Accompanying him were his Vicar, Fr. Stefano Martoglio, his personal secretary, Fr. Vijaya Bhaskar Thattireddy, and 12 Salesian Provincials from various provinces around the world who had gathered for their mid-term meeting. Visits to Don Bosco's birthplace in Turin-Valdocco and Mornese had become a tradition during these meetings, but the stop in Nizza was unique.
In this jubilee year, just a few months after the Sanctuary was designated a “Place of the Heart” by the National Trust of Italy (Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano – FAI), this visit adds on a special charismatic significance.
The welcome from the sisters was warm, simple and spontaneous, and for his part, the highest authority of the Salesian Congregation made everyone feel at ease with his serene and welcoming presence – that of Don Bosco today!
The group of distinguished visitors paused in the Shrine for a brief moment of prayer, and then Sr Paola Cuccioli, in charge of the Historical Archives, offered them a guided tour of the main areas of the Mother House.
It was an immersion in the history of the origins and innovation of the community, beginning with Don Bosco's visits to the town of Nizza Monferrato long before the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians were there!
‘We can say that Don Bosco was at home in Nizza, thanks to his friendship with Countess Gabriella Corsi, his benefactor, whom he called “dearest mother” in his letters to her, which often had the meaning of an SOS sent in moments of serious need for resources for his mischievous boys,’ explained Sr Cuccioli.
The Rector Major's visit brought to mind Don Bosco's last visit – 140 years ago – to the Mother House: 23 August 1885. A date that is unforgettable for the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and for many visitors to the place. Recalling those words: ‘Mary Help of Christians walks in this house and covers it with her mantle’ was a great message of hope also for the Rector Major and the Salesian Provincials.
They also had the opportunity to visit the aeroponic greenhouse and the new CIOFS/FP Laboratories inaugurated in mid-September and dedicated to the first young missionaries who left Mornese in 1877, led by Sr Angela Vallese of Lu Monferrato. Sr Giuseppina Rescia showed them the new educational brewery, a space for practical training in the field of beer production, and the sensory laboratories, environments dedicated to tasting and analysing the characteristics of products, linked to the oenological and cosmetic excellence of the territory.
The new courses that will take place there aim to link training with the excellence of the territory, such as craft beer, natural cosmetics and oenology, through the involvement of local companies, in dialogue with students and teachers.
A convivial and fraternal moment with a snack could not be missed, and after this, the Rector Major thanked the community for the opportunity to visit the home of Mother Mazzarello, a frail woman, but wise and strong. Fr Attard also promised that this first visit would not be the last!
Fr Attard's brief visit to the nearby ‘S. Maria D. Mazzarello’ retirement home to meet the elderly and sick FMA who welcomed him in the chapel with the song: ‘Don Bosco returns, among the young people again!’ will also remain unforgettable for everyone.
The message left by the Rector Major touched everyone's hearts: he shared that he experiences the power of prayer every day, without which it would be impossible for him to live his mission of animation and government of the Salesian Family effectively. In fact, there are 15 cloistered monasteries that support him every day with their prayers, and this is his strength.
Not only did he thank the religious for their intercession with God, but he also urged them to live the Salesian mission every day with joy and apostolic zeal, without regret for no longer being able to work among young people... In every season of life, one can be fruitful in good, according to one's love and availability to God's plan.
Finally, in the pages of the Quaderno dei visitatori illustri (Register Book of Distinguished Visitors), the Rector Major left a final meaningful message: ‘The witness of Mother Mazzarello as a strong woman, despite her physical frailty, communicates courage to us and is a beautiful lesson for all of us to imitate “the Mother” in her evangelical radicalism with a maternal heart that never ceases to love.’
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