(ANS - Warsaw) – On Saturday 20 June at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the Prague district of Warsaw, there were the celebrations for the bicentenary of the birth of Saint John Bosco. Among those present, as well as numerous members of the Salesian Family from all four Polish Provinces, there were many illustrious guests including Metropolitan Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki of Poznan, President of the Polish Bishops' Conference.

Fr Andrea Wujek, Provincial of Warsaw, expressed his joy as host at the presence of all the Salesian Provincials and the Provincials of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of Poland as well as the Superior Generals of both Congregations of Michaelites who belong to the Salesian Family.

Later Fr Marek Chmielewski, Provincial of Piła, gave a conference on the development of the work of Don Bosco.  This was followed by presentations from members of different branches of the Salesian Family: the Salesian Cooperators presented the profile of Mamma Margaret; the Volunteers of Don Bosco that of Blessed Philip Rinaldi; Sr. Laura Meozzi spoke about the FMA, and the Salesians spoke about Blessed Joseph Kowalski, martyr. There were references also to the “Poznań Five", the young men from the oratory who were martyred. The session ended with a presentation by ADMA and a reflection on the points of contact between Don Bosco and Blessed Bronisław Markiewicz.

The centrepiece of the celebration was the Eucharist, presided over by Archbishop Gądecki flanked by many Salesian priests from all over Poland. In his homily, the Archbishop recalled the various stages of the development of the Salesian work in Italy and Poland, stressing that "it all began with a simple catechism lesson..." He said, "Don Bosco gave particular attention to young people, focusing on real people: through his fatherly love he let them see the signs of God's love ", and he remarked finally:" The oratory is also a gift for our times."

The afternoon session was called "Made By Heart - Education is a matter of the heart". Those present were able to see a number of initiatives designed to reach out to the youth, such as the "BoscoTeam" cycling group, or the idea a marathon of 200 km to celebrate the Bicentenary Year ... and a number of proposals that show how the Salesians are trying to adapt to the expectations of today's youth.

The youth session was divided into two areas: the spiritual and recreational. In the first they celebrated the Eucharist and an "Evening of Glory"; in the second, at the "Fabryka Trzciny", they were entertained with comedy shows, musical performances and other attractions.

The success of the day was ensured by the atmosphere of fraternity and family: "His spirit (of Don Bosco) is still alive among us," said Fr Henry Bąkowski repeatedly as he wandered around between the various groups.

Published 24/06/2015