OFFICIAL NAME

World Confederation of the Past Pupils of Mary Help of Christians

ALSO KNOWN AS

Past Pupils of the FMA (Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice)

ESTABLISHED

1908

HISTORY

Early in the 20th century, a group of former Oratorian pupils from Turin, under the guidance of Fr Filippo Rinaldi and Sister Caterina Arrighi, organised themselves into an association in order to share and disseminate in their own environments the values received from their education in the schools of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA). It was Father Rinaldi himself who gave the inspiration for creating an international Confederation which would be able to hand on from generation to generation the educational legacy of Don Bosco and Mother Maria Domenica Mazzarello, who was canonised in 1951. Those women showed incredible enterprise in inventing forms of tangible solidarity and education to get through to young people, children, mothers, women workers, teachers and rural people. They set up evening schools for housewives and for Italian migrant women, free vocational schools for the working classes, mutual aid/friendly societies, and a Savings Bank, a secretariat for providing information, travelling libraries, and drama groups. In 1911, the first general Conference was convened in Turin after which the association began to grow not only in numbers but also in quality. In 1921 the first issue of Unione was published, as the information bulletin which to this day establishes a link between the former pupils, men and women, of the Salesians. In 1988, for the centenary of the death of Don Bosco, the Rector Major of the Salesians gave official recognition to the World Confederation of the past pupils of Mary Help of Christians as a Group within the Salesian Family.

IDENTITY

The Confederation is for men and women who received their education in the schools of the FMA, regardless of their religious, cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds. Its purpose is the sharing, deeper understanding of and witness to the human and religious values into which the former FMA pupils were educated according to the "preventive system" (see page 228), which sums up the whole educational experience of Don Bosco. It also fosters the comprehensive Christian preparation of Catholic ex-pupils in the light of the Gospel, by using both the spiritual aids available to all the baptised, and those specific to Salesian education, encouraging them to be committed and to bear witness to the faith and to participate in the Church’s mission. The Association also endeavours to ensure that non-Christian ex-pupils can draw on elements of their Salesian education to become more appreciative of the human and religious values of their own cultures. The FMA past pupils undertake to nurture solid ties among themselves in the ideal of using their own lives to offer others the authentic values which make men and women worthy of that name; to cooperate with civic institutions and voluntary associations by mobilising actions of solidarity to meet the emerging needs in the world; to foster a new self awareness among women and a culture which sees being a woman as a resource and not a problem; to launch, encourage and support initiatives to assist young people in difficulties; and to use the mass media as instruments for communicating values.

ORGANISATION

The basic group is the Union; all the Unions make up the Federation; all the federations make up the World Confederation. At every level, the governance bodies are the Assembly, a Council, and an Executive Board made up of lay people. At the central level is the "Collegio dei Probiviri" and a Board of Auditors. The FMA Institute, through the Consulta has the task of providing Christian instruction and spiritual direction. The Consulta may attend all the  meetings of the Council and the Board and intervene in every stage of the life of the Association.

MEMBERSHIP

The Confederation has a membership of over 40,000 in Italy alone, and millions worldwide, including non Christians, and is present in 49 countries as follows: Africa (4), Asia (7), Europe (11), Middle East (4), North America (13) and South America (10).

WORKS

The Confederation does not directly manage any works of its own. But the FMA past pupils are engaged in charitable, human development, literacy, catechetical work and running youth centres by cooperating in the Salesian lay style in implementing the apostolic project of the FMA Institute.

PUBLICATIONS

Unione, a monthly magazine in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

HEADQUARTERS

Confederazione Mondiale Exallieve ed Exallievi di Maria Ausiliatrice 

Via Gregorio VII, 133/B, int.4 - 00165 Roma - Italy

Tel.             [+39]06.635692       - Fax 06.39375131

Email: unionefma@cgfma.org