Turin (Italy). On 24 April 2022, about 500 young people between 15 and 19 years of age, coming from the realities of Mary Help of Christians Province (IPI) of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and of Mary Help of Christians Circumscription (ICP) of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Piedmont and Valle d ‘ Aosta will fill the courtyards of Valdocco, in Turin, to experience SYM Day together, a day of games, reflection, prayer, and joy.
Special guest of SYM Day will be the Mother General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Sr. Chiara Cazzuola, in Turin for the Feast of World Gratitude in the year of the 150th anniversary of the Institute’s foundation (1872-2022).
The two annual SYM Days are fixed appointments for many young people who wish to experience a time of encounter and sharing with their peers belonging to different Centers and Oratories, with whom they have been able to forge over time, bonds of true and deep friendship. In these days, anyone passing through Valdocco can perceive a different atmosphere, one of joy and of family, in which important issues are addressed for the journey of each person, often thanks to the precious presence of authoritative witnesses.
Strong themes are therefore dealt with, ranging from holiness to peace, to the courage to stand up for the truth, to the strength to make bold choices for the poorest. For the young people, it is an opportunity to learn more about the world in which they live and grow up together, as Don Bosco wanted.
On the first SYM day, which took place on 14 November 2021, the participants studied the figure of the Servant of God Giulia Gabrieli, an Italian teenager who was able to transform illness into a hymn to life. Through the account of her parents, they reflected on the fact that each one can feel loved by God, by a Father who calls us to Himself, to whom we can hold onto with a “hook in the middle of the sky”, quoting an expression dear to Giulia.
“Loved by name” is the title of the appointment on April 24, in the wake of the Pastoral Proposal of the year 2021/22, which will lead to the recognition that God calls everyone by name, that one is not anonymous in front of Him, but we are presented with a face, a story, relationships that make life beautiful and pleasant.
In the morning in the Valdocco Theater, the young people will experience a time of encounter with Mother Chiara, an opportunity to recognize themselves called to a great and beautiful mission, in continuity with Don Bosco’s dream. And precisely from Valdocco, in the heart of the dream that continues, young people, families, Salesians of Don Bosco, and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, will share the joy of the family spirit. Gratitude is rooted here… because the fullest and truest Thanks is the one that is raised together.
The meeting of the young people with Mother Chiara Cazzuola, at 10:30 am, and the Holy Mass, at 12:30 pm, will be broadcast in live streaming on the YouTube Channel of the Feast of Gratitude.
