The Mass was presided over by Fr. Michele Molinar, SDB, Provincial Vicar of the Salesians of Piedmont and Aosta Valley and Promoter of Mamma Margherita’s Cause for Piedmont. Concelebrating with him were Fr. Enrico Lupano, Fr. Mario Maritano, Fr. Thathireddy Vijaya Bhaskar (Rector of the Salesian work at Colle Don Bosco), and Fr. Francis Thomas Kunnathoor, Pastor of the Mamma Margherita Pastoral Unit, which includes the communities of Capriglio, Montafia, Viale, and Cortazzone. The “Mamma Margherita” Choir of Capriglio animated the liturgy.
In his homily, Fr. Molinar emphasized the importance of hope, firmly rooted in faith, in Mamma Margherita’s life, particularly in this Holy Year of Hope. He reflected: “Christian hope is strong when built upon faith. Otherwise, at best, it is mere optimism. God’s great works function as a system: the three theological virtues—Faith, Hope, and Charity—are interconnected. Hope is founded on faith, and we could say that charity is hope made visible. The great Christians who fill Heaven lived their faith as an all-encompassing umbrella over their life choices—whether joyful, promising, challenging, or painful. Mamma Margherita held onto this umbrella with conviction! She passed on her faith to her three sons with a simple yet profound statement: ‘God sees you!’”
At the conclusion of the celebration, Diego Occhiena, President of the Friends of the Mamma Margherita Museum Association, highlighted Mamma Margherita’s deep connection to prayer. He recalled a touching episode from Don Bosco’s life: “After a long day of exhausting apostolic work, the young priest Don Bosco, overcome with sleep, would head to bed. Then he would hear his mother’s voice: ‘Have you said your prayers?’ Though he had already prayed, he would sit beside her and repeat them together. Then, she would remind him: ‘Study your Latin, learn your theology, but your mother knows something even more important—you must pray!’”
This heartfelt commemoration reaffirmed the spiritual legacy of Mamma Margherita, whose profound faith and motherly wisdom played a pivotal role in shaping the mission of St. John Bosco and the Salesian family.
