The Rector Major's arrival is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, March 9: after being welcomed at the airport, the 10th Successor of Don Bosco will be escorted to the Salesian House, where he will participate in a moment of fraternal agape with the community and some members of the local Salesian Family.
The day of Friday, March 10, will open with a meeting with the Director of the community, Fr. Jacky Doyen, also in the presence of Fr. Reinhard Gesing, Superior of the Province of Germany (GER), to which the work in Istanbul belongs. Then the Rector Major will have talks with Şişli (Istanbul) Municipality Mayor Muammer Keskin, followed by a visit to the Salesian school "EVRIM," which has an excellent reputation and is known for its educational offerings with low tuition fees. The ultra-centennial institute, having been founded in 1909, is an important reference point in Istanbul for the dissemination of Italian culture and language, as well as for the creation of an intercultural environment, an issue that is relevant today given Turkey's cultural mosaic.
In the afternoon, the Rector Major will travel to the municipality of Harbiye (Istanbul), where Salesians have been taking care of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit since 1989, and visit the Salesian school "Don Bosco Learning Center." The Salesian presence in Harbiye consists of a youth center, a first reception facility for refugees and a school learning center for Iraqi, African and Syrian children and youth - almost exclusively of Christians because Christian refugees are even more dependent on the Church's help.
Between the afternoon of Friday 10 and the morning of Saturday 11 - based on the availability of the distinguished interlocutor - one of the most important moments of the visit is also scheduled: the Rector Major's visit to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew.
The Rector Major will then continue with a moment of prayer at the Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.
On Saturday morning, in any case, the celebration of the Eucharist for the 120th anniversary of the Salesian presence in Istanbul will also take place in the city's cathedral, presided over by the Rector Major, in the presence of the Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul, Bishop Maximilian Palinuro, with the religious and laity of the Apostolic Vicariate of Istanbul. Following this, Fr. Á.F. Artime will also be led to learn about the area of Bomonti (Istanbul), where the "EVRIM" school and the Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes are located: a multicultural area served by the Salesians that includes Christians (of Armenian Catholic, Syriac, Armenian Apostolic, Latin, Greek Catholic and Chaldean rite), Jews and Muslims.
The day will be rounded off with a meeting with young people.
On the last day of his visit to Istanbul, Sunday, March 12, the Rector Major will attend two Masses with the faithful and then spend time with the Salesian community before catching the plane back to Italy.
https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/17442-rmg-rector-major-visiting-istanbul#sigProId0c27dde793
