By Fr Will Mathews, SDB

The tenth successor of St John Bosco and the Rector of the Salesians, Fr Angel Artime SDB arrived Melbourne in the morning on 14th May. The Rector Major was accompanied by Fr Vaclav Klement; Australia and Pacific provincial Fr Greg Chambers and Fr. Horacio Lopez Secretary of the Rector Major.

The Rector Major and the team were welcomed at Melbourne airport by a number of young people, students, many Salesians and a Salesian Sister.

Fr. Angel was then driven to the Salesian College and Community at Sunbury, the Mother House of the Province, by the provincial. Later, he was welcomed by the Salesians and the students of the Salesian College in Sunbury at Salesian residence.

The Rector Major shared a lunch with the Salesian community including some Salesians from other communities and two former Salesian provincials.

In the afternoon, the Salesian College students and staff welcomed Fr Angel with a whole school assembly with some singings and presentations. Spoken to the assembly in Italian, translated into English by Fr Klement, was well received by all students and staff. The assembly was concluded with a Hymn to Don Bosco led by Sr Rochelle Lamb FMA. Following the assembly, Fr Angel went among the students and staff giving them photo opportunities and greeting them in person.

An afternoon tea was served in the Salesian College Mansion after the school assembly for the Rector Major. He had a very sociable time with some students and staff of the college.

Later in the same afternoon, the Rector Major toured around the college before visiting the Salesian Cemetery in the college ground. He prayed and thanked the Salesians of the past as well as the present Salesians of the province. While in the cemetery, he also thanked the lay collaborators of the Salesians. He particularly congratulated and thanked the first lay principal of the college, Mr Mark Brockhus, for his outstanding work in the college.

A special dinner was held in the Rupertswood mansion in the evening to welcome the Rector Major to the province. Many Salesians, Salesian Sisters, lay collaborators and young people were present. Fr Angel managed to go around and greeted every individual person. During the dinner, Fr Greg Chambers welcomed him once again into the province. Fr Angel also spoke, translated by Fr Klement, to the gathering and thanked them for their collaboration and their hard work. Following the dinner, Fr Angel and the team were taken to the Province Centre for a night of rest.

He will be visiting the Archbishop of Melbourne on Friday before speaking to the Salesian Youth Gathering at St Joseph’s College in Ferntree Gully.​

First lay principal of the Rupertswood Salesian College, Australia – Pacific province mother house, Mr. Mark Brockhus welcomed the Rector Major in the name of 1250 students and 130 Salesian mission partners:

"92 years ago, the first Salesians arrived in Australia by boat at Fremantle. Five years later they established a community here at Rupertswood with 8 priests and brothers, some of whom had met Don Bosco himself before his death in 1888.

As the 10th successor of Don Bosco, we welcome you here to Rupertswood. In this the 200th anniversary year of Don Bosco’s birth, we are justifiably proud of the truly Salesian community we have established here.

As the presentation photo show, those early years here wer hard work for the early pioneer Salesians, most of who now lay at rest in our beautiful cemetery in the heart of the school. We owe so much to them for their total dedication to Bosco’s educational vision.

The foundations which they laid now continue to be built upon, largely through the efforts of many lay men and women who now live that very same dream. I hope that is your brief visit here, you will see that we are indeed

• A home that welcomes

• A parish that evangelizes

• A school that prepares for life and

• A playground where friends meet and enjoy themselves.

2015 has provided us with the opportunity to reflect upon our Salesian heritage. We are proud to present to you today a brief snapshot of our year, which hopefully highlights the vibrancy of this truly unique Salesian community."