A dedicated Salesian aspirant spending some“quality time” with a group of local youngsters.	It is almost unbelievable what a few hours of “Salesian quality time” can do for the lives of some 600 impoverished youngsters in the slums on the outskirts of Campo Grande.

Every Sunday, 30 Salesian aspirants (those striving toward religious life) of the “Aspirantate of Saint Vincent” in Campo Grande, Brazil, volunteer at five different sites. They work (and play) with poor youngsters much in the same style Don Bosco himself did. Oratories (a term which Don Bosco used to describe community centers for prayer and organized recreation) are held from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm, with multiple activities ranging from track competitions to soccer tournaments. The group finishes with a snack, made by the aspirants themselves and local volunteers, which for many of the children is the only meal of the day.

Your generous donations to Salesian Missions have recently made possible the purchase of a much-needed used bus to help transport the aspirants to the many oratory sites.

The children the aspirants work with are among the poorest in the city. Most of them are at social risk of all sorts. Some have been abandoned by their parents, or their parents are serving time in jail for drug trafficking, prostitution, or even homicide. Needless to say, these are troubled youngsters! But they find a haven with the Salesians each weekend. It is truly the Miracle of Don Bosco’s preventive system in action! The Aspirants of Saint Vincent offer a kind hand, guidance and a few hours of relief from an often cruel existence. They wish to thank Salesian Missions and you for your continued help.

“May the blessings of God, through the intercession of Mary, Help of Christians, be bountiful to you. I pray that you may keep on providing this fundamental service to the communities entrusted to the Salesian missionaries in Brazil and throughout the world.”

– Father Afonso de Castro, Provincial, Campo Grande, Brazil.