Addressing the young aspirants, he said “if a Saint were sad, then he would be a sad Saint” quoting Don Bosco and tending to say that cheerfulness leads to holiness.
Then, addressing the Salesian Family Members, he mentioned that the Salesian Family is an instrument to spread the Kingdom of God. As Pope Francis calls the entire Catholic Church to become one family, the Salesian Family also need to be unified although divided into different associations, united by the Salesian Charism. Answering a question based on his vision for India and Tamil Nadu, he said that he could identify a bright future for the Salesian Family in India and that the Salesian Family in Tamil Nadu is vibrantly active.
Then the Rector Major addressed the young people on “Youthfulness and Values”. Youthfulness is a gift given by God, he said. Being a youth is a call to learn values for life. Values are the corner stone to build a nation with honest bricks (citizens). And finally, everything can be achieved only through the intervention of God. So, he recommended the youth to keep God as the centre of their lives.
On the same occasion the Rector Major declared open “Don Bosco’s education to Ecological Citizen,” an initiative of Eco concern. This was followed by the oath-taking ceremony.
Finally a congregation consisting of 1500 people gathered at the auditorium to partake in the Eucharistic Celebration, presided over by the Rector Major.
Yesterday, Monday 14, Fr Á.F. Artime met with the Pre-novices. They accorded a ritual and cultural welcome to the Rector Major, and honoured the Rector Major and other dignitaries, with garlands and silk shawls. The Rector Major invited the pre-novices to be sincere, honest and transparent to the superiors. “Our commitment does not depend on just being Salesians but fulfilling the will of God” he explained.
Later in the morning the Rector Major visited the Lourdes Shrine at K. Pudur, Madurai, which was entrusted to the Salesian Congregation in perpetuity by the then archbishop of Madurai in the year 1975. Rev. Jerome Doss Varuval, SDB, the Bishop of Kuzhithurai Diocese, Right Rev. George Rajendran Kuttinadar, SDB, the Bishop of Thuckalay Diocese, and Rev. Fr. Fernando Camillus, the Rector of the Shrine Community, welcomed the Rector Major and other Dignitaries.
Numerous photos of the visit of the Rector Major are available on ANSFlickr.
