First Seminar on Salesian Family Saints

By Fr. Nestor Impelido, SDB

Rome, Itlay, April 10, 2016 - Among the 111 participants of the first historical Seminar on Salesian Saints were also 7 EAO Salesian Family members: AUL, FIN, GIA, THA and VIE (both SDB and FMA). Among them was also Fr. Nestor Impelido, actively involved in the process of beatification of Fr. Carlo Braga. Apart of his role as a translator from Italian to English for the few non-Italian speaking participants, Fr. Nestor shares his experience with the AustraLasia readers.

Goals and contents

The theme of the seminar was divided by three moments:

1. to know and to make known the Salesian saints and those who are in the process for beatification and canonization;
2. to imitate our Saints;
3. to pray to the Salesian Saints and to make others pray to them.

The seminar was specially for vice-postulators, promoters and collaborators of causes, for members of the Salesian Family, and for people of the places where the candidates for sainthood were born, have lived or where is a lively devotion to them.

The objectives of the seminar were mainly to value the spiritual, pastoral and educative heritage of holiness born from and inspired by Don Bosco; to offer orientations and practical suggestions to promote the causes; to help to ascertain and to accompany presumed miracles.

Presently, the Salesian Family has Saints (9), Blessed (117), Venerable (14) and Servants of God (27), for a total of 167. These are presented in the book “Come le stelle nel Cielo” written by Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni (Salesian Postulator General) and launched during the seminar(English translation is being published in India, Bangalore; contact: jmksdb@gmail.com)

Inspiration of Salesian holiness

During the opening of the seminar, in order to highlight the theme of Salesian holiness, a relic of Don Bosco was installed– one of his lungs. This was to remind the Salesian Family of what Don Bosco did: one who offered his life for the young until his last breath.

The holiness that flourishes in the Salesian Family is a precious inheritance for the all the groups of the Salesian Family. For “the Church grows not by proselytism but by attraction”; she grows through the witness of her members.

The “Joy of the Gospel” lived by the Salesian saints can indeed help attract vocations for the groups of the Salesian Family. But Salesian holiness is and must always become sanctity of the young and of ordinary people, a holiness proposed to the people of God and with the people of God.

Provocation and stimulus of our Saints

In the course of this seminar on Salesian holiness, certain points came into light that could serve as stimulus and provocation to promote Salesian holiness.

The young people do not know these Salesian saints. Perhaps, it is because the Salesians do not speak of them and do not ask their intercession. Moreover, lay people desire that the holy Salesians they have known be declared saints. The people of Colle Umberto in Italy called for the introduction of the cause of the Servant of God Fr. Costantin Vendrame, as also the faithful of Santa Clara, Cuba for the Servant of God, Fr. Jose Vandor.

The promotion of the causes of beatification and canonization is for every member of the Salesian Family, not only for the few who had been tasked to be Vice-postulator or collaborator of the causes. The fact is that each Salesian is a promoter of the cause of holiness.

The Salesian saints best lived the Salesian charism. Salesianity is also to speak and reflect of the Salesian saints. The Venerable Msgr. Stefano Ferrando, Bishop of Krishnagar, India, was a faithful son of Don Bosco who incarnated the “Da mihi animas”. The Holy Spirit is very generous: he has guided some to live their life inspired by Don Bosco in an exceptional manner.

There is a deposit of holiness in the Salesian Family that can still be unearthed. Let people know this. How many have become saints by reading the lives of saint! Saints normally generate saints. Let people imitate them. There is the need to discover the face of each saint, distinct and who cannot be repeated. Let us promote the saints of the Salesian Family; ask people to pray to the candidates of the Salesian Family to holiness and to indicate graces obtained.

Saints best lived theology, more than theologians. They bring people closer to God. They are “the pillars of the earth”, symbols of the incomparable holiness of God. They are a blessing for a diocese, a religious congregation, and the Church. The Salesian saints are the expressions of the “mercy of God”.

The promotion of the causes takes time. Perhaps, it is to tell us that there is the need of space in order that the causes may mature. For this, be precise, be patient, be at peace. Moreover, the cause of beatification of a venerable costs, even euro 50,000 ca. And the cause for the canonization of the blessed is another expense! For this, the Congregation for the causes of saints governs the causes both in the diocesan and in the roman phases or stages.

Salesian holiness already recognized or on the way to be recognized is already a realization of the evangelical radicalism and fidelity to the apostolic project of Don Bosco. It is a provocation to live one’s vocation in fidelity to Don Bosco. It would be good to discover the kind of holiness that Don Bosco lived.

Basic questions to answer

At the end of the day there are basic questions that each Salesian Family member is called to answer:

• Do we know the Salesian saints?
• Do we promote them?
• Do we invoke our Saints?

The fact is that Salesian holiness can be demonstrated. Consequently, it is good to know and to make known those who have achieved exceptional holiness, champions of faith and of charity. Salesians are called be the first to pray to these Saints and to make others pray to these Saints. And finally - why not – we are inspired by their attractive holiness and we can follow them!

All materials are available so far only in Italian language) on the BOSCOLINK:

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