegate for Missionary Animation (PDMA), SUO province
FOR REFLECTION
AND SHARING
▀ What kind of poverty
do I encounter most
among the young
people in my area?
▀ Marco Fulgaro
Lay Member of the Salesian
Missions Sector
▀ How can I help
children and young
people who are
suffering?
