Initiative details
The first major challenge was to make this pastoral action known within the Church's own structure in Ourense. The CEE's Road Pastoral Department was created in Spain more than 50 years ago, but in many dioceses, no initiatives are carried out and priests are unaware of it. The surprising thing was that families, communities, and neighbors, as soon as we began working on these initiatives, began to follow us, asking for more action, and feeling supported in the loneliness caused by the loss of a loved one, a friend, a neighbor, or a car accident. Every year, the number of people participating in the scheduled sessions increases.
Initiative date
Who was/is your target audience?
Policy makers
Public authorities
Children 0-16
Young adults 17-25
Adults
Parents
Seniors
Company employees
Fleet operators
Car drivers
Car drivers – professional
Educational staff
Emergency services
Public transport
Van drivers
Lorry/truck drivers
Cyclists
Micromobility riders
Powered two wheeler riders (excluding micromobility)
Pedestrians
Others
Topic
Create awareness
Education in school or in community organizations
Organisation details
Diócesis de Ourense
Association
Spain
Ourense
Contact name
Fernando Castro Salgado
Telephone number
0034 988 366 150
pastcarretera@obispadodeourense.com
Website link
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
We work and collaborate with external partners. The first is the General Directorate of Traffic, the Ourense Provincial Traffic Headquarters, the Ourense Government Subdelegation, the Ourense Traffic Police, traffic accident victim associations such as Stop Accidents, driving school associations, schools, and youth groups. In 2022, we will hold the delegates' conferences from all of Spain's dioceses in Ourense with the help of these collaborators. These meetings will be presided over by our Bishop, Monsignor Lemos Montanet, and the Director of the Spanish DGT, Mr. Pere Navarro.
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
DAYS SCHEDULED FOR THE PASTORAL YEAR 2024-2025. Awareness Plan in the Diocese of Ourense.
1. World Tourism Day.
2. Day of Coexistence and Sustainable Tourism.
3. Day on Drugs and Alcohol at the Wheel for Young People.
4. Day of Road Pastoral Delegates.
5. International Day in Memory of Traffic Accident Victims.
6. Day of Blessed Sebastian Aparicio, Patron of Drivers and Land Transport.
7. "Wiping Away Tears" Day.
8. Day of Responsible Traffic, Feast of "San Cristóbal."
9. Family Road Safety Education.
10. Personal Mobility Vehicles for Adolescents.
1. World Tourism Day.
2. Day of Coexistence and Sustainable Tourism.
3. Day on Drugs and Alcohol at the Wheel for Young People.
4. Day of Road Pastoral Delegates.
5. International Day in Memory of Traffic Accident Victims.
6. Day of Blessed Sebastian Aparicio, Patron of Drivers and Land Transport.
7. "Wiping Away Tears" Day.
8. Day of Responsible Traffic, Feast of "San Cristóbal."
9. Family Road Safety Education.
10. Personal Mobility Vehicles for Adolescents.
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
The first major challenge was to make this pastoral action known within the Church's own structure in Ourense. The CEE's Road Pastoral Department was created in Spain more than 50 years ago, but in many dioceses, no initiatives are carried out and priests are unaware of it. The surprising thing was that families, communities, and neighbors, as soon as we began working on these initiatives, began to follow us, asking for more action, and feeling supported in the loneliness caused by the loss of a loved one, a friend, a neighbor, or a car accident. Every year, the number of people participating in the scheduled sessions increases.
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
The impact of this project is tremendous. When initiatives are worked on from the heart, they aim to improve the environment around us, making it safe and sustainable for families. Every year, we write an annual program, and at the end of the year, we compile an activity report that reflects everything accomplished, with photos, the number of participants, and press releases. Social media helps us publicize our projects. The print and digital press, as well as the Galician regional television channel, TVG, have prime-time interviews and are featured on the TV program "Polo Camiño Da Fe."
What has been the effect of the activities?
The effect has been, and is, gratifying and enriching. We reach people, and this helps us be more responsible and safer on the roads, helping to reduce traffic accident rates. We also reach families who have lost a loved one and need that word of encouragement, to be heard, to be understood. Priests try to send a message of responsibility in traffic. When they travel through a multitude of rural parishes, they themselves have to celebrate several Masses in different towns on a Sunday morning, traveling several kilometers between them.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
Our initiative is a good example for a basic reason: we are opening a window of hope in Spain and Europe. The Church cannot look the other way in this matter. We have a problem in society: traffic accidents. We need safe and sustainable populations, and the Church can contribute. We need other religious institutions to get involved; we are all needed in this task. We are the first, and we hope to soon join more initiatives within the Church.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
We share information through social media, journalists, and the Ourense diocese newsletter, Comunidade. Other dioceses in Spain, CEE, contact us to implement initiatives and launch road ministry initiatives, stating that they want to follow our path. https://obispadodeourense.com/publicacion/comunidade/
Supporting materials
