5394_How are we preparing for the 150th Birthday of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco?
June 04, 2020
Valdocco, Turin, 4 June 2020 -- We are about to celebrate the 150th Birthday of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco on 24 June 2020. On that day in 1870 one of the first Valdocco Oratory Boys, Carlo Gastini with a small group of his companions went to Valdocco to congratulate their Father and Teacher for his 'Onomastico' on 'Name day' - the Feast day of Saint John the Baptist. Now, during the current pandemic the Past Pupils are about to celebrate this important date. How can we help them to celebrate it meaningfully?
After the appointment of a new Asia-Oceania GEX (Giovani Exallievi - Young Past Pupils) General Councillor, Mr Neil Allan C. Evangelista (7 April 2020), has just sent out his first letter to the EAO provincials SDB, provincial and local delegates for the Past Pupils, as well to the Past Pupil leadership. Neil writes:
"....On 7 April 2020 I received the official appointment by the World President as ‘GEX Councilor in Asia’. I’m here to serve the Past Pupils of Don Bosco, especially the GEX in the 23 countries of the EAO region. In my service to the Past Pupils of Don Bosco, I would also like to keep in mind two precious articles of your Salesian ‘Rule of Life’:
Article 5 of the SDB Constitutions:
“Our past pupils are also members (of Salesian Family) by reason of the education they have received and the bond are closer when they commit themselves to take an active part in the Salesian mission in the world.”
Article 39 of the SDB General Regulations:
“The community should maintain friendly relationship with the past pupils, giving special attention to the younger ones. It should show a real interest in them and promote opportunities for meetings, formation and collaboration. It should encourage and support the Association of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco, and through it try to contact those who have distanced themselves…”
Please, help me in my service with your support and contact with your Delegates. I will be glad to get from you more contact for your Don Bosco Past Pupils leadership, including your local and provincial delegates...
Let us make sure that the Past Pupils of Don Bosco official Prayer – Promise is translated into our respective EAO languages, and that we encourage our Past Pupils to offer it as humble contribution to the 150th Birthday of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco on 24 June 2020:
GOD, OUR FATHER, THROUGH THE MEDIATION OF YOUR SON, JESUS,
AND THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
give heed to the prayers of the Past Pupils all over the world.
WE THANK YOU
for the invaluable gift of education which we have received,
under the enlightened guidance of the Salesians,
which have instilled our lives with the Salesian Spirituality
WE ASK YOU WITH FAMILIAL TRUST
- Give us strength and courage to live the human and Christian message, in the Society and in the Church.
- Encourage us to become "good Christians and honest citizens”,
- Help us to live together and promote solidarity in our Association and beyond it.
- Strengthen our faith, hope and charity.
WE PROMISE YOU
- to fight against injustice, blackmail, superficiality, indifference,
- and to defend at all costs, the values inspired from Don Bosco’s teaching, especially life, freedom and truth with a spirit of social, political and financial commitment,
- and to be, “the salt of the earth and light of the world” with a strong influence in the world and in the Church.
WE BEG YOU
to watch over our Salesian Family, our dear ones and all of us.
Amen"
So far this Prayer - Promise is available on the Boscolink website in 5 languages: English, Japanese (full version and adjusted version), Vietnamese, Indonesian (Bahasa) and Tetum. We pray for the help of many other translators. And we promise our prayers for the leadership of the Past Pupils and their SDB delegates at all levels.
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