A Salesian presence with deep roots in Funchal
The Salesians of Funchal are today a significant educational and pastoral reference in the city of Funchal, in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. When people speak about this presence, they usually mean the Salesian school, but the reality is broader than a single institution. It also includes a wider community made up of youth work, parish life, alumni groups, lay associations, and solidarity initiatives. The identity of the whole cannot be reduced to a school building alone; it comes from a distinctive way of being present in the city, shaped by the spirit of St John Bosco and by an emphasis on closeness to young people and families.
The institution itself describes the school as Catholic in identity, guided by the Salesians and fundamentally dedicated to the education of young people. At the same time, it presents itself as a presence made up of several settings and works, which helps explain why “Salesians of Funchal” refers both to a school and to a wider local network of relationships and services.
From the School of Arts and Crafts to the Salesian presence
The local story begins before the Salesians arrived in Funchal. The School of Arts and Crafts of Funchal was founded in 1921 by Fr Laurindo Leal Pestana, with the aim of educating poor and orphaned boys from the island. This origin matters because it shows that the work was created as a practical answer to social and educational needs in Madeira, at a time when technical and human formation were especially important for many young people.
In 1925, according to the Salesian institutional memory, Fr Laurindo Leal Pestana himself, supported by D. António Manuel Pereira Ribeiro and by a group of friends, began efforts to persuade the Salesians to accept direction of the School of Arts and Crafts. The development of the work took time, but it eventually opened the way for the congregation’s actual presence in Funchal.
The decisive moment came on 25 October 1950, when the first Salesians arrived in Madeira to take charge of the school. The Salesian institution remembers this date as a turning point: the work received fresh energy and entered a phase of consolidation that would shape several generations of students, educators, and collaborators. Later, in 1952, the school expanded its orientation to include secondary-level education, showing how the educational response adapted to local needs over time.
A school that aims to combine teaching and whole-person formation
Today, the educational offer of the Salesians of Funchal covers pre-school and the first, second, and third cycles of basic education. It is therefore a school that accompanies children and adolescents through several stages of schooling, while combining academic learning with a broader educational vision.
The institution’s educational project says it is inspired by Don Bosco’s saying that education is a matter of the heart. It also states that the project seeks to update and deepen the Salesian Preventive System, so as to respond appropriately to families’ expectations and help students prepare for life with dignity. This is central to the school’s identity: the goal is not only to transmit knowledge, but to form people who can grow with freedom, responsibility, and a sense of community.
The educational method presented by the school values educators being among the young, welcome and dialogue, trust in the good present in every student, and the centrality of reason, religion, and loving kindness. It also stresses the creation of a positive environment built on relationships and the active presence of educators. In practical terms, this means the school sees itself as an educational community, not merely a place for lessons. Teaching is linked to human presence, listening, and accompaniment.
More than the school: a network of settings and works
One of the most distinctive aspects of the Salesians of Funchal is that the Salesian presence goes beyond the school. Official sources list several settings and works that make up this reality: Salesian Cooperators, ADMA, the Salesian Old Boys’ Centre, the Salesian Youth Movement, ArtiSport, the parish, the youth centre, and SolSal, the Salesian solidarity initiative. This list shows that the Salesian house in Funchal functions as a small educational, pastoral, and associative ecosystem.
Each of these settings has its own role. The Cooperators and ADMA highlight the participation of lay people in the Salesian family; the alumni centre preserves the bond between generations; the youth movement provides spaces for meeting and growth; the parish integrates the presence into local religious life; the youth centre offers opportunities for gathering and formation; and Salesian solidarity reminds readers that Don Bosco’s charism includes attention to those most in need. Together, these elements give the Salesian presence in the city continuity and coherence.
ArtiSport, also mentioned by the institution, offers a broad range of enrichment activities aimed at the global and integrated development of children and young people. Even when these are complementary activities, the underlying logic remains the same: education is not simply about delivering content, but about promoting human development, participation, and community life.
Location and urban presence
The Salesians of Funchal are located at Rua Mãe dos Homens, 45, 9064-508 Funchal. This places the institution firmly within the urban fabric of the city and reinforces its role as a neighbourhood school. Because it is both an educational and pastoral presence, the school does more than teach in classrooms: it is also a meeting point for activities of the educational community, youth pastoral work, and different groups linked to the Salesian family.
The institutional website also shows an organisation that is open to the public and structured around secretarial services, contact channels, and information for families, students, and collaborators. That is consistent with the nature of a school rooted in the city, but also with the Salesian tradition of daily presence among people.
The historical significance of the Salesians of Funchal
The historical interest of the Salesians of Funchal goes beyond the congregation itself. The work forms part of the educational history of Madeira because it grew out of a school created to answer concrete social problems and because it has remained active through different stages of local educational development. The shift from a school of arts and crafts to a Salesian presence with a wider educational offer shows how a charism can adapt to an island setting over time.
In 2020, the Regional Government of Madeira marked the 70th anniversary of the Salesians’ arrival in Funchal and highlighted the importance of Fr Laurindo Pestana and the school’s place in Madeiran collective memory. That official recognition confirms that the Salesians of Funchal are understood not only as a religious reality, but also as part of the region’s social and educational heritage.
Over time, the institution has maintained continuity across three dimensions: historical memory, school life, and community life. The school has educated successive generations, the Salesian presence has built ties with alumni and families, and the network of works and settings has allowed the mission to extend beyond a single building or a single function.
Salesian identity and the present day
Seen in this light, the Salesian presence in Funchal is meaningful precisely because it combines tradition and adaptation. References to Don Bosco, the Preventive System, and integral education are not simply abstract formulas. They shape the way the school, youth groups, parish activity, and solidarity initiatives are organised around one common mission.
That is why the Salesians of Funchal are often understood as a presence with memory and with a future. Their memory comes from the school founded in 1921, the arrival of the Salesians in 1950, and the consolidation of an educational and pastoral work over decades. Their future lies in the continuity of the school, the ongoing attention to young people, and the ability to connect schooling, community, and service. In Funchal, that combination explains the visibility and longevity of this Salesian institution.
