Posted On: 17 February, 2026

The fourth day of the Rector Major’s visit to the INM Province began at Don Bosco Aspirantate, Tirupattur, with a heartfelt meeting alongside Salesians in initial formation. The gathering brimmed with warmth, attentiveness, and sincere openness - not a mere formal address, but a genuine dialogue where he patiently fielded questions and offered fatherly insights.Drawing from Don Bosco’s Dream at age nine, he urged the young Salesians to embrace its inner energy, not just know the story. Formation, he stressed, is an interior journey of transformation - discerning God’s will through a living relationship with Jesus. Two pillars anchor a stable vocation: guidance from a trusted Spiritual Director and daily meditation on the Word of God. Stay close to the young, especially the poor, he encouraged; the Congregation’s future rests on Salesians rooted in Christ and Don Bosco’s original vision.Before heading to the nearby Don Rua community campus for Holy Eucharist, the Rector Major visited the Salesian cemetery on Don Bosco Campus. There, he prayed for departed confreres who had toiled in the Lord’s vineyard - a simple, profound tribute to their sacrifices.In his homily at the Mass, celebrated with Salesians, formees, regional youth, lay collaborators, and the Salesian Family, he unpacked the Gospel’s call to childlikeness as a mirror of Don Bosco’s spirit. True greatness, Jesus teaches, lies in humility, unconditional welcome, and empowering the young through integral education - values Don Bosco lived, and by which we will be judged.The morning wove formation, prayerful remembrance, and Eucharistic fellowship into a vibrant call to embrace the Salesian vocation with humility, conviction, and missionary zeal.