Letter to Salesian Bulletin Editors

Dear Editors,
Thank you for a pleasure that you offer me from time to time: I enjoy reading your Bulletins. I do so with feelings that I am sure our readers also have: pride in belonging to a religious family that despite all the difficulties at our particular moment in history, continues to work so effectively with so much apostolic imagination and enthusiasm for young people around the world.

Continue to present Project Europe in all its 'frontiers', not only political ones but the inner ones which still exist in many of the mindsets found in the Old Continent. And there are young people coming from the East, above all, who are the modern Magi bearing their own precious gifts.

This is a time when the Church is calling us to a new and vital theme, New Evangelisation, especially of Families and young people. The Synod in Rome on New Evangelisation coincided with the anniversary of Vatican II and the promulgation of the Catechism.

This is a strong point for Salesians. Don Bosco wrote: “The Catholic catechism in the festive oratories is the only tablet of salvation for so many poor youngsters amidst the general perversion of society”. MB XIV, 541

We cannot forget the prophetic dream of 1870 where Don Bosco saw two angels telling him: “Write to your confreres around the world telling them that human customs need to be reformed. That cannot happen unless we break the bread of the divine Word with the people. Catechise the children, and preach detachment from things of this world. The time has come for the people to be evangelised by the people” (BM X, 64).

For the rest, as Don Bosco said on more than one occasion,“At the beginning this Society was a simple catechism lesson”.
Catechesis is our DNA.
One way of carrying out a true apostolate that enriches and stimulates our readers is to publish experiences and testimonies of catechesis being carried out concretely in various parts of the world. Catechesis by Salesians in contact with young people each day and the more popular settings of society is an ever new and true Evangelisation.

Anyone who has a good contribution in this area could let others know.

I renew my admiration and congratulations for your Bulletins, their content and graphic layout.

If you have advice, suggestions or observations, please let me know. These are needed and well-accepted.
As I have already indicated, I have prepared the 2013 calendar for Italy. Should anyone be interested in the pictures which are by the same artists as last year's, you can ask Fabiana.
 
With everyone's good will we can create opportunity for fraternal exchange which becomes mutual help for our work in the future.

Best wishes to all,
Fr Bruno Ferrero

Editor of the Italian Salesian Bulletin.