Relics of Don Bosco

Da mihi animas caetera tolle! (Give me souls, take away the rest). Whenever I hear this wonderful and bold Salesian motto, my heart is inflamed with God’s love for souls. This simple yet powerful motto emerged from the heart of a real priest and embraces the entire holy life of Saint John Bosco: the famous founder of the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians with Maria Domenica Mazzarello, and the Association of Salesian Cooperators.

This year, we are joyfully celebrating the bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth, on 16 August 1815 in Becchi, Italy, in a hamlet forming part of the municipality of Castelnuovo d’Asti (today known as Castelnuovo Don Bosco). The Maltese Salesians therefore thought it would be appropriate to mark this important event in the life of their founder – which the worldwide Salesian community is celebrating – by bringing over to Malta the Saint’s relics. In fact, these relics will tour our Islands from Thursday, 14 until Monday, 18 May.

Fr Robert Gardiner SDB of the Salesian Office of Social Media and Communications in the UK said that Don Bosco “believed in a down-to-earth spirituality, [meaning]… doing the ordinary things and doing them extraordinarily well”. Don Bosco’s spirituality strongly appeals to busy people. In fact, his refreshing approach to God is really a gift that is desperately waiting to opened and appreciated in return!

I really liked the way the then Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Salesian Archbishop Angelo Amato, SDB, described the Salesian spirit. In an article written for the L’Osservatore Romano of 12 January 2005 entitled The Four Pillars of Salesian Spirituality, Archbishop Amato beautifully explains the four foundational components on which Salesian holiness is built.

In the opening message for the year of celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Saint Don Bosco, Father Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB, Rector Major of the Salesian Congregation and the 10th successor of Don Bosco, deciphered the Salesian charism for today’s world:

“Our determination to interpret the social situations, especially those involving the young, which affect us today; our commitment through clear choices on behalf of young people who are marginalised or at risk of being such; our faith and complete confidence in them, in each young person, in his or her possibilities and capabilities; our certain belief that they are good of heart, whatever their story, and have the opportunity to become masters of and play a key role in their own destiny; our remaining by their side if they will accept us, to help them develop their talents to the full, fully develop their vocation as Christians and human beings”.

Would you like to minister to our young people as a Salesian? If you are interested, please telephone Fr Louis Grech SDB on 2145 4546.