On Friday 8 April there were talks by Fr Andrea Bozzolo, dean and professor of theology at Turin-Crocetta, on the dynamics of grace in the lives of the saints, and Dr Maria Ludovica Zanet, collaborator of the Postulator, on the requirements of "demonstrable holiness". They highlighted the issues of the theology of holiness and the methods and best practices of the causes of canonization.
On the Saturday two officials of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Mons. Robert Sarno and Mons. Michele Prattichizzo, spoke about the scientific and theological elements necessary to verify an alleged miracle, and the administrative aspects related to the causes of Saints, in accordance with criteria of transparency and solidarity.
In group work, the participants saw how the testimonies of the saints touched the lives of people and gave rise to spiritual conversions, pastoral initiatives and works of charity.
In his talk on Sunday 10 April the Rector Major offered a re-reading of the Strenna for 2016 in light of the witness of so many brothers and sisters who have travelled this adventure of the Spirit. "In them we contemplate and recognize the Spirit that works wonders: each of them is a Word of God lived, the visible manifestation of an attitude, a feeling or a moment in the life of Jesus. It is a strong call to study deeply the spiritual lives of these brothers and sisters. It is not enough to know their life and works, we have to go deeper, to discover their spiritual wealth, the specific ways in which they ere conformed to Jesus Christ and lived their membership of the Church and of the Salesian Family. "
A distinctive feature of the seminar was the presence of many lay people, committed to promoting the knowledge of holiness in the Salesian Family. All the participants testified also that they had had a true experience of fraternal communion and spiritual friendship. They promised to bring back the content and the spirit of the seminar to their own communities.
The content and photographs of the seminar can be found in the special section of sdb.org
