Archbishop Victor Lyngdoh, Archbishop of Shillong, took the floor at the opening of the celebration and welcomed all those present, starting with the Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli.

In the homily he delivered in front of the vast assembly of faithful, composed of thousands of people of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities and classes, the Apostolic Nuncio briefly retraced the history of the arrival of the Salesians in the Northeast of the country and expressed his appreciation, along with that of the Holy Father, whom he represented, for this great work of evangelization, education and human promotion carried out by them in this century, with great zeal and dedication. 

Then, referring to the Readings of the day, he emphasized the importance of knowing how to return to God after one's mistakes, and the divine power, which is able to bring His acts to completion, making use of our faith as well. Then, with reference to the Gospel, he noted that an encounter with Jesus leads to conversion, and this to performing concrete acts of change and healing in one's life. He therefore encouraged all present by reminding them that when one is in sin and far from God, He never abandons His children.

He concluded, "May St. John Bosco protect all Salesians working in Northeast India! Let us go and proclaim the Gospel of Christ to our neighbors!"  

The liturgy then continued in the ordinary way, with a symbolic and evocative moment during the Prayers of the Faithful, proclaimed by some representatives of the different tribes of Northeast India. 

Near the end of the Mass, Fr. Á.F. Artime delivered his message to the large audience of faithful present there. He said he was grateful to God for the grace of these 100 years of Salesian presence in Northeast India; emphasized how Salesian engagement in the region has been accomplished in collaboration with other religious families-Jesuits, Salvatorians...-and many other men and women of goodwill; and thanked Msgr. Lyngdoh for proclaiming this year of grace because of the anniversary.

Finally, he reiterated that the focus to be kept in mind for this century of Salesian work is not on the Salesians, but on all that good God has done for them and through them, and urged today's Sons of Don Bosco to continue to work ardently for the good of young people. 

Concluding, the Apostolic Nuncio to India also wished to offer some final insights, in which he celebrated the faith of the people of the Northeast and the creativity and energy of the youth, to whom he gave the mandate to work for peace and evangelize through social networks.

A commemorative book on the history of the Salesians in Northeast India was also released at the end of the Mass.

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