Italy – Rector Major on Artemide Zatti: "A convinced Salesian, fascinated, in love with God, with Jesus, and who sought and found in service to others, to the poorest, the way to be happy"

30 September 2022

(ANS - Turin) - "The first non-martyr Salesian saint, but also a Salesian coadjutor, an Italian migrant to Argentina, particularly in Patagonia, where he carried out his mission. A mission that we can define as Salesian, coadjutor, educator, starting from the world of health. All this means a very rich diversity. It is a great gift, as my predecessor, don Juan Edmundo Vecchi, said at the time of the beatification." In an articulate video interview, sponsored by the Social Communication Department and produced by Fr. Maciej Makula in collaboration with "IME Communication," Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians, speaks about Artemide Zatti, who will be proclaimed a saint on Sunday, Oct. 9.

Examining the figure of the young migrant Zatti, the Rector Major observes his "great simplicity of Christian life, in the bosom of a migrant family that works, that we feel very united," which "fortunately, by grace, finds a Salesian parish."

On the testimony offered today by Zatti, Fr. Á.F. Artime highlights the figure of "a convinced Salesian, fascinated, in love with God, with Jesus, and who seeks and finds in service to others, to the poorest, the way to be happy"; and also "a Salesian with a profound sense of community and service to the community as well."

Answering a question about the current relevance of Zatti and his life experience in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rector Major outlines other characteristics of the future saint: "Service, and work as a service to all (...) and I emphasize a third element, which we will have to deepen in these years: Artemide Zatti always a Salesian educator, a coadjutor, but an educator, not in the school, but an educator, I will say, in the school of life, especially in the area of health." All this, while always remaining authentically "a man of faith, who prayed, who was very faithful to community moments."

Thus, the 10th Successor of Don Bosco summarizes in one sentence the message of life that Artemide Zatti leaves to the Salesian Family and to the whole Church: "It is possible to do good, to educate and evangelize in all situations of people's lives."

He concludes, finally, "Holiness is not just a day where it is declared. I am convinced that the holiness of St. Artemis Zatti will be for our Salesian family, especially for our Congregation and, more concretely, for the figure of the Salesian coadjutor, not only a great intercession, but a permanent call and appeal to respond to this beautiful vocation that brings, as I said, a deep sense of consecration, of love for being Salesian."

The full video of the interview is available on ANS Channel in Italian and, with subtitles, in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Polish.

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ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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