Salesian Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart

In recent years, our Congregation has become increasingly aware of our belongingness to the Salesian Family, thanks to the meetings and subsidies that have been offered annually both as a motive for deepening the identity, and to improve upon relationship with other various groups of the Salesian Family and knowing them even better. This indeed helps to promote both knowledge sharing and helps us to grow within. The handbook of the Strenna of the Rector Major has been for many of our communities a major resource to bring into communion the Charism given to us by the Spirit through our founder, the Servant of God Mons. Giuseppe Cognata. It has helped us to grow in the sense of mission and service in a fragmented and fragile society of values and affections. 

Feeling part of the Salesian Family has helped us to assume and deepen our identity as Oblates, offered totally to the love of Christ that pushes us to grow with optimism, of Christian hope, with the ardor of sacrifice, the joy promoted by Don Bosco and the humility and meekness of St. Francis de Sales.

In recent years we have tried to improve upon the ongoing formation of our Sisters by embellishing it with Salesian spirituality, taking advantage of the subsidies and participation in the Consultative Councils at the Local and Provincial and World levels, trying at the same time to achieve a network collaboration where possible. We, being missionaries in small villages, are committed to offering opportunities for growth in the values of communion, while developing the sense of belonging to the Church and the great Salesian Family. With our children and their families, simple and functional paths have been created to make our dear saints St. Francis de Sales and St. John Bosco, more loved and known. To our groups of lay people belonging to the ALOS Movement in recent years, we have carried out Salesian Spirituality Study days dedicated to the deepening of the knowledge of the Strenna of our Rector Major. These days have better strengthened the knowledge of the lay identity within the Salesian charism as well as the typical charism of Mgr. Cognata, propagated to us.  In addition to formation, the apostolic commitment of the laity within the territory where they are inserted in various sectors of the parish or social areas has also increased.

All the communities of Oblates are periodically informed and encouraged to grow in the sense of co-responsibility, in feeling themselves as bearers of a Charism that is totally inserted in the Church and for the Church and sent to bring the message of the Gospel to every single family and the most needy, without neglecting the attention to the children entrusted to our care. We thus continue to educate and support them in the educational field and in providing them them our quality time.

In fraternal communion I wish everyone to be proud to be part of this great Salesian Family.

Mother Graziella Maria Benghini sosc