El Santuario (Colombia). On 7 December 2024, at the parish of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá in El Santuario, 9 aspirants of the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA), after a journey of formation and preparation in the Colegio María Auxiliadora in El Santuario, Antioquia, of Mary Help of Christians Province (CMA), made a promise to witness in the Church and in their families to the love of Our Lady and their commitment to make her known and loved.
The celebration was presided by the parish priest, Father Fabio López, who every 24th of the month welcomes members and faithful to honor Mary with the prayer of the rosary and participation in the Eucharist, moments prepared with commitment and devotion by the ADMA group.
After having built the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin in 1868, Don Bosco wanted to establish the Association of Mary Help of Christians a year later to spread throughout the world the devotion to the Virgin invoked by this title and to adore Jesus in the Eucharist.
ADMA is one of 32 groups founded by Don Bosco. At the same time, it is a task and a responsibility on a personal, family, and community level, because its members know that true devotion to Mary Help of Christians and to Jesus in the Eucharist, as Don Bosco dreamed, does not end in outward practices, but in a true and proper awareness and internalization of the Christian and Salesian values. These lead to be a reflection and living presence of Mary, Mother, Teacher, and Guide. Thus, growing through study, meditation, and imitation of these two pillars that sustain the spiritual life, they faithfully carry out the missionary mandate, “Go then and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19).
The testimony of one youth of the ADMA group:
“I am David. I am 11 years old and my experience as a member of the ADMA group is very good because I have learned a lot together with my peers and the adults. The teaching was mainly at a biblical and Marian level, following the indications of ADMA. At the group level, we meet with joy every fortnight in school to pray the rosary, to share significant experiences, and to engage in our parish.
We are not just a group, but a family and for me it is one of the best I have ever attended. From the moment I joined the group, I knew it was a place of joy.
We shared the journey with several Salesian Sisters, such as Sister Irene Gómez, who started the group in our village. Sister Flor Elba Meneses, the current delegate, is a very good person with great connections. Today and always, I will thank ADMA for having transmittedto me the devotion to Mary Help of Christians and to Jesus in the Eucharist.”
