The day began in the morning in the locality of Monte del Gozo. There, at 11:00 a.m. local time, hundreds of members of the Salesian Family gathered for a moment of prayer and then went on a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago, stopping for lunch at the Salesian house in Santiago de Compostela.
Once they arrived at their destination, in the afternoon, Fr Fernando García, Provincial of SSM, presided over Mass in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, during which he also said the traditional prayer of entrustment to the Apostle, invoking his blessing on all the projects and needs of the province, and asking for the intercession of one of the Lord's closest friends in the "daily pilgrimage" of the entire provincial community.
During the homily on the Sunday of the Solemnity of the Ascension, the Provincial encouraged everyone to feel the Lord's presence "along our path, to witness the Gospel with joy, as Don Bosco did." At the end of the celebration, in keeping with tradition, the tiraboleiros twirled the botafumeiro - the large thurible hanging from the cathedral ceiling - through the transept of the church. And as St. James Cathedral filled with the scent of incense, the faithful pilgrims of the Salesian Family accompanied this gesture, as ancient as it is evocative, with their offerings collected for the social works of the province.
The prayer to Mary Help of Christians, a few days before the celebration of her feast day, concluded a celebration animated by the Valladolid choir, directed by Carlos Martínez Voces.
"It was a special day for the participants, who returned to pay homage to Mary Help of Christians on a pilgrimage to Santiago, taking advantage of the opportunity of good weather to share together and the good organization of the groups of the Salesian Family of SSM," stated the Social Communication Office of the Province.
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