Fondazione Opera Diocesana San Francesco di Sales

The Fondazione Opera Diocesana San Francesco di Sales is a Catholic foundation based in Brescia, Italy. It was established on 15 February 2001 by Mons. Giulio Sanguineti, then Bishop of Brescia, as an instrument to coordinate and support the many pastoral and communication activities of the Diocese of Brescia. The foundation is named after Saint Francis de Sales, the patron saint of journalists and writers, reflecting its focus on communication and evangelization. The foundation's stated purpose is to promote, organize, and sustain pastoral activity, with particular attention to coordinating the apostolic interests of the Diocese of Brescia in the fields of new evangelization, worship, catechesis, missionary cooperation, formation of clergy and laity, care of souls, and education in a Christian conception of life. It operates as a non-profit ecclesiastical entity under the authority of the Diocese of Brescia. A central part of its mission is engagement with the modern world of communication. The foundation recognizes the profound transformation in how information is produced, processed, gathered, and exchanged, and it seeks to respond to this "media revolution" by fostering synergy among the various communication realities operating within the diocese. This includes the Centro Diocesano delle Comunicazioni Sociali (Diocesan Center for Social Communications) and other media and pastoral initiatives. The foundation's work is rooted in the Catholic Church's broader commitment to using media for evangelization, as expressed in documents such as the decree Inter Mirifica of the Second Vatican Council. By establishing a foundation, the Diocese of Brescia aimed to create new tools and working methods to address the challenges and opportunities of contemporary communication. As of its official website, the foundation continues to operate in Brescia, coordinating a network of diocesan communication and pastoral entities. It remains a private, non-profit ecclesiastical foundation, not listed on any stock exchange, and is governed by its statute and the Bishop of Brescia.

The Fondazione Opera Diocesana San Francesco di Sales was established on 15 February 2001 by Mons. Giulio Sanguineti, Bishop of Brescia, as a response to the evolving needs of pastoral communication in the diocese. The foundation was created to coordinate the many existing and glorious realities operating in the field of communication within the Diocese of Brescia, without abandoning what was already being done, but rather by providing new tools and techniques for communication and elaboration. The foundation's name honors Saint Francis de Sales (San Francesco di Sales), the 17th-century Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church, who is venerated as the patron saint of journalists, writers, and the Catholic press. This choice reflects the foundation's focus on the media and communication apostolate. According to its statute, the foundation pursues purposes of religion and worship. Its aims are to promote, organize, and sustain pastoral activity, with particular regard to coordinating the apostolic interests of the Diocese of Brescia in the fields of new evangelization, worship, catechesis, missionary cooperation, formation of clergy and laity, care of souls, and education in a Christian conception of life. A key motivation for the foundation's creation was the recognition of a profound transformation in the world of communication. The foundation's website notes that we have witnessed a revolution especially in the way information is produced, processed, gathered, and exchanged—a revolution with immense cultural, social, political, and economic consequences. The shift from unidirectional communication to "media contagion," characterized by interactivity, low-cost means, universality, new forms of democracy, and new convergences, was seen as a reality that the Church needed to engage. The synergy among the different realities of the foundation was born precisely as a response to this ongoing revolution. The foundation coordinates various diocesan communication entities, including the Centro Diocesano delle Comunicazioni Sociali (Diocesan Center for Social Communications), which serves as a hub for media and communication activities. Since its establishment, the foundation has operated under the authority of the Diocese of Brescia and the Bishop of Brescia. It remains a private, non-profit ecclesiastical foundation, not listed on any stock exchange. Its work continues to focus on supporting the pastoral mission of the diocese through modern communication tools and strategies.

• 2001

  Foundation established by Mons. Giulio Sanguineti, Bishop of Brescia.

A diocesan foundation dedicated to coordinating and renewing pastoral communication and evangelization in the Diocese of Brescia.

• Centro Diocesano delle Comunicazioni Sociali

  Diocesan center for social communications, coordinated by the foundation.

1. 1Fondazione Opera Diocesana San francesco di Sales - Brescia - Italyfondazionesanfrancescodisales.it
2. 2Wikidata: Fondazione Opera Diocesana San Francesco di Saleswikidata.org