(ANS – Częstochowa) – The VI Congress of Mary Help of Christians was summed up and proclaimed in the address of the Rector Major, Don Pascual Chávez, on Saturday 6 August. Taking his inspiration from the Feast of the Transfiguration, the father of the Salesian Family showed how entrustment to Mary brings about the transfiguration of persons and groups, leading them to be strong and effective witnesses in the face of the great challenges of our time.

We report here some passages from his speech.

"Care taken in formation, which must be theologically and spiritually sound, is absolutely fundamental. Next comes witness, keeping alive the awareness that there can be no fruitful apostolate with profound discipleship. Finally there is commitment which today must be strategically targeted at the themes studied in the Strennas of recent years: passion for life, rendered good and abundant through meeting God, the lover of life; promotion of the family, founded on the matrimonial covenant between a man and a woman according to God’s original plan; educational challenge, offering the young an appreciation of life and fostering a culture authentically worthy of mankind; evangelisation, because the world has need of God, of Christ and of his Gospel; and vocation, as a plan of life."

"Mary, the Mother of God, is great because she believed and because she travelled in a real pilgrimage of faith. She is the true teacher of the faith, who shows us how to be authentic disciples and impassioned apostles. The greatness of Mary is for everyone: she is Immaculate, Mother of God, Risen with Christ, and alive and present in our midst! Each of us can be a believer like her and with her. Just as she did for little John Bosco in his dream at nine years old, she points out to each member of the Salesian Family the field of work: to live and give one’s life for the young; and the style: docility to the Spirit, free from worry about defending existing structures, and sensitive to the new needs of young people."

To make the entrustment to Mary both concrete and interior, the Rector Major gave some advice, especially to pay particular attention to the family, the first agent of education and the first place of evangelisation. "The Salesian charism returns to its roots in family ministry, and in meeting the spirit of Don Bosco the family acquires dynamism and evangelical joy. We are called to ensure that our youth ministry is ever more open to family ministry. The presence at the Congress of many families and young couples, who under the guidance of Mary are sharing a way of life including formation, sharing and prayer, reveals a providential gift from Mary Help of Christians as she takes concrete care of new generations."

In view of the celebration of the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco (16 August 2015) the Rector Major asked the Association of Mary Help of Christians to offer all the groups in the Salesian Family ideas, guidelines and apostolic experiences with the young to highlight the Marian dimension of the life story, educational method and spirituality of Don Bosco. He ended with an invitation to carry out the guidance and animation of groups in the Salesian Family, especially at local level, with a Marian spirit of service, communion and attentive apostolic sensitivity, especially to those in greatest difficulty.

Mr Tullio Lucca and Don Pierluigi Cameroni from the ADMA Council declared that the VI Congress had been a true gift and the work of Mary Help of Christians. In an atmosphere of great evangelical joy, stimulated by the witness of faith and Marian piety of the Polish people towards the Mother of God, the Salesian Family had renewed its entrustment to Mary Help of Christians in order to live its educational and evangelising mission with ardour and passion.

The full text will shortly be available on the ADMA web site, together with the other contributions presented during the Congress.

On the ANSchannel there are two short videos with messages from the Rector Major and from Mother Yvonne Reungoat, Superior General of the FMA.

Published 9/8/2011