Rome (Italy). From 7 to 10 May 2026 a Sacrofano, Roma, the Sixth World Congress of Salesian Cooperators will be held on the 150th anniversary of their foundation (9 May 1876). For this important occasion, all the regions of the world have been invited to compose the anthem that will accompany the event.
“With the Strength of Love” is the winning hymn, composed by Christian Paul Chávez Ordoñez, a Salesian of Don Bosco from Ecuador. Christian is a deacon and is preparing for priestly ordination. He is currently at the Salesian Mission in Bomboiza, in the Ecuadorian Amazon. There, he provides pastoral and missionary service that allows him to share his life and mission with the young people of the Shuar and Achuar indigenous peoples. He has offered his services to the Salesian Cooperators of the South Pacific Caribbean Region, which includes Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Where did you get the inspiration to compose the hymn?
My formative journey has led me to the conviction that we live a shared Charism between lay people and consecrated persons. I partly expressed this thought in the refrain that says: “I do not walk alone; there are many more of us than me…”
Our mission always springs from the heart of Valdocco, because it is the seed that makes the evangelization we carry out together in the world fruitful. I thought it was beautiful to start from the idea that Don Bosco taught us: to love is to educate, and in every step we take, God walks with us. The dream of the nine-year-old John returns to us. This is why we often repeat that we do not walk alone; we do it as a family, as a community. This is our strength, the strength we have received, namely, the Salesian Charism, to be signs and bearers of God’s love to young people.
Another element that has served as inspiration for me is my vocational experience, the great happiness that comes from living as a Salesian, from sharing a mission, a common hope, a Charism, a dream, and a power of evangelization born of the Gospel.
The hymn’s refrain somewhat reflects what the SSCCs pronounce in their Promise and renew each year. “It is a yes that calls us as a Family, a heartfelt promise.” This is the vocation to service received in baptism, and, as a Salesian Family, together we are the mission.
The text of the hymn refers to the different ways in which lay people live the Charism…
Yes, of course. As I advance in my formation journey, I realize that the Charism is not a museum piece; it is not a static reality. It is a spiritual legacy that is gradually being inculturated in the school, in the oratory, in the street. We smile again because we are a story that continues to be happy. Where are those original elements of the Oratory? In the spaces where Salesian Cooperators live daily: in the home, in the neighborhood, in the workshop, in the schools. The stanzas aim to reinforce this very concept of the concrete spaces of the mission, the places that bring us together, the spaces of service.
You dedicated a verse to Don Bosco’s Teacher. Perhaps a Marian spirituality can be discovered in the vocation of the Salesian Cooperator?
Of course, a verse dedicated to our Mother Help of Christians couldn’t be missing, because She makes Hope shine; in her hand and in her womb, we always seek solace. She is the Mother who presents Jesus to us this year as we explore the Strenna, “Do whatever He tells you.” She, the “Woman” (according to Jesus’ response), always leads us to her Son.
Is there any special significance to the fact that the verses are in different languages?
I set out to have a broad inspiration, to be global, because “together we are the mission.” This is why the five languages indicate what I ultimately, in a melodious way, wanted to convey. “We are called and sent by Jesus to the poorest and most needy.” The hymn ends with an evangelical seal, “the hope of a new future is our mission.”
It was a meaningful experience to gather the different nuances of what Salesian Cooperators are called to be today: to continue to be the hope of a new future, to continue to remain on the social margins of history, to continue to be and feel part of the Salesian Family, to move forward by renewing the Promise starting from the Oratorian dream, which makes our style and our Charism fruitful.
Maybe I should have asked you from the beginning; what do you know about the Salesian Cooperators?
I learned that they were the first people Don Bosco considered to continue his mission. He was the first to call upon the laity to give wings to the dream of Valdocco and to lead many young people to heaven.
Which aspects of the Christian commitment of the Salesian Cooperators do you highlight in the hymn?
I want to emphasize the commitment with hope, as well as the renewal of a Promise founded on Christ. From there springs a mission that is not solitary, but carried forward as a Salesian Family with the values of the Gospel.
Why do you think a young adult should join the SSCC Association?
Once a young person realizes that their baptism must be transformed into service, and that Confirmation will not leave them in peace and serenity, they find in the Salesian Cooperator vocation a wonderful opportunity to live a life of service. The local Center is the ideal place to truly embrace this calling.
What challenges do Salesian Cooperators face today?
The great challenge for them is to continue to inspire charismatic joy wherever they are: the street, the courtyard, the workplace, the new digital playgrounds… in all these places, to continue to be a prophecy of God’s love for young people.
In a short video, Antonio Boccia, World Coordinator of the ASSCC, promotes the Congress hymn: “Don Bosco said that children should sing and celebrate. This is the opportunity to introduce you to the Congress hymn, so you can learn it, sing it, and make others sing it.”
