(ANS – Budapest) – Together with the Vicar of the Rector Major, Fr Adrian Bregolin, the Salesians from St Stephen's Province, Hungary, officially opened celebrations for the centenary of their presence in the country. The first Salesian missionaries arrived in Hungary in 1913 at Peliföldszentkereszt.
The official celebration took place on 26 January in the Cathedral in Budapest. A special train filled with students came from Kazincbarcika, where the Salesians run a large work with many levels and subjects. It also has a boarding section and the Salesians run the parish there. From west Budapest train station the youngsters then walked through the streets to the Cathedral launching hundreds of balloons as they went, balloons in national colours and containing notes with phrases of Don Bosco's.
After this colourful introduction involving the whole city, the Primate of all Hungary, Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest celebrated Mass. Fr Bregolin, Provincials emeritus of Hungary, Provincials from Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia,and many faithful from around the country were parft of this grand Eucharistic celebration.
In his homily the Cardinal focused on the value of the Salesian work for poor and abandoned youth, and emphasised the importance of the educational work carried out by the Salesians especially in professional formation and trades, reaffirming the ethical and moral value of this choice.
At the end of the celebration, in the square in front of the cathedral, 600 youngsters from the St Francis de Sales Secondary school presented the logo thought up for the centenary, through a flashmob.
Festivities then followed at the Royal Castle in Budapest, where the Provincial, Fr Abraham Bela awarded the “St Dominic Savio” and “St John Bosco” prizes. The first went to Roland Marsiczki, a young lad involved in the Salesian Youth Movement at Balassagyarmat; the second went to diocesan priests Frs Vilmos Khirer and Istvan Verbenyi, who had founded, respectively, the “Sts. Peter and Paul” and “St Johni Bosco” schools, currently run by the Salesians. Then came the official opening of the museum dedicated to the first hundred years of Salesian history, various shows and cultural events presented by Salesians students from around the country.
On Sunday 27, Fr Bregolin, accomapnied by Fr Bela and the Provincial secretary, celebrated Mass at Péliföldszentkereszt, the mother house of the Salesians in Hungary. In his homily, which focused on the world of youth today, the Rector Major's Vicar asked his congregation to educate with the heart of Don Bosco, seeing to the all-round development of youth and fostering human rights, especially of the very young. Following the celebration he visited the interactive show on the centenary of Salesian presence, and in the afternoon celebrated another Mass, this time for the Salesian Family, at the Provincial House.
On Monday 28 January, finally, Fr Bregolin met all the Salesians in the Province, and gave two talks, one on the Rector Major's Strenna 2013 and one on religious discipline and fidelity
Two video summaries of the events on 26 January are available on the Internet (video 1 – video 2).
Published 30/01/2013