There were a total of 17 participants, considering also the presence of Fr. Godoy's Secretary, the appointed Provincial of Portugal (POR), Fr. Tarcízio Morais, and the future Delegate of Youth Ministry of the same POR Province, as well as the Provincial Economer of the Special Circumscription of Central Italy (ICC).
The event of the Spiritual Exercises in the Holy Land originated as an initiative of the Regional Councilor, an event customarily held once every six years. All the participants were grateful to participate, both for the opportunity to prepare for the Easter Triduum in the land of Jesus, and for the presence of a guide who knows the Bible thoroughly and has been to the Holy Land on numerous occasions, as well as for the opportunity for Salesian fraternity and sharing offered.
The Spiritual Exercises included a biblical meditation for each day and many moments to learn about the different places where Jesus passed. There were also moments of prayer and celebrations in very significant places, such as the Basilica of the Annunciation, the Mount of Olives, the Calvary, or the Holy Sepulcher.
The first days, March 28-30, the participants stayed at the "Casa Nova" in Nazareth and visited the Galilee area. On March 31, they arrived in Jerusalem after making a pilgrimage through Jericho, the Jordan River and the Judean Desert, and Bethlehem. They remained in Jerusalem until April 4, the final day of the experience. Especially interesting was the participation, on Palm Sunday, in the procession that took place in the city: a manifestation of faith and joy of the Christian community of this city.
In addition to the meditations and biblical reflections offered by Fr. Rossetti, the participants greatly enjoyed his archaeological and historical explanations to better understand how Christians have preserved the memory of the places through which Jesus and the first Christian communities passed.
The participating Salesians had the opportunity to visit two Salesian houses in the Holy Land - Nazareth and Cremisan - and to share prayer with their brothers and sisters as they celebrated Islamic Ramadan and Jewish Shabbat in these lands.
"It was a great experience of fraternity and a unique opportunity to go to the origins of our faith and be filled with love for the Lord to pass it on to others," commented one of those present.
