The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians – also known as the Salesian Sisters – celebrate their 150th anniversary on August 5.

The congregation was founded in 1872 in Mornese, Italy, when St Mary Domenica Mazzarello, with the first group of 11 young women, became Salesian Sisters. Today there are over 11,500 sisters in 97 nations, including Malta and Gozo, serving young people, the poor and women at risk.

Eventually, Sr Mazzarello became the mother general of the new congregation founded by St John Bosco in 1872.

Following Don Bosco’s fruitful endeavours through his establishment of the Salesians of Don Bosco for the benefit of the poor young boys of his time, his bishop also pushed the saint to try and establish a similar community that would work with young girls, particularly with the poor and disadvantaged.

To mark the 150th anniversary, the Salesian Sisters are inviting all present and past pupils, parents, friends and benefactors to join them for a concelebrated mass by Cardinal Mario Grech and Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma at Ta’ Pinu Basilica on Thursday, at 6.30pm.

The Salesian spirit has prevailed through the times and is encompassed in Don Bosco’s preventive system that strives to educate youngsters through religion, reason and loving kindness.

The saint’s preachings and teachings about the holistic education of youths and children are still valid up to this day and represent the heritage left to the Salesian congregations.

This can also be said with regards to Sr Mazzarello whose various quotations reflect her commitment to obey the heavenly mandate given to her by Our Holy Mother.

In Gozo, hundreds of students received their first education through the hard work of the sisters and their teaching staff and many others attended cathecism and other meetings for adolescents throughout the years.

Next year, the sisters will be marking 60 years of their presence in Gozo and later in Malta, where a small community is working in parishes among children and youngsters.