(ANS – Tegucigalpa) – Yesterday, 19 October, on the second day of his visit to Honduras,  the Rector Major met the young people in the Salesian centre in Tegucigalpa, representatives of the Salesian  Family and civil, military and religious authorities.

The Rector Major began this second day with Mass at which students from various Salesian Institutes took part. In his homily, referring to the different people in the scriptural narrative, Fr Chávez, reflected on the subject of vocation and encouraged the young people to live their lives according to a definite plan which made sense of it in being of service to others.

To everyone present the Rector Major said that it was impossible for a young person to put God at the centre of life if there wasn’t a helpful atmosphere in the family, in the youth centres, in the Church; all places where it is possible to learn that God is not a threat, but, on the contrary, can bring great happiness if He is placed at the centre of one’s life.

After Mass  the Rector Major went to the Don Bosco Centre to hear about it history and how nowadays it provides technical training for 450 young people – for the most part from within the parish of Mary Help of Christians – a poor area.

Afterwards Fr Chávez visited a photographic exhibition reflecting the one hundred years of the  Salesians in Honduras. This was followed by a lunch offered by the members of the Salesian Family, attended also by Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga SDB, archbishop of Tegucigalpa.

In the afternoon Fr Chávez presided at another Mass at which Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Madariaga and the auxiliary Bishop Juan José Pineda concelebrated. Among those present were many Salesians and members of the Salesian Family in Honduras. The ceremony was televised and broadcast on the city’s Catholic radio live.

In his homily  the IX successor of Don Bosco made five key points: defending life promoting the family, the cradle of life and of love; believing in education, which is not the same as simple “instruction”; being committed to the new evangelisation – Christ as a right for everyone and the light which interprets reality –; cultivating vocations – life as a vocation.

At the Dinner offered to the Rector Major among those taking part were various representatives of the Executive and Legislative Bodies of the country, Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, Bishop Pineda, the Nunzio Apostolic, Archbishop Luigi Bianco, illustrious Past Pupils, Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.

During the evening accompanied by marimba music and folk dances  the Rector Major was presented with a Diploma and a Medal on behalf of the Legislative Assembly and the “José Cecilio del Valle” Award and another medal by the President of the Republic of Honduras. Fr Chávez expressed his thanks for both honours, recalling the importance of education according to the preventive system which best contributes to the building of  a healthy society.

Early this morning, 20 October, the Rector Major left for Nicaragua, where the centenary celebrations for the arrival of the Salesians also in this country will continue.

Published 20/10/2011