(ANS – Viedma) – The relocation in a new urn of the relics of Blessed Artemide Zatti, who will soon be canonized by Pope Francis, was celebrated on Tuesday, July 26, in the “Don Bosco” parish church in Viedma, Río Negro Province.
The event was presided over by Msgr. Esteban Laxague SDB, Bishop of Viedma, in the presence of the Provincial of Southern Argentina, Fr. Darío Perera SDB, and the vice-postulator of the Cause, Fr. Pedro Narambuena SDB.
Also present were the other religious of the Salesian community of Viedma and several religious of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians present in the city: Sr. Elsa Beraldi and Sr. Estela Herlein, who both knew Br. Zatti personally.
Also present among the members of the parish community was Rosita Otal, who was the secretary of the process at the beginning of the Cause, Dr. Pedro Sapin, who participated as a doctor in the recognition of Br. Zatti’s remains in 2002, and the animators of Battalion 34 “Captain Francisco Geronazzo” of the Argentine Explorers of Don Bosco.
At the end of the celebration, Fr. Narambuena explained what the act consisted of: “In light of the Word of God and some articles of the Salesian Constitutions, the coffin, which had been sealed at the time of the recognition of his remains for the celebration of beatification, was opened.”
The event was held in an atmosphere of joy and prayer, with psalms and songs. “It was a celebration that invited us to renew our response to God, living our baptismal life in joy and generous service to Jesus toward our poorest and neediest brothers and sisters,” said the vice-postulator of the Cause.
“To Jesus, we must give our best,” Artemide Zatti used to say. Thus Fr. Narambuena commented, “With this beautiful expression of his we continue to express our gratitude to God for the great gift of holiness of Br. Zatti, who was called by the community ‘the relative of all the poor.'”
“From this Patagonian land,” he concluded, “so dear and dreamed of by our Father Don Bosco, we feel blessed and called to continue to give life to his dreams. We strongly feel the challenge before us to remember and see God’s work in our Salesian brothers and sisters of the first hour, and to respond too with creativity and boldness, as they knew how to do in their time.”