Salesian History Scholars Association Marks 30 Years
ACSSA Established on October 9, 1996
(ANS – Rome – October 8, 2026) – Friday, October 9,
marked the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Salesian
History Scholars (ACSSA), established in 1996 by Fr. Juan Edmundo Vecchi, the rector
major, to promote studies, professional development, and collaboration among
its members on Salesian history and the Salesian Family, and to spread
knowledge of the figure of Don Bosco and the congregations, associations, and
groups that originated from him, in dialog with civil and ecclesiastical
institutions.
An overview of the association
ACSSA is a cultural association bringing together history
enthusiasts and scholars engaged in research in the Salesian field. Founded
with around 20 members [including your humble blogger], ACSSA now has 243
members from across 6 continents: 91 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, 114
Salesians of Don Bosco, 33 lay people, and 5 members of other groups within the
Salesian Family. According to its Statute, the director of the Salesian
Historical Institute (ISS) is a member of its executive committee, ensuring the
implementation of ACSSA’s projects in close collaboration with the ISS.
The cultural significance of ACSSA and its development are
evidenced by the fact that members in Poland, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Argentina,
India, and Ecuador have felt the need to establish their own local (national)
sections. It should be noted that this was a grassroots initiative, proposed by
the members themselves.
Over the years, ACSSA has given a great boost to Salesian
cultural life in many ways, by promoting and organizing:
– 29
Continental Seminars – from the series that began in 1999 to develop the
methodology and themes for the 2000 World Congress, to the one marking
the 150th anniversary of the Salesian missions in 2025;
– 7 World
Congresses – from the first, in 1993, on the theme “Taking stock of the
places and methods of developing Salesian historical knowledge,” to the one
scheduled for next year in Brasilia, on the theme: “The Salesian Missions in
the World.”
Furthermore, it has published 11 volumes in its “STUDI”
series, a further 9 books in the “VARIA” series, and a single additional volume
– published in various languages (Italian, French, Spanish, and English) –
which have contributed in various ways and fields to disseminating research and
studies on the figures and works of the Salesian Family thruout the world.
Messages from the Rector Major and the FMA Mother General
To mark this anniversary, the rector major of the Salesians,
Fr. Fabio Attard, and the mother general of the Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, sent letters of congratulations to the
Association’s presidency.
In her message, Mother Chiara Cazzuola wrote:
“These
30 years of life, and of intense activity, have been shaped by the desire to
discover and increasingly value the historical memory of our institutions, born
from the heart of Don Bosco.
“I wish
that all of you … continue this valuable research work, so that the history of
the Salesian charism – lived out thruout the world by so many brothers and
sisters who staked their lives on realizing Don Bosco’s dream – may never
wither away, but may continue thru time and space in fidelity to an inspiration
that remains fruitfully and wonderfully relevant today. True research, in which
you play a leading role, is not merely an archive of data or a nostalgic
exercise, but a mission of fidelity – and I would say of justice – driven by
the shared awareness that we have received a heritage of values which must be
understood, explored in depth, and passed on. It is a constant call to
responsibility not only toward the past, but also toward the present and the
future.
“We are
the sons and daughters of a father who was the first to commit himself to
leaving a record of his spiritual and apostolic experience, with a view to
educating future generations and passing on to all the core values of a charism
that unfolds thruout history and is guided by Providence.”
For his part, Fr. Attard emphasized the uniqueness of such
an association within the global landscape of religious institutes and
highlighted that the founding of ACSSA marked the beginning of “a new era” for
the Salesian Historical Institute (ISS) itself. Furthermore, he emphasized the
significance of equal representation, between the Salesians of Don Bosco and
the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, on the Association’s executive committee.
For this reason, the rector major stated:
“I wish
to express my sincere gratitude and my deep appreciation to you, because, thru
this work, you have become true animators of the Salesian Family in the field
of historiography.”
And
after recalling the development and the most significant stages in the history
of ACSSA, the rector major concluded:
“ACSSA
has carried out initiatives and produced works of considerable scientific and
cultural value. These constitute a concrete testimony to the active presence of
Jesus Christ in history which, as St. Paul VI affirmed, leaves clear traces in
the journey of mankind. In our case, these traces help us to recognize the
action of grace and Salesian charity alongside young people and in support of
their integral growth.
“We
Christians, in fact, are ‘children of memory’: a memory that does not confine
us to the past, but generates life and opens us to the future, transcending the
limits of earthly reality.”
.webp)
