(ANS – Rome) – On the Feast of St. John Bosco, the Don Bosco Nel Mondo Foundation celebrated the Salesian Founder at the Casa Generalizia with a reflective gathering centered on the theme “From the Oratory to the World: the Peace of Don Bosco.” Benefactors, ambassadors, Salesians, and friends came together for an evening of reflection, dialogue, and music, animated by Le Voci del Sacro Cuore, reaffirming the Salesian commitment to peace through education.

Opening the program, Fr. Jerry Matsoumbou, program director, underlined the core message of the celebration: peace is possible when it grows from lived experience and is shared from local communities to the wider world. Welcoming the participants, Br. Alberto Rodríguez Marmòl, President of the Foundation, set the tone for a celebration rooted in gratitude and shared responsibility.

In his address, Fr. Silvio Roggia, General Councilor for Formation, recalled that for Don Bosco peace was never an abstract idea or a political project, but a daily practice lived through the pedagogy of presence. Referring to the four wars that marked Don Bosco’s lifetime in Turin, he stressed that the saint did not flee from conflict but responded through education, perseverance, and faithful accompaniment of the young. “Don Bosco left us a revolutionary word: stay—stay with the young, for the long journey, until the last breath,” he said.

Highlighting the Foundation’s concrete commitment, Marcella Orsini, Project Manager, explained the vision of positive peace as equity, justice, and equal access to opportunities. She presented the “Sognati da Grande” contest, which invites students to reflect on peace while supporting a Salesian child-protection project in Niamey, Niger, linking reflection with real-life solidarity.

From a missionary and pastoral perspective, Monsignor Rosario Vella, bishop in Madagascar, emphasized that the Salesian approach places greater importance on how things are done rather than on what is done. “We educate without proselytism; young people come to us freely, because peace is built through culture,” he affirmed.

Personal testimonies enriched the evening, including that of Elena Bascucci, a benefactor who expressed her deep sense of belonging to the Salesian Family, and Filippo Coin, a student who shared his creative vision for the contest titled “Sognati da Grande.”

In her concluding remarks, Mariangela Gargano, Coordinator of the Foundation, thanked benefactors and collaborators, affirming that peacebuilding is a shared mission. “Together with you, we can truly become builders of peace,” she said.

The celebration stood as a living testimony that Don Bosco’s dream continues today—where education, presence, and shared responsibility remain powerful paths toward peace for young people and for the world.