Salesians first arrival in Portugal dates back to 1894. The first work they directed was the Colégio dos Órfãos de S. Caetano in Braga, followed by the Oficinas de S. José in Lisbon two years later.
Currently the Salesian presence is made up of 10 presences and the Provincial Headquarters. The Salesians have six schools on the continent, one on the island of Madeira, and one in Cape Verde, on the island of S. Vicente, attended by about 10,000 students. About 9,000 children, young people and adults attend other activities, educational and pastoral, which operate in almost all our presences. Hundreds of children and young people, and their families, also benefit from the support of the Salesian Social Services.
It was in the city of Évora that the FMA began their activity in Portugal in 1940. Today they are not present in Évora, but have spread to 11 presences in our country, from Minho to Algarve, where they welcome almost 2,500 students in the various levels of education, and nearly 200 adolescents and young people in the Youth Centers and in the Salesian Youth Movement.
In Portugal, the Salesians and FMA share a theme and a pastoral program, and many of the SYM, pastoral and vocational activities are joint.
