In November, 1981, Fr. Dominic DeBlase, SDB, then Provincial of the New Rochelle Province, began the process of establishing a lay volunteer program to provide generous young people the opportunity to collaborate with Salesians both in the home and foreign missions. He sent Fr. A.J. Louis to the Fourth Annual Conference of the International Liaison of Lay Volunteers in Mission to investigate what other groups were doing and to learn from their experience in establishing a lay volunteer program. After learning of the strengths and weaknesses of other programs, the obstacles they met and overcame, as well as the success stories of other groups, Fr. Louis began the work of establishing what we now call the Salesian Lay Missioners.
Before recruiting the first lay volunteers, Fr. Louis visited Salesian houses in Africa and South America, to see first hand some possible mission sites where he could send the missioners. Then the difficult work of convincing Provincials of other provinces, as well as Directors of local communities that would receive the volunteers, began. It was important that a firm foundation was established so that the expectations of the volunteers and the receiving communities would be met.
10/23/2008 - SLM Launches New Program Video
An introduction to the international volunteer service program of the Salesians of Don Bosco, USA. Directed by Luke Wassermann. Music by Hans Parent. This short video features footage of our sites in Bolivia, India, and Sierra Leone, and interviews with former SLMs, site directors, and priests, brothers, and sisters in the Salesian family.
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