The participants gather on the steps of the Salesianum (Photo from ANS)

Fr Bernard Parkes SDB from Savio House has sent the following report:

The annual Days of Salesian Spirituality took place in Rome from 20th to 23rd January 2005. Our Province was well represented -- eight of us were present. Srs. Eileen McGarry, Elizabeth O'Donnell and Valerie Jackson travelled from Scotland, as did Tess John and Sandy Fairley from Merseyside, Bridie Redfern from Kendal and Fr. Bernard Parkes from Bollington.

Carmela Girolomo, a former Savio House volunteer, now living in Italy, joined us, too, so there were four branches of the Salesian Family in our contingent.

Fr Bernard, Carmela and Sandy (from the Savio House Web Site archive)

The theme for the conference was this year's strenna, "Rejuvenate the face of the Church, the Mother of our Faith" and each day was devoted to a different aspect of the Church's life -- announcing, serving and celebrating. The Rector Major himself explained why he had chosen this strenna and why it was so important for the Salesian Family to encourage young people to make the face of the Church young. The delegates divided into twelve working parties to examine more deeply how this may be done. On the Saturday evening Bernard, Sandy and Carmela gave a presentation about the work at Savio House, Bollington, focussing on its Salesian style and how it rejuvenates the face of the Church. The day ended with an impromptu concert, the music and dancing being a common language for the British, Italian, Belgian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Mexican and Korean people among the 200 in attendance.

One of the benefits of an occasion like this is the chance to meet other members of the Family from such varied situations and to realise that we all enjoy the same Salesian heritage. All of us from this province returned having fully enjoyed the experience and newly energised to live out our charism in the opportunities the Lord gives us.