(ANS – Turin) – Languages, colours, different ages and experiences, but the common desire to follow Don Bosco, to be like him, among the youth and for the youth. Full of enthusiasm and Salesian spirituality, about 5000 youth have started crowding PalaRuffini this morning, August 11^th, to begin the great feast of the youth of “SYM DON BOSCO 2015” (Movimento Giovanile Salesiano – MGS).

By Gian Francesco Romano 

A Feast with Don Bosco, starting from Jesus. The opening of the day, through an evocative choreography inspired by the Prologue of the Gospel of St. John, recalls to the youth the centrality of Christ in the life of every young man and woman of MGS. This is the beginning of an artistic performance prepared by the youth of Central Italy MGS, that in a few minutes traces the journey made by Don Bosco to discern God’s will in his life.

Sharing of testimonies then followed. Anne-Florence Perras, a young lady who grew up among the Daughters of Charity (FMA) in France, shared with the young audience how her relationship with Jesus changed in the course of years, through her growth in the FMA institute, voluntary work and a death in the family.

Very moving was the story of a Nigerian young man, Alfred Adetosoye Adedayo, on the meaning of living one’s Christian faith in the North of Nigeria, where Boko Haram militia are active. In such contexts, faith often means heroism: as was the case of some young volunteers in front of a church in Zaria, who immolated themselves to prevent an attacker from causing a massacre at Sunday Mass: “With great courage the youth who were at the gate told him they had now intention of letting him into the church and kill innocent people and that if he wanted to do it, he had to kill them first”.

In her turn, Sr. Elena Yolima, an FMA sister from Colombia, spoke of her experience of faith thanks to the encounter with the poverty of geographic and existential peripheries: an encounter that did not leave her indifferent but brought her to donate her life for her neighbour.

The formative moment of the first day was concluded with a dialogue with Msgr. Luc van Looy, SDB, Bishop of Gent. Speaking on the theme of this first day – “Like Don Bosco” – the Salesian Bishop recalled many aspects of the Saint’s life: the quest of silence to listen to God, the particular attention to each young person, concreteness and practicality, missionary zeal, and the continuous deep study of the Gospel – all these elements were also proposed to the MGS youth to be “like Don Bosco”.

In the end the Bishop concluded with an appeal: “Do not let anyone steal your joy, your purity and hope”.

The morning activities ended with the Eucharist, presided over by Msgr. van Looy himself, in PalaRuffini.

In the afternoon, the different groups of youth will begin their itineraries in Turin. This evening, in Valdocco, there will be the feast of MGS Italy, during which the new logo of MGS Italy will be unveiled.

Published 11/08/2015