Fr. Egidio Vigano's Annual Strenne

Fr. Egidio Viganò’s Annual Strenne

(ANS – Rome – Dec. 21, 2023) – The 7th successor of Don Bosco, Fr. Egidio Viganò, was a Lombard by birth but South American by adoption. Endowed with great intellectual and organizational capacity, very active also in the service of the Church and the Pope, he also described as “the [Latin] American Don Bosco,” leading the way for subsequent Rectors Major who have all come from that continent so far.

Born in 1920 in Sondrio, he left as a missionary for Chile while still in his initial formation, and in his new land he was appreciated for his kindness, friendship, and culture, so much so that the Salesian Cardinal Raul Silva Henríquez would call him to be his “advisor” and would want him with him as a “peritus” at the Second Vatican Council. After a Salesian life spent in formation, during the 21st General Chapter (1977), he was elected Rector Major, a position he held for three terms and a total of 18 years.

He held numerous important positions from the Pope, participated in six synods of bishops – again by papal appointment – and in 1986 was invited to preach the retreat to the Pope and the Roman Curia. The last year of his life was marked by illness and suffering, but lived with hope, love, and dedication, without failing in his commitments.

In summarizing his life, Fr. Santo Russo, SDB, author of the text The Strenna of Don Bosco and his Successors, writes: “He gave the Congregation and the Salesian Family a ‘more ecclesial’ sense and feeling, urging them to new openings: renewal of the Constitutions, Project Africa, opening to the East, relaunching of devotion to Mary Help of Christians (1984), Entrustment of the Congregation to Mary, recognition of the Mary Help of Christians Association (ADMA) as part of the Salesian Family, call to renew devotion and preaching according to the directives of Paul VI (Marialis Cultus, 1978), rediscovering the ‘Oratory criterion’  as our method of pastoral care.”

Three times, during his mandate as successor of Don Bosco, he toured the world to meet Salesians and members of the Salesian Family, and bring enthusiasm in the name of Don Bosco.

For Fr.  Viganò, too, the strenna was an important tradition that always refers to Don Bosco to inspire and guide Salesian planning. And, as he said in the presentation of the 1985 Strenna, “it not only represents a sign of the loving presence of Don Bosco, through his successor, but becomes a stimulus for initiatives for a renewed fidelity to the Salesian spirit and mission.”

The texts of the strenne, going back to former times, return to being mostly simple and short, and the outlook is general on the entire Salesian Family. Like his predecessors, he put Don Bosco at the forefront of his thoughts, faithful to his person, his charism and his mission, also because the celebration of the centennial of his death in 1988 was one of the most powerful moments in his term of office.

This anniversary, as well as the preparatory and subsequent journey, and other significant anniversaries for the Salesian Family and the Church, marked several of his messages for the strenna.

Another particular focus was on the education of young people, including the rediscovery of the Preventive System, the relaunching of the educational project, the call to holiness, the Beatitudes listened to together with them.

And there are also other more direct references to virtues, attitudes, or dimensions that must always be cared for in the perspective of a truly authentic Christian life, with explicit references to spiritual direction, social doctrine, temperance, or the interior life.

Here, then, finally, are the texts of the 18 strenne of Fr. Viganò:

1979: “Implement  the educational and pastoral project of kindness with Mary’s help, promoting the rediscovery, deepening, and relaunching of Don Bosco’s Preventive System throughout the Salesian Family.”

1980: “Continue the commitment to relaunch Don Bosco’s educational project especially in youth groups and movements, implementing and exploring two typically Salesian ways: a presence of friendship that encourages and helps young people to mature (assistance), the creation of an educational environment that develops a rich experience of human and Christian values (the family spirit).”

1981: “In this centennial year of the death of St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello, we all propose, following her example, to get to know the inner life of Don Bosco better and to practice it more generously.”      

1982: “Work and temperance are an ascetic witness of pastoral charity for us at the school of Don Bosco,  that challenges a world that creates a rift between love and sacrifice.”

1983: “Let us promote the growth of individuals and communities to Christian maturity by renewing and intensifying, in a Salesian style, the formative experience of spiritual direction.”

1984: “Let the ‘it is not enough to love!’ of Don Bosco’s letter from Rome move us to renewed proposals of typically Salesian holiness.”

1985: “Let us listen once more with young people to the Beatitudes of the Gospel to arouse renewed hope in the world.”

1986: “Let us promote the vocation of the laity at the service of young people in the spirit of Don Bosco.”

1987: “Together toward ’88: as a vast movement of ‘Missionaries of the young.’”

1988: “Entrusted to Mary, let us promote the pedagogy of kindness as a memory and prophecy of Don Bosco.”

1989: “The hopes raised by ‘Don Bosco ’88’ urge us to intensify a renewed pastoral care for vocations.”

1990: “We are sent by the Lord to develop in young people a convinced personal synthesis between faith and life.”

1991: “The New Evangelization commits us to understanding and witnessing to the social dimension of charity.”

1992: “The social doctrine of the Church is a necessary instrument of education in the faith.”

1993: “Firmly rooted and founded in love: self-giving in commitment.”

1994: “Account for the joy and commitments of hope, by witnessing to the unfathomable riches of Christ.”

1995: “Called to freedom (Gal 5:13), let us rediscover the Preventive System by educating young people in values.”

1996: “Let ‘da mihi animas’ be the gift of self that enlivens all existence: that of activity and that of patience.”