By Alfonso Aguilar
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 3/10/05)

Youth Apostles Father Ramón Domínguez envisioned a program built on the solid foundation of St. John Bosco’s maxim of reason, religion and loving kindness. Such a dream became reality last week with the opening of Don Bosco Center in Manassas.

"The center’s focus is at-risk Hispanic youth in grades 5 through 8, and we are expecting a maximum of 60 participants from surrounding schools and neighborhoods where they can easily be recruited by gangs operating in turbulent areas like this," said Father Domínguez, program director.

"We will offer an after-school program of academic reinforcement, faith formation and character development," said Father Domínguez, a native of Cuba.

Don Bosco Center, a faith-based initiative for Hispanic middle school youths, is in partnership with All Saints Parish in Manassas, which already has established a task force on gangs.

Other diocesan parishes with specific groups to help prevent youths from being recruited by gangs are Holy Family in Dale City and Blessed Sacrament and Good Shepherd in Alexandria.

It is estimated that approximately 3,000 youths are involved in gangs in Alexandria, Fairfax, Prince William, Herndon, Leesburg, Culmore and Manassas.

The new center is located in the Georgetown South Community Center in the city of Manassas and will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3 to 6 pm., and once a month on Saturdays for family-based, healthy recreational activities.

Father Domínguez said that Don Bosco’s program will help parents and their children to better know their culture and faith.

"In this atmosphere of increasing gang violence in Manassas and Prince Williams County, it’s very important to encourage and strengthen family support and involvement in the context of the Catholic faith," said Father Domínguez.

"Something is very clear: If we do not cope with the gang issue, things will turn worse."

Before returning in 2004 to the Youth Apostles community in Virginia, Father Domínguez worked for many years with Hispanic youths in Fall River and New Bedford, Mass.

For more information on the center call at 703/556-9455.