Pope Leo: Oratories Are Vital in Helping Young People Overcome Isolation
Photo © Vatican Media
(ANS – Olgiate Comasco, Italy – March 9, 2026) –
In a message signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin on the
occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the new complex in Olgiate
Comasco named after St. John Bosco, Pope Leo XIV urged people to appreciate the
role of oratories as “spaces of true fraternity” in the life of the Church and
society. With this message, the first Augustinian Pope once again demonstrates
his affinity with the thinking of Don Bosco, a trait that has already emerged
several times in these first months of his pontificate, as well as his
closeness to Don Bosco’s sons, whom he has already met several times during his
travels and official engagements.
An opening that also gives pause for thought
The solidity of the foundation stone laid on the ashes of
the old San Giovanni Bosco oratory in Olgiate Comasco, a small town in Lombardy
just 5 miles from the Italian-Swiss border, is a sign of the vitality of these
realities, which are essential for the life of the Church and society as a
whole: places called to build “authentic bonds” capable of defeating “the
isolation of our time,” especially that of young people.
Thus, in a message signed by Cardinal Parolin, Pope Leo
offered his good wishes on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone
of the new oratory, named after the founder of the Salesians, which took place
on March 1 in the presence of Cardinal Oscar Cantoni, bishop of Como.
The oratory as a place of fraternity and formation
In the text addressed to the pastor of the church of Sts.
Ippolito and Cassiano, Fr. Flavio Crosta, next to which the new youth ministry center
will be built, the Pontiff expressed his hope that it would offer “spaces of
true human fraternity and Christian formation.” Quoting one of the most famous
sayings of Don Bosco, in his Sunday sermon the priest recalled how it is not
enough for young people to be appreciated: “they must know that they are loved.”
The laying of the foundation stone also marked the “end of a
long journey of waiting and complex steps”, which began with the closure of the
old oratory in 2017--8 years marked by nostalgia for those who grew up
cherishing the memory of the carefree days of childhood, until November 18 last
year, when Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, prefect of the Dicastery for the
Clergy, gave his final approval for the construction of the new building.
The vision of an attentive youth; rediscovering community
in the time of “Neverland”
The design of the new oratory, conceived and developed by
architect Alessandra Mastrogiacomo and validated by architect Carlo Valentini,
has transformed spaces that were once separate and sometimes non-functional
into multipurpose and welcoming environments. The voluntary contribution of the
“young people of yesterday,” now established professionals and young retirees,
was also decisive. They generously put their skills at the service of the commission
in support of the pastor.
But the contribution of today’s young people was also
central. Demonstrating the human qualities that adults should bring out in
them, they wanted to say a few words during the ceremony and left us with an
intense and hopeful reflection: “Are we really lost? In the time of “Neverland,”
we have rediscovered ourselves as a community. Without walls, we have learned
to remain united; without a roof, we have learned to make ourselves at home.
Because an oratory is not born of concrete, but of the gaze of those who know
how to recognize in a young person something worth investing in.”
Leo XIV’s closeness to the Salesians
As for Pope Leo’s closeness to the Salesians, it is worth
remembering that on several occasions (first during his meeting with the
Salesian community at Castel Gandolfo, and then on Sunday, February 22, this
year, at the Salesian basilica of the Sacred Heart in Castor Pretorio), the
Pontiff jokingly revealed that in his youthful search for a vocation he had
also visited a Salesian house, confessing: “You came second, I’m sorry!”
Even more interesting, however, is what he added afterward
when speaking to the Salesians of the Sacred Heart community: “But perhaps
there is something that has remained in my heart, also united with you, in the
Salesian community.”
Source: Vatican
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