Sunday, 20 October was the culmination of the celebrations for this important anniversary. The events took place as scheduled, starting at 9:30 with the meeting in Piazza dei Martiri, in front of the church of San Rocco where, in 1924, the first Salesians arrived to start the work managing an orphanage. After an address from the Mayor, Oscar de Pellegrin, and the President of the Province, Roberto Padrin, the testimony of one of the first three religious who arrived in the city in 1924, Fr Francesco Carpenè, was read.
Accompanied by the festive notes of the Don Bosco Band from San Donà Piave, the participants paraded through significant places in the city's Salesian history, finally arriving at the Agosti Salesian Institute, founded in the mid-1950s thanks to the generous donation of Countess Giuseppina Agosti, who sought to promote Belluno's youth through the construction of a vocational school for work preparation. MEP Elena Donazzan offered a greeting.
The most solemn moment of the day was the thanksgiving Mass, celebrated at 11:30 in the church of St John Bosco. Fr Martoglio presided over the service, flanked by many Salesians who served in Belluno and also by Fr Silvio Zanchetta, Superior of INE. In the homily he recalled the centenary journey of the Salesians in Belluno and the importance of their educational and pastoral commitment for all citizens and especially for the most vulnerable youth.
After the celebration, the participants shared an agape, a moment of conviviality and fraternity, with the solemn moment of the cutting of the cake, among the participants also the descendants of the family of Fr Antonio Sperti, the Belluno priest who in the mid-nineteenth century founded an orphanage in the city and had the Salesians arrive in 1924 to continue his work.
The afternoon then continued with a concert by the Don Bosco band, which enlivened those present with songs from the Salesian tradition and with an artistic performance by skaters belonging to the Salesian Youth Sports Centre (PGS) of the work who entertained the many present.
The day ended with the presentation of the book "The Salesians in Belluno. A 100-year journey ", edited by Giorgio Reolon. The author retraced the fundamental stages of the Salesian presence in the city, from the arrival of the first three Salesians in 1924 to the present day, highlighting the positive impact that the Salesians had on the Belluno community. From a poor environment, in fact, through many sacrifices, the work has developed and has been well rooted in the territory and has represented an effective response to the social needs of the city, as the mayor highlighted in his greeting.
Finally, one of the most anticipated moments was Fr Martoglio's presentation on "Salesian education, the dream of Don Bosco alive in today's society". The Vicar of the Rector Major stressed that Don Bosco's educational principles are still current and necessary in today's social context, inviting renewed commitment to the education of young people.
The Sunday celebration is part of a broader program that also saw the presentation of the aforementioned centenary book on the evening of Friday 18 October and which will conclude on Wednesday 23 October with a Eucharistic Celebration presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of Belluno-Feltre, Bishop Renato Marangoni, on the exact anniversary of the arrival of the first Salesians in Belluno.
The day of celebration not only commemorated a century of history, but also renewed the commitment of the Salesians to the community of Belluno, from a perspective of trust and hope for the next hundred years of presence and service in the city.
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