After professing his faith, Fr. Nesly stayed in his native country of Haiti to serve some of the poorest, most marginalized youth with nowhere to live but the streets. For several years, Father Sean has served hundreds of children living in the destitute, informal settlements around Johannesburg, South Africa. And Father Lamberto recently launched a desperately-needed rehabilitation program for young Filipino substance abusers wishing to turn their lives around. These are just a few of the first-hand accounts you may hear this summer during our annual Missionary Cooperative Program.

Every year, for eight weeks beginning in June, a special group of Salesian missionaries travels to the United States as part of this program. In parishes across the country, they share personal and inspiring stories of their work on behalf of marginalized youth and families around the world.

“We offer this program because nothing can replace the ‘real deal,’ says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “Reading about what we do is one thing; hearing about it from someone who lives it every single day is entirely another. I don’t think there’s a more effective way to communicate the real impact of our mission-based work.”

Want to learn more? You may check a complete list of host parishes here. If there’s one near your home, we encourage you to visit and discover how our missionaries are offering comfort, new hope and pathways out of poverty for the men, women and children who need it most.

As always, this work—and the work of all of our missionaries in more than 130 countries around the world—is only possible with the caring compassion of friends like you. Their stories demonstrate the power of your support—and show how your generosity is making a very real and tangible difference.

Even if you can’t join us at one of these parishes, please know how much your friendship means to all of us here at Salesian Missions. We invite you to read short biographies of our participating missionaries, and summaries of their work, here.