After the first stage of his visit to the house at Benediktbeuern, Fr Á.F. Artime, along with his secretary, Fr Horacio López, and the Economer General, Bro. Jean Paul Muller SDB, spent the whole of Monday 28 at the provincial centre in Munich.
There, to get a good understanding of the situation of the German communities and to get to know the work for young people in the different houses, the Rector Major took part in a meeting of the Provincial Council, led by Fr Josef Grünner. He then had a meeting with the Rectors and managers, Salesians and lay people, of the various works of the German Province, to learn about their work for and with young people.
"I feel very good in this mixed group of consecrated persons and lay employees. I like these moments of exchange very much," said the Rector Major. He thanked the lay leaders for their efforts in these words: "You are not only employed workers. You are people who have our full confidence in advancing the Salesian charism."
Yesterday the Rector Major was able to get to know in detail the work of the Salesians in Munich. He visited the "Salesianum", the "Don Bosco Medien GmbH" publishers, and the kindergarten facilities which will be open from next year to meet the growing demands of the local population.
Before leaving for Bonn Fr Á.F. Artime had time to greet the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians at their Provincial House, during a meeting marked by great fraternity.
Today, Wednesday 30 November, on the last leg of his visit, the Tenth Successor of Don Bosco met the leaders of the Salesian Mission Office (Don Bosco Mission) and Salesian NGOs (Don-Bosco-World, Jugendhilfe weltweit Beromünster). He also met two Salesian bishops – Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau, and Bishop H. Adrianus Van Luyn, emeritus of Rotterdam – and celebrated the Eucharist with them.
