In the morning of Thursday 17 November, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime met the Hyderabad Provincial, Fr Vijaya Bhaskar Thathireddy, and other members of the Provincial Council. He later reached the Salesian work in Navajeevan, Ramanthapur, to attend the conclusion of the provincial youth festival. In the afternoon he met the Salesian Family and celebrated the Eucharist. Later - together with his secretary, Fr Horacio López, the Councillor for the East Asia-Oceania Region, Fr Maria Kanaga Arokiam, and the Provincial – he took part in a grand cultural academy in his honour.
“Our eyes and heart are full of looks and smiles” he said on his Facebook page - Since it is not possible for us to communicate most of the time, apart from talks that are then translated into different languages, many of our greetings are expressed in gestures, looks and smiles".
On Friday the series of festive gatherings continued, with massive crowds. The students of the Salesian Houses greeted the Successor of Don Bosco and presented gifts. Celebrations took place first at Guntupalli, Vijayawada, where he greeted school children and young Salesian aspirants and pre-novices. He then went to Guntur, to St Michael’s House, where he celebrated the Eucharist.
On the last day, after returning to the Provincial House in Hyderabad, the Rector Major met with the professed Salesians and also with the parents of Salesians. The last act of the visit was a Mass at the Shrine of Don Bosco of Hyderabad, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Province.
