(ANS – Rome) – In view of the preparations for and the celebration of the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco, the Rector Major has given a fresh impetus to the Salesian Historical Institute which in these days is celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of its foundation.

In a letter sent yesterday 12 January to all the members of the Institute Fr Pascual Chávez announced the appointment of the new Director and of new members, and indicated the future tasks in view of 2015.

The new Director of the Salesian Historical Institute for the four year period 2012-2015, is Fr José Manuel Prellezo, Professor emeritus in the Faculty of Education at the UPS and an associate member of the Historical Institute since 1984.

Born in Espiñama (Spain) in 1932, Fr José Manuel Prellezo has since 1985 been resident at the “Mary Seat of Wisdom” Vice Province (Salesian Pontifical University) in Rome. A full member of ISS since 2004, he is the joint author of  the “Dizionario di Scienze dell'Educazione” (LAS Pub.) and author of the new Spanish edition of the “Memoirs of the Oratory” (Editorial CCS, Madrid).

Other changes include an increase in the number of associate members of the Salesian Historical Institute; in addition to Fr Francesco Casella, Fr Aldo Giraudo and Fr Prellezo have been added: Fr Bruno Bordignon, Fr Miguel Canino, Fr Giorgio Rossi and Fr Norbert Wolff, who has been appointed Deputy-Director. The Salesian Historical Institute with headquarters at the Generalate in via della Pisana now has a total of ten members: seven associated and three full-time members who are Fr Jesús Graciliano Gonzalez, Fr Francesco Motto, and Fr Stanisław Zimniak who continues to be the Coordinating Secretary.

In the same letter,  the Rector Major refers to several of the tasks which the members of the Salesian Historical Institute will have, in addition to those already taken on in view of 2015, and in preparation for the Bicentenary International Historical Congress. As well as those found in the Statutes, the Salesian Historical Institute is called upon to continue the  half-yearly publication of the series “Ricerche Storiche Salesiane” for which a new editorial committee and its Chairman will need to be set up; and to implement the decision of the 26th General Chapter regarding Salesian sources, “Let the Rector Major and his Council see to the publication and translation of a collection of the principal Salesian sources” (n. 12).

The Salesian Historical Institute was established by the Rector Major Fr Egidio Viganò 30 years ago; the decree of erection bears the date 23 December 1981, while the Statutes came into force on 31 January 1982. The first Director Fr Pietro Braido was succeeded in   1992 by Fr Francesco Motto who will continue his work with the Salesian Historical Institute bringing to a close the publication of the Letters of Don Bosco.

Fr Chávez, referring to further developments in the near future with regard to the Institute declares: “In these years the Historical Institute has grown in the quantity of its publications, in the broadening of its activities with the founding of the ACSSA (1996) and in the academic quality of the work produced.”

Published 13/01/2012