| Brazil – Salesian Family Meeting |
| Italy – Opening of the V International Congress of ACSSA on Don Rua |
A multimedia aid, it is one of the initiatives intended to celebrate the centenary of the death of the first Successor of Don Bosco, and was first presented at the V International Congress on Salesian History held in Turin between 28 October and 1 November 2009 “Don Michael Rua, first successor of Don Bosco.” It examines the person of Don Rua in his role as Rector Major of the Salesian Congregation in the years 1888-1910, a period of fundamental importance for the development of the Salesian mission in Europe.
Available in 7 languages, the video describes in 22 minutes the work of Don Rua following the death of the Founder, Don Bosco. His deep devotion to the Sacred Heart and to Mary Help of Christians are illustrated with the churches built in their honour all the Salesian outposts, and the consecration of the Salesians and of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in the Basilica of the Sacred Hearty.
From the completion of the building of the Sacred Heart Hospice to the opening of Salesian houses in Belgium, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, England and Spain, the apostolate of Don Rua was totally directed to the building of new centres of the Congregation in the capitals and the industrial centres of Europe to reach out from there to all the new mission lands.
He was directly involved in this missionary expansion. He made a large number of journeys in Europe and elsewhere: so that his fatherly presence might by felt by all the Salesians and the FMA; to establish diplomat relationships in various countries; or, simply, as a full expression of the Salesian spirit to show how close he was to those most in need, as he did at Messina following the 1908 earthquake.
There is further resource material in the DVD. Reading on the disk the resources of the computer it is possible to access a folder - “Pannelli” – in which in PDTF format are available the panels of the travelling exhibition on Don Rua prepared by the Historical Institute. Once printing out the files, it is possible to reconstruct the exhibition or individual panels, which each Province or centre can use to get to know Don Rua better.
Don Rua died on 6 April 1910, at 73 years of age. While he was Rector Major the Salesian Society grew from 773 to 4000 Salesians, from57 to 345 Houses, from 6 to 34 Provinces in 33 countries. At the beatification ceremony in 1972, Paul VI spoke the words which sum up his whole apostolate: “He made the spring a river.”
Published 07/05/2010
