(ANS - Madrid) – Last Saturday, June 7th, the Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, presided over the creation of two new Salesian Provinces of Spain: Mary Help of Christians, located in Seville, and St. James the Greater, with its base in Madrid. It was a day marked by a number of meetings in which the Rector Major spoke to nearly 400 Salesians, the young people and groups of the Salesian Family about the invitation to "being able to let the world see our DNA."

The Shrine of Mary Help Christians in Atocha, welcomed the birth of two new Salesian Provinces, replacing the previous six. In that fully packed church, after the reading of the decrees creating the two Provinces and of the appointment of the new provincials, the Salesians and a massive "representation of the whole Salesian Family of Spain" - as told by the Rector Major - had greeted it with applause. After the homily, the new provincials, Fr Cristóbal López and Fr Juan Carlos Pérez, made their profession of faith before signing the document of acceptance.

The Rector Major, referring to the feast of Pentecost, said in his homily: "the Spirit brings about novelty and opening and breaks into our lives to make us leave our apparent security." And he invited all the members of the Salesian Family to "live dedicated to young people, especially the least. We need to be able to live, letting the world see our DNA."  He also invited them to carry on with this new stage "at the feet of Mary Help of Christians and putting Jesus at the center."

A day of meetings

The day was marked by the numerous meetings that Don Fernandez Artime had with various groups of the Salesian Family, in his first official trip to Spain as Rector Major.

Before the Mass, about 400 Salesians had listened to the words of the Rector Major inviting them to "fear not" and to face this new challenge with an eager attitude and openness "in the presence of the Spirit." He then observed that the important thing is to live with "a deep faith, having as the sole criterion to respond to the Salesian mission, making courageous choices asking ourselves where we need to be present today, where we need to put our best efforts" and knowing that the charism of Don Bosco does not belong to the Salesians, but it is shared with the Salesian Family. The Rector Major had also stressed the importance of the life of faith and of brotherhood, and encouraged the confreres to live this time of reorganization of the Salesian Provinces as "a duty before the Lord and to Don Bosco because there are still young people who need us".

In the afternoon, in front of over 450 young people, the Rector Major conveyed to them a clear message: "Do not be afraid to let yourselves be caught up in the plan of God (...) Help us to be like the Salesians that Don Bosco had dreamed of, the kind of Salesians that are needed."  Afterwards, during a session of questions and answers, enhancing the diversity of educational and pastoral environments offered by the Salesians, he said that "our proposals should not only be places of socio-cultural animation. They should be an alternative of commitment, of spiritual depth."

The first day of the two new provinces concluded with a meeting with another 400 members of the various groups of the Salesian Family. Fr Fernández Artime encouraged those present to be aware of the great potential that the Salesian Family can offer to the mission of Don Bosco and the universal Church. In his speech he said that among the greatest insights of Don Bosco was the realization that "the members of his family, being numerous and being very diverse, could have gone much farther." The Rector Major proposed a number of challenges for all groups of the Salesian Family: know, love, and value yourselves; go outside your own walls "to become a living force in society and in the Church," and, finally, to rediscover the value of the laity, because "there is a need for a presence of a much more lively laity in the Salesian works and in the Church."

Published 09/June/2014