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Provincial’s Message
Provincial Speaks
Dear Confreres and young people,
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With this note I am happy to announce to you that “KNOTS”- Kolkata news of the Salesians is coming alive after 9 years of hibernation. In the first place I take this occasion to express my joy and satisfaction that Fr. Arvind Khalkho – the province delegate for Social Communication and the team has taken the bold step to resurrect the one time “newsletter” of the province in digital form. It’s a forum to get connected with various institutions and young people of our province and to share news and views of our life and mission.
This particular issue targets the object of our predilection: the young people. Article 14 of our Constitution states “Our vocation is graced by a special gift of God: predilection for the young: ‘that you are young is enough for me to love you very much.’ This is an expression of pastoral charity and gives meaning to our whole life. For their welfare we give generously of our time, talents and health: ‘For you I study, for you I work, for you I live, for you I ready even to give my life.”
Pope Francis, in his address to GC28, said, “Your consecration is, above all, a sign of the gratuitous love of the Lord, and for the Lord in his young people…The first call is to be a joyful and gratuitous presence among young people.” Therefore, our charism is primarily a charism of presence, which the Rector Major calls the Salesian Sacrament of Presence, a presence characterized by availability, listening, joy and dedication more than activities for the young.
We are all aware of Akash Bashir, the heroic security guard at St John’s Church, who on 15 March 2015 prevented a suicide bomber from entering a crowded Catholic Church in Lahore, Pakistan, sacrificed his life to avoid a large scale carnage in the place of worship. He was a past pupil of the Don Bosco Technical Centre. May his life be an inspiration to dedicate our life for the cause of Christ and increase our faith in Him. Let us assure our young people that our existence depends of them.
Yours in Don Bosco Fr Joseph Pauria sdb Provincial
