France - Don Bosco is alive in Argenteuil, Liege, Lille, Lyon, and Paris!

10 February 2017

(ANS - Paris) – France is one of the countries of the Salesian world that has sent thousands of missionaries around the world. Salesian life in France is active and doing good work in schools, social works, and parishes. To mark the feast of Don Bosco the Salesian Family held many festivities in honour of their founder and patron.

The Salesians in Argenteuil organized several activities, which in line with the Salesian charism, were entrusted to the young people. With great enthusiasm, the young people prepared the rosary and the Nass and also came up with the idea of a game "In the footsteps of Don Bosco" to spread the message of the saint.

Fr Rudy Hainaux says that the idea behind the celebration in Liège was: "How does a saint of the nineteenth century shed light on the twenty-first century?".

A young girl called Amandine reports that in Lille they held a great event. It all started on 28 January with the motto "Rejoice Always”. Families, children and young people took part in a huge treasure hunt.

They had a great celebration also in Lyon with the slogan, "Together we build bridges and not walls". The young people organized several activities. Laurent Morin, Director of Prevention Services gave a profound reflection which was nevertheless adapted to the children who were present.  He said "making bridges allows us to discover that we can have a good time with others, even if they have a different set of values.”

In Lyon they also held a "Talent Festival", with dancing, singing and acting all of which showed the joy they found in "creating bridges between all participants." Then, on the eve of the feast of 31 January, the great celebration began with Mass celebrated by Fr Patrick Rollin, Episcopal Vicar of the diocese of Lyon.

In Paris too, and throughout France, there were celebrations in honour of Don Bosco who, as was commented, "brought us together on the occasion of his feast."

 

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ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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