By Cl. Cristian Adolfo Lopez, SDB

       Ulanbaatar - Mongolia, 21 November 2022 -- After a month of patiently waiting, the Mongolian Salesian community has celebrated the canonization of the first Salesian Brother: Saint Artemides Zatti. On Saturday 19 November in Ulan Baatar´s Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, all members of the Salesian presences in Mongolia (both SDB and FMA with their youth and mission partners) got together to honor this great joy.

       The celebration started with an explanation of sainthood by our delegate, Fr. Paul Leung, SDB. Then followed a solemn Eucharist presided by the cardinal of Mongolia, Bishop Giorgio Marengo IMC. The Eucharist was full of symbols, decorations and even a walking Brother Artemides (=Br Tran) who helped all participants to know better the new Saint! During the homily, the Cardinal challenged everyone: 'If St. Zatti, a simple religious brother can become a saint, so we too, can all become saints in our own way of holiness'.

       After mass, we were all invited to have lunch while we had the opportunity to know more about the new saint through a movie (with Mongolian subtitles), cultural presentations and a very nice souvenir to remember this wonderful day. Many people were invited to share with the Salesian Family, most of them children, young people and adults from the Salesian parishes, Don Bosco Oratory and Social works. The Catholic community of the Mongolia Apostolic Prefecture was represented by many religious and faithful, around 300 people joined us with great excitement. It is without question that this day will be gratefully remembered by the Church in Mongolia as a day of happiness as it is the first time we celebrate a new Salesian Saint in this young Church.

       Saint Artemides Zatti, pray for us.

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