(ANS – Colle Don Bosco) – This year too, many young people from Austria Germany have come to Don Bosco's places to spend their holidays, enjoy themselves and reflect along with the leaders, volunteers and Salesians. Some 500 of them have come this summer.

The “Come to Bosco” programme, drawn up by Salesian Youth Ministry in Germany and Austria, allows groups of interested young people to stay at Colle Don Bosco and have a chance to get to know Don Bosco's life, his commitment to youth, his spirituality in an atmosphere of festivity, fun, youthful cheerfulness.

Thanks to the programme – which began on 9 July last and lasts until 26 August – hundreds of young people have been able to sleep at “Casa Zatti” or camp out in the surrounding area. Each group looks after itself including cooking and each day's programme. The programme always includes cultural and recreational activities like visits to Turin, the Superga, even the seaside.

Thanks to help from a German-speaking contact group made up of Salesians, Sisters, young people and volunteers, there are also many formation and accompaniment activities: Guided visits in German to Don Bosco places, various liturgies and other spiritual offers, organised free time and meetings for reflection and sharing. So, all up a varied programme where everyone can be at ease.

This year as well the “Don Bosco Catching” (sic) modern style of treasure-hunt has been introduced. It is a way of getting the players to get to know the Saint of the young better. In place of the traditional paper clues, the players follow GPS coordinates and QR codes. This allows them to explore the territory around Colle.

Published 21/08/2012