Fr Joan Lluis, when, where and above all how will the 39th Days of Spirituality of the Salesian Family (GSFS) take place?
The Days will take place on the weekend of 15-16-17 January 2021 and, if the conditions at that moment allow it, the final Mass and some of the live shows will take place in Turin-Valdocco. In any case, the way to experience them shall be the one we've become accustomed to in these times: at a distance, albeit in communion.
For the days of 15 and 16, we have foreseen two times: a moment in common for all, which can be followed in live streaming all over the world - and which for time zone reasons will take place between 13:00 and 15:30 Italian (UTC + 1); and a moment that will instead be regional, or zonal, in which the various Coordination Centers that are being set up, thanks to the material provided to them by the Secretariat of the Salesian Family and to the individual initiatives they deem appropriate for their realities, will be able to complete the daily offer.
Finally, on Sunday there will be the Mass of the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, and a final moment live for everyone. And then, if they wish, the regional Coordination Centers will certainly be able to offer other stimuli.
Is it possible to outline a program, at least for common moments?
On the first day, we will certainly have the Days presentation, the Strenna presentation by the Rector Major, and a commentary on the theme by Msgr. Derio Olivero, bishop of Pinerolo. In the second we will focus above all on sharing the "testimonies of hope" lived in the Salesian Family: we will listen to how members of different groups and countries have brought hope in times of pandemic, they will talk to us, through videos, these willing young people from all over the world, and we will commemorate credible witnesses of hope in difficult times.
Because we must not forget, above all, the meaning of the GSFS in general, and of these in particular.
Which is?
The GSFS serve to deepen the message that the Rector Major entrusts to the Salesian Family with the Strenna. This year the theme is "Moved by hope: 'See, I am making all things new'" (Rev 21,5), and the Days aim in particular to become aware of this great value of hope in the Salesian charism ...
And this organization, which is a novelty of this year, originally motivated by the pandemic, I believe will instead serve to involve many more people than in previous years, and make everyone feel the active and widespread reality of the Salesian Family in the world. In short, we respond to the globalization of the pandemic with the globalization of hope and of the Salesian spirit. And we do it because we are rooted in our faith, which tells us, as the Strenna recalls, that the Lord "makes all things new".
Finally, how does one participate, in practical terms?
For the joint program, there is no need for registration. Just log into the ANS Facebook page at the times indicated. To participate in the regional program, interested parties must register on the appropriate platforms, the addresses of which will soon be provided by the same regional Coordination Centers.
