On 24 November 2026, in the Juan Vecchi Hall of the UPS, a study day dedicated to the Pious Union of Salesian Cooperators will take place, with the participation of the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard, and the Mother General, Sr. Chiara Cazzuola.

One hundred and fifty years after the birth of the Pious Union of Salesian Cooperators, the Pontifical Salesian University is hosting a study meeting dedicated to the history, spiritual identity, and contemporary perspectives of one of the most significant realities of the Salesian Family.

The initiative will include the participation of the Rector Major of the Salesian Congregation, Fr. Fabio Attard, and the Mother General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Sr. Chiara Cazzuola.

The central moment of the event will be the presentation of the research by Angelo Giuseppe Dibisceglia, entitled “Vis unita fortior”. Salesian Cooperators in History (1876-2000).

The work reconstructs more than a century of the Association’s history, highlighting the contribution made by Salesian Cooperators to the spread of Don Bosco’s charism and the development of a Salesian lay presence committed to the Church and society.

The Latin expression Vis unita fortior, “united strength is stronger”, recalls one of Don Bosco’s fundamental intuitions: bringing together people from different conditions and backgrounds around a common apostolic and educational project, so that collaboration could make service to young people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, more effective.

The programme will allow participants to explore the figure of the Salesian Cooperator from a variety of perspectives. Aldo Giraudo will illustrate the idea and mission of the Salesian Cooperator in Don Bosco’s writings and interventions, highlighting the spiritual, ecclesial, and apostolic roots of the Association.

Lodovica Zanet, through her presentation “What matters is what one does”. Dynamics and models of holiness among Salesian Cooperators, will offer a reflection on holiness lived in everyday life through family, professional, social, and educational commitment. It is a lay vocation expressed not only in intentions, but also in the concreteness of actions and in the ability to transform living environments according to the spirit of the Gospel and the Salesian charism.

Finally, Borja Perez will connect historical memory with present challenges by exploring the figure of the Salesian Cooperator today in light of the guidelines that emerged from the World Congress of May 2026. His contribution will offer an opportunity to reflect on the relevance of the Cooperators’ mission and on the ways in which Don Bosco’s charism can continue to be lived and witnessed within different cultural, ecclesial, and social contexts.

The event, promoted by the Salesian Historical Institute, the Don Bosco Study Centre, and the UPS Faculty of Theology, represents a significant opportunity to revisit the journey of the Pious Union of Salesian Cooperators while also reflecting on the contribution that Salesian lay people are called to offer to the educational and evangelising mission of the Salesian Family in the contemporary world.