The initiative is part of ‘The Days of Peace – In the footsteps of the Venerable Francesco Convertini’, a Salesian missionary in India, organised on the 50th anniversary of his birth into Heaven (11 February 1976), and draws inspiration from Pope Leo XVI’s Message for World Peace Day 2026, entitled ‘Peace be with you all. Towards a disarmed and disarming peace’. The Pontiff calls on everyone to become witnesses of a peace that comes from humility, dialogue and trust, capable of overcoming violence and enlightening consciences.
The central figure of the entire journey was the venerable Fr Francesco Convertini, an illustrious fellow citizen and Salesian missionary who dedicated his life to the poorest people of Bengal (India), becoming a man of hope and an authentic witness of welcome, protection, promotion and integration. The March is not only a moment of remembrance, but above all an opportunity to make his testimony increasingly known, to invoke his intercession and to support the path towards canonisation.
Friday 6 February 2026 – Feast of Peace, at the PalaConvertini in Cisternino, the entries for the 21st edition of the “Metti Amore” contest were presented.
Sunday, 8 February 2026 – 21st Peace March with the presence of Bishop Giovanni Ricchiuti, President of Pax Christi, and Fr Pierluigi Cameroni SDB, Postulator General, with Fr Gabriel Cruz. Fr Giampaolo Roma, Provincial of Southern Italy, also participated, with Vice-Provincial Fr Tomë Mihaj and several young priests from the province. The March, preceded by the Eucharistic Celebration, culminated in a meeting of the communities of Locorotondo and Cisternino in the Marinelli district, where the best works submitted for the competition were awarded prizes.
On Monday 9 February and Tuesday 10th, at the Liceo Polivalente in Cisternino and in some classes of the Istituto Comprensivo Marconi-Oliva in Locorotondo, the students talked about peace through songs, debates and presentations, and Fr Pierluigi Cameroni presented the figure of Fr Convertini.
In the evenings, there was a theatrical performance about the life of Father Francesco Convertini: “Il Venerabile Camminatore” (The Venerable Walker), directed by Giovanni Punzi. Fr Francesco was presented as a man of disarming simplicity, with a faith capable of moving mountains and obtaining, through prayer, ‘graces’ from Heaven; a missionary who won the hearts of Christians, Hindus, and Muslims thanks to his gentle evangelical meekness and his superhuman non-violence.
