Salesian houses with “open doors” EXPLANATION are a real opportunity to grow in of the love and in faith. Thousands of children, teenagers and young people in an atmos- POSTER phere of family and friendship continue to hear the ever new A teenager like many others proclamation of the Gospel in the appears In the SMD 2020 poster, midst of the youthful noise of a a lad from a European Salesian playground. This is the way that youth centre having some sponta- oratories and youth centres are not neous fun. There is a painting in the only a place of entertainment and background in which Don Bosco leisure, but are truly missionary fronts appears with a group of boys and, where they proclaim the source behind that, the Risen Lord, from of joy and cheerfulness, the Risen the dream at nine years of age. Jesus, through the testimony of committed Salesians, lay people Yesterday’s and today’s young people are an extension of Don and animator. In the poster, Don Bosco’s dream that continues to be Bosco is like the bridge between fulfilled in Europe’s oratories and that young person in search of youth centres. They are veritable joy and life, and the Lord of life. “mission stations” in a cultural con- The biblical text chosen for SMD text, sometimes marked by religious 2020 is St Paul’s letter to the Philippians, indifference, situations of wounded the second reading from the Mass families, emotional deficiencies. of Don Bosco: “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!” A propitious, healthy environment of serenity and joy is the privileged place to receive and welcome the Good News. On the other hand, the Lord himself is the profound cause and content of Christian joy. The bright colours, in yellow, speak to us of light and joy. Yesterday’s and today’s young people, Don Bosco, Jesus, joy, light, table tennis ... they all offer us a beautiful image of what our oratories and youth centres seek to be today: houses that welcome, parishes that evangelize, schools that prepare for life and play- grounds where friends can meet and enjoy themselves. 2 index Explanation of the Poster .................................................................................................................................................. 2 Letter from the Rector Major ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Letter from the Councillor for the Missions ............................................................................................... 6 Salesian Mission Day: An ongoing tradition........................................................................................... 8 General Theme for this 6-year term: First Proclamation ....................................................... 10 Juan José BARTOLOMÉ. The joy of living in Christ, heart of the Salesian 2020 proposal of youthful holiness. A Salesian reflection on Phil 4:4........................... 15 The Oratory - Youth Centre in the Salesian Youth Ministry Frame of Reference. ........................................................................................................................................................ 24 Pope FRANCIS, Christus Vivit............................................................................................................................................... 26 Fr Michal VOJTÁŠ, Evolutions and transformations of the Salesian oratory 27 Fr Juan VECCHI, The Salesian oratory between memory and prophecy..... 34 Oratorian testimonies from Atocha (Spain) .......................................................................................... 43 Oratorian testimonies from Shkoder (Albania) ................................................................................. 46 Oratorian testimonies from Lecce (Italy)................................................................................................... 48 Oratorian testimonies from Chemnitz (Germany)........................................................................ 53 Oratorian testimonies from Bratislava - Trnávka (Slovakia)............................................... 56 Oratory and Social Commitment: Blessed Albert MARVELLI, Oratory Leader ......................................................................................................................................................................... 58 Oratory and Mission: Venerable Attilio GIORDANI, A Leader and missionary of the Oratory .......................................................................................................................................... 61 Salesian Missionary Day Day Missionary Salesian Oratory and Martyrdom: the Martyrs of Poznan´, The five Blessed Oratory leaders from Poznan´ .............................................................................................................................. 65 Project “the Lunik Oratory” in Slovakia ......................................................................................................... 71 Prayer ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 72 3 Letter of the RECTOR MAJOR Dear confreres, of the countless visits I was able to I find the theme of this Salesian Mis- make in the Congregation through- sionary Day 2020 to be very precious out the five continents over the past indeed. In fact, it is also a strong six years. These are three themes I call and, I would say, a provocation. have often found myself insisting up- But also, a clear invitation. A provo- on and urging, especially when cation and invitation to preserve meeting confreres. and foster the beautiful realities that 1. As a Congregation and as a Sale- we have, and concretely, in this sian mission, the Oratory is our birth- case, the numerous oratories and place. Turin - the Church of Saint youth centres of the Congregation Francis of Assisi, 8 December 1841, scattered across the entire world. Bartholomew Garelli. This was our beginning. And any other new be- But at the same time, this Mission Day ginning in the name of Don Bosco is an invitation and a provocation cannot deprive itself of this oratorian to begin or perhaps to restart this mould. Every new missionary enter- marvellous educative and pastoral prise of the Congregation cannot service for the poorest and most escape what I would call the ‘womb’ distant young people. So, an oppor- by which we all come. tunity not to be missed! 2. At the same time, even if we are And there are especially three talking about the first kind of work in themes that this gives rise to in my the Salesian mission, we know that it mind and heart as the Successor of is not a question of doing “only” that. Don Bosco, particularly in the light The ever-changing times and the ever-new needs of young people have led us, over these decades – walking in the footsteps of our father 4 2020 Don Bosco – to create and dare to invent the impossible, in order to of- fer the right answers for every time and place. And so we find ourselves today, in all nations, offer- ing our closeness to young people, especially the poorest, with an extreme- ly broad range of works, structures, oratorian spirit must give colour and and services. In this ample missionary form to all that we are, say and do, and pastoral diversity, there is a each of our works has as its vocation leitmotif, a common vital sap that to become “another Valdocco.” should nourish every Salesian pres- How often I have said this over these ence in the world: the oratorian spirit. past years, especially when visiting Not everyone might be working in an small nations, such as some in Cen- oratory, but we are all steeped in this tral America, Africa or islands in the oratorian spirit that we are called to Pacific: “this house must become preserve and always give growth to. the Valdocco of ...” Rightly, through the Congregation’s So, my dear confreres, I truly hope missionary activity, we are called Day Missionary Salesian that this missionary theme so dear to “[mobilise] all the educational to Don Bosco and so demanding and pastoral means proper to for the whole Congregation, can our charism” (C 30 - People still not bring new and abundant fruits of evangelised). And as our missionary missionary zeal! commitment and missionary spirit are by no means generic, one of their most characteristic ingredients is this oratorian spirit. Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, sdb 3. Finally, remembering that we were Rector Major born in the Oratory and that the Letter from the COUNCILLOR FOR THE MISSIONS Dear Provincial Delegate In this 2020 Mission Day theme I see: for Missionary Animation, 1. A powerful missionary frontier ad Dear confreres, gentes that once again opens wide As you well know, for over thirty years before our eyes. In fact, our Regula- since 1988, the Missions Sector has tions speak to us of the “missionary been animating these Salesian Mis- slant” (R.11) proper to the oratory. sion Days. Much missionary spirit and And this is not only because, espe- drive have been sown throughout cially in the context of European mi- these years within each Province and gration, today we are finding many house. And rightly so: it is about sow- “languages, peoples and nations” ing. The seed is abundantly good. But in our oratories and youth centres. when the good seed remains in a In fact, not a few confreres in Europe pocket or locked up in a