(ANS - Asunción) - On 18 and 19 September, during a short visit to Paraguay, the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, met the Salesians, young people and members of the Salesian Family present in the country. On this occasion he visited the "Bishop Lasagna" institute, the first Salesian work in Paraguay, and the shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Asunción.

On arrival in the country, on Friday 18 September, during the celebrations for the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco in Paraguay, Fr Á.F. Artime saw some children dressed as Don Bosco, Mother Mazzarello, Dominic Savio, Zefferino Namuncurá, Laura Vicuña and Mamma Margaret in front of the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians. He said: "in heaven they are celebrating for us, seeing that the dream of Don Bosco has come true!" Then the Rector Major had a moment of quiet prayer thanking Mary Help of Christians for the many blessings received.

On the Saturday, the Tenth Successor of Don Bosco met with the Salesian Bishops in the country. The photo shows Archbishop Edmundo Valenzuela of Asunción, and Bishop Gabriel Escobar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Chaco Paraguayo.

And under the motto "With Don Bosco, young people with a free heart!,” hundreds of young people from the Salesian centres around the country gathered to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the Salesian Youth Movement. This meeting of the National SYM started on Friday 18 September in the presence of the Rector Major. It ended at noon on the Sunday, with Mass concelebrated by Fr Nestor Ledesma, Provincial of Paraguay, and the Regional Councillor for the American Southern Cone Region, Fr Natale Vitale.

The Rector Major enjoyed every moment of the show staged by young people of the SYM. On this and other occasions during Fr Á.F. Artime’s visit, there were various videos and photos on the Facebook profile of the Salesians in Paraguay.

Published 21/09/2015