| India – Opening of the “Archbishop Humberto D’Rosario” missionary Aspirantate |
| RMG – Everything ready for the 141st Missionary Expedition |
The Missions Depart had organised a visit to Ivrea, to enable the future Salesian missionaries to get to know this historic place of the Congregation: the Cardinal Cagliero Institute, for many years the most important Salesian International Aspirantate.
Waiting for Fr Václav Klement, General Councillor for the Missions and the 40 Salesians following the missionary formation course were about 350 pupils from the elementary and middle school together with their 36 teachers and the rest of the staff. In the meeting which followed it was not easy for the missionaries to explain to the children and youngsters the meaning of the mission and the missionary nowadays. The meeting with the students of theology at the “Crocetta” Institute in Turin a few days earlier had certainly been much easier. But the spontaneity and the curiosity of the pupils and the smiles and chatter provided the Salesian missionaries with a very valuable experience.
Afterwards Fr Eligio Caprioglio, Rector of the Institute since 2002, briefly presented the history of the institution and introduced the group of missionaries to other members of the community The generous hospitality and affection shown by the Salesians at “Cagliero” added another very pleasant note to the day.
In the afternoon in a very significant gesture, the missionary group climbed the hill to the Chapel of the Sacred Heart. In fact the Chapel is the place where every day of the week all the Salesian missionary aspirants who down the years passed through the Institute used to go to pray quietly.
Yesterday was a great gift to the missionaries, who will surely never forget it. Brother Lothar Wagner, a German missionary in Sierra Leone, a member of the 139th Missionary Expedition, had, just yesterday, written to Fr Klement, recalling the time spent at the Salesian places of special interest during the formation course: “It was certainly one of the more significant times of my life to be able to meet so many young inspired missionaries. You could really touch God! I still draw much energy for my missionary life in Sierra Leone, from those two weeks.”
The Cagliero Institute is a milestone for the Salesian missions. A gift to the Congregation from the mother of Cardinal Richelmy, it began in 1892 as a house of formation and novitiate. In 1922, at the wishes of the Rector Major, Fr Philip Rinaldi, the Institute was changed into a Missionary Aspirantate entitled “Cardinal Cagliero”. From the Institute more than 1000 missionaries left for the whole world, taking the Gospel of Jesus and the heart and the mission of Don Bosco to countless young people. Among the students of “Cagliero” there have been seven bishops and the Venerables Fr Giuseppe Quadrio and Fr Francesco Convertini, a missionary in India and Bangladesh.
Published 24/09/2010
