Hajja Salesjana March April 2017

5 The Poster of the Strenna of the Rector Major for 2017, has been illustrated beautifully by the artist Mauro Borgatello and has been presented to the Salesian Family some months ago. It presents the Family, in real and concrete terms, in all its different facets, showing that it is not an abstract and an idealized model. It depicts the human family at large, which holds the preservation of life right from its very conception; the family, which is the Church; the family, which is created in every courtyard or playground of a Salesian House. The poster of the Strenna is an aid which aims to powerfully present through various images, the core of the message that the Rector Major presents to the Salesian Family at large. Already in July 2016, Don Ángel Fernández Artime, keeping in line with the reflection presented by the Pope for the universal Church, had proposed the theme of the family as the core message of the Strenna. The theme chosen was: "We are a Family! Every home, a school of Life and Love" . "The idea that guided my hand is compressed in this one simple and effective sentence,” - explained the artist, the author of the poster: School is a challenge which encourages us to improve and form us for the life ahead in the future. The Family is not only a place of meeting but is also the ground for training, for formation towards good living. It is also the anvil: it exists and is a true base only if there is an attitude of welcome, respect and enthusiasm to overcome the difficulties of life. The family, is made up of persons of different age groups, using heterogeneous costumes and maybe even be spread across far flung countries. It includes pain and the diversity of cultures. The family is a diversity but made up of a union of hearts, which sees plurality as an enrichment, as a way to more completeness and happiness in the journey of life made together." Thus, the dimension of the family is not in any way excluding us, the Salesian Family, but still serves as a fundamental dimension and environment for us who are inspired by Don Bosco, who shaped the family spirit as the background for his educative system. Mauro Borgarello, the author of the poster, is a professional illustrator and multimedia animator since 1995 and has worked over these years with various publishing and film production houses. In 1998, he won the title during the "Torino Film Festival" for his animation film, which also fetched him numerous awards nationally for his other works as well. Attracted by the versatility of the emerging new media, he has been using drawing as medium to convey concepts and ideas - via an app for multimedia, interactive comics, microcontent and animated infographics. Since the year 2000, he collaborates with Don Bosco Missions in Valdocco on various editorial and communications projects. R ector M ajor’s 2017 S trenna (ANS-Rome)