Italy - International Meeting for those responsible for Salesian Bulletin kick starts

22 April 2023

(ANS – Turin) – The much awaited international meeting for those responsible for Salesian Bulletin took off on a solemn note, this morning at Valdocco, Turin. The dignitaries present at this moment were Fr. Stefano Martoglio, the Vicar of the Rector Major; Fr. Gildasio Mendes, the General Councillor for Social Communication and Fr. Leonardo Mancini, the Provincial of the Special Circumscription Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta (ICP). Nearly 80 participants representing all the continents gathered together for this meeting that will conclude on the 25 April 2023.

After a brief moment of prayer animated by Fr. Ricardo Campoli, the co-organizer of the meeting, the inaugural moment unfurled with a video presentation of all the participants and members of the meeting. Fr. Maciej Makula, the chief organizer of the meeting welcomed all the participants and the dignitaries present on the occasion.

The first to address the gathering was Fr. Stefano Martoglio, the Vicar of the Rector Major who in a very simple and poignant note, welcomed all the participants and expressed the wishes of the Rector Major, and appreciated the efforts of the Communication Sector in organizing this significant meeting at Valdocco.

Fr. Gildasio Mendes, the General Councillor for Social Communication welcomed the gathering on behalf of the sector. He expressed his great joy and gratitude to the participants for their presence and participation in the days of the meeting. He expressed: “I invite everyone to feel and experience this significant place, the place that gave origins to the Salesian Bulletin that had its roots in Valdocco, and drink from the fountain that gave birth to this charismatic invention of Don Bosco”. He moreover added, “Each one of you who take care of the Salesian Bulletin, you are primarily a communicator, missionary and evangelizer of Jesus Christ. You are ambassadors of Don Bosco and the Salesian Mission”.

Fr. Leonardo Mancini, the Provincial of the Special Circumscription Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta (ICP) welcomed everyone to the town of Don Bosco. He explained the great transformation and development that Valdocco had been experiencing in the recent years and the number of communities and activities that were present currently. He too exhorted everyone to pray at the urn of Don Bosco and enjoy and experience the presence of Don Bosco. He quoted the 17th volume of the Biographical Memoirs stating that for Don Bosco the Salesian Bulletin was the best means of propaganda ever conceived, because Don Bosco himself gave this magazine both to those who had the pleasure of reading and being informed, and also to those who had no interest at all: this is precisely the secret. He concluded by pointing to this secret of Don Bosco as a method of reflection and improvement of the Salesian Bulletin's activities.

The participants were filled with enthusiasm as many of them were visiting Valdocco for the first time.

Juan Jose Chappetti, the director of the Salesian Bulletin in Argentina expressed, “I am glad to be here at Valdocco and learn from Don Bosco and all the other editors of the Salesian Bulletin. I love Don Bosco and I am passionate about this mission. I am working as the director of the Salesian Bulletin for the past 13 years, and this meeting will provide me with more insights to make our Salesian Bulletin more interesting”.

Fr. Donnie from Philippines affirmed, “This is my first visit to Italy, and to Valdoccco and I am overwhelmed at all that is going to happen to me the coming days, and it will be a very rich experience for me and for my mission. I will have plenty of Salesian memories to share after this meeting”.

Patricia Madeira, the journalist working in the Social Communications Team of Portugal while expressing her joy in meeting all the editors of Salesian Bulletin stated, “It is like a homecoming for me to come to Valdocco. I am eager to learn from others and get to know more about this great tool that Don Bosco has given us and this meeting will help me to contribute better to the Salesian Bulletin in Portugal”.

Fr. Vivek Devikanth from Bangalore, India expressed, “This is my first meeting with these colleagues from the Salesian Bulletin and at the same time my first visit to Italy, and I believe it will be the right opportunity for me to both reinforce Salesian values and to immerge in this treasure land of Don Bosco, which is the origin of our Salesian values and mission.

Jan Kvapil, the young journalist from Czech Republic stated, “I am glad that this meeting will help me to understand to what extent I can make the Salesian Bulletin more relevant and totally digital. I hope to learn from others and see how this major change can be tackled”.

Fr. Sebastian Koladiyil, who is the editor of the Salesian Bulletin in the East African countries, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan and South Sudan affirmed, “I would be would be pleased to receive some guidelines on how to improve our news, and bring our young people closer to the Bulletin and make it useful to them."

The participants of the meeting comprise both the Salesians and the lay people, with several years of experience and expertise, and they hail from almost 50 countries.

The participants will have a guided tour of the city of Turin and the day will conclude in the evening with the mass in the chapel of St. Francis de Sales.