Mother Teresa had several contacts with the Salesians. Worthy of particular mention was the meeting of 17 April 1984 between Mother Teresa and the members of the 22nd General Chapter led by the Rector Major, Fr Egidio Viganò. Here are some passages from what she had to say on that occasion. They serve as a message from her to the congregation today.
"Don Bosco had a great love for the poor. He always saw Jesus in them, believing the word of Jesus. He knew, not only by an act of faith, but from deep conviction, that what he was doing for poor young people was done for Jesus himself ... what strikes me most in youth is the desire to pray, and then turn their prayer into service. Service as the fruit of prayer is indeed very important for you and for us ... St John Bosco must be very happy to see that his Congregation retains that love for the poorest of the poor. Guard it with your life and with your work. It is the greatest gift of God to your Society – love the poor and work for the poor. Do not let anyone or anything separate your love for Christ from love for the poor! It is so easy to let someone or something take away the joy of loving and serving the poor. They are the greatest gift of God to us! Today, hunger is not only for a piece of bread ... it is also the hunger to be loved, to feel cared for. ... The priest's contribution is to give the peace and joy that spring from love. Being naked is not just a matter of not having clothes to wear. It is also the lack of dignity, the loss of purity, lack of respect: many treat the poor as if they were nothing! ... People are hungry for love and hungry for esteem. People often don’t even have time to smile. There is a lot of suffering in the world, precisely because everyone is busy. This is why we have to be present with our prayers, teaching people to pray, because families that pray together stay together, and if they stay together they will be able to love each other as God loves each one of them ... Let's help each other with prayer and sacrifice, so that we may be able to continue to be God's love and compassion for all those who meet us, and that we may be able to share with them the joy of loving and serving God."
