(ANS – Rome) – Yesterday, 1 November, with hundreds of youngsters from Salesian houses around Italy taking part, together with a large number of  professional athletes, the IV in the series of the “Saints Run” organised by the association of that name and promoted by the “Don Bosco in the World” Foundation took place in Rome. This year the project was on behalf of the work of the Salesians in the Horn of Africa responding to the situation of hunger and thirst experienced by so many inhabitants of that region.

The day began with Fr Francesco Cereda, General Councillor of the Salesians for Formation, presiding at Mass at the Altar of the Confession in St Peter’s Basilica. The Mass was concelebrated by about a hundred Italian Salesian priests and attended by almost a thousand youngsters  and adults from many Salesian houses.

Taking up the theme of the readings of the day for the Solemnity of All Saints,  Fr Cereda invited the youngsters to follow the examples of the lives of those  who the Church places before us. “Life is a path built in stages, and in each one these, we can stop and look much further ahead; so we can make choices about the way we go and the responsibilities we take up. One of these is holiness.”

“A run is a symbol of life. If we have the strength we can cover the course more quickly. On the other hand if we are not fit, the run is hard work, difficult and to reach the goal becomes more difficult. Holiness is like that, a way of living that takes effort, in giving of ourselves in helping others. And the best expression of holiness is joy” Fr Cereda said.

At the end of the Mass on a lovely mild day, the run began. There were two separate courses, one of 10.5 km for the serious competitors, and one of 3 km for the amateurs. This year over 2700 runners took part in a sporting competition which was also on behalf of those less fortunate.

Last year with similar support the Salesians were able to respond to the emergency faced by over 1500 families in Pakistan, after the floods, and also help them rebuild their homes and return to their work.

This year the solidarity campaign will fund Salesian charitable work in the Horn of Africa, which has suffered greatly in 2011 with the lack of rain producing famine conditions in the whole region. The Universal Church has responded to the appeal for solidarity and the Salesians, in their various centres are working especially to dig wells and to provide food for the people.

Published 02/11/2011