There's Something Special About Being Salesian
By Elizabeth Livi
As Don Bosco’s bicentennial birthday approaches, many of us are reflecting on why this guy is still celebrated two hundred years later! I’ve realized that because of Don Bosco, I’m connected to a family of faith all over the US and the world.
I traveled to Italy over the summer and visited the catacombs, which are run by the Salesians! As my sister and I were “oohing” and “ahhing” over the rosaries and abundant Salesian Saint medals, the lady behind the counter came over and asked us if we were “Salesian.” We gleefully said, “Yes, we were,” and she said, "It’s something special isn't it?" Then she took our map and told us where to find the church that Don Bosco helped build. The next day, we searched all over Rome to find it, only to get there and find out that his bedroom was closed.
I decided to take a gamble and walk further down the block where I found an office with a woman behind the desk. I remembered the most important Italian phrase that I was taught, which is "Io sono studenti Salesiano,” meaning “I am a Salesian student.” The woman behind the desk remarked that there was no way I could leave without seeing Don Bosco’s room, and that she would get us in no matter what. She began to make a few phone calls; I could hear her say in Italian that she needed to get two Salesian students into Don Bosco's room! She hung up and said that someone would come with the keys. He would help us out, even though he did not speak much English.
I immediately felt like I was in the presence of family! It was amazing to enter the room and see the bed and desk and all of Don Bosco's things there. The room was very simple, yet it was so powerful to be in a place I knew that Don Bosco stayed and prayed in. Even across an ocean, I felt that I had a family all because of Don Bosco and his ministry! The lady at the Catacombs was right when she said that being Salesian was special. It connects us to something bigger than ourselves. Because of Don Bosco, I am connected to a network of faith where I can grow in my relationship with God; I’m also connected to a network of support, love, reason, kindness and fun!
I am eternally grateful for Don Bosco, because he has truly served as a father to the young. Thanks to him, I have family in Louisiana, Florida, New York, Washington D.C, Italy and all over the world! In my recent college search, I remarked to my mom that I could definitely go to school in Louisiana, because I felt that I had family down there, a Salesian family.
As we celebrate this bicentenial year, we celebrate a universal family, the Salesian family, and the continuation of Don Bosco’s way of doing God’s work among us. I am so excited to be able to celebrate this exciting time as a Salesian student. Don Bosco truly created a worldwide oratory that is thriving today and I am so thankful to be a part of it.
I traveled to Italy over the summer and visited the catacombs, which are run by the Salesians! As my sister and I were “oohing” and “ahhing” over the rosaries and abundant Salesian Saint medals, the lady behind the counter came over and asked us if we were “Salesian.” We gleefully said, “Yes, we were,” and she said, "It’s something special isn't it?" Then she took our map and told us where to find the church that Don Bosco helped build. The next day, we searched all over Rome to find it, only to get there and find out that his bedroom was closed.
I decided to take a gamble and walk further down the block where I found an office with a woman behind the desk. I remembered the most important Italian phrase that I was taught, which is "Io sono studenti Salesiano,” meaning “I am a Salesian student.” The woman behind the desk remarked that there was no way I could leave without seeing Don Bosco’s room, and that she would get us in no matter what. She began to make a few phone calls; I could hear her say in Italian that she needed to get two Salesian students into Don Bosco's room! She hung up and said that someone would come with the keys. He would help us out, even though he did not speak much English.
I immediately felt like I was in the presence of family! It was amazing to enter the room and see the bed and desk and all of Don Bosco's things there. The room was very simple, yet it was so powerful to be in a place I knew that Don Bosco stayed and prayed in. Even across an ocean, I felt that I had a family all because of Don Bosco and his ministry! The lady at the Catacombs was right when she said that being Salesian was special. It connects us to something bigger than ourselves. Because of Don Bosco, I am connected to a network of faith where I can grow in my relationship with God; I’m also connected to a network of support, love, reason, kindness and fun!
I am eternally grateful for Don Bosco, because he has truly served as a father to the young. Thanks to him, I have family in Louisiana, Florida, New York, Washington D.C, Italy and all over the world! In my recent college search, I remarked to my mom that I could definitely go to school in Louisiana, because I felt that I had family down there, a Salesian family.
As we celebrate this bicentenial year, we celebrate a universal family, the Salesian family, and the continuation of Don Bosco’s way of doing God’s work among us. I am so excited to be able to celebrate this exciting time as a Salesian student. Don Bosco truly created a worldwide oratory that is thriving today and I am so thankful to be a part of it.