Turin (Italy). From 30 March to 2 April 2023 in Turin, Valdocco, more than one hundred Past Pupils of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from all over Europe, with the FMA Delegates, gathered to participate in the European Conference of the World Confederation of Mornese Past Pupils of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians on the theme “We are a Family that listens and interacts on the Net”.
Sr. Graziella Curti, FMA Delegate FMA of the ‘Holy Family’ Federation, talks about the experience: Meeting each other again after a few years of distance made our joy explode and the discovery that we are still fascinated and are mindful of whole world of values learned and lived in the Salesian world. The greeting sent by Mother Chiara Cazzuola, Superior General of the FMA Institute, indicated to us, through the words of Don Bosco, the gift of this meeting, “Being in many together increases joy, it serves as an encouragement to bear the hard work … one communicates one’s knowledge, one’s ideas to the other and thus one learns from the other. The fact that there are many who do good animates us without realizing it (BM Vol. VII p. 602)”.
We were welcomed by Sr. Leslie Sándigo, General Councilor for the Salesian Family, Sr. Gabriela Patiño, World Delegate, Maria Carmen Castillon, President of the World Confederation of FMA Past Pupils, and other Confederal Councilors. We immediately began to weave the web and to enjoy those typical fruits that distinguish the Family when it finds itself and recognizes itself in its timeliness.
A surprise was the visit of Dr. Gianna Pentenero, Councilor for the Family, Social Policies, and Employment of the Piedmont Region, who expressed her solidarity with us and with the Salesian spirit, especially as regards our action in the educational field. How appropriate we consider this start of our Conference, which reminds us of Don Bosco’s style always open to collaboration with the civil and political world.
The afternoon continued with the presentation of the objectives of the Conference with which we wanted to recover, in this time of relational difficulty, the profound atmosphere of Family taught to us by our Founders.
On 31 March, on the 1st day of the Conference, we listened to the report in two voices on: “The beauty of being a family and the call to take care”, presented by Sr. Linda Pocher, FMA, Professor at the Pontifical Faculty “Auxilium” who recounted, almost paraphrasing Pope Francis, the profound meaning of the language of care. A new language because it has only recently been spoken of, but it is also as old as the world, because it is linked to the attitude of the mother and to those who pay attention to and love life. The clear and authoritative term for comparison is Jesus, who reveals His care for the little ones and the poor, heals the sick, raises the dead, forgives sinners.
Along the same lines, the intervention of Simona Ameglio, Past Pupil of Piedmont, member of the Confederal Council, who reaffirmed the need to implement in everyday life that attitude of care which makes the other autonomous, a companion on the journey, with the concrete style of our Founders, that is, the good and positive gaze that helps to reach out to those in need and to act accordingly. “One cannot heal oneself alone, but whoever is healed becomes a healer as well.” Hence the beauty of the community, to live belonging as a testament to those who preceded us in the Association.
The same theme of the interweaving of relationships was proposed by Federica Storace, educator and writer, Past Pupil of Genoa. It is started by a song by Ivano Fossati, about time, a time made up of charismatic values, with strong roots, but destined to move towards the future and to make us move.
Thus, a glimpse has opened on the memory in which Don Bosco and Mary Domenica Mazzarello stand out, teachers of the family, of communication, of fraternity, of listening. Particular attention was given to the potential of being a woman, right down to the question that invites reflection and discernment, “And we, today, who are women, to what extent do we know how to guard the hope that the dough in which we place our hands, our soul, our time will be leavened and become bread?”
An answer to this question immediately came from the story of the experience that the Federation of Sardinia is experiencing. “To tell is to generate” suggests a contemporary biblical scholar and this dynamic came true in listening to the Sardinian Sisters who introduced us to their story, a network that in a short time has awakened many latent energies, giving young people a welcome like in Valdocco.
The word family was truly the mantra of our conference days. At the last few lines of our narration and on the meeting schedule there was an invitation that intrigued. It was a question of listening to an exchange of experiences between two authoritative Past Pupils: the journalist Marina Lomunno from Turin, and the teacher and writer Federica Storace from Genoa. We have heard experiences of caring for the smallest and the poorest, especially prisoners. It’s a bit like the discovery of feminine enterprising, curious and courageous, that two women with a sensitive heart and attentive to others demonstrate every day in the intelligent fulfillment of their professionalism.
Looking at the conclusion of the Conference, we cannot forget the support in coordination by Fr. Michele Molinar, Salesian of Don Bosco, Vicar of the Special Circumscription Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, Mary Help of Christians (ICP); of the Salesian communication team in Turin which he helped us manage the possibility of participating online in the Conference; and the pleasantness of the Salesian Cooperator Italo Canaletti, who animated the assembly, helping all to listen with attention and joy.
During the Conference, there were many ‘joy supplements’ that accompanied us in reflection, and also in happiness: songs, prayer, family evening, bingo, etc. Valdocco has once again proved to be the home where people live in simplicity, where people meet and plan for the good of young people.
In the dream of the six knots
It’s time to make our dream come true. As Don Bosco saw beyond while keeping his feet on the ground, we too are committed to being concrete and giving voice and will to the Charism that we carry in our hearts. Divided into groups, also very heterogeneous, we reached a surprising unity:
To get out of the confines of our local Association and networking with others who also belong to lay groups.
Make the Association visible and make ourselves recognizable in the area through the identification of industrious spaces that also become attractions for younger members.
Traveling the path of the six knots that was given to us by the small but great reality of Sardinia.
And finally, the appeal that comes to us from Mornese, from Mary Mazzarello called by the Help of Christians for the good of the young… “I entrust them to you”.
