There, for just over an hour, Don Bosco's 10th successor provided an overview of the Congregation in the world. He emphasized the importance of shared mission between religious and laity, pointing out that in many Salesian presences, management, animation and service are entrusted to lay people with Salesian identity.
Likewise, he encouraged all present to work for young people, especially the poorest and most abandoned, from a perspective of faith in God and Don Bosco's charism, as did the first Salesians who arrived in Patagonia, led by Fr. John Cagliero in 1875. And at the end of his talk, he listened and answered questions from those present.
At 11 a.m., the first pilgrims who left from the courtyard of the old San Francisco School began to arrive in the atrium of the Salesian parish, where the Mass would be held. With them, as the procession finished, the urn containing Br. Zatti's relics and an image of Mary Help of Christians also arrived.
The Mass, celebrated outdoors under intense sunshine, was presided over by the Rector Major and concelebrated by the local bishop, Bishop Esteban Laxague, SDB; the Archbishop of Bahía Blanca, Bishop Carlos Azpiroz Costa OP, and his auxiliary bishop, Bishop. Jorge Wagner; and the Bishop of Zárate-Campana and brother of the local bishop, Msgr. Pedro Laxague, as well as the Provincial of South Argentina, Fr. Darío Perera, and several Salesians and priests from the clergy of Viedma.
At the beginning of the Eucharist, on behalf of the entire Consecrated Life of Viedma and the region, a nun handed a Bible to the Rector Major and several nurses brought the lab coat worn by Zatti in his service to patients to the altar. Also, in a spirit of Salesian Family, the First Reading was proclaimed by the Provincial of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Argentina, Sister Silvia Boullousa.
After the reading of the Gospel of John (9:1-41), the Rector Major delivered the homily. He emphasized Zatti's holiness and made it clear that it does not matter whether Zatti was a Salesian coadjutor; it does not matter whether Zatti lived in Viedma or whether he had lived elsewhere; it does not matter whether Zatti was a nurse... What matters is the gift of holiness received by ordinary people who, during their lives, distinguished themselves by doing good to others.
Before the end of the Mass, Fr. Pedro Narambuena SDB, Director of the Salesian House in Viedma and Vice-Postulator of Zatti's cause for canonization, invited the oldest Salesians, Fr. Renzo Adami and Fr. Martin Dumrauf, and the youngest Salesian, the newly professed Leonardo Diaz, to hand over to the Rector Major Zatti's nurse's coat, which had been brought to the altar at the beginning of the Mass, a daily part of the life of the holy nurse and "relative of all the poor."
Afterwards, Msgr. Esteban Laxague presented Fr. Á.F. Artime with a wooden plaque containing some relics of St. Artemide Zatti.
After the Mass, the Rector Major stopped to greet the faithful and devotees, then left for Buenos Aires where, from tomorrow, Tuesday, March 21, until Friday, March 24, he will lead the Joint Visit to the America South Cone Region.
