#db2015 - Bicentenary Strenna Presentation -- (ANS - Rome)- Like Don Bosco, with young people, for young people. The first Strenna of Fr Ángel Fernández Artime as Rector Major seems like a return to the essence of the Salesian charism. Today, 27 December, the full meaning of this gift that is given to the whole Salesian Family was unveiled during the presentation of the Strenna, which took place at the Generalate of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Rome. The choice of date for the Rector Major’s presentation is in itself a novelty, because it was traditionally reserved for the last day of the year. Otherwise, the programme followed the traditional structure. The meeting took place in the hall of the theatre, where the room is big enough to accommodate the Sisters from the houses dependent on the Mother General, the Community of the Generalate, the novices from the two novitiates of Castelgandolfo and Rome, many of the Sisters from the Roman Province and several chaplains. First to take the floor was the Mother General of the FMA, Mother Yvonne Reungoat, who welcomed the Rector Major and everyone present. Then Fr Á.F. Artime spoke outlining the salient features of the Strenna: it is a motto that unites the whole Salesian Family; it represents the look of Don Bosco who took on the heart of the Good Shepherd; his preferential love for young people, and especially those who are poor; the memory of the first centenary of the birth of Don Bosco and the present recurrence of the Bicentenary; and finally, it brings us back to the two women who played a fundamental role in the Salesian charism: Mamma Margaret and Mary. Later on he added, There are three resources available for this year: the video presentation, the text of the Strenna for in-depth study, and a presentation that summarizes the key elements. The video of the Strenna for 2015 was then screened. This is another feature that has emerged in recent years as a new tradition. It has the advantage of being able to support the Rector Major’s message with the immediacy of the images. After a short time for comment between those present and some questions to Fr Á.F. Artime, the evening ended with a greeting from Mother Reungoat and a moment of Salesian conviviality. The full text of the commentary on the Strenna is available in the appropriate section of the site sdb.org. The video of this year’s strenna, commissioned by the Department for Social Communication and made by the Salesian Info Agency, can now be seen on the YouTube channel of ANSChannel in 20 different languages (8 with dubbing, 12 subtitled). The presentation in Italian is available in this link.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 19:23:02 +0000