austraLasia 840
Australian Salesian Youth gather for Dominic Savio
MELBOURNE: 11th May '04 -- Some 3,000 young people from Salesian schools and centres throughout the Southern Australian State of Victoria, gathered in Melbourne's St. Patrick's Cathedral on Friday last, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the canonisation of St. Dominic Savio. The main celebrant of the Mass was Fr. Ian Murdoch, the Australian provincial, assisted by 20 other Salesian priests and diocesan clergy at the altar and many other Salesians in the congregation. The provincial of the Salesian Sisters, Sr. Edna Mary McDonald, was there as were many of the Sisters and chidren they teach. Bro. Marcel Lopez from East Timor was also present. Sr. Rochelle Lamb FMA led a choir made up of young people from the many schools.
Even though one of the smaller of the Australian states, Victoria is still large by world standards. The students from Nagle College Bairnsdale had a round trip of 700 kms to make to attend the event.
Most Australian Salesian schools have long had the Feast of Dominic Savio built into their annual schedule of celebrations. In many ways, the style of Australian Salesian schools is not dissimilar to the Oratory understanding of Don Bosco's, where young people gather daily to make friends, feel at home, learn about the world and life, and experience Church. For not a few youngsters, it is especially at school that there is a real experience of family and church, and Salesian schools in particular, go out of their way to respond to difficulties arising from the strongly secularised Australian society, affecting family life and church attendance. The Feast of Dominic Savio is one day each year when the 'Oratory' core of Salesian experiences comes to the fore. This year, after participating in the Mass at the Cathedral, the students then went off to various fun venues around the city - the Zoo, Cinema, Luna Park and Ten Pin Bowling Centres.
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