(ANS - Rome)- With a solemn mass, celebrated yesterday 8 December, along with many Salesians and many members of the Salesian Family, Fr Pascual Chávez, ninth Successor of Don Bosco, marked the fortieth anniversary of his priestly ordination. The whole day was a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God for the gifts he has given to the Rector Major.

Among the many present yesterday for the festivities at the Generalate were Mother Yvonne Reungoat, Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians with several sisters of her Council; the Rector of the Salesian Pontifical University, Fr Carlo Nanni; the Rectors of the Salesian community in the Vatican, and those at San Tarcisio and Gerini, as well as Salesian Cardinal Raffaele Farina and Bishop Mario Toso, SDB .

In his homily the Rector Major took his cue from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians to reiterate his praise to God the"Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all sorts of blessings in heavenly places in Christ." He continued the call of St. Paul reaffirming that even before the creation of the world we were all called to be saints, and so enjoy the love of God.

Since yesterday was also the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception the Rector Major reflected on the call in relation to Mary: "all of us are indebted to Mary ... all our better initiatives had their beginning and completion on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception" he said, quoting Don Bosco.

Don Chavez finally made ​​reference to his vocation story and the motto he chose for his ordination: "As if seeing the invisible" (Hebrews 11:27), referring to Moses, who led the Jewish people with God always before him and guiding him.  This phrase “As if seeing the invisible" was chosen by the cleric Pascual Chávez as a synthesis of what he had experienced before ordination and as a programme of action for the future. Now it is also applied to Don Bosco in the text of the Salesian Constitutions revised in 1984.

At the end of the celebration a message was read from Pope Francis, who sent his good wishes and gave his blessing to the Rector Major on the occasion of his anniversary. Mother Reungoat thanked Fr Chávez for the brotherly closeness always shown to the FMA.

The festivities concluded with a Community agape.

Published 09/12/2013