The Fabretto story began in 1948, when the Salesian missionary Rev. Rafael Maria Fabretto left his hometown of Vicenza (Venice Region), Italy, and journeyed to Nicaragua. Father Fabretto, quick to immerse himself in the local community, was deeply moved by the plight of the impoverished children he encountered. Before long, he had founded a group of children’s homes – which he referred to as the “Oratorios” – in the rugged countryside of northern Nicaragua.
