Germany
Salesianische Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter Don Boscos (SMDB)
With the group in Turkey
The song of the Region
« Ensemble, sous les étoiles »
A song to bring us together for the 150th anniversary of the Salesian Cooperators:
the chorus in French, one verse in each language of the Region.
Our provinces
Six provinces, one shared mission at the service of young people.
Cooperators are Catholics who, while living their faith within the framework of their own secular condition, draw their inspiration from Don Bosco's apostolic project, to contribute to the salvation of the young, ‘that part of human society which is so exposed and yet so rich in promise’. The lay Cooperators fulfil their commitment and live the Salesian spirit in the normal situations of their life and work, according to their lay state, and spread its values in their environment.
Austria
Northern Belgium / Netherlands
France
Great Britain / IrelandWe are different, our realities are different,
but we share the same mission!
Regional Consulta
Service in the Region
Online Regional Consulta 2026
Friday 20 November 2026, 6 to 9 pm, and Saturday 21 November 2026, 3 to 5 pm (online).
Provinces are invited to send the Regional Secretariat, by 31 October 2026, the composition of their provincial council (names, functions and e-mail addresses), together with a few photos and a short text about the 150th anniversary celebration of the Salesian Cooperators in their province, or the planned date of that celebration. Everything will be presented at the Consulta.
secretariat-reco@donbosco.de Letter to the provinces (PDF, Dutch, English, German)
RECO Regional Secretariat
Jan Daems
World Councillor for the Region, elected at the Baumkirchen Congress (2025)
Genk (Belgium). Salesian Cooperator since 2006, architect and teacher of adults with little formal education (literacy, digital skills).
Norbert Fedke
Regional Treasurer since 2014
Chemnitz (Saxony, Germany). Salesian Cooperator since 2014, care worker at the Don Bosco Jugendwerk in Burgstädt. He manages the Region’s account and reports on its finances to the provinces.
Sue Cooper
Member of the Regional Secretariat
Wokingham (England). Salesian Cooperator since 1985, former teacher, involved in catechesis, marriage preparation and the local food bank.
Paul Klein
Member of the Regional Secretariat
Baden-Württemberg (Germany). Salesian Cooperator since 1993, retired biologist, provincial secretary for Germany from 2020 to 2026 and long-time editor of the bulletin “SMDB unterwegs”.
Read the full introductions (PDF)
Also available in: Français · Deutsch · Nederlands
Archive: Barbara Klose, Regional member of the World Council 2019–2025
Barbara Klose
Regional member of the World Council (2019–2025)
World Council, Consulta, Secretariat, Congress… what do all these terms mean?
“These terms have become more and more familiar to me since my election as the regional member of the World Council, which took place in October 2019 at the regional congress held in Vienna. But over and over again I realize how little these terms mean in our daily life as Salesian Cooperators, and sometimes even to myself. Therefore, I would like to explain them briefly before talking about my service in the Region.”
Congresses
The regional congresses of RECO and the World Congress of the Association.
World Congress
“Being yeast to be fruitful”
6th World Congress · Rome, 7 – 10 May 2026
At the heart of the Association's 150th anniversary, Don Fabio Attard, Rector Major, invited Salesian Cooperators all over the world to reflect deeply on their identity. It is not written first in memory, but in the living reality of our daily commitments.
Drawing on the Gospel image of yeast, he calls us to be a humble, active and hope-filled presence at the heart of society: free believers, able to move beyond nostalgia for the past and fear of the future, so as to respond with creativity and boldness to the challenges of our time.
Full text by Don Fabio Attard (PDF): FR EN
The reading guide, produced by CoopBelsud (Southern Belgium), offers five chapters for personal or group formation: a text, questions for sharing, a prayer and a key sentence to remember.
Regional Congress
Vienna 2019
11 – 13 October 2019 · Austria
World Congress
Rome 2018
25 – 28 October 2018 · 5th World Congress
Presentation of RECO, a synthesis of the situations lived in the provinces: a starting point for shared reflection. Thanks to Barbara, Lucie, Valérie and Édouard for the translations!
Regional Congress
Benediktbeuern 2014
6 – 9 November 2014 · Germany
Regional Congress
Lyon 2011
25 – 27 March 2011 · France
Regional Congress
Jünkerath 2009
27 – 29 March 2009 · Germany
Baumkirchen 2025 in pictures
Photos: Julian Drapiewski and Paul Klein. Click on a photo to enlarge it.
“Let us be happy and proud to be Salesian Cooperators. It is an important vocation within the Salesian Family and for the future of the Salesian charism in Europe.”
150th anniversary
1876 – 2026: the Association of Salesian Cooperators celebrates its 150th anniversary
Contact
Write to us directly or use the online form.
secretariat-reco@donbosco.de Contact form
We try to answer as soon as possible, but a delay of a few days is possible. Thank you for your understanding.