Novices at the roots of the Salesian Charism

Castel Gandolfo (Rome). From 16 to 24 September, Mary Help of Christians Community of the Novitiate of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of Castel Gandolfo, Rome, experienced a pilgrimage to the significant places of the Salesian Charism, between Liguria and Piedmont. The Novices relate:

“It was a journey to (re)discover the roots of the charism, the intertwining of the stories of our Founders, and the first Salesians of Don Bosco and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. Having reached the city of Genoa by train, we experienced a simple introductory moment at Porto Antico, where we recalled the first missionary departure of the Salesians and that of the FMA.

For us, who have recently staged the theater show “Nate per il volo” (Born to Fly) on the first FMA expedition, it was very exciting and significant to be able to concretely see the place from which so many missionaries left. We were then welcomed into the Salesian Community of Genoa Sampierdarena, where the Director, Fr. Sergio Pellini, accompanied us on a visit to the Museum of Salesian Missionary Expeditions, which will soon be inaugurated.

In the evening, we reached Mornese, where the Saint Mary Domenica Mazzarello Community, of Mary Help of Christians (IPI) Province, hosted us at the School until the morning of September 20^th. The times of silence, the formation encounters, and the possibility of stopping in the places of the origins of our Charism allowed us to delve deeper into the Letters of Mother Mazzarello, capturing all their depth and intensity. On one of the days, we delved into the missionary dimension of our Institute, through testimony and meeting with the Animator, Sister Blanca Sanchez, and a workshop on Sister Maria Troncatti.

Our journey could not fail to continue towards Nizza Monferrato (AT), where Sister Piera Cavaglià, Animator of Our Lady of Grace Community, and Sister Paola Cuccioli, responsible for the Historical Archives, broadened our gaze. It is the house where Mother Mazzarello spent the last two years of her life and where she wrote most of her letters. There she faced many challenges and suffering, but her heart was turned in particular to the missionaries, to whom she addressed more than half of the letters found to date.

After leaving Nizza, we headed to Colle Don Bosco (AT). In the four days we spent there, we had the opportunity to meet many people: from the Salesians of the Colle community, who waited for us and welcomed us warmly; to the children of the IPI Province, who in those days together with the FMA and SDB, were living their Camp and with whom we shared the prayer vigil; from the Novices who were our traveling companions for two days, to the many young people from schools in Piedmont who in those days, were experiencing their retreat at the beginning of the year.

The days shared with the SDB Novices in the footsteps of Saint Dominic Savio were very rich. With them we  lived a simple and authentic experience of fraternity, in mutual knowledge and sharing of everything that in this moment of formation we carry in our hearts (joys, expectations, fears, …). Furthermore, approaching the figure of Dominic Savio through the guidance of the Master of Novices, Fr. Enrico Ponte, reawakened in us the desire for holiness, for a totality and radicality on the path we are taking, to delve deeper and deeper into the mystery of the Eucharist which was Dominic’s true secret.

The last two days, accompanied by Fr. Enrico Lupano, were an opportunity to delve deeper into some aspects of consecrated life, starting from the experience that Don Bosco had in the first years in Turin at the Convitto Ecclesiastico, under the guidance of Fr. Cafasso.

Fr. Enrico then helped us to make a synthesis, starting to reap the fruits and recognize the many gifts that these days have brought with them.”