In the morning of 28 January in the small chapel built by the Salesians at Ushuaia at the end of the 1800s, the Salesian educative community said morning prayer together led by the Rector Major. At the end, the Rector of the Salesian community, Fr Daniel Antúnez, took Fr Chávez to the nearby building site where the work of re-building a school which the local authorities want to entrust to the Salesians was in progress; a school which shortly will be able to accommodate 900 pupils from primary to secondary level.
“What team do you support? How old are you? What school do you go to?” were some of the simple friendly questions Fr Chávez asked the youngsters in Ushuaia establishing a pleasant confident dialogue with them.
A guided tour of the “Tierra del Fuego” National Park gave the Rector Major and the Salesians with him the chance to admire the marvels of nature and listening to the guide to appreciate the great contribution made by the first Salesians, in particular Fr De Agostini, in exploring the area.
The morning ended with Mass in the parish church of Ushuaia. At the side of the Rector Major the Rector of the Salesian community and the new Superior of the Province of South Argentina Fr Angel Fernandez Artime. In his homily, Fr Chávez recalled the examples of youthful holiness the fruit of the Salesian charism: Dominic Savio, Laura Vicuña and especially Ceferino Namuncurá. To the youngsters present he gave the recipe for holiness: having a vision about the world and life, letting themselves be guided through their education, and above all having Jesus as their friend.
After communion, some of those present, adults and young people brought gifts to the Rector Major as a sign of respect and love, “I accept them as the successor of Don Bosco, I know that you love him.” The Mass ended with the blessing of a new statue of Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá.
In the afternoon the Rector Major went to Rio Grande. Here in the “San Juan Bosco” parish church, the Salesian Family and the young people of the city attended a Mass. The Rector Major gave them three tasks to carry out: to have the zeal of Don Bosco; to put the young at the centre of pastoral work; and bring the Gospel to them. The offertory collection was to be given to the Salesians in Haiti, and the victims of the earthquake of 12 January.
At the end of the Mass the spokesman of the local authorities of Rio Grande read the decree conferring on Fr Chávez the title of Guest of Honour; the Secretary for Production presented the text of the decree and a commemorative plaque. As in the morning the Cooperators followed the local authorities in presenting their gifts.
In meetings with the two educative communities, Fr Chávez did not miss the opportunity to explain that the re-organisation of the Salesian presence in Argentina should be a sign of hope and an occasion for the re-launching of the Salesian charism, and in introducing the new Provincial he mentioned his total availability for the new role he had received. In both places the visit of the IX successor of Don Bosco was noted by the local media.
Published 29/01/2010
