n. 5 2012 24th May 2012 Mary and the Eucharist: the two columns Monthly message This year s great solemnity of Mary Help of Christians is to be lived in the light of two coming events that represent strong points of our identity as members of the ADMA: the 150 th anniversary of don Bosco s famous two columns dream and the participation in the 7 th World Encounter of Families to be celebrated in Milan from 30 th May to 3 rd June, with the presence of Pope Benedict XVI. The prophetical dream of don Bosco reminds us that, even nowadays, we can implement the apostolic passion of the Da mihi animas coetera tolle mostly by anchoring to the great columns of the salesian spirituality and pedagogy: the Eucharist and Mary the Most Holy. From a renewed devotion to Jesus Eucharist, to Our Lady Help of Christians, new fraternel relationships can be built to develop discernment and educative and vocational commitment. A real return to Don Bosco is not possible without the devotion to Mary Help of Christians so much dear to his apostolic heart and to the hearts of his successors. That charismatic inheritance of Don Bosco is to be rediscovered and mostly promoted today, whereby the fight between God and his enemy becomes more and more furious in this terribly engulfed world from a secularism aimed at creating a humanity without God, from a suffocating relativism of permanent and unchangeable values of the Gospel and from an imperturbable religious indifference compared to the superior goods and all that concerns Church and God. That battle makes a lot of victims in our families and among the youth. The Virgin Mary is waving an immense net a- mong her spiritual sons and daughters against the forces of the Evil one in the whole world, and prepares the victory of her Son Jesus Christ. In participating in the VII th World Encounter of families, we ll be as ADMA in the congress, with a stand of exposure, during the feast of the testimonies the same as during the solemn mass with the Pope, to concretize our renewed commitment of the ADMA through attention and accompaniment of the human and christian journey of families. The World Encounter of Families is a golden occasion to re-think the work and the celebration in the angle of a united family opened to life, well inserted in the society and in the Church, attentive to the quality of relationships including the economy of the family nucleus. The current context is of emergency in the field of education and of apostasy of faith. Therefore a particular attention paid to the actual situation of the family is highly strategic, because family is the original object of education and the first place for evangelisation. The whole Church is aware of the difficulties in which families live today. The Church feels then the necessity to offer families extraordinary aids for her formation, her growth and the responsible exercise of her educative duty. For that reason, even ADMA is called to renew itself as an Association, with a special attention to the pastoral care for families. Let us live in sincere openness of heart and profound spirit of prayer these gifts and these vents in order to be opened to God s grace, who visits us like the dawn from on high, to give light to those who dwell in the shadow of death, and guide us into the way of peace" (Lc. 1,78-79). Holy Feast of the Help of Christians to all our groups and to each one of our members! Sig. Lucca Tullio, President Don Pierluigi Cameroni SDB, Spiritual Animator
Training path 2011-2012 9. 150 years of the Two columns dream (30 May 1862 30 May 2012) (don Pierluigi Cameroni) A tepid evening of May 1862, with his same ability don Bosco said: Imagine that you are on the sea shore, even better on an isolated rock, and that there is nothing else around you, only the sea. In all that large surface of water you see multitude of uncountable boats ranked for the battle, finished the bows of acute iron rostrum by way of arrow. These boats are armed with canons and are full of weapons, arms of any type, burning materials and books. The boats head towards a much higher and bigger boat, tempting to shook it with their rostrum, to burn and damage it as much as possible. The majestic boat is escorted by many small boats which receive from her and execute orders in order to defend it against the opponent fleet. But the wind is not favorable and the sea remains agitated and tempts to favour the enemies. In the middle of the immense distented sea two strong columns arise, very high, close to each other. On top of one column there is the statue of the Immaculate Virgin, at whose feet you can read a large banner: Auxilium Christianorum ; on the other column, that is much higher and bigger, there is a host as big as the column, under which other letters are written: Salus Credentium. The supreme chief in command of the bigger boat, is the Roman Pontif, overcoming every obstacle, he guides the boat in the middle of the two columns, then with a chain that pends on the bow, he ties it on one anchor of the column with the Host, with the other chain that pends on the stern he ties from the opposite part to another anchor that pends to the column with the Immaculate Virgin. Suddenly something chaotic happens: all the enemy boats run away, they disappear, they scratch against one another. It is good to recall this dream of the two columns, for this is the 150 th anniversary of that prophetic vision of don Bosco, because of the interest this dream has always brought. The dream presents the war that has started in the past years against the Chruch to break it down. The means used by the enemies of Christ and the Church are so powerful and impressive and the hatred so destructive. The ferocity of the dragon is seen at the background, after having tried to swallow the New Born Child, the Lady is chased wherever she tries to find refuge. The Pope is the helmsman of the great boat. That boat is ploughed to the tempestuous sea, assaulted and fought, but succeeds in docking among both the great columns on which there are respectively the eucharistic Host and the statue of the Immaculate with the writings Help of Christians. Immediately all the attacks ceased and there was a feeling of great dead calm. Pope John Paul II guided the Church s boat anchoring it to the two columns, particularly through the year of Rosary and the year of Eucharist during which he concluded his great mission. Pope Benedict XVI admonishes and guides the Church s boat with the strength of the truth in these times of hardships and persecutions. On the eve of his election he affirmed: How many blowing winds of doctrines have we known these last years, how many ideologies, how many ways of thinking... the little boat of thinking of many chirstians has been not uncommonly agitated by these waves pushed from one extreme to another: from marxism to liberalism, up to liber- 2
tism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from agnosticism to syncretism and so on. Everyday new sects emerge and there, what saint Paul said on the human beings deceipt comes to be true, on the astute tendency to grow from error (cf Ep 4, 14). The Pope, aware of the internal and external trials on the church s sailing away among the waves of this world, affirms: Good Friday and Paschal Day are entwined... the Church with Christ within suffers even today. In the Church Christ is always mocked and stroke; always and again they try to drag Him out of the world. Always and again the Church s small boat is shaken by the wind of ideologies, their water penetrated her and seem to condemn her to sinking. Nevertheless, in that same suffering Church Christ is victorious. Inspite of all, faith in Christ is stronger always and again (Homely 29 th June 2006). The boat is from the beginning of christianity image of the Church. Undoubtedly, for don Bosco, Eucharist and Mary Help of Christians are the two devotions that sustain the Church s mission and protect her from dangers. The dream has an ecclesial sense of perennial newness. Successively, the Risen Jesus, present in the Eucharist, Mary assumed in the Glory is associated to Him in the work of salvation, the Pope remaining the centre of unity of faith, are the timeless reference points for the Church at all times. They remain the same today for the faith education of the youngsters, for a more living spirituality, for an efficient new evangelization, for an authentic sense of Church. Don Bosco, on the footsteps of numerous saints, taught us that the Church proceeds surely when it is firmly anchored to the two columns of Eucharist and Mary. They both represent concrete unity of love: they both realise the totality of Christ, who does not exist apart from the Church; they both realise the fullness of the Church, that does not exist without the Lord; they are both Christ s Body, because the Church is generated from the eucharistic Body of the Lord, but that is the body Mary has generated and sacrificed. Don Bosco saw Jesus and Mary as alive and present in history, they are both risen and intervene powerfully for the Church. Our lady carries Jesus. But the real presence of Jesus to which Mary guides us is the mystery of Eucharist. Prayer O Father, you gave the Virgin Mary Immaculate, Mother of your Son, as help for the christian people, in order to fight fearlessly the good fight of faith, and that safely anchored to the apostles teaching, they might proceed surely among the world s tempests, up to the final perfect joy in heaven. Make us stay unshaken under her protection so that in the trials of life We might always feel her close, rescuer and mother. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen! 3
Family Chronicle 24 TH MAY PRAYER DAY FOR THE CHURCH IN CHINA Every year the Holy Father invites us the feast day of Mary Help of Christians, May 24 to pray for the Church in China. It is a very complex situation, delicate and painful. It is an invitation to pray for the rapprochement of the official and non official christan communities, for a real reconciliation and fidelity to the church of Jesus Christ and to the Successor of Peter. At the same time we ask the Lord to send his apostles to the communities of the Chinese diaspora, already scattered in all continents. With the recent wave of chinese migrants in Africa, there are more than 25 millions. We ask the Lord to arouse ardent missionaries of the chinese away from their motherland. PHILIPPINES SALESIAN FAMILY ENCOUNTER On 3 rd to 4 th March 2012, 17 members of ADMA Philippines representing various groups, participated in the Salesian Family Spirituality Weekend held in the Don Bosco house in Batulao, Batangas. From the perspective of the Bicentenary of Saint John Bosco s birth, the following themes were presented: a) The understanding of today s youth, different from the youth in the time of Don Bosco; b) Re-discover the history of Don Bosco; c) the Coadjutors in the mind of Don Bosco; d) Memories of Don Bosco. Representatives of the following groups of the Salesian Family were present: Salesians of Don Bosco; ADMA; Damas Salesianas; Association of Salesian Cooperators; Past pupils of FMA; Volunteers of Don Bosco; Sisters of Charity of Jesus. Spiritual animator of the Commission for the Salesian Family Bobby Max A. Roxas, SDB, president Mss Maria Junifer L. Maliglig (ADMA). 4
BOMBAY INDIA FIRST NATIONAL ADMA REPRESENTATIVES ENCOUNTER On 24 th and 25 th march 2012 the first national meeting of the ADMA Delegates of India was held. The encounter, was organized and coordinated by don Maddhichetty Noel, National Delegate of the salesian Family, inaugurated by a eucharistic celebration in the marian Sanctuary of Matunga, presided by don Michael Fernandes, Provincial of Bombay (INB). He gave a brief outlook of the history of ADMA. During these days various representatives of the Salesian family studied the rule, the formation of the members and the mission of the AD- MA. With the full conviction that this encounter was a starting point and a point of arrival, the assembly suggested some lines of action for the promotion of the ADMA in the South Asia Region, valuing the offered resources of ADMA Primaria of Torino and many others that were communicated by the provincial representatives (Fr. Joe Kallupura SDB, Provincial Delegate - Province of Bangalore). SONDRIO (ITALIA) The ADMA S. Rocco of Sondrio renews in view of the centenary of its proper e- rection. On 23 rd October 2011 the Convention on the salesian sanctity was celebrated in Valtellina, in communion with the Salesian Family. In remembrance to San Luigi Guanella, the Venerable Sr. Maria Troncatti, the Venerable Don Giuseppe Quadrio and the Servant of God don Carlo Braga. The bishop Mons. Diego Coletti, inaugurated the three yearly celebrations towards the bicentenary on the feast day of Don Bosco in our parish church. Everyday, two groups of associated members of the ADMA say the holy rosary to foster a spiritual animation. Every month a leaflet of formation on Mary Help of Christians and Don Bosco is available for the faithful. The daily visitation to Our lady Chapel is part of the spiritual activity of numerous persons so is the usual procession of Mary Help of Christians on 24 th May. The call for more membership to the association with the intent to maintain always an active devotion to Mary is made clear mostly in these days of celebration of the centenary of aggregation to the ADMA Primaria of Torino (n 173 from register book) (don Franco Rustighini, Spiritual Animator). 5
ARACAJU / SE (BRASIL) CENTENARY OF ADMA (2 nd July 1912-2 nd July 2012). On 24 th March the associated members of ADMA of Aracaju participated in one of the programmed celebrations for the centenary of the erection and the aggregation of the Association of Mary Help of Christians, animated by the youth of Auxilia group. Present at the initial procession was the Apostolate of prayer of the ADMA, São Francisco and the youth. The groups carried respective banners in front of the altar. Then the image of the Help of Christians, carried on an ornated cart, was crowned and was accompanied by the readers, the altar servants and the main celebrant Fr. Alfredo, the parish priest. In his homily he underlined the festive moment and the value of the commitment of the parish groups. He emphasized also on the missionary importance of the devotees of Mary Help of Christians, followers of the salesian charism, promotors and defenders of the christian faith all along these 100 years. This was only the beginning of a rich commemoration of numerous appointments of spirituality and brotherhood to celebrate a century of a faith with Mary Help of Christians. 6
CORATO (BAT) - SECOND CONVENTION OF THE ADMA GROUPS OF PUGLIA AND BASILICATA at the very beautiful Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie of Corato, in the settings of the Oasi Nazareth, on 15 th April 2012, the second Convention of ADMA of the Puglia and Basilicata was held. This year two hundred associate members at the Convention representing the ADMA of Bari, Brindisi, Cerignola, Lecce, Manduria, Martina Franca Molfetta and Potenza were present. There was also the representation of the Salesian presence of Andria who started the way for formation for the new AD- MA. The theme of the day was on the way of preparation to the Bicentenary of Don Bosco s birth let us witness again the VI th International Congress of Mary Help of Christians at Czestochowa. The commemoration of the 3 rd to 7 th August 2011 event in Poland was brilliantly offered by Tullio Lucca, President of ADMA Primaria of Torino Valdocco, by the wife Simonetta Rossi and by Francesca Fida of the ADMA Youth of Torino-Valdocco. They have presented the value of the experience of entrustment to Mary Help of Christians, compared to their experience during the Congress, in families and among the youth. Three insistences were mainly welcomed: formation to enable us to live the daily spirituality with evangelic attitudes... like Mary (Identity Charter for the Salesian Family, 37), the way don Bosco did; the implication in the associative life of families and young couples; the formation of the ADMA for Youth in our settings. The Eucharist was presided by don Tommaso De Mitri, Delegate for the Salesian Family of Puglia. The Convention was concluded with a dialogue between the ADMA members present and the three formators then the handing of the Decree of Erection from the World President of ADMA to the Lecce ADMA Group. That decree has been recently instituted and signed by the Provincial, Don Pasquale Cristiani. A Diploma of aggregation to the ADMA Primaria of Torino Valdocco was also handed (Don Tommaso De Mitri). The paper can be read at the following site: www.admadonbosco.org/index.php?lang=en and here: www.donbosco-torino.it/ For every comunication you can contact the following email adress: pcameroni@sdb.org 7
MILANO PREPARATION DAY FOR THE VII TH WORLD ENCOUNTER FOR FAMILIES. Sunday 29 th April 2012 various groups of families of the Piemonte and Lombardia ADMA met to share a day of spirituality and fellowship preparing for the VII th World Encounter for Families, to be celebrated at the end of May in Milan with the presence of the Holy Father. The day s agenda was full: the conference of don Roberto Carelli, lecturer in theology, reading the reality of the Salesian Family in the light of the biblical icon of the Good Shepherd, underlining the necessity for the family to live and to grow in love and acknowledgment of God s presence; the eucharistic adoration to deepen the contents; the groups sharing of experiences; the testimony on the Servant of God Attilio Giordani (1913-1972), husband and father, salesian cooperator and oratory animator, given by the son Piergiorgio. He emphasized the traces of a positive man, attentive to what is good in persons, able of effective presence in family life and incisive in marital and paternal relations respecting and accompanying their choices in life. The eucharistic celebration was presided by don Elio Cesari, in charge of Youth ministry of the Lombardoemiliana province and he instructed that e- very vocational choice comes from families while every family accompaniment prepares and matures consacrated and priestly vocations. New appointments for the first days of June in Milan with the Pope were given. 8