Viedma is the first city visited by the 10th Successor of Don Bosco in this new visit to Argentina. Fr. Á.F. Artime was welcomed by the Bishop of Viedma, Bishop Esteban Laxague, SDB, and the religious community residing in the city's Salesian house. After greeting the crowd of pilgrims, the Rector Major went to the atrium of the Don Bosco parish, where the urn containing the relics of the holy nurse had been placed.

This celebratory moment was animated by Fr. Pedro Narambuena, Director of the Salesian House in Viedma and Vice-Postulator of Zatti's Cause of Canonization.

First, the local Bishop delivered a welcome address to the Rector Major. Then, he was invited to pray before the urn with the saint's remains. Fr. Á. F. Artime addressed some words of greeting to the pilgrims and devotees present, and stressed that Patagonia represents a land of holiness, referring also to the young Blesseds of the Salesian Family Ceferino Namuncurá and Laura Vicuña.

He then recounted an episode that filled everyone present with joy. In fact, he spoke of how, just the previous weekend, he had been in Istanbul, and told of his meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, who on the occasion asked him to greet Pope Francis on his behalf. "Through my secretary, I sent him the Patriarch's greetings and told him that I would be in Viedma, with you, because we would meet to celebrate the holiness and intercession of St. Artemide Zatti," the Rector Major continued. "Well, within four hours I had the response from Pope Francis, sent by his secretary: in addition to telling me that he was very happy about the visit to the Patriarch, he wrote to me: 'Since you are going to Patagonia, tell your Salesian brothers to continue to love Patagonia, I carry it in my heart.'"

Next came the Rector Major's talk to the pilgrims at the Municipal Cultural Center in Viedma. There, in front of some of Zatti's direct relatives, the mayor of Viedma, Pedro Pezzati, and other city authorities, two artistic performances took place: Fr. Rubén Guarnera SDB, pastor of Viedma, together with a group of young people, presented a song dedicated to Zatti; and then, the city's folkloric group danced to some pieces of the "Misa Criolla." Finally, the Rector Major took the floor; he focused on the figure of Zatti, a man who, through the good deeds of every day, managed to achieve the gift of canonization.

Mass was then held in Viedma Cathedral, presided over by Bishop Laxague and concelebrated by the Rector Major, Fr. Perera, and numerous Salesians who had come to Viedma from different parts of the country.

Finally, a youth vigil was held in the gymnasium of the "Artémides Zatti" Institute, in which the Rector Major shared music and festivities until dinner time. Youth delegations that arrived from different cities in Patagonia and Buenos Aires, meanwhile, continued the festivities beyond, staying overnight in there to await the culmination of the next day's celebrations.

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