(ANS – Turin) – At the opening of the 44th Salesian Family Spirituality Days (SFSD), Valdocco once again confirmed itself as a worldwide crossroads of charisms, cultures, and ecclesial experiences. Around 350 participants from all five continents, representing the 32 groups of the Salesian Family, have gathered in Turin with a shared desire to live an intense time of communion, attentive listening to the Spirit, and renewed apostolic zeal in the service of young people, especially the poorest.

A Call to Deepen Faith

Welcoming the participants was Fr. Joan Lluís Playà, Delegate of the Rector Major for the Salesian Family Secretariat, who highlighted the profound meaning of the theme chosen for the 2026 edition of the SFSD:

“The theme of faith, proposed by the Rector Major through the Strenna ‘Do whatever he tells you,’ invites us to strengthen and deepen our faith, so that we may truly believe in the Word that urges us to work for the most needy young people. May this attitude of listening and trust guide all our reflections and our work during these days.”

Voices from Around the World

Fr. Anthony Santarita (Mumbai Province, India) emphasized the universal dimension of the gathering:
“I am here with the desire to meet so many people from all over the world. It is a great opportunity to strengthen family bonds and to feel part of a common mission.”

Italo Canaletti, World Councilor for Italy, the Middle East, and Malta (Salesian Cooperators), recalled the heart of the Strenna:
“Let us live these days with trust and openness to listening: ‘Do whatever he tells you’ is a concrete invitation to allow the Lord to guide us in life and mission.”

Sr. Carmen Lucrecia Uribe, collaborator of the Salesian Family Sector and World Delegate of the Association of Salesian Cooperators for the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, shared her evangelical hope:
“My wish for these Days is to have a heart capable of welcoming the new wine, to proclaim the Gospel with renewed freshness and fidelity.”

Sr. Rosetta Mazzini, FMA (Puglia, Italy), underlined the ecclesial and synodal dimension:
“Living the Salesian Family in communion is a meaningful witness for today’s Church: a synodal Church, open to all and capable of journeying together.”

Silvia, an FMA postulant, spoke on behalf of young people in formation:
“I am very happy to take part in these Days. I see them as a wonderful opportunity for encounter and dialogue, also on a worldwide level.”

Fr. Mihaj Tome, Provincial Vicar of the Southern Province, originally from Albania, shared his experience:
“This is the third or fourth time I have participated, and each time it is a very beautiful experience. Living a worldwide moment of the Salesian Family deeply strengthens the sense of belonging and fraternity.”

Sr. Sangeetha, FMA, a member of the Salesian Family Sector, attending for the second time, expressed her spiritual expectation:
“My desire is to let myself be guided by the Holy Spirit: to listen to Him, to listen to others, and to understand what ‘new wine’ to bring to my community, to the Institute, and to the world.”

Ana Daysi Gómez de Abarca, of the Daughters of the Divine Savior from El Salvador, highlighted the formative and missionary dimension:
“I am here to get to know the entire Salesian Family better, to learn how to work with young people, and to grow together in order to contribute more effectively to the apostolic mission.”

A Confluence of Communion and Hope

Alongside these testimonies, many other voices converged around the same hopes: to grow in shared faith, to strengthen co-responsibility between consecrated persons and the laity, and to return to their local contexts with concrete tools to accompany young people, especially the most vulnerable. The 44th Salesian Family Spirituality Days thus open under the sign of communion, listening, and hope, confirming themselves as a living confluence of the Church and the Salesian mission in the world.