Rome (Italy).On 30 May 2025, in live streaming on the YouTube channel of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the 2nd edition of the Marian Festival took place “The world sings to Mary“, organized by the Communication Sector of the Institute, with the proclamation of the winning songs, followed by a moment of Marian prayer.
To open the Festival, the Superior General, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, who thanked all participants for their creativity, for giving expression with poetry and music to the love of Mary:
“Mary, Mother, guide and Teacher accompanies life and our history even in this somewhat tormented moment. The fact that her presence has awakened so much creativity, means that we really feel she is our own; that we feel her present; that we are willing to give her a place or, as one Rector Major said some years ago, to bring her into our homes. As long as we bring Mary home, we can be sure, serene, calm, that our life is guided towards the good, and with us all the laity, the young people, the children, the many people who are linked to our life and mission.”
This was followed by the greeting of the General Councilor for Communication, Sister Ausilia De Siena, who started the exhibit with the full listening of the 10 winning songs: nine selected by the jury, one by right of ranking, because the promo video received the highest number of likes on the Facebook profile of its Province. Being one of the winners of the “Like Award” already among the first nine awarded, the Prize went to the 2nd place for likes.
This is the ranking of the songs, with the Province of origin and the authors:
1st WIFI Mother Mary – India INS – Sister Stella Mary Pasi
2nd Madre dell’umanità – Italy IPI – Sister Monica Roncari, Sister Isabella Maiolo, Sister Alice Morello
3rd + Prize likes: Auxiliadora mi Mamá – Mexico MMO – Emma Isela Medel Rodriguez
4th Mary our pilgrim of hope – Philippine FIL – Sister Tess Mendoza
5th Chcemy być tacy jak ty nasza Maryjo – Polonia PLA – Monika Kozłowska, Regina Matyjas, Mieczystaw Stępień
6th Madresperanza – Poland PLA – Sister Aleksandra Sys
7th O Sweetest Mother – India INT – Sister Nirmala Rani Antony, Gnana Jennifer Samson, Besty Miracline J.
8th María Pétalos de Rosa – Honduras CAM – Ariana Daniela Bonilla Cárdenas, Valerie Giselle Pacheco Orellana, Fabiola Alessandra Celis Amaya, María José Cardona Cáceres
9th Maria eres mi luz – Chile CIL – Alexis Toro
Prize for likes: Tu Auxilio – Colombia CBC – Mariana Jacinto Puerto
The second part of the Festival was dedicated to a moment of prayer that crossed the five continents, with a taste of the other songs participating in the Competition, expressing the intentions of prayer for the different realities and situations, as explained by Sister Ausilia:
“The songs of the Contest are all very beautiful and many can be used even in liturgical moments. That’s why we want to give you a taste of all of them, in the moment of the final prayer.”
The beautiful moment of Marian prayer, which gathered around the screen several FMA and Educating Communities, in different latitudes and longitudes of the Salesian world, ended with the words of Venerable Fr. Tonino Bello, Italian Bishop who with his poetic art, in the work “Mary, the woman of our days”, knew how to help us grasp Mary’s presence in ordinary life:
“Holy Mary, woman of our days, come and dwell among us. You have foretold that all generations would call you blessed. Well, among these generations there is also ours, which wants to sing to you its praise not only for the great things that the Lord has done in you in the past, but also for the wonders that He continues to work in you in the present.”
All the videos of the songs in the competition are available in the Playlist “The world sings to Mary 2” on the YouTube channel CGFMA.
