This simple event also marked the start of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Salesian presence in Nice. It is often forgotten, in fact, that on 9 November 1875, just a few days before the first missionaries were sent out from Valdocco - on 11 November 1875 - a small group of two priests, a cleric and a brother began their journey from Valdocco to Nice, where they were finally welcomed at the Patronange St-Pierre on 28 November, invited by the then Bishop of Nice, Pierre Sola, on the initiative of the President of the local Conference of St. Vincent de Paul, Ernest Michel. On their arrival, they began caring for six young Algerian and three youngsters from Nice.

Although they were not considered missionaries at the time, they were true pioneers of what is now called ‘Project Europe’, as they strove over the years to inculturate the spirit of Don Bosco in France.

Fr Maravilla then explained the importance and relevance of ‘Project Europe’ in revitalising Don Bosco's charism in Nice and France.

At the end of the conference, to emphasise the missionary importance of the arrival of the first Salesians in Nice, the Councillor for the Missions presented to the audience, and to the entire Salesian world, the new painting commissioned to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Salesian Missions, entitled ‘The Fruits of the Salesian Missions’, created by Argentine artist Juan Manuel Jaimes. The same artist did the official painting for the canonisation of Artemides Zatti.

The artist interpreted Fr Maravilla's wish to present young saints who have achieved holiness thanks to the Salesian spirituality received from the missionaries:

- Simão Bororo, a young indigenous catechist at the Salesian mission among the Bororo people in Brazil;

- Blessed Laura Vicuna and Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá, from the heroic youth of Chile and Argentina;

- Akash Bashir, a Salesian past pupil in Pakistan, who died preventing a Muslim fundamentalist from blowing up the Catholic community celebrating Sunday Mass.

The painting shows how all four were deeply rooted in their culture and deeply attached to their Catholic faith. They became saints through their ordinary daily lives as Catholics, lived with joy, commitment and love according to the Salesian style passed on to them by Salesian missionaries.

The original painting is now in the office of the General Councillor for the Missions in Rome. The poster will be printed and sent to all Salesian houses and can also be downloaded at the bottom of the page.

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