The seed of Murialdo sowed in Caxias do Sul more than 60 years ago, found fertile soil into the heart of the Josephan religious and lay leaders. Thousands of boys and girls were welcomed, protected and prepared for life in the then “Abrigo de Menores São José”. Today the mission goes on in the Technical Social Centre.
The Technical Social Centre -CTS- realizes a wide “Social Action", (Educative Centre, Family Home, Vocational Training Centre and Apprentice Adolescent Program), favouring the inclusion of 275 children and adolescents in situation of social and personal vulnerability. Moreover, the institution owns the Murialdo School, a Printing Office and the pastoral responsibility of St Leonard Murialdo Parish.
SOCIAL ACTION
The Murialdo Educative Centres – CEM - help 120 children and adolescents from 6 to 14 years, in the opposite to school shift. It is a preventive social program that favours in the participants an integral development through diverse activities and warrants the basilar and fundamental rights for the exercise of citizenship.
The Murialdo Vocational Training Centre offers in the opposite to school shift, 3 trades, Industrial Mechanics, informatics and Services Management, totally free of charge for 120 adolescents from 14 to 18 years.
From 2002, the CTS keeps an agreement with the Bank of Brazil for the indentures of young apprentices, 15 and 16 years old. Presently there are 23 Bank Services Apprentices, enlisted in a special roll, with fixed wages, transport and luncheon voucher, working 4 hours per day, besides classes on technical-human formation.
Inaugurated on March 30, 2000, the Murialdo Family Home assures the social inclusion process of children and adolescents deprived of family life. The house, which gets the financial support from the Municipality, accommodates 12 boys and girls, from 0 to 18 years, trying to give priority to keeping siblings together. Specialists from different fields give them orientation, and they are followed all along the day.
MURIALDO PRINTING OFFICE
The “Stampa Murialdo” was born in 1948 as an apprenticeship space for the boarders and day-boys of the then “Abrigo São José”. In that time a small printing office was bought and the boys, helped by the Josephan religious, learned binding, hand and mechanic composition and impression. There were also sport and recreational activities. Thus the recesses were always prolonged so that children and adolescents could run, play football and enjoy themselves a lot.
It is worth to note that many among the graphic professionals in Caxias do Sul and surrounding region had their "school" at the Stampa Murialdo. Among the people who did the history of the Printing Office, always filled with care and affection for the impoverished children and adolescents, is still much remembered Brother Antônio Ghirighini, who came from Italy and gave almost 50 years of his life for this noble cause. Nowadays, the Murialdo Printing Office is one of the main companies of its kind in Caxias do Sul. And its purpose is still the same: giving financial support to the social projects.
MURIALDOSCHOOL
With the growing number of boarders, a school was necessary. In 1951, the state established, close to the "Abrigo", a public school till standard 5. In 1956, in the place of the public school, the Particular School of the “Abrigo de Menores” was created. In 1969, the “Abrigo” became: "Technical Social Centre”. In 1973, the institution was transformed in “Paulo VI” Primary School. In 1998, the Secondary School was added, and in 2002, the school changed its name in “Murialdo”, becoming part of the “Murialdo Schools Network”.
Today the Murialdo School has more than 800 students and in each batch of Primary School there are 7 needing pupils who attend totally free of charge. Since these pupils, in the opposite shift, participate in the activities of the Educative Centre, the complete structure of the Murialdo School is a strong and è solid foundation for children and adolescents.
Besides the Josephan religious and the 130 employees who give continuity to the work, there are others who help simply out of love for the cause. They are the Murialdo’s Friends Lay People, common people and many others who help in the certainty that it is necessary to form, in this world, "a well united family" that is just and caring.
