Rome, 24 October 2020 -- The Feast of All Saints is coming soon (November 1) and with the Solemnity a good occasion to remember, explore and to give thanks at least for a few of the as yet not so well-known Salesian Family members who are already on the route to the altars, scrutinized by the Universal Church. What about the variety of the Salesian Vocation we live in the Salesian Family? For example, if one would like to know who the Salesian Cooperator is, the best way is to explore the 14 holy Salesian Cooperators (7 Blessed, 3 Venerables and 4 Servants of God and probably many others we don't know). Unfortunately, most of them are not really well known outside Italy. A good number of Salesian religious (SDB and FMA) find it difficult to believe in the real Salesian Lay Vocation according to the pointers of Salesian Cooperators themselves. Maybe the best way to understand their vocation would be to explore the role-models of Salesian Cooperators already sanctioned by the Universal Church.
How many faces of the holy Salesian Cooperators are you able to identify on the poster? If you look carefully, you can see both clergy and lay people. There are diocesan parish priests, bishops and even Pope Pius IX. There are martyrs, missionaries, oratory animators, house wives, sociologists, labor union activists, dedicated catechists, sick people who were paralyzed for years, mystics in ordinary life, great benefactors of incipient Salesian works, and staff in Salesian houses. They were born in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Syria - but there are many more who lived a holy life also in our continents but not yet well known around the world.
Yes, the Salesian Cooperators have their Rule 'Project of Apostolic Life' with an excellent commentary, but probably the most eloquent and most easy accessible insight in their vocation, mission, formation and spirituality are the lives of their holy members, since the times of Don Bosco until today. Let us learn at least one more holy Salesian Cooperator during these days and let them accompany us on our vocation journey!
Blessed:
- Pius IX, Pope (+1878, Italy)
- Bartolome Blanco Marquez, Lay Martyr (+ 1936, Spain)
- Alexandrina Maria Da Costa, Lay (+1955, Portugal)
- Bartolome Blanco Marquez, Lay Martyr (+ 1936, Spain)
- Toniolo Giuseppe, Lay (+1918, Italy)
- Bartolome Blanco Marquez, Lay Martyr (+ 1936, Spain)
- Alexander Planas Sauri, Lay Martyr (+1936, Spain)
- Bartolome Blanco Marquez, Lay Martyr (+ 1936, Spain)
- Teresa Cejudo Redondo de Caballero, Lay Martyr (+1936, Spain)
- Bartolome Blanco Marquez, Lay Martyr (+ 1936, Spain)
- Hedviges Carboni, Lay (+1952, Italy)
Venerable:
- Dorotea Chopitea, Lay (+ 1893, Spain)
- Margaret Occhiena Bosco, Lay (+ 1856, Valdocco - Italy)
- Attilio Giordani, Lay (+1973, Italy - Brazil)
Servant of God:
- Giuseppe Guarino, Cardinal (+ 1897, Italy)
- Matilde Salem, Lay (+1961, Syria)
- Felice Canelli, Priest (+1977, Italy)
- Vera Grita, Lay (+1969, Italy)
Related resources for download:
- Goodnight: Do you know our Saints?
- AustraLasia 4859: Instinct of Salesian assistance (Br. Ernesto della Valle, Thailand +1980)
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