Annual Salesian youth gathering at Don Bosco Technological Institute draws participants from four institutions and parishes; candle procession and Good Night address mark the inaugural day
PORT MORESBY, June 19. — The annual Salesian youth gathering, Wantok Bosco 2026, was inaugurated on Friday at the Don Bosco Technological Institute in East Boroko, Port Moresby, bringing together a spirited assembly of 280 young people from four Salesian institutions and Salesian Parishes across Papua New Guinea. The event, convened under the unifying theme strenna 2026: Do whatever He tells you, believers free to serve.
Group Dynamics Set the Tone
The programme for the inaugural day commenced with group dynamics and collaborative activities, designed to break barriers and kindle bonds among participants meeting one another for the first time. Facilitators guided the youth through exercises in communication, trust, and teamwork, setting the tone for a gathering premised on brotherhood and sisterhood.
Candlelight Procession: The Day’s Defining Moment
The highlight of the evening was the candle procession, a deeply devotional practice that drew the participants into a prayerful march through the institute’s grounds. Holding candles aloft, the youth prayed the Holy Rosary in a procession that blended Marian piety with the vibrant spirit of Salesian community life.
Among those moved by the experience was Elijah, one of the young participants, who described the moment with candour: “The Rosary was meaningful, and as we were walking and praying, I felt joyful within me.” His words echoed a sentiment widely shared among the participants, for whom the procession became an unexpected spiritual anchor for the entire gathering.
Fr. Ariel Unpacks the BOSCO Acronym in Good Night Address
As the first day drew to a close, the Salesian tradition of the ‘Good Night’ — a brief reflective address delivered to the assembled youth before they retire — was given by Fr. Ariel, SDB. Drawing on the name of Don Bosco, the founder of the Salesian Congregation, Fr. Ariel offered a substantive unpacking of the BOSCO acronym, framing it as a roadmap for personal formation and servant leadership.
BOSCO, he explained, stands for Belongingness, Optimism, Service, Communion, and Ordinary Duties. Addressing the gathered Bosconians — as Salesian youth are affectionately known — Fr. Ariel exhorted them to cultivate these five values in their daily lives. “These values,” he urged, “will help you to live as servant leaders in society.”
The address was received with evident resonance by the youth, for whom the Good Night served not merely as a closing ritual but as a moral commission — a call to take the values of the Salesian charism beyond the walls of the institute and into the society they live.
