(ANS – Rome) – In his Goodnight to the members of the SDB and FMA General Councils, gathered on July 22, 2026, at Salesian Headquarters, the Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard, offered a profound reflection on the meaning of following Christ in consecrated life today.

Drawing inspiration from the Gospel dialogue between Jesus and Peter—when the apostle, after proclaiming Christ as the Messiah, rebuked him for foretelling his own Passion, only to be told in reply to “deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me”—Fr. Attard invited everyone to ask what it truly means to live out this call to follow Christ today.

The Rector Major referred to Pope Francis’ teaching on pastoral conversion, recalling that it cannot exist without prior personal conversion. It is not primarily a matter of changing methods but of converting the heart of the pastor. He pointed to the challenge—also highlighted in reports from provincial visitations—of communities where life risks becoming “a collection of individualisms,” marked by a lack of joy in being with young people, listening to them, and accompanying them in the schoolyard.

Fr. Attard urged everyone to recognize the many addictions that threaten inner freedom—not only digital ones, but also toxic friendships and relationships that do not lead to true freedom. He emphasized that it is pointless to concern ourselves with young people if we are not first committed to genuine personal conversion, with the Lord at the center and a willingness to renounce self-centeredness. He also warned against “pastoral worldliness,” which transforms pastoral ministry into a search for personal gratification and recognition.

Referring to the dream of the rose-covered arbor, written by Don Bosco as early as 1847—just his second year at Valdocco—the Rector Major recalled how the founder understood from the very beginning that consecrated life dedicated to young people necessarily involves the dimension of the cross. “It is a matter of the cross, not a walk in the park. It is the path to Calvary.” If this dimension is forgotten or not embraced, he added, there is a risk of harming young people, the mission of the Congregation, and the Institute.

Fr. Attard concluded by recalling Don Bosco’s promise of an extraordinary future for the Congregation, on one condition alone: fidelity to the Constitutions—that is, to the Gospel as it has been handed down and expressed in the Constitutions. He urged everyone to have the courage to carry the cross with freedom and authenticity, “because young people are waiting for us, and the future is there. It is up to us to ensure that it remains so.”