(ANS – Chieri) – Adverse weather conditions yesterday Monday 30 January did not prevent to celebrations organised at the “Saint Teresa” Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians going ahead. The Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Pascual Chávez, paid a visit to Chieri, one of the most important places for Don Bosco’s education, and inaugurated the church recently restored , and went to the Don Bosco Visitors’ Centre, with a museum dedicated to the saint of youth.
Over 500 children, youngsters and young people joyfully welcomed the IX Successor of Don Bosco to the FMA school. Fr Chávez told the teachers present: “Today it is time to have big dreams in one’s life and work and to make them come true. My hope and prayer is that this educative community of Saint Teresa, for the young people coming to it may be a place where they can choose their life-teachers. The aim of any school today must be that of forming people with values, preparing them for a profession and teaching them to be new citizens capable not only of thinking about themselves but about the common good.”
Sr Manuela Robazza, Superior of the Institute following the challenging words of the Rector Major said: “For us it was a most important meeting. The Rector Major has brought us the gift of his words and of his encouragement.”
Afterwards Fr Chávez inaugurated the “Saint Teresa” church where re-structuring work had just been completed.
Accompanied by the Mayor of Chieri, Francesco Lancione, the Rector Major then went to the “Don Bosco Visitors Centre” with a museum opened in September 2011 in the premises of the former Saint Philip seminary in the historical city centre and which is the heart of the tour dedicated to the life of the Saint. In the Visitors’ Centre the most significant stages in the history of the saint’s education are explained. Don Bosco lived in Chieri between 1831 and 1841, doing a wide variety of jobs as his priestly vocation matured.
The Institute in Chieri began 134 years ago, at the express wishes of Don Bosco and Mother in 1878, as a place for young people. Among its souvenirs are some very important items linked to the memory of Don Bosco: a letter of his, the writing desk on which it is said he wrote the first part of the Rules of the FMA and an armchair on which he used to rest occasionally. Today it is an important educational centre which thanks to the Infant School, the Primary School and the Vocational Training Centre caters for over 700 children youngsters and young people every day
“I like Chieri very much,” Fr Chávez said, “because not only was Don Bosco educated here, it was here that he began to fulfil his dream of love for the young to whom he dedicated his whole life.”
In the evening the Rector Major, returned to Turin going to the Don Bosco International Institute, the Turin section of the Faculty of Theology of the Salesian Pontifical University. Here he gave a short conference for the students, celebrated first vespers of the Solemnity of Don Bosco and gave the Good Night.
Published 31/01/2012
