Print     Send

---

Related documents

Italy - Sapientiam dedit illi

Italy – The pilgrimage of Don Bosco’s casket to begin

---

---

(ANS – Turin) - “Put the young at the centre”. With these words Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva, Rector Major of the Salesians greeted the hundreds of people present  at the Solemn Concelebrated Mass this morning, 25 April, in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Salesian Congregation.

Present at the ceremony were Salesians and representatives of the groups of the Salesian Family in Piedmont and the Val d’Aosta. The Inter-University Choir from Rome conducted by Fr Massimo Palombella accompanied the Mass which was broadcast live in streaming by missionidonbosco.tv and in a television recording by Telepace.

“Love the young ,” the Rector Major said in the course of his homily, “But above all let them know they are loved: this is the task awaiting us. Now as yesterday the young often experience disappointment, a lack of confidence in themselves, the enormous difficulties in the work place, feeling that the adult generations and society around them are far removed from them. Like Don Bosco who modelled himself on the Gospel and incarnating the Church’s maternal concern for education, today we too are called to make ourselves small, to organise our lives according to the needs, the aspirations, the rights and the expectations of the young, praying for them and with them, with a friendly presence sharing with them the various stages of life, in order to free them from harmful   experiences and accompany them on their way to Christ.”

Globalisation is not only a matter of the economy – Fr Chávez added- but ought  also to include love, the fruit of a united effort so that all might find a home, a family as Don Bosco did for his boys. He has left us this great challenge: the young and speaking to them with the language of love, all the rest does not matter.”

“’Da mihi animas cetera tolle’ is the imperative always present in our hearts  in order to build a culture of a education based on love which anticipates, because prevention is better than cure.”

Before the final blessing a long burst of applause underlined the greetings addressed to the Rector Major by representatives of the Salesian Family and the words of gratitude which the Provincial of Piedmont and the Val d’Aosta Fr Stefano Martoglio expressed to Fr Chávez thanks to whom he said “Don Bosco lives in everyone’s heart.”

At the end of the celebration a casket was brought in containing a considerable relic of Don Bosco which will begin a pilgrimage across the five continents, and carried down the central nave and circling the Square of Mary Help of Christians was taken into the courtyard of Valdocco where the Rector Major blessed it.

Published 25/04/2009