The day – which was also the name day of Fr Chávez, began with the blessing of the in house in which for the time being the community of Minsk is living. “We bless above all the confreres called to live within these walls the gift of communion which comes from the Father,” the Rector Major said during the short ceremony. A short distance away is the building site where the new house is going up which in addition to the living accommodation of the confreres will include a church and youth centre. During his visit to the site and the work in progress, Fr Chávez offered some suggestions about the way to make the best use of the building for the benefit of the young people and the mission of evangelisation.
In the meeting which followed with the Salesians working in Belarus who had come to Minsk for the occasion the Rector Major emphasised the importance that the young had for Don Bosco and, in fidelity to the charism for Salesians today. “Don Bosco was surrounded by saints: Giuseppe Cafasso, Leonardo Murialdo, Luigi Orione, whose liturgical memorial we celebrated yesterday, but he preferred to found the Congregation with his boys,” Fr Chávez said, then spoke in particular about Blessed Michael Rua.
During the meeting other issues were considered regarding the life of the Congregation and the future of the East Circumscription which at this time is looking into its own structure and re-organisation.
The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians were also present at the Mass during which, drawing on the figure of Barnabas, “full of the spirit for the Christian mission” the Rector Major encouraged the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians to overcome any ethnic and religious boundaries in order to follow the Spirit wherever He leads them.
In the afternoon before leaving for Moscow, the Rector Major met the Archbishop of Minsk-Mohilev, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, and paid a visit on the outskirts of the city to the Salesian foundation of Borovliany, with its youth centre and a small parish church.
Published 19/05/2011
