(ANS - Rome) - "We cannot close our hearts to the unspeakable suffering of families, children and women who are looking for a place of welcome and a ray of hope. The Pope's appeal is for all of us a call of God that comes to us through the voice and the heart of our first Superior (cf. Const. Art. 109)." The Mother General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Mother Yvonne Reungoat, has written to her Sisters on the refugee emergency, asking also for the cooperation of the whole Salesian Family.

In her letter the Mother General underlines "the unprecedented historical moment that involves us deeply in the painful plight of so many people." She recalls the strong appeal made by the Pope to parishes, religious communities, monasteries and shrines. Mother Reungoat appeals to her sisters: "I invite you to find a method of coordination to enable you to work together and get in touch with the competent persons and authorities. Everything urges us to make concrete gestures to accommodate a family of immigrants or unaccompanied minors, young people or mothers with children", aware that "for us today Jesus is seen in the faces of migrants".

Referring to the possibility of collaboration with other groups of the Salesian Family and in particular with the Salesian confreres, the Past Pupils, the Salesian Cooperators and lay collaborators in the educative communities, Mother Reungoat concluded: "during the Twenty-Third General Chapter it was decided to give special attention to migrants worldwide. Now is the acceptable time! (...) May Mary Help of Christians, Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello help us to give a concrete response quickly to the needs of these our brothers and sisters."

The full text of Mother Reungoat’s letter is available in Italian on the website of ANS and will soon be available in several languages ​​on the website www.cgfmanet.org

Published 09/09/2015