Hajja Salesjana

confirmed by the Rector Major Fr. Artime as the President of the World Confederation of Past Pupils of Don Bosco. 17 5. 6. 4. Who is Don Bosco for you and what strikes you most about him? Don Bosco had a love for life and goodness. He believed in education as a means of improving the quality of life for young people especially those who are poor. He promoted a holistic approach to education that would give more opportunities to be successful in life and underlined the importance of the care of the soul as a means to achieve true happiness. Don Bosco presented an educational approach which is built not only on knowledge, but also on gaining skills and competences that will help young people to succeed in their goals. He believed that education should lead young people to be upright citizens and good Christians. Is there a phrase or a sentence from Don Bosco that inspires you in your life? There is a phrase written in the letter from Rome by Don Bosco which is rarely quoted but it has also resonated with my thoughts and inspired me in my life: “Near or far I always think of you. I only desire that you find happiness in this life and in the next”. This is the second sentence of the long letter which I do not think that it was easy for Don Bosco to write from Rome to the Salesians in Turin. Yet this sentence captures an important aspect of the Salesian charism that he wanted us to be happy now and for eternity. Don Bosco wanted us to live a happy life in this world that would lead us to eternal happiness. His goal for us for eternal happiness also depended on achieving happiness in our everyday life especially by doing good while we have time! What message would you like to pass on to the readers of Ħajja Salesjana? In my role as World President of Past Pupils and Friends of Don Bosco, my goal is to animate and give new life to our organisation to find its meaning and significance in the world that we live today. To reach this goal, I believe that we need to journey together (synodality) in unity to be able to “reflect and learn from the past, discern the present and shape our future”. If we listen well to each other, if we unite in thought and spirit, if we work together as one world, we will be able to bring about change in the world and inspire lives. As past pupils and Friends of Don Bosco, we need to embrace the Salesian spirituality and Don Bosco’s mission, by showing in action our solidarity and social commitment to the young. Lulju-Settembru 2023 hajja