Arċidjoċesi ta’ MaltaTista’ taqra bil-
Malti.
The Church in Malta will welcome Fr Fabio Attard SDB, Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, on his first official visit to Malta between October 2-5, the Archdiocese announced today.
The visit by the Gozitan priest, who was elected as the 11th successor of Don Bosco last March, represents both a homecoming and a significant moment for the local Salesian community, which has served Malta for over 120 years.
During his four-day stay, Fr Attard will celebrate Mass in local churches, meet with ecclesiastical and civil authorities, visit Salesian communities in Malta and Gozo, engage with young people involved in Salesian projects, and inaugurate the new academic year at MCAST.
“With great joy, we welcome Fr Fabio back among us,” Fr Eric Cachia, Provincial of the Salesians in Malta said. “His presence is a moment of celebration for the Salesian family and an act of thanksgiving to the Lord as it reminds us of the deep roots of Don Bosco’s charism in our country.”
The visit comes at a time when Fr Attard has expressed deep concerns about contemporary society’s direction.
In an interview with Newsbook Malta in May, the newly-elected Rector Major warned about the challenges facing young people in an increasingly consumeristic world.
“We live in a society where people are perceived as clients rather than persons… where individualism prevails over solidarity, where sensibility is lacking,” Fr Attard said from the Salesian Generalate House in Rome.
The 220 provincials and delegates who elected him at Turin’s historic Mother House of Valdocco said Fr Attard “fully embodies the contemporary Salesian identity.” He now leads a community of 13,750 consecrated members across 92 provinces on five continents.
Fr Attard, who famously described becoming “the happiest man on earth” when he joined the Salesian Order on September 8, 1980, emphasized that his role represents enormous responsibility rather than honour. Leading Salesians in 136 countries, including many affected by conflict, requires accompanying communities even where members risk their lives.
The new Rector Major has already begun visiting challenging environments, including a juvenile prison that Don Bosco himself regularly visited. There, he questioned whether young detainees had received the opportunities they deserved, echoing the words of the late Fr Domenico Ricca, who called their situation being “born in the wrong cradle.”
Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi have promised their support and prayers for Fr Attard’s worldwide mission, describing his election as “a beautiful moment for the Church of Malta and the Universal Church.”
Archdiocese of Malta
