Mary Mother and Help of the Salesian Family

Transcription

1 n January 24th 2009 Associazione di Maria Ausiliatrice Primaria - Torino - Valdocco Mary Mother and Help of the Salesian Family At the start of this new year let us contemplate Mary that donates to us Jesus as an unique Saviour. We abandon ourselves into the hands of Jesus so that His blessings may accompany us during our journey and may turn our commitment and endeavour into a fruitful manner. Without me you can do nothing : the time that God donates to us is full of future and hope if we live it rooted and based with a strong faith in Him. The strenna that the Rector Major has given us in this 2009 compels us and invites us to live and grow in the Salesian Family. Apostolic movement aimed at the salvation of youth. In the forwarded message of the Salesian Bulletin for the month of January, Fr. Pascual Chavez writes to us: In this manner we are starting a great work who knows what this starting point and this little thing can do. Maybe it will be like a seed from which a big tree will sprout that will start expanding little by little with the idea of doing a lot of good (BM XI 385). These are the words that Don Bosco addressed to the first missionaries ready to depart for Argentina on November They were his past pupils who were leaving, the most generous ones, the ones he cared for with great love. The ones he had formed so that they could in turn be the animators and educators of their friends. They were the first sprouts from Don Bosco s heart, a seed capable of generating a big tree: The Salesian Family, a big movement of persons enflamed by the same pastoral and apostolic dynamism: the youth mission not only for Valdocco Monthly message but also for far away lands. Yes the seed has put forth shoots with great fertility, the goodness has multiplied and experienced a great expansion. The Salesian Family has grown like a great tree, expanding its branches. This growth was accompanied, according to his mind, by the constant help of Mary Help of Christians. Our Lady did everything, he used to say. In order to keep alive this tradition in her honor, Don Bosco wanted to activate the Association of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians, another group belonging to the family that spread a great deal in the world. The Spirit that should animate us is that of fraternal communion that gathers all the different groups and members of the Salesian Family into one body. Many are the parts but only one is the body (1 Cor. 12,20) St. Paul reminds us: different gifts that have to get harmonized together and grow in a complementary form. Branches, flowers, leaves and fruits of the same tree, with the same aim: the welfare of the youth. Through the participation to the Salesian charisma, lived in a plurality of forms and patterns of life, we are all called to build the Body of Christ which is the Church. All this compels us to respect and value the different gifts that the Holy Spirit has given rise in the Salesian Family, to enlarge the heart on the richness of grace that he has spread into the different groups and especially to feel part of a one body, making us available in the best of ways over there where the Lord has assigned us. May Mary help of Christians give us that love for every brother and sister of each group of the Salesian Family that make us feel branches of the same body and called together to fulfil the same mission. Father Pier Luigi Cameroni Spiritual Animator ADMA

2 Let us pray Mary Help of Christians and Don Bosco Prayer to Mary Help of Christians, Mother of the Salesian Family O Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, we firmly believe that yours is a special place in the history of salvation, and that you are the mistress and guide of our Salesian Family. With joy we contemplate and strive to imitate your faith and willing availability to God and his loving designs, your humble acceptance of the great wonders performed by the Father, your apostolic charity and your fidelity at the foot of the cross. With filial devotion we place ourselves under your loving care. Immaculate Virgin, lead us to the fullness of self-donation; Help of Christians, give us courage and confidence in the service of the People of God. Holy Virgin, we implore your loving protection, on each one of us, on each Group born of the charism of Don Bosco, on the entire Salesian Family and on the young people you entrust to our care. Amen. Prayer of the Salesian Family Father and teacher of youth, Saint John Bosco, who docile to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, bequeathed to the Salesian Family the treasure of your special love for the small and the poor ones, teach us to be each day for them signs and bearers of the love of God, cultivating in our souls the same sentiments of Christ the Good Shepherd. Ask for all the members of your Family a heart full of goodness, constancy in work, wisdom in discernment, courage to bear witness to a sense of the Church and to missionary generosity. Obtain for us from the Lord the grace to be faithful to the special covenant that the Lord has made with us, and help us so that, guided by Mary, we may follow with joy, together with the young, the path that leads to love. Amen. (Don Egidio Viganò) (Dalla Carta di Comunione della Famiglia Salesiana) SPECIAL INTENTIONS FOR THE APOSTOLATE OF PRAYER FEBRUARY 2009 General: So that the Pastors of the Church may always be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit in their teaching and in their service to the people of God. Missionary: So that the Church in Africa may find the ways and means suited for promoting in the most efficacious way the reconciliation, the justice and the peace, according to the teachings of the II Special Assembly for Africa at the Synod of Bishops. For the bishops: So that all the Bishops may feel to be Sons of the Unique Father, so that any obstacle on the way that leads to fraternity and to the peace among the peoples may be removed. Marian: So that our Lady may be contemplated like a dawn of the redemptive time and as the One who prepares the hearts of the Sons to the fullness of the Last Supper of the Lord. 2

3 Witnesses The dream of the two pillars Stability and foundation During this month dedicated to Saint John Bosco, Father and Teacher of the Youth (let us recall the novena from Jan 22 to 30), we are happy to indroduce an interesting work of Fr. Carlo Zanotti, a Salesian and Master of Novices at Pinerolo (Turin). Fr. Carlo has written a booklet explaining the Don Bosco s famous dream, showing it as a proposal for a Christian way of life. We encourage this writing to all the groups and members of ADMA, as an instrument of formation that embodies the fundamental purpose of the Association of Mary help of Christians: the Eucharistic cult and the devotion to Mary Help of Christians. This dream would like to carry a message of life and stability. This is the greatest desire and the most significant wish regarding the youth and every person: a life based on God, anchored firmly on Him, and therefore joyous and happy. A life stable, courageous, proudly vivid and able to meet every situation with decision. Therefore here we find this suggestion of Don Bosco: the dream of the two pillars. A journey to live one own life in the fullness of maturity and in the balance of one s capabilities. The stability is given in God and the path for achieving it is to live faithfully one s spiritual life anchored to the Eucharist and accompanied by Mary. Dear young friends : be courageous and bold! Do not be afraid to stop and fasten your steps to these two columns. They will hold you always and everywhere. In any sea you will find yourselves swimming, you will feel very safe. Put your trust on them and you will walk steadily surrounded by joy and towards happiness. Happy and safe trip! If someone is interested in acquiring copies, he can be forwarded to these addresses: Don Zanotti Carlo maestronovizi@tiscali.it Don Gianni Ghiglione gianni.uni@libero.it Don Pierluigi Cameroni pcameroni@salesiani.it Thank you don Jose We reiterate as ADMA our remembrance and our prayer for the soul of Don Josè Antonio Rico generous collaborator and admirable supporter of our Association, who died in Madrid at the age of 84 on Dec He contributed up to his last days to the translation of ADMAonline in the Spanish language. Don Josè Antonio Rico, besides having occupied the position as regional Councillor of the old Spanish region, from 1977 to 1990, he was assigned as a rector and provincial of Madrid and master of Novices in Togo. We owe to don Rico the official translation in the Spanish language of some documents of the Salesian Congregation. We, as members of ADMA, entrust him to the Mercy of the Father and the maternal goodness of Mary Help of Christians, whom he always loved and made her loved 3

4 Sparklings of lights During our encounters with the different groups of the Salesian Family, in order to come to know how they live the presence of Mary, it is the occasion to talk about the World confederation of Pupils and Past Pupils of don Bosco. The answer comes from the President Mr. Francesco Muceo. How does Mary help us in the path of our Association? The presence of Mary Help of Christians accompanies us in our commitment to the service of youth in all our activities; having stated that, I add that the Feast of Mary Help of Christians is lived with particular intensity and devotion in the Association of Past Pupils of all continents. On Mat 24, numerous activities are promoted and carried out by the past Pupils who wish, in this manner, to forever remember their celestial Mother. Besides, in all International Conventions, a special remembrance is always addressed to Mary, so that She may guide the commitments that arise with the idea of bringing them to completion. How is Mary depicted in our Regulations? In our Constitution we do not have a precise point of reference to Mary; this does not mean that we have omitted it. In the identity of the association, so many times we recall The Preventive System of don Bosco as an inspiring source of the activity; we cannot therefore forget the brightness of the presence of Mary that constantly guided the work of our father and teacher. Though, we are aware that during the revision of the Constitution, we believe that a specific reference will be deemed necessary. What is the role of Mary Help of Christians in your personal history? My life was lived in the school age at first by the FMA and the by the Salesians; every morning during our prayers Mary was shown as the Mother to whom entrust our daily actions. Such a continuous devotion went on also in the successive years, so much so that even today I entrust my daily actions to her, together with my relatives starting from my wife who carries the same name. This has been the same inspiration from the very first day to Mary as far as our Confederation is concerned. I myself, have professed the same yes as She did and I entrust the Association to Her. In order to know the Association go to STRENNA 2009 Let us strive to turn the Salesian Family as a vast movement for the salvation of youth The kingdom of God can be compare to a small seed of mustard, that a man gets and scatters in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but, once grown, it is the biggest of all and it becomes a tree, so much so that the birds of the sky come on it and make nests among its branches (Mt 13, 31-32) 150 anniversary of the foundation of the Salesian Congregation. The Salesian Family yesterday and today. The seed has become a tree and the tree a wood Let us introduce and value in all groups ADMA The Chart of communion in the Salesian Family The Chart of the Mission The commentary to the strenna of the Rector Major (see : 4

5 Family Chronicles ADMA PRIMARIA TORINO- VALDOCCO. During the study day of the Salesian Family, October 26, where we took part as ADMA, we were invited by the national federal president female past-pupils of the FMA, Anna Maria Musso Freni, to participate to their reunion and explain our Association. We accepted the invitation and Sunday November 30 we met at the hall of the FMA in Mary Help of Christians square. The regional councillor of VDB Mrs Palmieri Rosalia took part in the meeting, as well the representative of the Salesian cooperators of Rebaudengo Center, Miss Elena Sartor, and ADMA was representd by Giuseppina Chiosso and the councillor Tina Savignano. Each member presented and explained the birth and the development of his association. During our allotted time we presented the history of ADMA, and its development in the succeeding years. About 50 lady past-pupils were present. The encounter was successful both as introducing the represented groups, as well as for the persons assembled by the same aim the Salesian heart of Don Bosco. The reunion became at once a kind of family affair where each one was explaining freely and peacefully its own ideas, difficulties and goals. We departed with a brotherly embrace with the promise to meet again in a greater number (Giuseppina Chiosso, President of ADMA Primaria and Tina Savignano, Councillor). December 16 Day of recollection of ADMA Primaria: The heavy rain did not discouraged the participation of more than 100 people at the recollection in preparation of Christmas. Numerous was the participation of young families with babies and young children who solemnized in a better way the Christmas atmosphere. The life of Father Umberto Maria Pasquale was explained, as a great lover of Mary Help of Christians, the spiritual director of Blessed Alessandrina da Costa and closed friend of Sister Lucia of Fatima. The presentation of the volume The urchin of God and the recent DVD, taken care of by the Salesian Cooperator Maria Rita Scrimieri, helped in understanding the action of God and of Mary in the life of this Salesian, a volcano in the different initiatives and very compassionate for the misery of the human condition. Some remarks: Father Umberto is a real man of God, a Saint how many things we have to learn, and to thank for our Holy priests (Rosanna). It has been such a beautiful event to learn about saints so holy and acknowledge how much the Lord has operated in their Life! Nice was also the familiar climate that we were experiencing among ourselves! What a great joy! (Paola). 5

6 ADMA Quito (Ecuador) Reunion of the Salesian Family in the Salesian House of Quito Tecnico on November 22. Remembrance of the Consecration to the Immaculate Virgin Mary and Help of Christians celebrated on December in the church of Sain Jhon the Baptist in Quito (Ecuador) by Fr. Jorge Molina, Vicar and delegate for the Salesian Family, together with 4 Salesians and the members of ADMA from that region. A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land was organized from December 26 to January 2 in collaboration with the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians. 100 pilgrims took part in it. (75 from Nave and 25 from Turin). Some were members of ADMA from Turin and Nave. It is nice to recall the outstanding presence of some young couples, as a sign of a renewal of the Association, and the urgency to start from the family for the educative work and the evangelizing activity. We were accompanied by Fr. Roberto Carelli, responsible of the family group of Turin and by Fr. Pier Luigi Cameroni, under the guidance of Fr. Gianni Zappino Salesian from Valdocco, of Monsignor Giuseppe Ghiberti, a Bible scholar and responsible for the showing of the Shroud of Turin. We went through the steps and places that saw the evolving of the misteries of our salvation. Experimenting everywhere the truth and beauty of our faith. A kind or red thread was present in the development of the program so much full of prayer and biblical meditation. It was like uniting all the historical events, so much entangled and signed up by struggles and destructions while at the same time manifesting the fidelity of God and his salvific and merciful presence in the life of mankind. Particularly was the mystery of Christ Jesus Lord and Saviour that shone in our eyes, with the desire to know Him better through the understanding and experience of our faith. This involves the Bible and the history of the Church. In a particular way we experimented the dramas of the war and the scandal of the division among the Christians: the celebration of the Way of the Cross through the streets of Jerusalem with the Arab neighbourhood completely closed due to the war in the Gaza Strip. We were reminded of the war that upsets not only the land of Jesus, but also the life of so many people. We felt the necessity to create a new culture of peace, starting from the mind and from the heart of children and boys. While facing the Sacred Tomb we acknowledge the drama of the division among the Christians and the value of being witnesses and builders of peace and communion through the strength of patience and dialogue. We felt it as alive in the different places the motherly presence of Mary source of joy and peace and experienced how She always accompanies the journey of Christ and the Church, revealing herself as the model in the adoration of God, and a woman of communion in relation to the brothers. The day spent on the lake of Jesus, The Genezaret Lake, was characterized by the meditation on the Eucharistic theme, both while meditating and reading the great sermon of Jesus at the Sinagogue of Cafarnao, as well as the remembrance of the miracle of the multiplication of the bread and fish. 6

7 ADMA Caltagirone (Catania Italia) December 8, time During the Mass, participated by the whole community of Sisters, some members, after an adequate preparation while acknowledging their duties, pronounce the ADMA promise in a climate of fervour and strong emotion, surrounded by their relatives. They are Angela Alberghina, Franca Barresi, Anita Aquieci, Rosanna Mortellaro. All the other members renew their promise and receive their Card. A statue of Mary Hep of Christians is carried to the altar during offertory in order to show the commitment to honor her, pray her, imitate and spread the love and faith in her in the familiar environment and in their life. We promise as well to carry her during the month of May, to the different families in order to recite in front of her the Holy Rosary, a prayer so much loved by her and so much recommended by her. After the spiritual moment we gather together for a celebration of joy and fraternity (Pina Alba, President, and Animator of FMA, Sister Giuseppina Brucculeri) ADMA Nave (Brescia Italia) Sunday December 21, during the recollection in preparation to Christmas, we acknowledge the participation of the groups of the Salesian Family. The blessing of the banner of the group was done. Fr. Roberto dal Molin, rector of the community presided over the ceremony. It was a sign so much appreciated due to the elegance with which it was performed. This expresses both the belonging to the ADMA Association as well the attachment to Mary Help of Christians 7

8 ADMA of Gela (Caltanisetta Italia) New promises of membership to ADMA and a new particular event as the act of affiliation to Mary from a sound group of parents and their children. The first event that took place on 4/12/2008 during the novena of the Immaculate Conception. It was emotional to put ourselves in the hands of Mary and ask her to lead us hand by hand through the difficult paths of life and to meet the dangers strong of her help. This increases the devotion to this very sweet Mother. The second moment, dated 11/12/2008, has been a novelty. It created a very favourable feeling, so much so the present crowd decided to do it again. The heart of everyone was bursting with joy that evening. It kept raining the whole day long (better to say a kind of downpour with thunders, lightnings and floods). But nothing stopped us in our houses. So great was the love to Christ and Holy Mary. At six in the evening we were all gathered in the church for the Eucharistic celebration. After the sermon the children were presented by their parents to Fr. Calogero Di Gregorio who bless the small family and showed them the picture of Mary Help of Christians. We have to congratulate the children who were so attentive and participating.. At the end of the celebration, we meet fraternally in the hall of the church with songs and dances (Luigina Ciamarella regional President of ADMA Sicilia) Italian: italiano: French: francese: Spanish: spagnolo: Portuguese portoghese: inglese: English The paper can be read at the following site: Il foglio può essere letto al seguente sito: Per ogni comunicazione For every comunication ci si può rivolgere you can al seguente contact indirizzo the following di posta elettronica: adress: pcameroni@salesiani.it 8