(ANS – Ragusa) – The solemn celebrations in honour of Mary Help of Christians, patroness of the Salesian parish of Ragusa and Our Lady of Don Bosco, have come to an end, with an extraordinary turnout of the faithful, families, young people and citizens who wished to pay homage to the “Heavenly Mother” in an atmosphere of intense prayer, devotion and community. The highlight of the festival was the solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by the parish priest, Fr Carmelo Buccieri, and concelebrated by the entire Salesian religious community together with other priests from the diocese. Immediately after the celebration, the statue of Mary Help of Christians made its way through the streets of the neighbourhood accompanied by a huge crowd of devotees: a well-attended and deeply moving procession. Particularly significant was the presence of numerous young people who, with devotion and a spirit of service, chose to carry the statue of the Virgin on their shoulders for long stretches of the procession route, a sign of a deep bond with Don Bosco’s Madonna, felt as a close mother and guide on life’s journey. Also present were representatives of the local council, as well as the police who coordinated security throughout the procession. There was also great emotion at the sight of the many decorated balconies and small altars set up along the neighbourhood streets, concrete signs of a popular devotion that is still alive and deeply rooted. The feast of Mary Help of Christians, in fact, is confirmed not only as an event for the parish community, but as a festival for the neighbourhood and the entire city of Ragusa, which has always been linked to the educational and spiritual experience of the Salesian oratory.
