(ANS – Turin) – On Saturday, May 24, 2025, in the premises of the Salesian Mother House in Valdocco, Turin, during the celebrations for the feast of Mary Help of Christians, the new Council of the Primary Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA), which took office on May 24, was received by the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Fabio Attard.

During the meeting, the six members of the Council presented a working document aimed at guiding the association’s path over the next two years. The document is intended as an open working tool to guide the council and the association in Valdocco and throughout the world. One of the main objectives of the new Council, also in view of the smaller number of members (6 instead of 8), is to push for greater involvement of other members, creating teams to support the organization of various activities.

Highlighting the encouraging growth of ADMA, seen as a tangible sign of the spirit – especially in India, particularly in Bangalore, and in Madrid, Spain – Fr. Attard invited reflection on this growth in the context of an epochal change, referring above all to the challenges faced by the first Christian communities described in the Acts of the Apostles.

In a world that is experiencing a change of era, as Pope Francis said, we are witnessing a growth of Salesian works. The Salesian charism, Fr. Attard continued, is not seen as a static object, but as “action of the Spirit,” which is always fluid and dialoging.

The charism challenges the associates today, just as Mary was challenged at the Annunciation. The beauty of the Salesian charism is that for Don Bosco, there are no barriers, no cultures, no continents, no contexts in which the charism does not work. The Salesian Family, as a Congregation and as a worldwide Salesian Family, is ‘very well known and highly respected.’ This is a legacy that entails a 360° responsibility.

Therefore, Fr. Attard added, the role of the Primary ADMA is fundamental. It must act as an animator of the various groups around the world, maintaining great internal strength but encouraging them to look outwards, thinking “glocally” (locally and globally).

During the meeting, the Rector Major also reiterated the importance of the Marian dimension in Salesian identity, born of Don Bosco’s unconditional love for Mary, which is linked to a clear Christian identity.

Reflecting further on growth, the Rector Major invites us to ask ourselves, ‘What is the Spirit asking of us?’ Alongside the effective and organizational dimension, there is an affective dimension: ‘Where is God’s love urging us to go?’

In asking how to accompany growth and create a circularity between the various realities of the world, the Rector Major emphasized that the movement must not be one-way (from the center to the peripheries), but that it is important for the periphery to also become a subject, emphasizing the recognition enjoyed by the Salesian Family, and with it ADMA, even in very difficult contexts, where it is the spirit that walks and speaks everywhere. This recognition, concluded the Rector Major, must be considered as a greater responsibility, linked also to being daughters and sons of a great dreamer.

At the end of the meeting, the 11th Successor of Don Bosco, on receiving the ADMA scarf as a gift, said that he would contribute to the working document presented by the Council which, in line with what emerged from this meeting, will continue on its path with the aim of involving the members more and structuring the animation of the groups throughout the world.