(ANS - Turin) - For many young Italians who share Salesian spirituality, next weekend, 2–4 May, will be one to remember. The Salesian Youth Movement in the Special Circumscription of Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta will hold a gathering in Turin on Saturday. Then on Sunday the Rector Major will be present when the SYM of the Lombardy-Emilia Province hold their feast in Treviglio in the province of Bergamo.

The first of the two events is planned for Valdocco, the cradle of the Salesian world, and is in fact the first meeting of the local Salesian Youth Movement. The aim is for the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the Salesians of Don Bosco and the SYM to share together some reflections on the progress made in recent years and what is to be done, especially in view of the forthcoming Bicentenary of the Birth of Don Bosco (1815-2015).

For this reason, there will be two topics on the agenda: "the identity of the SYM" and "a look at the past and a look forward to 2015."

At Treviglio on Sunday, the traditional SYM Feast will come at the end of a Training School for Animators which starts on Thursday. This year’s festival will be honoured by the participation of the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime.

The day's programme is in line with the formation programme developed during the year and related to the 2014 strenna. It includes Mass presided over by the Rector Major, during which the animators from the training school will be given their mandate. There will also be a stage show entitled "ANIMAS - Ten Diamonds from a  Dream," by the participants of the Training School for Animators; the SYM Music Fest, i.e. the performance of musical groups from the different houses of the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians; and, in conclusion, a dialogue between young people and the Rector Major, which will help young people on the streets to understand and live the message of Don Bosco in the world today.

Published 30/04/2014