Present at the event held in the theatre of the Don Bosco Institute in Porto Alegre, were the present staff and pupils, Salesians, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Sisters of the Resurrection and Salesians-Cooperators.
Fr Orestes Carlinhos Fistarol, Salesian Provincial of Porto Alegre, greeted the Rector Major and the other guests of honour, all the former Provincials of BPA since its foundation: Fr Alfredo Bortolini, Fr Mario Quílici, Bishop José Jovêncio Balestieri, Fr Marcos Sandrini and Fr José Valmor César Teixeira.
Also among those present were Archbishop Dadeus Grings, Metropolitan Archbishop of Porto Alegre, Bishop Frederico Heimler, of Cruz Alta, Bishop Fernando Legal, Fr Natale Vitali, Councillor for the America South Cone Region, Fr Juan Algorta, Provincial of Uruguay, Fr João Carlos Ribeiro, Provincial of Brazil - Recife. Fr Fistarol emphasised the great joy of being able to celebrate the Jubilee of the Province with such important and illustrious guests. The young students of the Salesian Graphic Design Technical Training Centre offered the Rector Major a gift.
Fr Pascual Chávez spoke developing the subject “The Promotion of Human Rights especially of Children and Young People” mentioning examples and episodes he had come across in his travels.
This was followed by a performance by the “Camerata de Ivoti”, Orchestra sponsored by the Pro-Culture and the Arts Association and the Evangelical Institute of Ivoti (RS). The adolescents and young people making up the orchestra played classical and popular pieces greatly appreciated by the audience in the hall.
At the end of the concert the Rector Major was given a complete set of the strips of the two Porto Alegre Football teams: Internacional and Grêmio.
In the Porto Alegre Provincial House, the Rector Major unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit to the BPA Province on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its foundation.
Published 20/10/2008
