Commissioned by the Rector Major, Fr Robert and Fr Leszek Kruczek, twins and Salesians since 1991, have created a new sculpture which represents Don Bosco and Don Rua in a set of deeply significant gestures. The sculpture in coloured in stucco is 188 cm high and with a circumference of 389 cm.
The two brothers describe their work as follows: “Don Bosco already elderly, and tired but always smiling, is seated in an armchair like a patriarch, a wise man, the father of a large family. With his left hand he gives Don Rua his living testament, the Salesian Constitutions and the government of the Salesian Congregation. With his right hand, stretched out, he shows his successor his future work and at the same time invites those who have at heart the good of youth to collaborate.”
“With humility, Don Rua accepts the Constitution and the task of the government of the Congregation; he is smiling trustingly, and full of hope, looks towards the future, aware of the continuing support of Don Bosco”.
Don Bosco is seated firmly on a patriarchal throne which seems to have been carved in stone and on the right-hand side of which the Salesian coat of arms is clearly visible: a sign of the stability of the Congregation founded on the solid foundations of faith, hope and charity.
At the end of the morning there was a simple blessing ceremony. In the presence of the two artists, of Fr Marek Charzan, Provincial of Poland-Krakow, of the members of the General Council, of the recently appointed Provincials who in these days are having a formation course and the Salesians of the Generalate, Fr Chávez blessed the statue. “I wanted this statue placed here at the entrance to our house for various reasons: we are in the centenary year of the death of Don Rua, this house is dedicated to him, and then, looking at his dynamic fidelity, we as a Congregation and as the Salesian Family are called to work for the good of the young with the same prophetic vision and the same intense activity which characterised Don Bosco.”
High resolution photographs of the group of statues are available in ImageBank in the Art/sculpture category or by entering the surname of the two artists “Kruczek”.
Published 16/06/2010
