At the service of migrants

“The Congregation assumes Christian education as a fundamental means of carrying out the specific apostolate, inasmuch as it makes possible the growth, in all dimensions, of the human being, making it capable of giving a conscious and free response, as a child of God, to the Father’s project on himself and the world” (Cfr. Cost. n. 131)

The Scalabrinian Congregation thus assumes Christian education as a privileged form of promotion of the “new”, especially in those who are in the formative period. The schools of the Missionary Sisters of San Carlo Borromeo – Scalabriniane, in different contexts and countries, have as their main objective the construction of a more human, welcoming, supportive and fraternal society, which transmits culture, but above all that educates to life. Thus the values of tolerance, acceptance of differences and friendship permeate the relationships among the members of the educational community.

The integration of schools into the “Scalabriniana Integrata Education” network (ESI) gave the possibility to realize education in a Scalabrinian linearity, giving particular emphasis to the great dream of Mons. Scalabrini, of Father Giuseppe and Mother Assunta Marchetti, who they saw in education one of the greatest possibilities of human promotion and development of culture, as well as of the understanding of themselves and of the other.

The contents of the school curriculum are full of elements that guide the educating to love for God and for others. The latter in the Scalabrinian perspective is the most needy migrant, that is, someone who meets along the way and who recalls the joy of coexistence, sharing of gifts, culture and life.

The great challenge posed to Scalabrinian educators is that of realizing in the unity the real reception, the one that promotes the serene coexistence among the educators, and encourages them to meet the others, even if different in their ethnic, cultural, social, religious and economic manifestations. All this presupposes giving space to the other, walking side by side, developing the culture of peace, tolerance, learning the rules of good cohabitation, harmonizing the differences in a process of true freedom.

Scalabrinian education is a great laboratory of fraternal coexistence, of constructing knowledge and elaborating thoughts: it is a cry of hope in a world that is more human, harmonious, friendly and therefore more able to bring the human being to his goal. the final:

“So that all may be one like us “(Jn 17.11)” because you are no longer foreigners or migrants, but you are fellow citizens of the saints and family of God”. (Ef 2, 19).

“[…] The new needs of the peoples require new cures and endless solicitudes to transfuse the Christian spirit in children, strengthen their will in the good, enlighten their conscience in a righteous way, ennoble their feelings, and form, according to the admirable expression of the Apostle, Jesus Christ in their souls “[…] (Scalabrini, Pastoral Letter to the clergy and to the people of Piacenza on the teaching of the Catechism, 23.4.1876).

In fulfilling the missionary mandate of Jesus Christ, “Go and teach” and Scalabrini’s ideal of making catechesis the foundation of all apostolic activity, the Sisters favor catechesis in the service of migrants, respecting their cultural and religious values. and helping them to understand in their plan of faith their situation as people on the way, so that they can give their personal response to God’s plan.
(Constitution No. 129).

The first challenge of the Scalabrinian missionary vocation, rooted in Baptism and in the Charism, is the recognition of the call to witness to the love with which the Father loves migrants.

Evangelization is always a priority commitment in the missionary activity of the MSCS Sisters, regardless of the realities in which they are inserted, the important thing is to be where the migrant lives, works, suffers, prays, building with him the history of salvation, continuing to propose awareness programs, so that the whole Church, from small communities to the hierarchy, takes on the mission between migrants and refugees and finally organizing operational paths that can affect both the ecclesial context and the wider educational, cultural or social context.

Leaving to evangelize from the fruitful presence of migrants and sharing with them the condition of “migrant”, the Sisters MSCS, in their pastoral action, commit themselves to harmonize interculturality, ecumenical progress, interreligious dialogue, permanent education to the faith with an appropriate catechesis adapted to the needs of the migratory reality.

“The Congregation assumes the pastoral care of health as an important form to realize its mission in assisting the migrant. It adopts as a principle of action the care of the sick, for example of Jesus Christ who, wherever he passed, took care of the infirmities in view of the announcement of the Kingdom” (Constitution n. 135).

For this reason every act of assistance to the sick, using traditional medical therapies or those of preventive or alternative medicine, in state-of-the-art health facilities, institutional health posts, home care, the animation of health pastoral care, public health or in the basic clinics, activated by the social service in areas of migration, the MSCS Sister is attentive to the integral care of the person, to restore the harmony of the inner balance, the taste for life, the joy of love and of communion. Blessed Scalabrini used to say:

“Taking care of children and the sick, here are the two means to earn everything to God” (Scalabrini, letter to Bishop. P. Morganti, 1902).

Our vocation for migrants

In pastoral action we recognize the migrant as the subject of his own history, protagonist of his journey of faith, promoter of unity among peoples, evangelizer and providential constructor of a new society (Constitution n. 124).

The MSCS Sisters, in their missionarity, are characterized, above all, by their hospitality, itinerancy, humility, compassion, communion in diversity, hope and trust in God’s Providence, standing by and defending those who are more unprotected; with the testimony they announce the God of life and commit themselves to building a more human, more supportive and more fraternal world.