(ANS - Rome) - In the year of the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco, the Salesian Community of St Matthew in Messina is preparing to celebrate the centenary of the arrival of the Salesians in the populous area of Giostra. To celebrate this double anniversary, the Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime will visit the city on 5-6 December.

The centenary celebrations will include two days of festivities. Fr Á.F. Artime will come to Messina in the late afternoon of 5 December and, after a festive welcome in Piazza San Giovanni Bosco from the young people of the oratory, he will preside at a prayer vigil in the parish, with the whole Salesian Youth Movement of Messina. Fourteen young people will receive the sacrament of confirmation.

In the morning of Sunday 6 December, the Rector Major, accompanied by the young people, will walk through the streets of the neighbourhood of Giostra, following the tradition of walks begun by Don Bosco.

At 11.00 a.m. Fr Á.F. Artime will preside over the Mass for the centenary recalling the arrival of the Salesians and thanking God for this gift. All the Salesians who have worked in the community will be invited to take part in the celebration.

In the afternoon the young people of the Oratory will perform for the Rector Major a musical about the experience of the Salesians in Giostra and, soon after, there will be a civic welcome.

The Sons of Don Bosco arrived in the Giostra district in 1915, at the request of the Archdiocese of Messina, in response to the serious difficulties that had arisen in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake of 1908. Since then, dozens of consecrated Salesians have contributed to the spiritual growth and civil and moral development of children, young people and adults of the Giostra area. Today the community has six confreres - five priests and a young man in initial formation. In the whole of Messina there are three Salesian communities (one dedicated to St. Matthew, the Theological Institute of St. Thomas and the school-oratory of St Dominic Savio) and two of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (school and oratory of Don Bosco and the oratory of the Valley of the Angels).

Published 04/12/2015