The celebration took place in a church packed with faithful, civil authorities and members of the Salesian Family, in an atmosphere of lively and heartfelt participation. The Chieri City Council unanimously approved the conferral of honorary citizenship, accepting the proposal put forward by the Salesian Institute ‘San Luigi’, in continuity with similar recognitions already awarded in the past to the then Rectors Major Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva and Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, also honorary citizens of the city.
The significance of the act was expressed by the Mayor of Chieri, Alessandro Sicchiero, who emphasised how this conferral celebrates ‘the unbreakable bond that unites Chieri to the Salesian world’ and represents a concrete sign of gratitude for a presence that has contributed to the human, cultural and spiritual growth of young people for generations.
The official ceremony took place in the context of the Feast of St John Bosco, a moment particularly dear to the city of Chieri, a place deeply linked to the years of the Saint of Youth’s formation. On this occasion, Fr Fabio Attard presided over the solemn Holy Mass in the Cathedral, offering an intense and timely reflection on Don Bosco’s charism, gathered in his homily entitled: ‘Call to attentive listening and generous response’.
In his message, the Rector Major strongly recalled Don Bosco’s vocational experience, which arose from his profound listening to reality and his docility to God’s call. He highlighted how the Salesian mission arose from a seemingly “impossible” response, but one made fruitful by trust in Providence, human and spiritual accompaniment, and an unshakeable hope in the integral growth of young people. The homily also touched on highly topical issues: the urgency of authentic listening in a frenetic society, the value of educational mediation against isolation, the optimism of faith in the face of contemporary cynicism, and education as a privileged form of evangelisation.
At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, after Mass, the official conferral of Honorary Citizenship took place, accompanied by the presentation of the relevant certificate. The text of the recognition highlights Fr Fabio Attard’s commitment ‘to serving the younger generations throughout the world’, his fidelity to Don Bosco’s charism and his contribution to promoting the values of welcome, solidarity and hope.
The conferral of honorary citizenship on Fr Fabio Attard is intended not only as a gesture of personal esteem, but also as a sign of gratitude to the entire Salesian Congregation, which continues to offer a valuable and constant contribution to the formation of young people and the building of a more just and supportive society.
The day of 1 February 2026 will thus remain etched in the memory of the city of Chieri as a celebration of fidelity to the Salesian charism, educational responsibility and Christian hope, embodied today in the service and witness of the Rector Major of the Salesians.
