Kolkata – “With regard to young people we need to have expert voice,” said 10th successor of Don Bosco marking 200th birth anniversary of the St John Bosco by a gathering of 1,900 plus delegates attending the South Asia Salesian Family Congress at Don Bosco School Liluah, September 26-28.

“Sometimes we face the challenge of putting ourselves into trouble by being provocative in favor of youth,” said Rector Major Angel Fernandez Artime on his maiden visit to India and Kolkata, the city which Don Bosco saw in his dream in 1886, some 40 years before his sons started working in the city in 1926.

In his first traditional good night talk to Salesian Family members before dinner on September 27, Fr Artime called on all members of the Salesian Family to work together saying, “we must be capable of taking up the cause of the poor youth.”

“We as Salesian Family, should be able to give something to the city,” said the Rector Major citing the example of taking up the defense of the right of the poor or giving voice to minorities who have no voice.

“Give a word of encouragement to young people at risk,” Rector Major who worked with young people in Argentina insisted.

He called on delegates to consider as a group, “what more can we do?”

To work together as a group, Fr Artime called on Salesians of Don Bosco to take leadership “to get to know more about other members of the Salesian family.”

Worldwide there are 30 affiliate groups of the Salesian Family.

The gathering at Liluah has 11 of those groups participating “making it the largest gathering of the Salesian Family in the world,” according to world delegate of the Salesian Cooperators Fr Giuseppe Casti.

“Our real strength is in our unity and communion for service,” Fr Artime said encouraging the members to get to know the Salesian Family’s Common Charter of Identity.

“We are called as Salesian Family [not] just to collaborate among ourselves, [but] feel with the church and to open our doors to meet others [doing similar works] in the church,” Fr Artime insisted speaking in Italian and translated in English by Dr Maria Arokiam Kanaga.

On the first day of the congress, the Governor of West Bengal Keshari Nath Tripathi gave the inaugural address and opened the exhibition on South Asia Salesian Family.

On arrival on September 26, Rector Major visited Don Bosco Ashalayam (Hope Home) in Howrah which marks 30 years of working for street children through a network of 25 centers. After interacting with children in Ashalayam, Fr Fernandez visited Don Bosco Self Employment & Research Institute at Mirpara near Liluah, imparting skills training to school dropouts through some 18 non formal courses as well as 3 formal courses in civil and mechanical and electrical engineering.

Fr Artime started off the second day with a dawn Mass and prayers at the tomb of Mother Teresa along with the provincials and heads of the Salesian Family groups and the Missionaries of Charity Sisters. The rest of the day he spent at the congress venue meeting various groups of the Salesian Family in formal meetings while the congress continued in parallel sessions.

Fr Artime blessed a commemorative mural by an alumnus marking the close of Don Bosco bi-centenary celebrations at the school auditorium. The 11ft x 6 ft mural signed by Recor Major, Councillor for Formation Dr Ivo Coelho, and Regional Councilor for South Asia Dr Maria Arokiam Kanaga.

On third day, the tenth successor of 19th century Italian educationist St. John Bosco – popularly known as Don Bosco – will interact with senior monks of Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) at Belur Math close to Liluah before he leaves for the Grand Finale of the Bicentenary Celebration scheduled to be held in Netaji Indoor Stadium this evening (28 September). Besides messages from civil and religious authorities, students from various institutes will present a cultural fiesta ending with a musical performance by well-known alumni singers.

What started with one street urchin on 8th December 1841 in Turin, Italy, has today spread to 132 countries, with 30 affiliates (Salesian Family Groups) catering to some 15 million poor and marginalized youth through schools, colleges, youth centres, and vocational training schools.

Don Bosco Tech India, a network of 128 Vocational Training Centres in India, is the largest group after the Government of India in imparting technical education. DB Tech India has partnered with National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) since 2012 to train 2.2 million youth by 2022 through its network of 500 affiliate centres across India.

The Salesian Family groups in South Asia include:

1 Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB); 2 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA); 3 Salesian Co-operators (ASC); 4 Don Bosco Alumni (DBA); 5 Women Volunteers of Don Bosco (VDB); 6 The Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC); 7 The Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA); 8 The Sisters of Mary Immaculate (SMI), 9.The Disciples – Secular Institute (Disciples); 10.The Sisters of Maria Auxiliatrix (SMA), and 11 Visitation Sisters of Don Bosco (VSDB).