After nineteen years at the helm of the Œuvre St-Justin, Marco Cattaneo will hand over the management of the Catholic institution dedicated to the training of students in the South on August 1, 2025. For cath.ch, he looks back on a human, social and political adventure marked by an unshakeable faith in Providence.

“I came into the Œuvre St-Justin in a rather funny way, or rather providentially,” recounts Marco Cattaneo. I was standing by the pool of the Motta swimming pool in Fribourg, when I was approached by Jacques Piller, then vice-president of the Oeuvre St-Justin: ‘Would you be interested in taking over the management of an important Catholic institution?’ I didn’t say no, and one thing led to another and I agreed to apply for the job. I knew nothing about St-Justin, not even that it existed!”

“After a few interviews, I was hired by Mgr Bernard Genoud, President of the Work as Bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg (LGF). He knew what he was doing because, as chaplain to the Équipes Notre-Dame, he knew me well.”

JUMPING INTO THE BATH

On September 1, 2006, Marco launched himself into a field he knew almost nothing about. He did not come from an academic background. His previous job in music publishing and cinema hadn’t prepared him for working in a Catholic environment. “I didn’t think I’d stay long,” he admits today. “What made me stick? My predecessor Nicolas Scherer had left a stack of files on the desk: ‘These are the scholarship holders’ files.’ When I read them, I was struck by the will and determination of these people, who wanted to learn so they could help shape their country’s future. I understood the mission of St-Justin!”

A few months after his arrival, Marco Cattaneo had the opportunity to inaugurate the new building for the Introductory Course to University Studies (CIUS) built on the St-Justin site in Fribourg. “It was a launching pad. Starting with an inauguration was a powerful symbol, all the more so as the CIUS was the first place where foreign students disembarked on their arrival in Switzerland.”

RESPONSIBILITY AND TRUST

One of the new manager’s first projects was personnel management. “The previous manager had imposed a rather authoritarian style, with a lot of controls. I didn’t want that. I wanted to introduce more responsibility and more trust.”
This took some time. In passing, Marco Cattaneo would also like to thank his family, “who agreed that I should leave a comfortable, well-paid position for a more demanding service. But in the end, those closest to me also fell for it.”

A DIFFERENT NOTION OF HUMAN DIGNITY

The main learning experience has been that of meeting a foreigner whose culture and background you don’t know. “I had to open up to others. The exchange made me grow.” The notion of human dignity, which seems obvious in the European context, has taken on a new meaning for Marco. “It’s a different breathing of the human being, which is not linked to his performance or success, but to his very person. St-Justin’s support goes to the poorest, not necessarily the top of the class. The way you look at a person can change a lot of things.”

As Director, Marco Cattaneo is also often the confidant of the joys and sorrows of the fellows and hostel residents, both men and women. “Quite a few of them call me ‘Dad’, and I’ve kept many ties with the old-timers.”
A father who also had to maintain order and crack down when necessary. “I was obliged to do so, even if it was sometimes hard when I had to fire someone or cancel a grant. But the credibility of St-Justin depends on it.”
For the director, respect is also expressed in the little things, such as order in the house, cleanliness of the premises, punctuality and politeness. “It’s not just about studying. It’s a job of education in the truest sense of the word, that of helping people.”

Nineteen years at St-Justin

AGAINST A MIGRATION POLICY THAT IS TOO RESTRICTIVE

The reception of foreign students is also confronted with ever stricter rules from the federal and cantonal immigration services. “Waiting for a visa or residence permit, or for them to be extended, is often an ordeal and a source of suffering. I realized that I had to fight for them. I spent a lot of time talking to the authorities responsible, with some successes, but also some disappointments.” Like when the Confederation decided to put an end to ICSU. “It was a heartbreaker, even if a satisfactory solution was found for the building now handed over to the University of Fribourg.”

A RELIGIOUS DNA

Founded in 1927 to welcome students from Asia by Abbé François Charrière, who later became bishop of LGF, Œuvre St-Justin retains its religious DNA. It contributes to the theological training of priests, nuns and lay people. But from the outset, it has also supported students in all fields of study: law, health, education, science, economics, and so on.
For some time now, St-Justin has also been funding scholarships in the countries of the South. A growing number of countries now have suitable educational institutions. “A scholarship in Switzerland costs around 20,000 a year. In the South, it’s more like 1,500 to 2,000 francs. In this way, we can help more people and avoid the problems associated with uprooting.”

A CITY OPEN TO THE CITY

“When I arrived, St-Justin was living in a bit of a vacuum. We had to open it up to the city and its population. One of the first measures taken was to make access to the chapel more visible. Every year, St-Justin hosts numerous public events: conferences, concerts, music festivals, neighborhood aperitifs, pilgrimages to Saint Rita, etc. In the company of scholarship-holders, I’ve also often gone to present St-Justin in parishes.”

The St-Justin restaurant has long been the social nerve of the town. Open to the public, it was a popular meeting place. “When it had to close for lack of profitability, it was a very painful decision for me.
Renovations, conversions, extensions, Marco Cattaneo has often also donned the builder’s outfit. “Maintaining the city’s heritage and making it more functional has been a constant challenge.”

A UNIFIED LEGAL STRUCTURE

Marco Cattaneo’s last major project was the transformation of St-Justin’s legal structure. Historically, each of the homes in Fribourg, Zurich and Geneva had depended on an independent association run by volunteers. Given the complexity of the work, the high financial stakes involved and the difficulty of recruiting competent staff, this situation was no longer viable. After three years of discussions, legal and administrative procedures, St-Justin has been a recognized charitable foundation since 2024.

TOWARDS THE CENTENARY

Marco Cattaneo sees two main challenges for the future. The first is to expand relations with the migration authorities, in order to raise awareness of the educational challenges facing foreign students. This is also clearly in the interests of universities and colleges. “Demand is not weakening. But it is becoming more specialized. Today, we have more requests for doctorates or courses of study in which Swiss universities are at the forefront, such as international relations.”
Fundraising is the other major challenge. “Our donors are getting older. We have to keep renewing them by being inventive and creative.”
In 2027, St-Justin will be able to celebrate its 100th anniversary. “But that will be up to the new management team,” concludes Marco Cattaneo.