(ANS - Rome) - Yesterday afternoon, 19 November, the International Historical Congress opened. The theme is "Development of the Charism of Don Bosco until the mid-twentieth century."  It is one of the major events planned for the Bicentenary of the Birth of Don Bosco.

by Gian Francesco Romano

The Congress opened with addresses of welcome by Fr Francesco Cereda, Vicar of the Rector Major, and Sr Grace Loparco, historian of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. "Don Bosco tried to give answers that were relevant to the changing needs of the times; (...) We will try to find out in this Congress what kind of development has occurred in respect of the charism of Don Bosco. In this way our Congress is open to the future," said Fr Cereda, noting also that the entire conference was organized in full communion between Salesians and FMA.

Fr Fabio Attard, General Councillor for Youth Ministry and Sr. Anna Rita Cristaino, FMA, presented current data of the presence of Salesians and FMA in the world. Fr José Pastor Ramirez, World Delegate for the Past Pupils, introduced a video on the present situation of the Salesian Family.

A book of Salesian Sources was then presented by the authors and editors: Members of the Salesian Historical Association, Fr Francesco Motto, Fr José Manuel Prellezo and Fr Aldo Giraudo, responsible respectively for the three parts on history, education, and spirituality.

Fr Motto also presented "The critical edition of the Letters of Don Bosco", a work that has been ongoing for twenty-five years and is now near completion. When finished it will contain about 4,600 letters of Don Bosco, of which 1,800 are previously unpublished.

After Evening Prayer, the Rector Major Fr Ángel Fernández Artime gave the traditional Salesian good night. He strongly urged all present when they returned to their provinces to use all possible means to share what they had learned and experienced at the conference. He hoped that, in this Year of the Bicentenary, and also through this Congress, we will gain a clearer grasp of our charismatic identity as members of the Church and Disciples of the Lord Jesus, “in order to cement a new phase of Salesian life."

Before the day ended, all the participants were given the opportunity to visit the Salesian Central Archive.

This morning, Fr Á.F. Artime presided at the Eucharist for the congress participants. Drawing inspiration from the liturgy of the day, he invited historians and scholars to open up "the seals of the human mystery, the meeting of heaven and earth that is part of everyone’s daily life" and to see that meeting in the scrolls of history and the history of the Salesians.

For the rest of the morning the work continued with three reports examining the historical aspect of the development of the charism in the years reviewed. "The extension of the presence and work of the SDB and FMA"; "The political, social, cultural, economic and religious changes which impact on the situation of young people"; and "The Salesian response to global changes - social, cultural, economic and religious - from the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century."

Published 20/11/2014