Rome (Italy). It is a family celebration while still in the Octave of Christmas and towards the new year, this traditional presentation of the 2026 Strenna, presented to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians as the first-fruit, and to the entire Salesian Family from the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard‘s first Strenna.
In the Hall were present the Mother General of the FMA Institute, Sister Chiara Cazzuola, and her Council; the Provincial of St. John Bosco Province (IRO); the Superior of Mary Mother of the Church Preprovince (RMC); the Novices of the International Novitiate Mary Help of Christians of Castel Gandolfo (Rome); numerous FMAs; and various Salesians of Don Bosco – including the Vicar General, Fr. Stefano Martoglio; the Councilor for Communication, Fr. Fidel Maria Orendain; the Central Delegate of the SF, Fr. Joan Lluis Playà; the Superior of “Mary See of Wisdom” Preprovince, Fr. José Anibal Milhais Mendonça Pinto – as well as Antonio Boccia, World Coordinator, and various Salesian Cooperators; Mother Graziella Maria Benghini, Mother General of the Salesian Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; FMA Past Pupils, Don Bosco Volunteers, Witnesses of the Risen One, representatives of ADMA, and others.
“Do whatever he tells you –Believers, free to serve.” The theme of the Strenna was introduced by a brief moment of prayer introduced by Sister Leslie Sándigo, General Councilor for the Salesian Family, prepared by the Sector and animated with a refrain sung by the Novices. Some amphorae were brought to the stage, lastly “the amphora of co-responsibility in the shared educational mission,” by the Rector Major, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, and Antonio Boccia.
This was followed by a screening of the video summary of the Strenna, created by IME Communications and produced by the SDB Social Communication Sector. “Locked in our bubbles, life flows past us, without seeing, without noticing, without listening,” is the opening that, through special effects, conveys the idea of today’s immersion in digital environments.
“Are we sure that’s how it really is? Are we sure we are not incapable of seeing their gaze on the world? Are we bringing them the new wine from the wedding at Cana, the only one capable of restoring joy and hope amidst so many difficulties, doubts, and uncertainties? Young people are looking for a credible answer, authoritative witnesses. They are looking for believers. This is our challenge, the challenge of the entire Salesian Family, this year most strongly on the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Salesian Cooperators.” These are the words of the Rector Major, who invites us to grasp Don Bosco’s request for a journey rooted in Christ.
Sister Ausilia De Siena, General Councilor for Communication, then introduced the central moment, with an interview with Fr. Fabio Attard, to further explore the content of the Strenna, hosted by Marta Rossi, mother and Salesian Cooperator, and a young woman, Alice Ferrigno, a psychology student at the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences “Auxilium”.
In a very familiar dialogue, Fr. Fabio gave a reading of the theme based on his extensive pastoral experience worldwide, in which he showed a profound knowledge of the youth world and the spiritual needs of today. “It is not that young people today are not interested in Jesus. The main question is, ‘where is the meaning? Where can I find hope?’ Then the presence of credible believers, with humanly significant proposals, touches the heart of this search.”
And he went on to explain: “Young people today are looking for something that is not just horizontal, but transcendental, spiritual. They do not identify with the institutional, but there is a heart that seeks. And in the name of freedom, we have left these children without water, without bread, without maps… But as long as they are young, they need to be accompanied. They are young without references, but the heart keeps searching, because nothing satisfies the heart except the One who created it. St. Augustine teaches us this and we are surrounded by young people like Augustine.”
The Rector Major highlighted how, although the times and methods of education have changed, as educators it is important to be credible witnesses rooted in Christ and supported by Mary to discern the challenges we face by asking ourselves what Don Bosco would do and listening to what the Lord asks. “Education, educational processes take place in increasingly new lands, but the heart that educates and the heart that waits to be educated, accompanied, listened to, the dynamics of the soul are the same. It is up to us then to recover the depth to connect with the depth of the search.”
In the question dedicated to 150th of the Salesian Cooperators, he then indicated how “new wine” to revitalize the Association to go to the original vision of 1875-77, years in which Don Bosco is a “volcano” of ideas and initiatives and where everyone was involved in a new pastoral and educational experience. “What he saw was a large movement of people who could be engaged in the same mission, each according to their own possibilities.” Fr. Attard expressed his great hope in this regard, observing in the young protagonists of the Salesian Youth Movement the maturation of the choice to be Cooperators. “The theme of protagonism begins with the educational and pastoral proposals that we make, then ‘good Christians and honest citizens’ become a proposal of great opportunities and great credibility.”
A further space was then left for questions by the audience, at the end of which Mother Chiara Cazzuola took the word, thanking them for the very rich conversation and for their passion. “I don’t know if you realized that when Fr. Fabio talks about Don Bosco, he lights up. It’s an energy that he communicates to us!” She also thanked for the choice of the Gospel passage that can be read on the Solemnity of Mary Help of Christians, very dear to the FMA for having accompanied General Chapter 24.
“It is an itinerary of personal and community conversion – as Salesian Family – and this also commits us to strengthen together our being these ‘many’, as Don Bosco said, who work together sharing the same identity and the same mission.” Mother wanted to make one final point, “Don’t immediately think about the ‘what’ to do, but about what the Lord is asking us at this moment, because this question also makes us grow in our capacity for interiority, asking us to put the relationship with Jesus back at the center, this is what animates us, the Good Shepherd who gives life.”
An icon of the Good Shepherd was the gift offered by Mother to the Rector Major, before concluding in communion with the singing of the Magnificat and then continuing the evening with a moment of conviviality enlivened by family encounters and photos together with the Rector Major and Mother.
Photos: Flickr FMA
This looks like a thoughtful presentation of the Strenna theme for 2026. I like how it encourages people to listen and respond with freedom and service, not just follow rules.