Salesian Youth Center in Rozanystok, Poland.
About Us.
Salesian Youth Center (SYC) was opened in September 2002, after reclaiming our buildings that had been confiscated from Salesians Fathers over fifty years ago. In the Youth Center we would like to create an ennobling atmosphere for young adults by helping them to discover values and strength of dignified life, based on understanding and love of people.
Our pastoral approach to youth and young adult ministry is patterned after the "oratory model" of St. John Bosco, our founder. This approach is characterized by a high level of commitment to young people through interest and involvement in their lives and sensitivity to their needs.
Our approach is based on unconditional love that is offered to young people to accompany them in their development, by appealing not to compulsion, but to abounding of intelligence, love and compassion dwelling in every human heart.
The best formula for educational success is academic optimism aimed at young people. Father Bosco tried to influence the young people’s way of life by being with them on daily basis. He concluded that the best remedy to stop juvenile delinquency is simply to remove the causes of crime.
The Salesian Youth Center consists of:
Boarding House- accommodates fifty students from public schools in the Rozanystok area. The pupils are from all Polish provinces.
Salesian Educational Center- re-training type- can lodge forty boys from the Podlasie Province. They are put there by the court ruling. Most of them are from the divorced and pathological families.
Elementary and High School are located on the Center ground and pupils from SYC attend them.
Mission.
The process of re-training in SYC.
OUR GOAL.
Salesian Youth Center in Rozanystok has the tutelary and re-training character.
The activity is concentrated towards helping young people with the problem of social adaptability. The center brings help to young boys who have been deprived of parental love.
Our tutors create the atmosphere of education; they guide young men through the process of discovering positive values in their lives, which will help them to leave the noble life, that is based on the principle of love.
The center itself is located in the beautiful polish countryside. The beauty of nature helps them to contemplate and gives the opportunity to rediscover the meaning of life by keeping them far from many problems of modern civilization.
The most important goal in the Salesian’s educational system is the belief in shaping young people personality according to ethical and moral values of Christianity, what was once expressed by Fr. Bosco: “ Honest man and good Christian”. Fr Bosco wanted to young people to have ability to deal with many problems of daily life.
EDUCATORS OR TUTORS.
The important part of the whole educational system is the presence of educator who has to create the family atmosphere in the group. He takes active part in the life of his pupils by being open to their problems, learning their utmost fears and passions. As a guide he shows the way to make free, conscious and prudent decisions. The student is never left alone with his problems. The help is offered to him individually or in his group. There is also a good opportunity to have a real family atmosphere and homely feeling because the SYC offers some of its students possibility of boarding. The educators are experts in computers and sport what gives the young people occasion to discover this inner ego. Taking under consideration that for pupils the most important is to have family, all our efforts are concentrated on collaboration with their families- if it is possible- or by offering help from substitute families.
FORMS OF ORGANIZATION.
The Center accommodates 120 pupils who are in different educational groups.
Every group is located in different parts of the building. The boys have their own private rooms and as well a teacher. There is also kitchen, which gives an opportunity to learn how to cook what is very helpful later in the life. There are activity rooms like gym and computer room and social room where they can meet and talk.
news
On 25 November 2008 the Salesian Educational Centre in Różanystok celebrated the handing over from one generation of students to another the passion for Don Bosco and for Poland.
The standard, symbol of one of the older groups concerned, was presented by the Past Pupils to the students who today attend the Centre. The standard, blessed 75 years ago on 25 November 1933, illustrates the important role played by the Salesian School in Różanystok.
Having arrived in Rozanystok on 11 November 1919, the Salesians were greatly appreciated by the Apostolic Nuncio of the time Archbishop Achille Ratti who wanted to have a ecclesiastical, educational and cultural centre in the eastern part of Poland. At its high-point the Salesian centre contained 35 Salesians (10 priests, 7 brothers and 18 clerics in practical training) and 400 boys who were being trained in agriculture, horticulture, metal-work, carpentry and shoe-making.
There were also extra-curricular group activities such as, for example, the Catholic patriotic group to which the standard belonged, and music groups and choirs which broadcast on the radio. Among other cultural activities promoted by the Salesians and the past pupils was also the Peoples’ University. In 1925 the Rector Major Fr Filippo Rinaldi visited Różanystok.
With the arrival of the second world war, and especially its aftermath the centre went through difficult times. To prevent the property being seized by the communist government the Salesians made it a junior seminary. However this plan did not succeed as on 30 June 1954 the government surrounded the property with barbed wire commandeered the buildings and sent the students and Salesians away.
In 2002 the Salesians returned to Różanystok and the following year opened the Educational Centre for youngsters entrusted to them by the juvenile courts. Today there are 120 youngsters who under the guidance of the Salesians try to complete their schooling and learn a trade.
It was this group of students who received from the past pupils of 50 years ago the standard which they had carefully kept hidden.
During the ceremony the past history of the centre was recalled, as with songs and sketches the present pupils showed their talents. In memory of the event 5 oak-trees were planted in honour of the 5 Blessed martyrs of the Poznań oratory, patrons of the Różanystok Educational Centre.
