Salesian Cooperators of St Philip the Apostle Province at Eastern United States, Eastern United States 00000 - Salesian Cooperators in Peru

Salesian Cooperators in Peru

Jim, Paula with Monica and the street children

This past June, Jim and Paula Dolan, Salesian Cooperators, visited Peru for a long dreamed of vacation to Machu Picchu by way of Lima, Cuzco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Being Cooperators they prepared ahead and obtained Salesian contacts in Peru from Father Dave Moreno SDB, the delegate of their Orange, New Jersey group. This is their story. “After arrival at Cuzco we asked our guide, Ms. Marlene Ciaceres, to point out the local Salesian center, and she told us she was a Cooperator in formation. Although we were unable to visit the Cuzco Salesian facility, having a Peruvian Cooperator as a guide for three days was a unique experience. Marlene enhanced the normal tour perspective by sharing with us local feelings about the church in Peru and the work of the Salesians in this mountainous region. “Our second Salesian encounter was in Lima, when, despite our minimal Spanish ability, and with considerable help from our hotel desk staff, we made contact with the Salesian center there and arranged to visit. “Arriving at the Congregacion Salesiana Inspectoria and Santa Rosa de Lima Church, we were met by Manuel Cielo Flores, a Cooperator, and the financial officer for the Salesians in Peru. “Initially our meeting was hampered by our inadequate Spanish and Manuel’s unpracticed English, but when he realized we were Cooperators, he outlined the many locations and activities of the Salesians in Peru, even hand-drawing a map of mountain schools and churches for us. He introduced us to a Fr Lombardi who welcomed us enthusiastically with a ‘Mi Casa, Su Casa,’ and then Manuel gave us a guided tour through the Lima facility. “Huge in size, the facility covers about one large square block on the Avenue Brasil and includes the Church, a normal grammar and high school of about 700 students each, a technical school, a house for 90 street children and staff quarters, as well as play areas and cafeterias. The Technical School named The Instituto Superior Salesiano teaches subjects such as furniture making, motorcycle mechanics, electronics and graphic arts to name just a few. “Towards the end of our tour we were in the home for street children with Manuel when a number of children, curious about us, surrounded us with smiling faces wanting their photograph taken with these ‘foreign’ Salesians and the children’s Polish Salesian volunteer, Monica Winiarska. Our impression of the children was that they were happy and well cared for and living in a protected environment provided by the Salesians in Lima. “After our tour, back in Manuel’s office, we all expressed happiness at being able to spend time together, and on the way out, we stopped at the Salesian gift shop to purchase ‘Salesiana’ wine for SDB friends back home. “We share our uplifting Salesian experience in another part of the Salesian world with you to witness that Salesian work goes on everywhere and the results are tremendous for youth.”

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