ADMA
ASSOCIAZIONE DI MARIA AUSILIATRICE
Association of Mary Help of Christians
Dear Rector Major
Dear Salesians of Don Bosco
I am happy and excited to greet you today at the opening of the 28th General Chapter of the Congregation. It is a great emotion to have all of you gathered here in Valdocco and the first word that I would like to address to you in the name of all the ADMA (Association of Mary Help of Christians) and I think in the name of all the laity who are part of the Salesian Family is ‘THANK YOU’. Thank you, because your presence in the world is a gift, your words are important, your blessing is indispensable, your accompaniment is vital for the young people, the families, the communities to which you have dedicated your lives. The gaze of a Salesian friend can be what "changes our life", all of you, as Don Bosco know how to make us feel loved and those who feel loved become capable of loving, those who feel welcomed are capable of welcoming, those who feel forgiven are capable of forgiving.
"What kind of Salesians for the Youth of Today'" is the theme of your chapter. A theme that is at the same time the origin and the future, the dream and the reality, the center and the periphery of your mission. It is a theme that concerns us so closely: What kind of Salesians for our children? For us? For our parishes? For our society? For the youth of the world?
We wish you all intense moments of encounter, prayer and discernment on these issues. I am certain that this chapter will bear great fruit.
We also want to share with you all, the grace that we, as ADMA, have received during these years of journey. "Sharing the grace" is precisely the motto that our young people wanted to use in the 150th year of the Association because - they told us - "you cannot keep something beautiful for yourself, so you must give it".
So, we share with you three reflections that come from our experience:
Don Bosco had at heart the defence of young people, especially the weakest. He went to look for them in the streets, in prisons, on construction sites. Also today the mission is the same and to meet the young we must also meet their families. We must help them, accompany them, bring them to Jesus and the joy of this encounter. The families who walk with us have simply experienced this: we don't go back when we feel loved.
Mary Help of Christians wants to live in our communities, our schools, our oratories, our groups. You Salesians have always been crazy about Mary Help of Christians. Don Angel reminded this, at the end of the VIII International Congress of Mary Help of Christians in Buenos Aires last November. So, let us entrust everything to her, let us trust her, let us speak more about her to our children, let us teach them to open their hearts to Mary, to entrust themselves to her.
We, the lay people will have to occupy a new place in the Salesian family and in the church. It will help us in this journey to have you close and to rediscover there where Don Bosco thought of you: in the midst of the children, in the oratory, in the courtyard, in the confessional. It will help us to see you among us lay people, in groups, in retreats, at lunch, on a trip, among our families, with our children who call you by name.
We accompany you, dear Salesians, in this chapter with prayer and in particular we entrust to Mary Help of Christians and to Don Bosco the work of the Chapter, so that thanks to their powerful intercession, the Holy Spirit may enlighten your hearts and minds and we also pray with you and for you so that the Lord may send us so many new Salesians to work in His harvest.
Sig. Renato Valeria
Presidente della Primaria
Translation: Fr Bernard Grogan