"An oratory without music is like a body without a soul."
Don Bosco
The main objective of the Oratory, better known as ‘Salesjani’ in Sliema is to carry out activities aimed at promoting holistic education of the young. All members are helped to understand that they belong to a family in which they are welcome and to which they have a positive contribution to make. Throughout the years, the Oratory has been able to reach out and animate various young people and help them to develop and implement new ideas by creating new opportunities for them. The Oratory which was founded back in 1908 embraces several sub groups, each with its own specialisation to empower young members to become leaders.
This Is My Home, My Family
The Oratory, which was founded back in 1908 embraces several sub groups, each with its own specialization designed to empower young members to become leaders. 2017 was no exception. Throughout this year, 70 young people were lucky enough to have the opportunity to be prepared to become good leaders after due formation sessions.
One of the main projects animated by these qualified leaders, is the “Bosco Summer School” which has been going on for the last 18 years. For seven weeks, from mid-July to the end of August, these young leaders were ready to share their creative expertise with 225 children between the ages of six and 13.
This year’s theme was “This is my Home, my Family”, an educational journey which ended up with a great and colourful, “Evening of Awards”, where, during a memorable evening, on 31 August, all the children and young leaders, themselves, displayed their style and creativity on stage in the presence of Education and Employment Minister Evarist Bartolo.
In August 2017 a group of 18 young people also had the unique opportunity to unite with other 300 young people from Europe and the Middle East who gathered in Turin, the birth place of Don Bosco, to celebrate a time of sharing known as the “Confronto”. Together with the Rector Major of the Salesians and the Mother General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, they spent a week of activities full of fun, music, dance, reflection and prayer. More opportunities for 2017 were provided by the Creative Communities of Malta Arts Fund through the project “An Introduction to Music Production”. Workshops were facilitated in the already existing Band Room of the Oratory whereby, a number of young people learned how to record a song.
