Rimac, Peru – December 2024 – On the occasion of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, 8 December, the Provincial of the Salesians in Peru, Fr Juan Pablo Alcas, presided over the Eucharist at the Salesian San Juan Bosco Oratory in Rimac. During the homily the said, "Today Don Bosco begins the Oratory through the Immaculate Virgin", recalling the meeting between Don Bosco and Bartholomew Garelli, a moment that marked the beginning of the Salesian Oratory in 1841. With this event, the Salesians of Peru closed the activities commemorating the Bicentenary of Don Bosco's "Dream at 9 years of age". The celebration was attended by young people, teachers and families who cycled from the San Francisco de Sales school to arrive together at the Rímac oratory. The route filled the streets of Lima with joy, with participants of all ages, from the youngest to the most experienced cyclists. All united in a single mission: to reach the oratory to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the beginning of the Salesian Oratory. "We came to the first Salesian house in Peru, on foot, by car or by bicycle, to celebrate a special event: the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. We are a Marian Congregation par excellence," said the Provincial. After the ceremony, the courtyard at the Rímac youth centre became the scene of a great Salesian celebration. Parents with their children, those who attend the oratory, students and members of the Salesian Family gathered to participate in a lively gymkhana full of games, and moments of shared joy; an atmosphere that fully reflected the true Salesian spirit.