Dear brother,

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the Work of Don Bosco in Ramos Mejia, I turn to you and to all the members of this beloved Salesian family. I join in your thanks for all these years spent sowing the joy of the Gospel in so many children and young people, and in reaching the hearts of so many families and the peripheries of society.

I remember with gratitude when I attended the sixth grade of the Wilfrid Barón de los Santos Ángeles school in 1949, and received that formation in the style of Don Bosco, open to work, creativity and joy. School life was a "whole", and there was no time to get bored: study, sharing, prayer, attention to the poorest, manual activities; everything we did and learned had a harmonious unity and prepared us for life with a sense of responsibility and a horizon of transcendence.

I encourage you to continue your daily work in this perspective, bearing in mind the words of St. John Bosco: "Holiness consists in always being happy". May the joy that comes from the encounter with the Lord be reflected in all your activities, so that the Gospel may radiate and reach everyone.

May Jesus bless you and Mary Help of Christians watch over you with maternal protection. And please don't forget to pray for me.

Fraternally,

Francis