(ANS – Rome) – To coincide with the 16th August, Don Bosco’s birthday, the Rector Major has sent Provincials some news about the celebration of the Bicentenary (1815-2015): the calendar of world events, publications in preparation and pilgrimages to the Salesian Holy Places. On this same day, Salesian bishops are invited to attend a meeting arranged for them in May 2015.

Organisations at local, provincial and national level are called to plan celebrations of the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco in good time. The Rector Major invites every Province to “draw up its own programme and coordinate the activities of its local communities. In those countries in which several Provinces are present, it is important that there be a national programme.” At Provincial level, especially, there is an invitation to involve young people, families, the Church, the local area and the Salesian Family.

The Rector Major reminds Provincials that the Bicentenary will take place after GC27: “it will begin on the 16th of August 2014 and conclude on the 16th of August 2015. The direction and the theme of the bicentenary year, as a logical outcome of the preparatory years, will centre on: Don Bosco’s mission with the young and for the young.”

World calendar
To celebrate the Bicentenary year, the preparation of the following events is already under way:

• 16 August 2014: Opening of the Bicentenary at Colle Don Bosco
• 19-23 November 2014: International Historical Congress at the Salesianum, Rome
• 19-21 March 2015: International Pedagogical Congress at the UPS, Rome
• 21-25 May 2015: Meeting of Salesian Bishops at Turin
• 6-9 August 2015: International Congress of Mary Help of Christians at Turin
• 11-16 August 2015: Campo Bosco of the SYM at Turin and Colle Don Bosco
• 16 August 2015: Closing of the Bicentenary at Colle Don Bosco

Publications
Some publications are foreseen for the bicentenary year; Provinces and countries are invited to do their own planning to disseminate Salesian material.

• Salesian sources: This was requested by the GC26; the work of editing the sources has been entrusted to the Salesian Historical Institute; later, it will be necessary to produce translations in different languages.
• Translation of Fr. Arthur Lenti’s volumes: “Don Bosco: History and Spirit”. Following the Spanish translation and publication in three volumes, the translation and publication in Italian is under way, again in three volumes; it would be appropriate to have translations in other languages as well.
• A new biography of Don Bosco: The LDC is already preparing a new biography in Italian, in popular style, which takes into account the recent studies on Don Bosco.
• The pilgrim’s manual: A manual is being prepared in various languages for pilgrimages to the Salesian holy places.
• Acts of the International Historical Congress of 2014: These Acts are usually published by the LAS of the UPS.
• Salesians 2015: This is a publication in various languages about the life of the Congregation in the world, and is being seen to by the Social Communications sector.

Pilgrimages to the Salesian holy places
“At the present day a pilgrimage is an effective and much appreciated way of communicating a spiritual experience. The Salesian holy places hold an attraction and are a reminder to us about returning to the sources of our charism. It would be appropriate to already begin to consider the time and the manner of arranging a pilgrimage.” All bookings must be made through a single contact.

[Editor’s note] To these can be added several other initiatives already in effect: the logo and the poster of the three years of preparation, the iBreviary app with Salesian propers, e-book versions of some publications in various languages, the video prayer to Don Bosco and other resources available on sdb.org. ANS will continue to supply up to date news about developments and events during the three years of preparation and the celebration of the Bicentenary of Don Bosco.

Published 16/8/2012