As I had done yesterday, this morning I woke up early and joined the mass at St Patrick's church, at the entrance of the school. Fr Joseph Cini, who was already chaplain when I visited in 1997, continues in that post and celebrated the morning Eucharist. Then, after a quick breakfast with the Salesians of St Patrick's, I returned to Number 10 Downing the Street (as they joke about the delegation house and its address) to work on notes for this evening's Salesian Family Symposium. In fact, the reason for my coming to Malta this week has been to make a presentation to the members of the Salesian Family in Malta gathered for this Symposium.
Tonight's event was the Third Annual Salesian Family Symposium (but really the fourth such gathering) for Malta.
The first symposium was held in 2004 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the canonization of St Dominic Savio. The second was held in November 2006, in the year of Mamma Margaret and at the time that she was declared Venerable. In 2007 the theme was Return to Don Bosco and the Oratory spirit.
All these Salesian Family Days have tried to develop the yearly themes of the Salesian Family as given by the Rector Major in the strenna, so it is no surprise that this year's theme is Educating with the Heart of Don Bosco.
The keynote for this year's presentation is assigned to me. It is a bit daunting, really. There are posters of the even all over the island. I have seen my name in print more in the last two days in Malta than during my whole life in California or elsewhere. And when I introduce myself to people here, they all recognize the name because, of course, they have seen it on the poster and, they tell me, they are looking forward to this evening's events. If I was not already prone to have butterflies in my stomach before speaking, this would have put a whole garden of butterflies inside my gut.After two days of listening to the Salesians here, I re-worked my presentation through most of the morning today. With the assistance of powerpoint, I presented the story of how Don Bosco began his mission of evangelization and educative among the young of Turin in the 1840s… and how from experience he became more aware of new needs and new challenges.
My talk was followed by a question and answer period. Then two young people gave testimony. They were Dorothy Bugeja and John Caruana.
Dorothy is a leader of the SPYS program, well-known throughout the entire country for youth empowerment. She spoke of how she came to know the Salesian way through her involvement in Youth Ministry. She did not know of Don Bosco or the Salesian way before joining SPYS, but she found herself at home with the style and spirit, and it has transformed her life.
John is a Science and Physics teacher at Savio College in Dingli. He only met Don Bosco and the Salesians during his last year of university when doing his student teaching practicum. He did this at Savio College, and enjoyed the experience so thoroughly that when the course was completed, he submitted his résumé for a position as a physics teacher at the school on a permanent basis. In fact, he turned down higher paying positions to do this. Now, he is in his second year at Savio College, and speaks of Don Bosco as his "second father. The interventions by both young people were outstanding.At 20.00, the assembly moved across the street to St Patrick's chapel for the Sunday liturgy of Christ the King. Fr Paul Formosa presided and 8 priests concelebrated. Music was led by the young adults of Savio College Formation Group, and young people from SPYS, the Oratory and St Patrick's had leading parts to play in the liturgy. The evening ended formally with the mass, but many stayed around to visit in the vestibule after the liturgy.
At this point the impressions are very great and I still need to process the event. It has been a full and wonderful day.
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