“No one has called anyone, it is the heart of each one that has brought us all here”, with these words the Rector Major Fr Ángel Fernández Artime began his homily in the basilica of Colle Don Bosco where he presided over the Holy Mass, as it happens  traditionally every year, to celebrate together with hundreds of pilgrims the 208th anniversary of the birth of our Father Don Bosco. 'The Lord,' said Fr Ángel, 'chose this poor hill, a place then unknown, to give birth to John Bosco, as He Himself had chosen to be born in a remote corner of Palestine [...] that is why we are here today... not to worship a person, but to thank God for the gift of Don Bosco.

The things that come from God last in time, and so there was no lack of reference to the 200 years of the nine-year dream that we are preparing to celebrate in 2024, following the theme of the Strenna offered by the Rector Major: “The dream that makes you dream”. A heart that transforms "wolves" into "lambs”. In this dream there is room for everyone, said the 10th successor of Don Bosco referring to the words that Pope Francis had addressed to the young people gathered in Lisbon in recent days saying that “in the Church we all have a place”.

The celebration ended with the vote of thanks from Fr Thathireddy, the director of Colle Don Bosco, to the Rector Major and the authorities present: the provincial of ICP Fr Leonardo Mancini; the provincial of Hungary Fr. János Andrásfalvy; the ex-provincial of ILE Fr Giuliano Giacomazzi and the Mayor of Riva near Chieri, Mr Lodovico Gillio; the Mayor of Buttigliera, Mr Guido Fausone; Councillor of Capriglio Mr Paolo; the Commander of Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Mr Biagio Walter Lanza and the Mayor of Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Mr Antonio Rago. The latter brought the thanks of the citizens of the area to the Rector Major together with his best wishes for the appointment as Cardinal that the Holy Father will confer on him on 30 September.

In preparation for the bicentenary of Don Bosco's birth, the Colle Don Bosco community reproduced the probable face of Don Bosco at the age of nine using artificial intelligence. The poster with the image of John was presented to the Rector Major at the end of the Eucharist.

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