Abstract

The first Salesian oratory was established in Poland in Przemyśl in 1907 as a typical form of education for young men. In 1936 another oratory was founded at the Salesian seminary in Kraków. Thanks to the good organizing skills and prudent leadership of Fr. Józef Nęcki it was soon fitted with rooms, playgrounds, playing fields, and sports facilities. The oratory provided young people with religious life, cultural and physical education, tuition, and material help. Religious life in the oratory was based on catechesis, liturgy, and prayer. An association of altar servers was founded, as well as the Catholic Association of Male Youth. Talks were given on good manners, and hygienic and esthetic issues; trips were frequently organized to movies and theaters. The oratory relied on material help in the form of gifts on the occasion of holidays and donations of food. The main source of income was the generosity of the Kraków population. The activities of the oratory were paralyzed by the outbreak of World War 2, after which its main purpose was charity and the distribution of extra meals. The cultural activity of the oratory in all its dimensions was based on Fr. Bosco’s pedagogy, and was appropriate for every age group.