Hajja Salesjana July-September 2021

27 H AJJA S ALESJANA Those who have been reading my greetings along these seven years will have realized that I try, above all, to share with you something I have experienced in my life, something of the “miracles” that the Lord has allowed me to discover and see the world over, and to share simple testimonies that touch the heart. This is the one I present to you now: It so happened that while arranging my papers and notes, I found an envelope with a letter inside. A young woman had given it to me when I made my visit to the house called “Americana” in Brazil, in the Salesian Province of São Paolo. I remember that during that visit I experienced a very rich and most profound encounter and dialogue with young people, boys and girls between 16 and 24 years old. We spoke, one might say, for two hours about the “human and the divine.” I had a beautiful exchange with about 100 young people from that Salesian house. When I found the letter, I reread it and told myself that, with Elian’s presumed permission, I had to share this simple message from the heart of this young woman who had found a place, a space, and people in a Salesian house that had changed her life. I thought to myself, “Don Bosco, who was so enthusiastic about making known the good that was being done and how his educational and evangelizing system transformed the lives of his boys, would also be happy to make known what many young people of today say.” Not all are happy, naturally, but many others do feel happiness in these houses of Don Bosco where they have found a playground and friends with whom to share, a school that prepares them for life, a church that helps them come to know God in freedom, and a house that welcomes them unconditionally, as happened to Elian. The difference in my life In her letter, she writes: Americana, October 12, 2017 Dear Fr Ángel, My name is Elian T.S., and I am 17 years old. I am very nervous because, after all, we are not always so honored by the presence and attention of someone who represents those who do such beautiful and great work and who have made such a difference in my life. I can say that anyone who knows or who even just experiences a Salesian work is never the same again, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or colour. The teachings, values, and affection that are transmitted to us young people have the power to make such a great impact that they leave their mark on us for a lifetime. I remember coming to Americana in 2005, when I was seven years old. Despite being from a different religious background, I began to get involved in all the delights of knowing and being someone in the Salesian world. From my contact with Don Bosco’s story and work, I was able to learn more about life, things that very many young