The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Salesians will focus on guiding youth, says head of Don Bosco movement

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 04, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Salesians will focus on guiding youth, says head of Don Bosco movement

Special Correspondent

They will continue to take care of the poor in the next century

CELEBRATING HUNDRED YEARS: Members of organisations run by Salesians take out a rally, organised to mark the centenary of the arrival of the Don Bosco Salesians in India, along the Marina on Friday. — Photo: S. Thanthoni

Chennai: Members of organisations run by Salesians took out a procession on Kamarajar Salai on Friday and participated in a public meeting, held to mark the centenary of the arrival of the Salesians of Don Bosco in India.

Rector Major Pascual Chavez, head of this international community, participated in a function held in the city to mark the occasion. Addressing the community, Rector Major Pascual Chavez urged the Salesians to continue serving the youth, especially to make them "honest and useful citizens."

Earlier, addressing newspersons, the Rector Major said Don Bosco institutions, which hitherto worked more with young persons and school education, gave a lot of importance to higher education. "Higher education is getting more popular among young persons and it is no longer only for the elite. The Salesians realise this and we are trying to accompany the young persons through their process of growth until they become mature."

The organisation saw bright prospects for India to grow into a superpower scientifically, economically and socially by 2020. "So the Salesians in the next century will continue to take care of the poor," he said.

Answering a question, he was sceptical of the present "short-sighted approaches" which laid emphasis on scientific education and not on culture.

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