Turin (Italy). On 31 January 2022, the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, addressed the Message to young people on the Feast of Don Bosco, on the fourth centenary of the death of St. Francis de Sales.
The 10th successor of Don Bosco writes from Turin, where he is to celebrate Don Bosco, “Father and teacher of youth”. Recalling the words spoken by Pope Francis at the Angelus of January 30, in which he says that Don Bosco “did not shut himself up in the sacristy, he did not shut himself up in his affairs. He went out on the street to look for young people, with that creativity that was his characteristic of him”, he observes:
“How much the Holy Father loves the Salesian Family, Don Bosco’s family! And how much responsibility this entails, because we must always give the best of ourselves at the service of the Gospel in the name of the Lord Jesus. And you, dear young people, are the protagonists of this story, as were the boys of Valdocco with Don Bosco”.
He also refers to the IV centenary of Saint Francis de Sales, recalling what Don Bosco wrote in 1854 regarding the Oratory of Valdocco: “This Oratory is placed under the protection of Saint Francis de Sales to indicate that the foundation on which this Congregation rests must to be charity and sweetness, which are the characteristic virtues of this saint”.
Fr. Ángel therefore invites young people to live with great ideals, with great goals that lead them on the path of happiness and towards God, to be courageous witnesses of their faith, not to be afraid to open the doors of their hearts to the Lord, who leads them to the “Path of authentic happiness”.
He makes an appeal to them:
“My dear young people, I dare to tell you on this feast of Don Bosco that today, as always or more than ever, the Lord needs you and calls you to be missionary disciples in the Kingdom. Don Bosco needs you, as he needed his boys from Valdocco, to do good to many others. (…) Our world needs young people who feel they have a mission dreamed of by God and who fall in love with it. Young people who feel that God has a dream and a beautiful plan for each of them. Young people with hope and strength. Young people, as Pope Francis says, who do not allow themselves to be robbed of hope (Christus Vivit, 15)”.
Finally, he encourages young people to continue to take care of moments of prayer, initiatives in favor of the most disadvantaged, and to make known and share everything they are doing.
“My dear young people, happy feast of Don Bosco and happy ‘Salesian’ new year under the inspiration of Saint Francis de Sales”, is the final wish.
Complete Text: Agenzia InfoANS
