Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, SDB, had the opportunity to know the late Cardinal Angelo Amato very well. Both shared the Salesian vocation and had collaborated as teachers at the Pontifical Salesian University. Later, Fr. Angelo Amato succeeded Mons. Bertone as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a position he held from 2002 to 2008.
His Eminence Cardinal Bertone wishes to offer his personal testimony about Cardinal Amato, which we present below.

            Cardinal Angelo Amato was one of the most intelligent Salesians, well-versed in the human and ecclesiastical sciences. His ability to grasp and connect Philosophy and Theology was especially evident during his years of study at the Salesian University, as part of a group of exceptional students who brought prestige to the same and who later distinguished themselves not only in teaching, but also in service to the Holy See at the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia.
            I particularly remember his exceptional skill in the study of Christology and Mariology. His writings were highly refined, and he was sought after as a preacher of Spiritual Exercises, especially for consecrated persons, not to mention the sharpness of his opinions in promoting Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue. In fact, he was particularly appreciated by the then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict XVI), and by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. For this reason, he was sent to Greece to study the Theology of the Eastern Fathers, learned ancient Greek and modern Greek, and even published a highly regarded study at the Greek University of Thessaloniki on the conception and practice of the Sacrament of Penance among the Eastern Fathers. During that time, he learned the art and spirituality of “writing” icons, which he continued to practice until the end of his life. In Rome, he primarily taught at the Pontifical Salesian University, becoming Dean of the Faculty of Theology, and as an expert in Christology and Mariology, he was appointed Consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and later also Secretary of the same.

            It is interesting to note the contribution that Fr. Angelo Amato made in collaboration with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for the drafting of the famous dogmatic declaration “Dominus Jesus” of September 1, 2000. It is declaration desired by Pope John Paul II and drafted by Cardinal Ratzinger with the fine and intelligent collaboration of Fr. Angelo Amato. Cardinal Ratzinger later valued him for the documents and reflections produced by that doctrinal Dicastery of the Roman Curia. Then, when Secretary, Msgr. Tarcisio Bertone was appointed Archbishop of Genoa, a successor was sought. I remember very well the consultations of Cardinal Ratzinger and the dialogues with His Holiness John Paul II. Among the candidates for succession, the name of Fr. Angelo Amato stood out, but in a conversation between Cardinal Ratzinger and myself with Pope John Paul II, I pointed out a peculiarity that seemed to create some difficulty, namely the fact that one Salesian would succeed another Salesian in this important role. Pope John Paul II asked Cardinal Ratzinger, “But does this pose a problem for Cardinal Ratzinger? Would Cardinal Ratzinger like to appoint another Salesian to the position of Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith?” Cardinal Ratzinger replied, “I would prefer Fr. Angelo Amato because I have found it very good to work with him here at the Dicastery, and we are in perfect harmony.” John Paul II responded, “Then let us appoint Fr. Angelo Amato as the new Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.” And so this happened on December 19, 2002.

            He carried out many activities in drafting the documents that characterised the Magisterium of this Dicastery of the Roman Curia presided over by Cardinal Ratzinger, and subsequently, Pope John Paul II decided to create him a Cardinal and appoint him Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. In this role, he carried out intense activity promoting holiness in the Church, holiness in consecrated life, lay life, and priesthood. He also published among his volumes a series of biographies of Blessed and Saints that made known and multiplied the attraction of holiness in the variety of charisms, cultures, and people that enriched the Church, with many beneficial examples and initiatives.
He remained Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for 10 years, until 2018, and continued his magisterial activity for the Church in service to the Popes. Pope Francis sent a beautiful telegram to the General Vicar of the Salesian Congregation, praising the “Salesianity” of Cardinal Amato and his work as Prefect of the Causes of Saints.
            We include the message in full:

REVEREND DON STEFANO MARTOGLIO SDB
VICAR OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
SOCIETY OF SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES (SALESIANS)
ROME

            Upon learning of the news of the passing of dear Cardinal Angelo Amato, I express my closeness to you and to the Brothers of this Religious Institute, as well as to the family of the late Cardinal. I thank God for the edifying testimony of this spiritual son of Saint John Bosco, who for many years dedicated himself with human finesse and generosity to the Gospel and the Church. I think of his priestly soul and the theological preparation with which he served the Holy See, especially in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and in that of the Causes of Saints. I assure my prayers for the soul of this good and vigilant servant who, faithful to his motto ‘Sufficit gratia mea’, even in the final days marked by suffering, entrusted himself to the goodness of the Heavenly Father. I trust that, accompanied by Mary Help of Christians and the Saints and Blesseds he led to the glory of the altars, he will be welcomed into the eternal banquet of Heaven, and I send my blessing to all who share in the sorrow of his passing.

Francis

            Among the Salesian Cardinals, especially endowed with great theological charisma, Cardinal Angelo Amato stands out, leaving a great heritage of doctrine and wisdom available not only to the Pontifical Salesian University but also to various institutional centres of study and spirituality, with the hope that it continues to impact the life of the Church and the formative Communities.

✠ Tarcisio Card. Bertone

On December 24, 2024, on Christmas Eve, the Pope opened the Bronze Door in St. Peter’s Basilica, thus marking the beginning of the Jubilee of 2025. This gesture was subsequently repeated in other basilicas: on December 27, on the Feast of St. John Apostle and Evangelist, in the Lateran Basilica (of which he is co-patron); on January 1, 2025, the solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God, in the Basilica of St. Mary Major; and finally on January 5, the Vigil of the Epiphany, in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
Below, we briefly explain what the Jubilee is and the Jubilee basilicas where it is possible to obtain plenary indulgence.

Origins
Sometimes there is confusion between the first Jubilee and the first Bull that established their frequency, however the Jubilee finds its roots in biblical legislation. It was God Himself who commanded Moses to celebrate a “Jubilee” year every fifty years (Leviticus 25). Over the centuries, this practice passed on to the Christian community, gradually adapting to the needs and traditions of the Church.

In 1300, in response to the great influx of pilgrims to Rome, Pope Boniface VIII published the bull Antiquorum Habet Fida Relatio, which did not establish the Jubilee ex novo, rather it recognised the already existing secular tradition. He conducted various inquiries, even questioning very elderly people, such as a 107-year-old Savoyard, who remembered being brought to Rome by his father a hundred years earlier to gain “great indulgences”. This widespread belief prompted Boniface VIII to solemnly establish what was being transmitted orally, namely the possibility of obtaining the plenary indulgence by visiting St. Peter’s Basilica during the “secular” year.

Originally, according to the bull of Boniface VIII, the Jubilee was to be celebrated every hundred years. However, the periods between Jubilees changed over time:
– Pope Clement VI reduced it to every fifty years (thus resuming the frequency of the Old Testament);
– Pope Gregory XI set it every thirty-three years, in memory of the years of Jesus’ life;
– Pope Paul II finally established the frequency of twenty-five years, so that more faithful, including young people, could enjoy this grace at least once in their lifetime (considering the low life expectancy of those times).

In addition to “ordinary” Jubilees (every 25 years), “extraordinary” Jubilees are sometimes proclaimed for particular circumstances or needs of the Church. The last three extraordinary Jubilees have been:
– 1933-1934: Extraordinary Jubilee of Redemption (1900th anniversary of the Redemption of Christ, traditionally dated to the year 33 AD);
– 1983-1984: Extraordinary Jubilee of Redemption (1950th anniversary of the Redemption of Christ);
– 2015-2016: Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (to centre upon the theme of Mercy).
Since not everyone could travel to Rome, the Popes granted the possibility of obtaining the plenary indulgence also to those who, for economic reasons or other nature, could not travel. Instead of the pilgrimage, other works of piety, penance, and charity could be performed, as is still the case today.

Meaning and spirit of the Jubilee
The Jubilee is a strong time of penance and conversion, aimed at the remission of sins and growth in God’s grace. In particular, the Church invites us to:

1. Renew the memory of our Redemption and evoke a lively gratitude towards the Divine Saviour.
2. Revive in us faith, hope, and charity.
3. Arm ourselves, thanks to the Lord’s particular enlightenment in this period of grace, against errors, impiety, corruption, and scandals that surround us.
4. Awaken and increase the spirit of prayer, a Christian’s fundamental weapon.
5. Cultivate penance of the heart, correct behaviours, and repair with good works those sins that draw God’s wrath.
6. Obtain, through the conversion of sinners and the perfection of the righteous, that God anticipates in His mercy the triumph of the truth taught by the Church.

One of the culminating moments for the faithful during the Jubilee is the passage through the Holy Door, a gesture that must be preceded by a remote preparation path (prayer, penance, and charity) and by a proximate preparation (fulfilling the conditions to receive the plenary indulgence). It is important to remember that one cannot receive the plenary indulgence if one is in a state of grave sin.

The conditions for receiving plenary indulgence are:
1. Sacramental confession.
2. Eucharistic communion.
3. Prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father (an Our Father and a Hail Mary).
4. Inner disposition of total detachment from sin, even venial (that is, the strong will to longer want to offend God).
If full disposition is lacking or if all conditions are not met, the indulgence is only partial.

Information on the Jubilee of 2025
As usual, this Jubilee was proclaimed by a Bull of Indiction, entitled Spes Non Confundit, which can be consulted HERE. Additionally, the Norms on the Granting of the Indulgence During the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025 are available, and can be read HERE. The official website of the Jubilee of 2025, with information on the organization, events, calendar, and more, can be found HERE.

In the jubilee tradition of the Catholic Church, pilgrims arriving in Rome make a “devout pilgrimage” to the churches enriched with indulgence. This custom dates back to the time of the first Christians, who loved to pray at the tombs of the apostles and martyrs, certain of receiving particular graces through the intercession of St. Peter, St. Paul, and the many martyrs who soaked the land of Rome with their blood.

In 2025, several pilgrimage routes have been proposed, and in each of the indicated churches, it is possible to obtain the plenary indulgence. All the basilicas and churches mentioned below have been enriched with this jubilee gift.

1. Itinerary of the four Papal Basilicas
The four Papal Basilicas of Rome are:
1.1 St. Peter in Vatican City
1.2 St. John Lateran
1.3 St. Mary Major
1.4 St. Paul Outside the Walls

2. Pilgrimage of the 7 churches
The pilgrimage of the Seven Churches, initiated by St. Philip Neri in the 16th century, is one of the oldest Roman traditions. The itinerary, about 25 km long, winds through the entire city, also touching the Roman countryside and the catacombs.
In addition to the four Papal Basilicas, it includes:
2.5 Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls
2.6 Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
2.7 Basilica of St. Sebastian Outside the Walls

3. “Iter Europaeum”
The Iter Europaeum is a pilgrimage through 28 churches and basilicas in Rome, each associated with one of the member states of the European Union for its artistic, cultural value, or for the tradition of hosting pilgrims from that specific country.

4. Female Patrons of Europe and Doctors of the Church
This route offers the opportunity to get to know European saints more closely, particularly those recognised as Female Patrons of Europe or Doctors of the Church. The itinerary leads pilgrims through the alleys of the Monti district, Piazza della Minerva, and other iconic places in Rome, to discover female figures of great importance in the history of Catholicism.

5. Christian Catacombs
Places that are both historical and sacred, where the mortal remains of numerous saints and martyrs are preserved.

6. Other Jubilee Churches
In these churches, catechesis will be held in various languages to rediscover the meaning of the Holy Year. It will also be possible to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation and enrich one’s experience of faith through prayer.

Basilicas or churches enriched with plenary indulgence
To facilitate visits and devotion, here we are presenting the list of all the basilicas and churches enriched with plenary indulgence for the Jubilee of 2025, accompanied by links to the Jubilee sites, Google Maps, the official web pages of the individual places of worship, and other useful information. Three of them have been repeated because they are included in a double category (Basilica of St. Mary of Minerva, St. Paul at the Rule, and St. Bridget at Campo de’ Fiori).

This year, the XLIII Days of Salesian Spirituality will take place from January 16 to 19, as usual, in Valdocco. They represent, for the entire Salesian Family spread around the world, a precious opportunity for meeting, reflection, and spiritual renewal. Every year, in January, religious, laypeople, and young people gather to rediscover the roots of the Salesian charism, celebrating the figure and legacy of Saint John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Congregation and a great friend of the young. The goal is to promote a communal reflection on the values of faith, fraternity, and educational mission, according to the Salesian spirit, in a context of celebration and prayer.

Origin and meaning of the Days of Salesian Spirituality
The tradition of the Days of Salesian Spirituality has its roots in the educational practice of Don Bosco, who understood the importance of cultivating moments of formation for his young people and for the collaborators who assisted him in his mission. From the early decades of the Congregation’s life, there was a need to periodically gather to reread the experiences lived in Salesian works and to dialogue with the challenges of the present. Over the years, the Salesian charism has spread well beyond the borders of Piedmont, reaching all five continents. At the same time, the need to come together for common reflection and discernment has become increasingly pressing, making it essential to have an opportunity for meeting that we now know as the Days of Salesian Spirituality.

The Days, typically celebrated in January close to the liturgical feast of Saint John Bosco (January 31), represent the synthesis of an entire year of work, prayer, and reflection around the theme proposed by the Rector Major of the Salesians with the so-called Strenna. The Strenna is an annual message that, starting from a phrase or a key concept, aims to guide Salesian life and mission in the world. During these days, participants delve into the meaning of this message, engaging with other Salesian realities, sharing testimonies, and allowing themselves to be inspired by moments of prayer and celebration.

Structure and highlights
The Days of Salesian Spirituality usually take place in a location particularly significant for the Congregation, such as Colle Don Bosco or Valdocco in Turin, where Saint John Bosco took his first steps in youth apostolate. In other cases, to facilitate the participation of the faithful and members of the Salesian Family residing in various parts of the world, parallel events or live streaming connections may be organized. This allows anyone interested, even from a distance, to follow the main moments of prayer, listen to meditations, and interact with the speakers.

During these days, the agenda is marked by a series of appointments that range from theological and pastoral reflection to moments of conviviality and celebration. Among the highlights are:

1. Conferences and thematic presentations: authoritative figures from the Salesian world, theologians, educators, and leaders of the works present insights on the annual theme. These presentations provide a broad overview of contemporary educational and pastoral challenges, helping to place the Salesian charism in today’s context.

2. Group work and workshops: to move from the theoretical to the practical, participants are involved in working groups or workshops, where they have the opportunity to compare experiences lived in their own realities and to imagine new ways of evangelization and youth accompaniment.

3. Celebrations and moments of prayer: the Days of Salesian Spirituality are not only about study and deepening but also, and above all, an opportunity to meet God. The liturgies and community prayers that punctuate the entire duration of the event constitute a source of spiritual nourishment that supports and strengthens the sense of belonging to the great Salesian Family.

4. Testimonies and sharing of experiences: listening to the stories of missionaries, educators, and young people from different socio-cultural contexts is a fundamental element. These concrete testimonies give a face to Salesian values and demonstrate the vitality of a charism that, more than a century after Don Bosco’s death, continues to inspire generations of believers.

5. Meeting with the Rector Major: a particularly awaited and significant moment is the meeting with the Rector Major, who represents the successor of Don Bosco. In his address, he urges the entire Salesian Family to continue with commitment the educational and pastoral work, reminding them of the importance of uniting spiritual life with concrete action in favor of young people, especially those in need.

The protagonists: the Salesian Family on the move
The Days of Salesian Spirituality involve not only Salesian religious (SDB) and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) but also bring together all the groups that make up the varied Salesian Family: Salesian Cooperators, former students of Don Bosco, Volunteers of Don Bosco, and many others. This plurality of expressions and belonging reveals the richness of a charism that has been able to take on different forms and sensitivities, but always converging in love for young people and for the Church.

Towards a continuous renewal of the charism
One of the most important messages that emerge from the Days of Salesian Spirituality is the need for a continuous and creative renewal of Don Bosco’s charism. The world is changing at a dizzying pace, with unprecedented challenges concerning the technological, social, and educational spheres. To remain faithful to the founder and the Gospel, the Salesian Family is called to always be outgoing, not to settle for “tried and tested” formulas, but to experiment with forms of apostolate that can speak to today’s youth.

Faithfulness to Don Bosco does not mean blindly repeating what has been done in the past, but deepening his spirit and preventive method, to find new languages and educational experiences suitable for the present. This is the profound meaning of the Days of Salesian Spirituality: a time of listening, reflection, and sharing that opens to the future, keeping a firm gaze on that original inspiration that has made the Salesian Congregation a point of reference for millions of young people around the world.

The Days of Salesian Spirituality, celebrated every year in January, are not just a fixed appointment on the Salesian calendar, but a true “spiritual laboratory” where the richness of a constantly evolving charism is felt. In an era where human relationships are often fragmented and the search for meaning is increasingly pressing, the Salesian message retains its relevance: to place the young at the center, to love them, to value them, to accompany them on the journey towards human and Christian maturity. And it is precisely in this perspective that the Days of Salesian Spirituality reveal themselves as a precious gift for the Salesian Family and for the entire Church, a sign that Don Bosco’s educational passion still lives today, fruitful and full of hope, capable of generating good fruits in every corner of the planet.

To learn more, click HERE.

On November 25^th, 2024, Pope Francis authorised the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree regarding the miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Maria Troncatti, a professed Sister of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, born in Corteno Golgi (Italy) on February 16^th, 1883, and who died in Sucúa (Ecuador) on August 25^th, 1969. With this act of the Holy Father, the path to the canonisation of Blessed Maria Troncatti is opened.

Maria Troncatti was born in Corteno Golgi (Brescia) on February 16^th, 1883. Devoted to parish catechesis and the sacraments, the adolescent Maria developed a deep Christian sense that opened her to a religious vocation. The Salesian Bulletin arrived in Corteno, and Maria thought about her religious vocation. However, out of obedience to her father and the parish priest, she waited until she was of age before asking for admission to the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. She made her first profession in 1908 in Nizza Monferrato. During World War I (1915-1918), Sister Maria attended health assistance courses in Varazze and worked as a Red Cross nurse in the military hospital. During a flood in which she risked drowning, Maria promised the Madonna that if she saved her life, she would go to the missions.

In 1922, Mother General, Caterina Daghero assigned her to the missions in Ecuador. She spent three years in Chunchi. Accompanied by the missionary Bishop Mons. Comin and a small expedition, Sister Maria and two other sisters ventured into the Amazon rainforest. Their mission field was the land of the Shuar Indians, in the south-eastern part of Ecuador. They settled in Macas, a village of colonists surrounded by the collective homes of the Shuar. Together with her sisters, she carried out a difficult work of evangelization amidst various risks, including those posed by forest animals and the dangers of swirling rivers. Macas, Sevilla Don Bosco, and Sucúa are some of the “miracles” still flourishing out of Sister Maria Troncatti’s work: nurse, surgeon and orthopaedic doctor, dentist, and anaesthetist… But above all, she was a catechist and evangeliser, rich in wonderful resources of faith, patience, and fraternal love. Her work for the promotion of Shuar women flourished in hundreds of new Christian families, formed for the first time by the free personal choice of the young spouses. She was nicknamed “the doctor of the jungle”, fighting for human promotion, especially of women. She was the “little mother” (madrecita), always eager to reach out not only to the sick but to all those in need of help and hope. From a simple and poor clinic, she founded a real hospital and personally trained the nurses. With maternal patience, she listened, fostered communion among the people, and educated both natives and colonists in forgiveness. “A glance at the Crucifix gives me life and courage to work”, this is the certainty of faith that sustained her life. In every activity, sacrifice, or danger, she felt supported by the maternal presence of Mary Help of Christians.

On August 25^th, 1969, in Sucúa (Ecuador), the small plane carrying Sister Maria Troncatti to the city crashed a few minutes after take-off, on the edge of that jungle which had been for almost half a century her “heart’s homeland”, the space of her tireless donation among the “Shuar”. Sister Maria experienced her last take-off: the one that took her to Paradise! She was 86 years old, all spent as a gift of love. She had offered her life for reconciliation between the colonists and the Shuar. She wrote, “I am increasingly happy with my missionary religious vocation!”

She was declared Venerable on November 12^th, 2008, and beatified during the pontificate of Benedict XVI in Macas (Apostolic Vicariate of Méndez – Ecuador) on November 24^th, 2012. In the beatification homily, Cardinal Angelo Amato outlined her figure as a consecrated and missionary woman. In the ordinariness and simplicity of her maternal and merciful gestures, Card. Amato highlighted the extraordinary nature of the “example of dedication to Jesus and his Gospel of truth and life” for which, more than forty years after her death, she was remembered with gratitude. “Sister Maria, animated by grace, became an untiring messenger of the Gospel, expert in humanity and a profound knower of the human heart. She shared the joys and hopes, the difficulties and sorrows of her brothers and sisters, both great and small. She was able to transform prayer into apostolic zeal and concrete service to others”. Cardinal Amato concluded the homily by reassuring those present, including the Shuar, that “from heaven, Blessed Maria Troncatti continues to watch over your homeland and your families. Let us continue to ask for her intercession, to live in fraternity, concord, and peace. Let us turn to her with confidence, so that she may assist the sick, console the suffering, enlighten parents in the Christian education of their children, and bring harmony to families. Dear faithful, as she was on earth, so from heaven Blessed Maria Troncatti will continue to be our Good Mother”.

The biography written by Sister Domenica Grassiano, “Jungle, Homeland of the Heart”, helped to make the testimony of this great missionary known and to spread her fame of holiness. This Daughter of Mary Help of Christians singularly embodied the pedagogy and spirituality of the preventive system, especially through that motherhood that marked her entire missionary witness throughout her life.

As a young Sister in the 1920s: while continuing as a nurse, she dedicated particular attention to the oratory girls, especially to a group of them who were rather neglected, noisy, and intolerant of any discipline. Sister Maria welcomed and treated them in such a way that “they had a veneration for her: they knelt before her, so great was their esteem. They felt in her a soul belonging entirely to God and entrusted themselves to her prayer”.

She also reserved special attention for the postulants, communicating trust and courage, “Be brave, do not let yourself be taken by regret for what you have left behind… Pray to the Lord, and He will help you realise your vocation”. The forty postulants of that year all reached to receiving the habit and making their profession, attributing this result to Sister Maria’s prayers, which instilled hope, especially when she saw difficulties in adapting to the new way of life or in accepting separation from one’s family.

As Mother of the poor and needy. With her example and message, she reminds us that “we do not only care for the body, but also for the needs of the human soul: for those who suffer from the violation of rights or from a broken love; for those who find themselves in darkness regarding the truth; who suffer from the absence of truth and love. We care for the salvation of people in body and soul”. How many souls she saved! How many children she saved from certain death! How many girls and women she defended in their dignity! How many families she formed and safeguarded in the truth of marital and family love! How many fires of hatred and revenge she extinguished with the strength of patience and the giving of one’s life! And she lived all this with great apostolic and missionary zeal.

The testimony of Father Giovanni Vigna, who worked for 23 years in the same mission, illustrates very well the heart of Sister Maria Troncatti, “Sister Maria stood out for her exquisite motherhood. She found a solution to every problem that proved always the best, in light of the facts. She was always willing to discover the positive side of people. I saw her treat human nature in all its aspects, even the most miserable: she treated them with that excellence and gentleness that were spontaneous and natural in her. She expressed motherhood as affection among the Sisters in the community: it was the vital secret that sustained them, the love that united them to one another; the full sharing of labours, pains, and joys. She exercised her motherhood especially towards the younger ones. Many Sisters experienced the sweetness and strength of her love. This was also true for the Salesians who frequently fell ill because they did not spare themselves in their work and effort. She cared for them, supported them morally, sensing crises, fatigue, and turmoil. Her transparent soul saw everything through the love of a Father who cares for us and saves us. She served as God’s instrument for wonderful works!”

To my Salesian Brothers SDB
To my brothers and sisters in the Salesian Family

My dear brothers and sisters: Please accept my fraternal and affectionate greetings on this day when we remember our Father Don Bosco’s birth. I am sending you these words a few minutes after solemnly celebrating the liturgical feast of Don Bosco’s birth at the Becchi, Colle Don Bosco, where he was born on 16 August 1815. This child was a wonderful instrument of the Spirit of God to give life to the great movement that is the Don Bosco Family.

This morning, in the presence of the Vicar of the Rector Major and many of my Salesian brothers and sisters, the Salesian Family, lay friends of Don Bosco, civil and public service authorities and 375 young people from all over the world who took part in the Youth Synod, I signed my resignation from the service as Rector Major, as established by the Constitutions and Regulations of the Salesians of Don Bosco, given that I have been called by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, to another service.

I would like to communicate to the whole Salesian world, in these words, what has taken piace. I would like to express my outlook of faith and hope in the Lord who has guided us, and I wish to express my gratitude for so much good received over these ten and a half years as Rector Major of the Congregation and, in the name of Don Bosco, as Father of the entire Salesian Family.

1. First of all, dear brothers and sisters, in addressing you I would like to express my deep gratitude to God for these years in which he has blessed our Congregation and the Salesian Family. Over a decade we have certainly experienced very different events and situations, especially in a Congregation that is present in 136 nations; I think I can say that we have approached everything from a perspective of faith, with great hope and determination, always for the good of the mission and in fidelity to the charism we have received.

2. I am grateful to the Lord for the fact that over these years I have net lacked, nor have we lacked, the serenity and strength that comes from him. For how true is what the risen Lord says to St Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor 12:9). This is how I have experienced, and this is how we as the General Council have experienced our service of animation and government. In particular, I would like to thank the two General Councils that have accompanied me over these ten and a half years for their loyalty to our common project, for their dedication and their service.

3. At the end of this period at the head of the Salesian Congregation, I express particular thanks to the Vicar of the Rector Major, Fr Stefano Martoglio, who takes up his service at the head of the Congregation with total dedication and generosity. In the coming months there will be much work and great responsibility, but his personality, his fraternal approach, his ability and optimism, with the help of the General Council and guided by the Lord, will facilitate the journey that remains until the 29th General Chapter.

4. I express my deep gratitude to all my Salesian confreres around the world. I have always felt welcomed, loved and fraternally accepted, and I have found collaboration and generosity. lt is true that the Salesians of Don Bosco love and care for the Rector Major as they would for Don Bosco himself, as he asked of us in his spiritual testament. Thank you for your generosity.

5. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Salesian Family spread throughout the world: to our sisters the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, to the Salesian Cooperators, to the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) – all founded by Don Bosco – and so on up to the 32 groups that today make up this great charismatic tree. These were years of growth and blessing. Thank you to all the people who, through faith in the Lord, have made all this possible.

6. And over these ten years of my service of animation and government, during which I have been able to visit 120 of the countries in which the Congregation and the Salesian Family are present, I have received the great gift of meeting young people around the world: little ones, teenagers, young adults, boys and girls of every nation. I was able to “see with my own eyes, feel with my heart”, first-hand, how “the educational miracles that heal and transform lives” continue to happen every day in many Salesian presences and in our family. And I was able to meet thousands and thousands of young people from all continents and cultures. They were one of my profoundest joys.

7. And I have one last thank you to make. Throughout these years, I have always felt encouraged and supported by the unconditional love of my biological family. For nine of these years my parents, now with God, accompanied me lovingly, serenely, and with their prayers, always telling me not to worry about them. They and all the rest of my family have always been there forme, supporting me with their presence and representing a safe haven to reach so that I never forget my humble origins.

8. Let me conclude by referring to what I said on 25 March 2014 when the then Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chavez, asked me, on behalf of the 27th General Chapter which had elected me in the voting, whether I would accept the service of Rector Major.

I remember that in my poor Italian of that time I said, not without deep emotion, that “trusting in the Grace of the Lord and in faith, with the certainty that I will always be supported by my Salesian confreres, and because I truly love the young people whom I carry in my Salesian heart, I accept what is asked of me.” Today, with these words of thanks, I can tell you that everything I had hoped for has come true with God’s grace.

My final words are addressed to our Father Don Bosco and the Help of Christians. There is no doubt that Don Bosco has watched over and supported his Congregation and his Family over these years. And I have no doubt that in all this time what he himself had assured us has been achieved: “She did everything”. This was the case with Don Bosco. This has been the case in the recent years to which I refer, and this will undoubtedly continue to be the case. To her, our Mother and Help of Christians, we entrust ourselves.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you and greetings from this brother of yours who is and always will be a Salesian of Don Bosco. With all my affection,

Ángel Fernández Cardinale Artime
Prot. 24/0427
Colle Don Bosco, 16 August 2024

Let us also add the office termination act.

I, the undersigned, Ángel Fernández Cardinale Artime, Rector Major of the Society of St Francis de Sales,

– whereas in the Consistory of 30 September 2023 the Holy Father Francis created and proclaimed me Cardinal of the Deaconry of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in Via Tuscolana; whereas on 5 March 2024 he assigned me the titular see of Ursona, with the dignity of archbishop, and whereas on 20 April 2024 I received Episcopal Ordination in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome;
– considering that the religious elevated to the Episcopate is subject only to the Roman Pontiff (can.
705);
– taking into account that, in accordance with can. 184 §1 CIC “An ecclesiastical office is lost by the lapse of a predetermined time” and that, by decree of 19 April 2024, the Holy Father ordered “by exception and only for this case” the continuation of my service as Rector Major after episcopal ordination, until 16 August 2024,
hereby

I DECLARE

that, since the time established by the aforementioned decree has expired, from today’s date I h1ve ceased to hold the office of Rector Major of the Society of St Francis de Sales.

In accordance with art. 143 of the Constitutions, the Vicar, Father Stefano Martoglio, wili simuitaneousiy take over the governance of the Society ad interim, until the election of the Rector Major that will take place during the 29th General ha ter convened in Turin from 16 February to 12 April 2025.

Ángel Fernández Cardinale Artime
Prot. 24/0406
Rome, 16 August 2024

We asked Fr Luis Víctor SEQUEIRA GUTIÉRREZ, the new Provincial of the Angola Province (ANG), some questions for readers of the OnLine Salesian Bulletin.

His appointment is due to the fact that the previous superior of the Salesians in Angola, Fr Martin Lasarte, was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Lwena.
With this appointment, the Rector Major has also decided, again after consulting his Council, to elevate the Angola Vice-Province to the rank of Province, starting from the day of the installation of Fr Sequeira Gutiérrez. He will therefore be the first Provincial of the new Province.
Son of Cristóbal Sequeira and Victoria Gutiérrez, Victor Luís Sequeira Gutiérrez was born on 22 March 1964, in Asunción, Paraguay. He attended the Salesian aspirantate in Ypacaraí in 1984, the prenovitiate in 1985 and finally the novitiate in La Plata, Argentina, in 1986. He made his first profession on 31 January 1987. His philosophy studies took him to São Paulo, Brazil, and to the Catholic University of Asunción.
From 1992 to 2020, he worked as a missionary in Angola, holding various posts: Bursar of the Don Bosco formation house in Luanda (1997-98), Rector of the Catholic Mission in Libolo (1998-2005), Rector and parish priest in Dondo (2005-11). From 2011 to 2014 he was Rector of the Luanda Formation Centre, as well as Deputy Director of the Institut Supérieur de Philosophie et Pédagogie Don Bosco in Luanda, now known as ISDB.
He previously served as Superior of the Salesians of Angola for the six-year period 2014-2020.
In November 2020, he was sent to Portugal to be part of the formation team for Theology students in Lisbon, also serving briefly as chaplain at the Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Alcoitão. Finally, in February 2023, he returned to Angola, where he had recently been appointed Rector and Parish Priest of the Lwena community.
Fr Sequeira Gutiérrez is fluent in Spanish, Guarani, French, Italian and Portuguese.

Can you present yourself?
I am Father Victor Luís Sequeira Gutiérrez, Provincial of Angola. I have been in Angola for 32 years and I am Paraguayan.

How did your vocation come about?
At a time of military dictatorship and in a Church where young people found a place for free expression, the encounter with the Word led me to conversion and commitment. I felt called to be at the service of this Church that leads to liberation, especially of young people.

Why Salesian?
Because my roots are Salesian, my mother was familiar with Salesian settings, in contact with the FMA and my father with the oratory and the priests who were real fathers (dads); furthermore, I was born and grew up in a Salesian parish, we can say that my nature is Salesian.

Do you remember any educators in particular?
Father Edmundo Candia, Father Rojas, Father Aquino.

Why a missionary?
It all started with aspiration, when I came into contact with the missions in the Chaco, then also with the missions in Africa and the Africa project. From that moment on I felt called.

What are the greatest difficulties you have encountered?
The encounter of the Gospel with the local culture, where the life and dignity of people must be valued.

What are the greatest joys you have encountered?
The way people do not lose hope and always give you a smile, the gratitude they have for the missionaries.

How do you find work in this environment?
Above all, useful as an instrument of God, not indispensable, and therefore fulfilled as a consecrated and missionary person.

What are the young people in the area like?
They are cheerful, full of vitality, ready to learn, to be formed and to develop.

Are Christians persecuted in the area?
No, thank God, Angola is predominantly Christian.

What are the great challenges of evangelisation and mission today?
Human formation and the proclamation of the Gospel, in-depth dialogue with the culture.

What could be done more and better?
Give quality education and vocational training, embody the Gospel more in the culture, a catechesis that touches current reality.

On 16 June 2024, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, confirmed Fr Alessandro as National Director of the Pontifical Missionary Works (POM) in Lithuania for another five-year term (2024-2029). Fr Alessandro, a Salesian from Turin, has been working as a missionary in Lithuania since 1998. He is currently the rector of the Salesian community in Vilnius, pastor of the parish entrusted to the Salesians and editor of the Lithuanian Salesian Bulletin.
He was appointed national director of the POM in 2019 at the proposal of the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference, and his post can be summarised as the Church of Lithuania’s national commissioner of missionary animation, especially with a special eye for missions directly dependent on the Pontifical Organisations.

What are the Pontifical Missionary Societies?
The Pontifical Missionary Societies (POM) are a worldwide network of prayer and solidarity in the service of the Pope to meet the spiritual and material needs of peoples and local Churches in the so-called mission territories. They are an organisation of the universal Catholic Church that promotes and supports missionary activities worldwide. Their main mission is to spread the Gospel and support Christian communities in developing countries. In each country of the world, there is a national POM directorate that, through the various diocesan directors or national appointees of religious congregations or ecclesial movements, coordinates the initiatives of that country for the growth of missionary attention.
Let us look in detail at the history, the theological and ecclesial motivation of these 4 Works and their specificity.

1. Work of the Propagation of the Faith: founded in 1822 in Lyon, France, by Blessed Pauline Jaricot. Its purpose is to provide financial and spiritual support to Catholic missions around the world. It was recognised as ‘Pontifical’ by Pope Pius XI in 1922.

2. Opera dell’Infanzia Missionaria (also known as Holy Childhood): founded in 1843 by Charles de Forbin-Janson, Bishop of Nancy, France. It aims to sensitise children in Christian countries to the missionary cause and to promote solidarity among children worldwide.  It was also recognised as ‘Pontifical’ by Pope Pius XI in 1922.

3. Opera di San Pietro Apostolo: founded in 1889 by Jeanne Bigard and her mother Stéphanie in Caen, France. Its aim is to support the training of local clergy in mission territories. It supports scholarships for clergy and priests from mission countries, both locally and abroad. Declared ‘Pontifical’ in 1922 by Pope Pius XI.

4. Missionary Union of the Clergy: founded in 1916 by Father Paolo Manna, a PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions) missionary. It promotes missionary awareness among clergy and pastoral workers. It is not just for the clergy, but for the awareness of the entire people of God as possessors of the universal missionary mandate. It became a pontifical work in 1956, under the pontificate of Pope Pius XII.

Theological and ecclesial motivation
POM is rooted in the Church’s mission to evangelise, which originates from Christ’s mandate to his disciples: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Mission is therefore seen as a response to the divine invitation to share the Good News with all nations.
The heart of mission is the proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ, the proclamation of the Kingdom of God and the witnessing of the Christian faith.
On the other hand, proclamation not supported by solidarity would not be very credible. The POMs express the solidarity of the universal Church with the young Churches, especially in the poorest countries, through spiritual and material aid.
From the ecclesial point of view, the POMs are a concrete expression of missionary cooperation within the universal Church. They provide support to local churches in mission territories, helping them to develop church structures and to train clergy and laity. They also promote missionary awareness among the faithful, stimulating prayer, missionary vocation and financial support for missions. They facilitate international cooperation within the Church, enabling an equitable distribution of resources for mission needs.
The Pontifical Mission Societies are a vital component of the Catholic Church, embodying a commitment to evangelisation and global solidarity. Their history reflects a continuous and growing attention towards missions, while their theological and ecclesial motivation highlights the importance of the missionary mandate in the context of the Christian faith.
We Salesians are also called to be part of this ecclesial missionary journey of spiritual and material closeness and solidarity.

Universal Mission Collection
Since 1926, World Mission Day has been celebrated on the penultimate Sunday of October in all the Catholic communities of the world, as a day of prayer and universal solidarity among sister Churches. It is a time when each one of us is called to face up to the responsibility that is incumbent on every baptised person and on every Christian community, whether small or large, in response to Jesus’ mandate “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15). It is placed at the beginning of the pastoral year to remind us that the missionary dimension must inspire every moment of our lives and that “missionary action” Pope Francis reminds us “is the paradigm of every work of the Church” (EG 15).
The Day is associated with an annual collection of offerings with which the Pontifical Missionary Societies, an expression of the Pope’s solicitude towards all the Christian communities of the world, come to the aid of the young missionary Churches, especially those in difficult situations and of greatest need, providing for their basic pastoral needs: training of local seminarians, priests, religious, catechists; construction and maintenance of places of worship, seminaries and parish structures; support for local Catholic TV, Radio and Press; provision of means of transport for missionaries (cars, motorbikes, bicycles, boats); support for the education, upbringing and Christian formation of children and young people. For this reason, this collection of offerings differs from other purposes, as well as from other possible forms of cooperation between particular Churches.

Theme of World Mission Day 2024
Every year the Holy Father sends a message to the whole Church on the occasion of World Mission Day. This message pays special attention to the activities of the POMs in the service of the whole Church. This 2024, the theme of World Mission Day is “Go and invite everyone to the banquet”, inspired by Mt 22:9. This theme was chosen to emphasise the mission of the Church to bring the invitation to salvation to all humanity, reflecting the parable of the wedding feast in which the king invites everyone at the crossroads to participate in the banquet.
Pope Francis highlights three key aspects:
1. “Go and invite!” Mission as a tireless going out to everyone to invite them to an encounter and communion with God. This calls the Church to always be outgoing, overcoming obstacles and difficulties to bring the Gospel to all.
2. The “Banquet”. The eschatological and Eucharistic perspective of the mission. The eschatological banquet symbolises the final salvation in the Kingdom of God, and participation in the Eucharist anticipates this perfect communion with God.
3. “Everyone”. The universal mission of Christ’s disciples, who must go to the margins of society to invite all, without exclusion, to participate in the new life in Christ.

Fr Alessandro BARELLI, sdb

The Holy See announced in a press release issued by the Press Office on 5 March 2024 that Pope Francis has decided on the episcopal ordination of Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, sdb, Rector Major of the Salesian Society of Saint John Bosco, assigning him the titular See of Ursona, with archiepiscopal dignity. It is an ancient episcopal see in Spain (4th century), which was located in the city of Ossuna, suffragan of the archdiocese of Seville, and since 1969 has been counted among the titular episcopal sees of the Catholic Church.
The episcopal ordination takes place in accordance with Pope John XXIII’s Apostolic Motu Proprio, Cum Gravissima, on the episcopal dignity to be conferred on all cardinals (15 April 1962), and is scheduled for 20 April next.

He is the first Rector Major to be appointed cardinal and also the first Rector Major to be appointed archbishop of the Catholic Church.

Following this elevation to the cardinalate, various events have taken place and others will follow:
– 9 July 2023, at the end of the Angelus, Pope Francis announced his creation as a cardinal;
– 30 September 2023, he was created a cardinal, receiving the cardinal’s biretta and ring in the Ordinary Public Consistory;
– 4 October 2023, he took office in the Roman Curia, being appointed a member of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (DIVCSVA);
– 17 December 2023, he took possession of the diaconate of Mary Help of Christians in Via Tuscolana;
– 20 April 2024, he is scheduled for episcopal ordination; it will be done through the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination by Card. Emil Paul TSCHERRIG, Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus in Italy and in the Republic of San Marino, who will be joined by His Eminence Cardinal Cristóbal LÓPEZ ROMANO. Cristóbal LÓPEZ ROMERO, sdb, Archbishop of Rabat (Morocco) and Bishop Lucas VAN LOOY, sdb, Bishop Emeritus of Ghent (Belgium). The celebration will take place in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome and will begin at 3.30 p.m;
– 16 August 2024, end of mandate as Rector Major and beginning of his service at the Holy See, according to the mission that will be entrusted to him.

His successor at the head of the Salesian Congregation will be elected at the 29th General Chapter of the Congregation (which will take place from 16 February to 12 April 2025), which has already been convoked, according to the Salesian Constitutions.

We wish our Rector Major, Cardinal Ángel, every success in his service to the Universal Church.

Next year, 2025, is the 150th anniversary of the departure of the first Salesian missionary expedition. In view of this anniversary, the Salesian Missions Department wants to prepare for the event and launches an introduction for the Salesian communities. This event is proposed as: Give Thanks, Rethink, Relaunch.

Give Thanks: We give thanks to God for the gift of missionary vocation which enables the sons of Don Bosco today to reach out to poor and abandoned youth in 136 countries.

Rethink: This is an opportune occasion to rethink and develop a renewed vision on the Salesian Missions in the light of new challenges and new perspectives which led to new missiological reflections.

Relaunch: We have not only a glorious history to remember and be grateful for, but also a great history still to be accomplished! We look to the future with missionary zeal and enthusiasm so that we may reach out to even more poor and abandoned youth.

The official logo: The globe crossed by waves which symbolise courage and new challenges, but also energy and boldness. At the centre is a ship, symbol of the first Salesian Missionary Expedition (1875), and, at the same time, the fire of a renewed missionary enthusiasm. The shape of the wheel alludes to unity and mutual connection. The logo may be used only in the official version without making any changes or alterations to any part of the logo. It is available in different formats and can be downloaded (http://tinyurl.com/33nt6y3b) or requested by email (cagliero11 @ sdb.org).

Objective of the 2025 celebrations:
Keep the missionary spirit and enthusiasm alive in the Congregation in order to foster greater missionary zeal and generosity among the Salesians and the whole EPC ( Educational and Pastoral Community) (cf. Rector Major’s Guidelines for the Salesian Congregation after General Chapter 28, no. 7, ACG 433/2020).

Not an event but a process of missionary renewal
The 150th anniversary of the first missionary expedition ought not be only a commemorative event but a process of missionary renewal that already started with the drawing up of the six-year plan of missionary animation. Its high moment is 2025 but continues in the succeeding years. This takes place at three levels.

1. At the province level
Celebrations will be mainly at the Province level. Through the RCMA (Regional Coordinator for Missionary Animation) the Missions Sector will continue to follow-up on each Province’s Plan of missionary animation, of which the initiatives at the Province level for 2025 are part of.

In the context of the celebration, through the PDMA (Provincial Delegates for Missionary Animation) each Province will be actively encouraged to evaluate how it has put into practice the Rector Major’s Guidelines Nos. 2, 5, 7.

“It is urgent that we give absolute priority to the commitment to evangelise the young with conscious, intentional, and explicit proposals. […] We respond to the “urgency of offering initial proclamation with more conviction, because ‘Nothing is more solid, profound, secure, meaningful and wisdom-filled than that initial proclamation’ (Christus Vivit, no. 214) (Guidelines, n. 2)
Let all Provinces make the radical, preferential, personal and institutional option – meaning on the part of every Salesian, on behalf of the most in need, boys, girls and poor and excluded youth, giving particular attention to the defence of those who are exploited and victims of what-ever abuse and violence (“the abuse of power, the abuse of conscience, sexual and financial abuse”) (Guidelines n. 5).
We made the missionary appeal concrete by inviting each Province to open a missionary project (refugees, immigrants, border crossings, exploited children…) during the previous six years, giving priority to the significance and the real requests for help from today’s youth (Guidelines n. 7).”

Each Province is asked to make a concrete initiative for 2025 (e.g., the Provinces of ARS and ARN are preparing a Historical Congress; the ZMB Vice Province has initiated the opening of a new presence in Botswana, etc.). This will be made known through ANS, etc.

2. At the missions sector level
2025 will be an occasion to make known the result of the work now underway on refugees, gypsies, Identity of Salesian Missionary Museums, Identity of Provincial Mission Offices, conclusions of roundtable discussion of missiologists and theologians on Salesian missions today, Salesian Missionary Volunteering, Bosco Food (to create an intercultural mindset), Missionary Animation materials, SMD (Salesian Mission Day) 2025, etc.

3. At the Congregation level
Missionary send-off (156th missionary expedition) on November 11, 2025 in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, Valdocco. This is a celebration through which the Congregation renews its missionary commitment in front of Mary Help of Christians.

The Rector Major invites each Province to send the PDMA for the celebration. They will spend a few days (9-12 Nov 2025) in Valdocco and Genoa to “Give Thanks, Rethink, Relaunch.

It has been a tradition since the centenary of Don Bosco’s death in 1988, that an International Congress dedicated to Mary Help of Christians is held every four years. So far they have been held in Valdocco,  Turin Italy in 1988, in Cochabamba, Bolivia in 1995, in Seville, Spain in 1999, in Valdocco, Turin Italy in 2003 (on the centenary of the coronation of Mary Help of Christians), in Mexico City, Mexico in 2007, in Czestochowa, Poland in 2011, in Valdocco / Colle Don Bosco, Italy in 2015 (on the bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth) and in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2019.

            This year, the 9th International Congress of Mary Help of Christians will be held in Fatima, from 29 August to 1 September 2024, and the theme will be: “I will give you a teacher”, in line with the Strenna of the Rector Major and celebrating the 200th anniversary of Don Bosco’s dream at nine years of age.
            The importance of Mary as a teacher in Salesian spirituality is manifested in a very special way in the story of St John Bosco’s childhood dream, which marked him deeply and guided him on his spiritual and pastoral path throughout his life. This dream-prophecy also sheds light on this journey of preparation for the Fatima Congress.

            It is undoubtedly appropriate to recall a part of the story in which Jesus presents Mary as  “the teacher”, because it is from these words that the reflections will be made.

“Who are you, ordering me to do the impossible?”
“Precisely because it seems impossible to you, you must make it possible through obedience and the acquisition of knowledge.”
“Where, by what means can I acquire knowledge?”
“I will give you a teacher,. Under her guidance you can become wise. Without her, all wisdom is foolishness.”
“But who are you that speak so?”
“I am the son of the woman whom your mother taught you to greet three times a day.”
“My mother tells me not to mix with people I don’t know, unless I have her permission. So tell me your name.”
“Ask my mother what my name is.”
At that moment I saw a lady of stately appearance standing beside him. She was wearing a mantle that sparkled all over as if covered by bright stars. Seeing from my questions and answers that I was more confused than ever, she beckoned me to approach her. She took me kindly by the hand and said,
“Look.”
Glancing round I saw that the youngsters had apparently all run away. A large number of dogs, goats, cats bears and other animals had taken their place.
“Here is the field of your work. Make yourself humble, strong and energetic: and what you will see happening to these animals in a moment is what you must do for my children.”

            The meeting begins with a challenging question: “Who are you, ordering me to do the impossible?” This question serves as the gateway to a journey into wisdom, where the figure of Mary is revealed as the key to unlocking the seemingly impossible. From the perspective of this revelatory dialogue, we will explore the depth and relevance of Mary as a teacher.
            The first indication comes from Jesus, Shepherd and guide: ‘Precisely because it seems impossible to you, you must make it possible through obedience and the acquisition of knowledge.” All teaching flows “from the Teacher”. Obedience is presented as the key that opens the door to knowledge, manifesting the importance of the intimate link between humility and knowledge, suggesting that effective learning requires not only the active pursuit of knowledge, but also the willingness to submit to the guidance of a teacher. Mary is presented in this context not only as the Teacher who teaches, but also shows the way to understanding through humility, of which she is also an example.
            “Where, by what means can I acquire knowledge?” is a question that reveals in John Bosco a thirst for knowledge that resonates in his heart. The answer, enigmatic and divine, points to Mary as the dispenser under whose guidance wisdom will be attained. Mary thus becomes the link between little John and the very source of knowledge that is Jesus, a knowledge guided by Mary, much deeper than ordinary knowledge, since the ultimate goal will be to attain wisdom, the gift of the Spirit.
            The intrigue intensifies when John seeks to know the identity of the one who speaks to him so enigmatically. “Ask my mother what my name is” he replies. This beautiful revelation adds a further layer to Mary’s importance as a teacher, as she is also presented as a “Mother” with a connection to the divine, thus offering her teaching as sacred and transcendental. The secret of this man’s name undoubtedly invites little John to explore the relationship with the transcendental, to recognise that wisdom is not just intellectual knowledge, but a spiritual connection with the very source of being, and it is here that Mary-Mother plays a very important role.
            The description of Mary as a stately lady clothed in a shining robe adds a heavenly dimension to her importance as a teacher. The mantle shining like stars suggests that her teaching illuminates minds just as the stars illuminate the darkness of the night sky. Mary is not just the teacher who provides information; she is the source of a wisdom that illuminates the path, dispelling the darkness of ignorance.
            John Bosco is led to a particular moment of revelation when Mary invites him to “look”. This act of looking reveals a profound transformation. The aggressive children disappear, making way for a multitude of tame and tranquil animals. This change symbolises a metamorphosis, indicating that, under Mary’s tutelage, his worldview is transformed. The field becomes the stage for John to work on, indicating that Mary’s teaching is not just an abstraction, but an instruction to be transformed into reality. “Here is the field of your work. Make yourself humble, strong, energetic…” Mary’s words indicate a call to action. Mary not only guides in the intellectual sphere, but also instructs in the practice of wisdom. The instruction to become humble, strong and robust indicates that her teaching is a process, a path of inner transformation, a life project for the good of oneself and others.
            Thus, in preparation for, and during this Congress, an invitation is made to let oneself be enveloped by the words and guidance of Mary, our Mother and Teacher. From unravelling the impossible to highlighting the link between humility and knowledge, Mary emerges as a guide who not only imparts information, but leads those who allow themselves to be taught by her to a deeper connection with the divine. Ultimately, the importance of Mary, the Teacher, lies in her ability to illuminate the path to spiritual realisation, inviting us not only to seek wisdom, but to live it. Mary, the divine teacher, becomes the compass that directs us towards the good, revealing what seems impossible and guiding us towards a deeper understanding of the purpose of existence.
            To prepare us for this important moment, a formation course is being organised, and the proposed materials can be found on the ADMA website.
            Information about the event can be found on the Congress website.

            As Mary guided and taught the three shepherd children of Fatima the horror of sin and the beauty of virtue, as she guided John Bosco throughout his life on a path of obedience and humility, may she also guide the Salesian Family to this Congress which is already imminent. Under her protection and guided by her hand, we too want to realise Godìs dream in our lives.

Fr Gabriel Cruz Trejo, sdb