France and Belgium South. From 29 October to 2 November 2024, 400 pilgrims, members and friends of the Salesian Family of Our Lady of the Nations (FRB) of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and Saint Francis de Sales (FRB) of the Salesians of Don Bosco of France and South Belgium, lived a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Don Bosco in the places of his life as a child and adult: Becchi, in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, and Valdocco, in Turin.
While the previous editions were held in Lourdes, this year, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the dream at 9 years, the two Provinces have chosen Italy.
The pilgrims were accompanied by twenty Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, including the Provincial, Sister Marie-Agnès Chetcuti, who spoke on the first evening. There were many Salesian Cooperators, Past Pupils, and young people of the Salesian Youth Movement.
To guide them on the sites was Fr. Mike Pace, SDB Canadian vice-director of “Museo Casa Don Bosco” in Turin, who said: “This dream at 9 years is still current, because it describes the mission that God entrusted to John Bosco – helping young people in danger to lead a full life -, but also the method of loving kindness, never force.”
Sister Anne-Flore Magnan, FMA, Director of Don Bosco Ganshoren University College in Brussels, Belgium, together with Salesian Alban Pelletier, SDB, gave a talk on the phrase of the dream: “Be strong, humble, and robust”, answering questions: “How did John Bosco, as an adult, translate all this into his mission with the young? How can we, parents, grandparents, animators, educators, and teachers, draw inspiration from it?”. For further study
On the last evening, the children of two Salesian houses in southern France – La Navarre and Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer – presented a musical dedicated to Michele Magone: “From the street to the light, a teenager on the way”.
