1911 EAO Pilgrims in Rome
austraLasia #1911

EAO Pilgrims

ROME: 27th July 2007
--  As the northern hemisphere summer season warms up, visitors to Rome are in their thousands, and 'Romans' meanwhile are preparing to leave the city to find cooler climes!  Amongst the thousands visiting Rome in these weeks have been two 'pilgrim' groups of particular interest, one from Australia and one from China.
    The Australian group, sporting bright yellow caps with 'Briff's mates' emblazoned on them, were accompanying Fr John Briffa, Maltese born but for much of his long Salesian life a member of AUL province, now celebrating his Golden Jubilee of priesthood with a visit to Malta, Rome, Turin-Colle Don Bosco, Fatima and finally on to London where the group goes its own way.  The point of the Roman visit was, amongst other things, to personally visit the Rector Major who thanked them all for their contribution to the Salesian work in Australia. 'Briff's mates' are in fact families who have worked assiduously for the extensive Salesian presence in Engadine, NSW, Australia, where the Salesians have a Boys Town, Parish, Secondary School, Youth Centre and the John Paul II Village for the elderly. , The Salesian Sisters have a community with a large primary school. The touring group are families who have supported this presence at every level.  In all there were 17 of them who made this 'pilgrimage' of a lifetime.
    On 26th July, a group of Salesian Cooperators from China Province, accompanied by Fr Anthony Chung SDB, arrived at the Salesian GHQ (Via della Pisana) to greet and to be greeted by the Rector Major.  They have just completed an eight day pilgrimage to the Holy Land which has been ten years in the planning.  There were six families in all, comprising some 23 individuals, and they brought all family members!  In fact the Rector Major, addressing the group around the lifelike statue of Don Bosco in the atrium, commented that he had just met the youngest Salesian Cooperator from China.  Amongst the group were a member of the Salesian Cooperator World Council and the China Coordinator.  Amongst ohter things, this Salesian Cooperator group used the occasion of their pilgrimage to Christianity's holiest places to renew their marriage vows and rededicate themselves to their Salesian vocation.

  
 
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