(ANS – Rome) – The Sicilian town of San Cataldo, in the Province of Caltanissetta, is preparing to experience two special days—Saturday, January 10, and Sunday, January 11, 2026—filled with meaning, emotion, and shared pride for the arrival of Fr. Fabio Attard, the 11th Successor of Don Bosco y Rector Major of the Salesian Congregation worldwide.

The significance of the Rector Major’s visit

Fr. Attard’s visit comes at the conclusion of the celebrations marking the centenary of the Salesian presence in San Cataldo (1924–2024): one hundred years of history, education, faith, and social commitment that have shaped generations of young people and families. This journey has been summed up in the centenary year’s motto, “The dream… within the dream,” which recalls Don Bosco’s charism and its continuing relevance today.

The program for the two days

The highlight of the event will be the conferral of honorary citizenship on Fr. Fabio Attard, a symbolic yet deeply meaningful act that formalizes the bond between the city and the great Salesian Family. This gesture involves not only the Salesian community active in the town, but also the entire local civil and ecclesial community, and will include the participation of the “G. Toniolo and St. Michael” Cooperative Credit Bank (BCC) of San Cataldo.

The program will begin on the morning of Saturday, January 10, with a welcome for the Rector Major at the oratory and a meeting with the center’s Educative and Pastoral Community. This will be followed by the blessing of the “Corner of Remembrance” and the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the visit.

In the afternoon, recreational activities will be held for young people of the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM), followed by a moment of dialogue between the Rector Major and the youth. This will be followed by a walk to the BCC Toniolo and St. Michael, where, at 5:00 p.m., in the G. Saporito Auditorium, the official ceremony conferring honorary citizenship will take place.

The day will continue with a return to the oratory and a moment of celebration and fraternity with the 11th Successor of Don Bosco, concluding with Fr. Attard’s “Salesian good night,” focused on the theme of the 2026 Strenna.

Sunday will be devoted to more solemn moments, beginning with the celebration of the Eucharist in the town’s mother church, followed by a walk to the village of Santa Fara. At midday, the inauguration of the monument to Don Boscowill take place, a tangible sign of a presence that continues to speak to the future. The visit will conclude with a reception involving the local Salesian community, the Salesian Family, the clergy, and city authorities.

Overall, these will be two intense days of remembrance, celebration, and renewed commitment to the Salesian presence in San Cataldo—an occasion for unity, memory, and hope.

The distinguished precedents of this visit

In the long Salesian history of San Cataldo, three Rectors Major have previously visited the town.

The first was Fr. Philip Rinaldi, now recognized by the Church as Blessed and Don Bosco’s third successor, who came to San Cataldo in March 1923, almost “compelled” by Canon Cataldo Pagano—known to all as “the Don Bosco of San Cataldo”—who had long dreamed of bringing the Salesians to the town. Moved by the warm welcome he received, Fr. Rinaldi promised the people of San Cataldo, “You will have the Salesians.” Thus, on December 6, 1924, the first Salesians arrived in San Cataldo.

The second Rector Major to visit the city was Fr. Renato Ziggiotti, Don Bosco’s fifth successor, who arrived in March 1953 during a visit to all the Salesian communities in Sicily.

Finally, San Cataldo welcomed Fr. Pascual Chávez Villanueva, Don Bosco’s ninth successor, at the conclusion of the 90th anniversary of the Salesian presence. More recently, the Mexican Salesian returned to the Sicilian town as Rector Major Emeritus in December 2024, presiding over the celebrations marking the opening of the centenary year.

It should be noted that while next weekend’s visit will mark the fourth time a Rector Major has visited San Cataldo, it will not be Fr. Attard’s first visit. He had already been in the town in November 2013, in his role as General Councilor for Youth Ministry, on the occasion of the passage of the casket containing a significant relic of Don Bosco.

The fruits of the Salesian presence in San Cataldo

Don Bosco’s charism took deep root in San Cataldo and bore abundant and visible fruit. Numerous priestly and religious vocations emerged from the Salesian presence (for years, the city held a record within the Sicilian Province), many of which were offered in service to the local Church.

Today, the fruits of this work are represented by the eight groups of the Salesian Family present in the city: the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), Cooperadores Salesianos, Past Pupils of Don Bosco, Past Pupils of the FMA, Volunteers of Don Bosco, Volunteers with Don Bosco, and the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA).

An open invitation to all citizens

“We look forward to seeing you at this great historic event for our San Cataldo,” conclude the organizers of the San Cataldo oratory. “Let us welcome the Rector Major of the Salesians of the world with great joy.”

This is a shared invitation from the organizing committee and all the institutions involved, reflecting the atmosphere of anticipation and participation that now permeates the entire city.