There were many personal exchanges as well, with the courtyards of Valdocco filled with greetings and conversations among visitors and Chapter members.

Among the visitors was Fr. Marco Panero, who has served as Director of the Journal Salesianum since December 2022. It was an important opportunity to update Provincials and Delegates from around the world on the state of this quarterly journal, the official publication of the Pontifical Salesian University, which has been regularly published for 87 years and is highly respected.

“Of course, it’s a tool primarily designed for the academic community in theology and philosophy,” Fr. Panero explained. However, he emphasized that its presence within communities often inspires useful ideas and reflections for everyday formation activities.

Salesianum’s academic reputation is supported by its strong ties with both pontifical and state universities. “It is open to outside contributions,” he noted, “thanks to collaborations with scholars from other institutions. Our goal is to ensure it also holds value in secular academic circles.”

The widespread sharing of the magazine reflects the desire to spread the richness of Salesian scholarship. “We exchange publications with 178 other journals, and our content is indexed to support academic research.” Provinces are encouraged to access the magazine, considering its potential usefulness for university colleges and study centers worldwide. Fr. Panero also shared that even the oldest issues have been digitized, and articles are published in the author’s original language—whether Italian, French, Spanish, or English.

Continuing the editorial theme, Fr. Leonardo Mancini presented a special gift from the Province of Piedmont–Aosta Valley–Lithuania to the Chapter members: a collection of letters from Don Bosco. He shared one letter in particular, written on February 5, 1886, to Fr. Carlo Peretto, Prefect of Niterói, Brazil—a message still meaningful for Salesians around the world:

“When evening comes and I rest for a moment... I review you all one by one, I see you in spirit, I seem to hear your voices, I am deeply moved and I pray for you.”

Don Bosco’s words continued to resonate during the evening, as Chapter members were treated to a dramatic reading of selected letters, curated by Fr. Francesco Motto. These readings had also been featured last December during the presentation of the monumental ten-volume collection of Don Bosco’s complete correspondence, with explanatory notes for readers. A group of students from the UPS in Rome performed the letters in a deeply moving theatrical presentation titled “Affezionatissimo amico…” (“Your Most Affectionate Friend…”).

The evening concluded with a reading of Don Bosco’s Spiritual Testament, which was received with heartfelt emotion and honored with a long, warm round of applause.

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