By Fr. José Pastor Ramírez, SDB
World Delegate for the Past Pupils
Rome, Itlay, December 18, 2015 - The Prayer-Promise is one of the novelties of the new Statute of the World Confederation of Past Pupils, approved by the Fifth Statutory Assembly which took place from 3 to 6 October last. It is a formula by which "a Past Pupil of Don Bosco expresses his resolve to live his lay vocation in society and in the Church at all times and to make Don Bosco present wherever he may be." (Statute art. 5, b). It is a synthesis of the identity, mission and vision in society of the Past Pupils and of the Association.
Prayer and Promise of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco
God, our Father, through the mediation of your Son, Jesus, and through The intercession of Saint John Bosco give heed to the prayers of the Past Pupils all over the world:
We thank you
for the invaluable gift of education which we have received,
under the enlightened guidance of the Salesians,
which have instilled our lives with the Salesian Spirituality.
We ask you with familial trust
Give us strength and courage
to live the human and Christian message,
in the Society and in the Church.
Encourage us to become
"good Christians and honest citizens”,
Help us to live together and promote solidarity
in our Association and beyond it.
Strengthen our faith, hope and charity.
We promise you
to fight against injustice,
blackmail, superficiality, indifference,
and to defend at all costs,
the values inspired from Don Bosco’s teaching,
especially life, freedom and truth
with a spirit of social, political and financial commitment,
and to be, “the salt of the earth and light of the world”
with a strong influence in the world and in the Church.
We beg you
to watch over our Salesian Family,
our dear ones and all of us. Amen.
(Don Bosco Past Pupils World Confederation, Statutes 2015, art. 5b) available on the BOSCOLINK
We wish also the Don Bosco Past Pupils in the East Asia - Oceania region, would be able to adapt this prayer for the situation of non-Christian Past Pupils.
