Speaking in front of the 60 plus guests gathered for this occasion, Fr Costa thanked the Rector Major for having given the opportunity to prepare this book, the various speakers who had agreed to present it, as well as all the guests present, starting with Cardinals Tarcisio Bertone and Raffaele Farina; and Bishops Calogero La Piana and Enrico dal Covolo. Special mention was also made of the presence Fr Pascual Chávez, the 9th Successor of Don Bosco, “a sign that there is a baggage of tradition that pushes us forward,” as Fr Costa remarked; and among those present were also the General Councillor for Social Communication, Fr Gildasio Mendes, as well as the Superior of the Vice province of UPS, Fr Maria Arokiam Kanaga.
Introducing the proceedings, the Director of ACI stampa, Angela Ambrogetti, described the volume as 'a new handbook, with names, dates, figures, places, people” which, accompanied by vivid pictures of the journeys, recount the relevance of the Salesian charism in thr many presences around the world.
For his part, the first of the speakers, Domenico Agasso the La Stampa journalist , cast a Piedmontese eye over the book. Even in a context of constant secularization, in the land that was once of the Saint of Youth, ‘Don Bosco is still an untouchable point of reference,’ he pointed out. Then, delving between the pages of the text, he spoke of the book as a “precious and compelling volume, which makes us explore the world through the eyes of Fr. Ángel, and bears witness to the enormous vitality that is on the planet, and is often ignored”. Leafing through it, the journalist traced the relevance of Don Bosco's paradigm that in every young person he sought “that point accessible to goodness”. He praised the Rector Major's commitment to continue his mission in the world, seeking out the distant young person and the needy in order to give them social and occupational redemption, through dignity, education, joy... and without ever forgetting that the true meaning of existence requires an openness to the transcendent.
On her part, Eva Fernández, Cadena Cope's correspondent for Italy - the media platform of the Spanish Episcopal Conference - pointed out two key verbs that sum up all the journeys: “Sustain and animate”, referring to those presences “that continue to breathe the spirit of Don Bosco”. She listed the many places touched by the Rector Major and illustrated in the book, from the simple “family visits” to the most emotionally significant stages: with the Tsunami orphans in Thailand, at the “Ferrante Aporti” juvenile prison in Turin, in Budapest holding in his hands the relic of the Salesian martyr Stephen Sandor, or in Zimbabwe, with the meeting with little Sean Cayd, who was able to give only a stone, but to do so with all his heart. The value of the text, the journalist emphasized, lies in the fact that the images really do speak of the strength of a charism of “unwavering and untiring enthusiasm” and the continued presence of so many Salesians, so that it can be said that “by the works of the children we know the father”. The journalist concluded by saying: “Reading this book will not leave you indifferent, because it shows us that in some corner of the world there will always be some son of Don Bosco to give lessons in hope".
It was then the turn of former student Gianni Cardinale to express his views on the book. With references to his youth and journalistic experience, he recalled the Salesian presence in Rome and the influence of the Salesians on the city and in his life. He praised the courageous and interesting experiment mentioned in the text of the school in Alassio, run by the laity, and the many details and anecdotes that emerge from reading the book: from the presence of the Salesian world map of Valdocco, which shows the 136 countries where the Salesians are to be found, to the curiosities inherent to the Rector Major: that he loves the guitar, that he wanted to be a doctor, that he plays basketball, that he is the son of a fisherman.
Lastly, Javier Martínez-Brocal, ABC's correspondent for the Vatican, spoke, affirming that reading the book is a food for thought for anyone involved in communication, because it speaks of so many stories of great vitality that are often ignored and suppressed in the dominant flow of communication: “Where are we looking at? Is the reality of communication the real reality? It is the one that keeps us going, that gives us hope, that makes us present...” he said. He then highlighted the enthusiasm of the Salesians and their ability “to be full of God and to transmit it with all joy”. He also remarked how the charism of presence witnessed by the book is a fundamental witness for the post-pandemic we are living. He concluded his presentation addressing the Rector Major: “Keep on travelling!”
In conclusion, Fr Á.F. Artime expressed his sentiments of gratitude, for the friendly and familiar presentation and stated that he had accepted the proposal of such a book from Fr Costa only if it served to show, as Don Bosco wanted, the good things that are done. Or, as he wanted put it, the many “miracles of Salesian education” that occur silently in the world every time a young person's life is changed in the name of Don Bosco.
“This book brings together so much life that it is good to make it visible,” he said, giving the perfect summary of the text.
