A Journey of Discovery and Renewal at Valdocco
Port Moresby, PNG, 15 October 2024 -- The wait at Singapore airport for my flight to Istanbul was filled with despair. It was a 27-hour wait with no place to rest my head, and at one point, I wanted to turn back. However, a simple prayer transformed those 27 hours into a manageable waiting time. From then on, the journey continued smoothly until I reached my destination, Torino Airport.
Arriving at Valdocco was the most magical moment of my life. I had only heard and read about it while learning about the life of St. John Bosco, and now I was walking on the same land where Don Bosco walked more than 200 years ago. It was a dream come true.
On August 11th, 2024, I made a new discovery about myself. I never knew I could be so drawn to something that existed hundreds of years ago. Until that day at Valdocco, I had never questioned my vocation in life. But following the footsteps of Don Bosco and listening to Fr. Mike Pace, SDB passionately narrate the life of Don Bosco, a person I had never met, and will never meet, ever.
My life and my entire perspective on living the dream of Don Bosco will never be the same, and I still cannot pinpoint exactly when the change occurred. Perhaps it was the moment I passed through the house with no corridors, or when I sat inside the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, surrounded by the presence of Don Bosco, Mary Mazzarello, and St. Dominic Savio. Maybe it was when I noticed that the walls were made with more stones than bricks, or when I realized that Don Bosco was not as tall as I had imagined.
Throughout the day, I kept asking myself: why would someone choose to give up his life entirely for the service of others? How could an average-sized person have such an impact and influence on thousands? One thing is certain - Don Bosco was no ordinary person. He is my hero and role model.
While I was deep in thought, trying to answer these questions, my journey continued to Becchi, Colle Don Bosco, the hometown of St. John Bosco. It was nearly an hour’s drive from Valdocco. As I sat on the bus, I made another important realization: during Don Bosco’s time, there were no buses, which meant he had to walk with his boys from Valdocco to Becchi. Now I’m trying to recall if the length of the journey was mentioned in the story of the life of Don Bosco.
At Colle, I visited the house where Don Bosco grew up. It was deeply satisfying to stand in the very place that gave him his purpose in life. A wave of courage and purpose spread throughout my being. As a Salesian Educator, I sometimes lose hope in fulfilling my duties, but not now. I felt a renewed drive to carry forward his dream - to truly give up my life in service to others.
It wasn’t just the place but also the people I met that changed how I see myself. I met a few young people with whom I shared my personal dreams, and they shared theirs with me. The 20-year-old Croatian dreamed of becoming a priest like St. John Bosco. The Kenyan wanted to travel the world, the Japanese aspired to be a teacher, and the Indian hoped to be a politician who could serve as a positive role model for his people. Although we had different dreams, the one thing we all shared was a deep desire to embrace Don Bosco's dream.
Visiting the Basilica of St. John Bosco created an atmosphere of deep reflection for me. I knelt in front of the relic of St. John Bosco, with one question in my heart: How can I be like you? How do I live your dream? It is a challenging and difficult road, living the dream of St. John Bosco, but looking back, it is also a satisfying and joyous journey. Now, my mind is set on doing everything within my power to keep Don Bosco’s dream alive.
The highlight of my experience was the Eucharistic Celebration on August 16th. I carried the flag of Papua New Guinea and marched into the Basilica of St. John Bosco with pride, knowing that Don Bosco’s dream was alive in my country. Papua New Guinea is a two-day journey from the hometown of St. John Bosco, and yet, here I was, sitting at the front during the Mass, listening to Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB, the former Rector Major, who celebrated his last Mass as Rector Major. He resigned after that, but I picked something very important from his message: “Miracles happen every day when we are able to touch the lives of other young people.” At that moment, I found my answer.
