The Congress, in which scholars of Salesian History will be taking part, is to be held in Turin – Valdocco, cradle of the Salesian Family, between 28 October and 1 November this year. During the meeting the material already prepared by the over forty contributors who will be involved was examined and the programme for the days was agreed.
The breadth of the work undertaken by the contributors will make it possible to get to know many facets of the “face” of Don Rua which are still little known, and especially the contribution he himself made to the development of the heritage left by Don Bosco. Other important events will also take place in the context of the Congress: an exhibition which after being on display in Valdocco, will make a tour of the Italian Provinces; the presentation of a video, produced according to the wishes of the organisers by Missioni di Don Bosco – Media Centre, which documents the travels undertaken by Don Rua in Europe and in the Middle East; and a Mass in the Saint Anne Chapel in Caselle Torinese, where on 29 July 1860 Don Rua was ordained priest.
In addition, the Executive Committee of ACSSA assessed the state of the preparations of the Acts of the Continental Seminar, held at Batulao between 24 and 28 November last year, and prepared a plan of work for the next five year period, identifying the topics for the Seminars to be held in 2011 and 2012 and the nature of the next World Congress planned for 2014. The possibility was considered of the publication, in the ACSSA series, of a research project on the first autonomous Salesian house in Vienna.
In the course of the meeting new members of ACSSA were admitted: Fr Sinval Marques Perreira (Brazil), Mr. Mauro Gomes da Costa (Brazil), Fr Jorge García Montaño (Mexico), Fr Albert Kitungwa Kabuge (Republic of the Congo) and Fr Jacek Brakowski (Poland). The Committee also discussed the possible organisation and development of some of the local branches of ACSSA.
At the beginning of the meeting the members remembered the late Fr Ramón Alberdi, a distinguished scholar of Salesian work in Spain and the first President of ACSSA.
Published 24/09/2009
