ORGANIZE YOURSELVES TO BE UNITED WITH THE BASILICA OF VALDOCCOARTICLE 6 – ORGANIZATION

In the style of Don Bosco, the organization is placed at the service of the person and is therefore intended to be simple and flexible, adaptable to the situations of different countries. It is also true that “an important aspect that characterizes Don Bosco’s activity is his practical organizational sense, which explains, at least in part, the fruitfulness and longevity of his initiatives: knowing how to define clearly the responsibilities of functioning, animation, and growth” (Art. 6).

The organization is a tool of service to persons and groups and therefore must not stifle but promote, support, and order fraternal relationships and the apostolic commitment of the members. According to the Salesian spirit, a few clear, simple, and shared rules are sufficient—rules that help in walking together, ensuring continuity, and regulating the good already present and being carried out, looking more to life and experience than to formal expressions or juridical concerns.

ARTICLE 7 – ERECTION OF LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS

It belongs solely to the Provincial of the Salesians to erect the Association of Mary Help of Christians in the works of the Salesians and of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians existing within his own Circumscription. In all other cases, written consent of the diocesan Bishop is required. (Art. 7)

Can. 312 – [...] To validly erect an association or its section within a diocese, even when this is done by virtue of an apostolic privilege, written consent of the diocesan Bishop is required; however, the consent of the diocesan Bishop for the erection of a house of a religious institute also suffices for the erection, in that same house or in its annexed church, of an association proper to that institute.

Can. 313 – A public association, as well as a federation of public associations, by the same decree with which it is erected by the competent ecclesiastical authority in accordance with can. 312, is constituted a juridical person [...].

– The canonical erection of local ADMAs falls under the competence of the SDB Provincial and is carried out by him for all SDB and FMA works through a Decree of Erection.

– For all other ADMAs—whether diocesan, belonging to other Religious Institutes, or to other Groups of the Salesian Family—erection is carried out by the SDB Provincial competent in the territory, with the written consent of the diocesan Bishop, which must be stated and documented in the Decree of Erection.

– The Association, with rights, obligations, and the capacity to incorporate new members, comes into being at the very moment of its foundation, which is an act proper to ecclesiastical authority and coincides with the erection.

– Erection as a juridical person determines not only the existence of the association but also its nature and juridical regime.

The SDB Provincial represents the Rector Major in his service of animation, charismatic guidance, and promotion of the Salesian Family.

ARTICLE 8 – AGGREGATION

Once canonical erection has taken place, a request for aggregation to the Primary Association of the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Turin–Valdocco must be submitted as soon as possible, in order to complete the process of aggregation to the Association and to the Salesian Family. (Art. 8)

A typical element of ADMA is that, after the erection of a local group, a request for aggregation is made to the Primary ADMA of Turin–Valdocco. This act expresses not only a juridical reality but above all a spiritual bond of communion with the cradle of the Association, and at the same time a concrete bond with all the groups of the Association throughout the world. It is a very expressive and greatly significant aspect: one becomes part of an Association spread throughout the world. The bond of unity is constitutive for every local group: through aggregation to the Primary Association of the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Turin–Valdocco, full membership in the Association is manifested and one may enjoy the spiritual advantages that derive from this connection and from dependence on the Rector Major of the Salesian Congregation, Father of the Salesian Family.

ARTICLE 9 – COMMUNION WITH THE SHRINE OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS IN TURIN

The Association of Mary Help of Christians is vitally united to the Shrine of Turin–Valdocco. One can say that Mary not only intervened in its construction—according to Don Bosco’s testimony—but from there extended her patronage throughout the world. This is why the Association is called to remain united to this sacred place. (Art. 9)

Don Bosco founded the Association because he understood that Mary desired not only a monument of stones but a monument of persons. ADMA represents this monument and was instituted by the Saint of Turin in thanksgiving for all the graces Mary Help of Christians had granted in view of the construction of the Shrine and as an instrument for the defense of the faith of the people.

ADMA is called to cherish, live, and bear witness to this spiritual bond with the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians. There exists a constitutive relationship between the Association and the Shrine. By reason of the founding charism, a bond exists between ADMA and the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, a center of communion and a source of grace. This bond is original and constitutive. Accordingly, the historical seat of the Primary ADMA is in Turin. ADMA is in fact the only group of the Salesian Family whose historical and organizational headquarters are located in Turin, at the Shrine of Valdocco.

The Primary ADMA is especially called to foster and make visible this spiritual and historical bond of the Association with the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians. Every local Association therefore cultivates a special communion of dialogue and solidarity with the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Turin–Valdocco and with the Primary erected there; the latter will propose whatever means facilitate such communion.

Relationship between local groups and the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians and the Primary ADMA of Turin

There is above all a spiritual bond uniting them, expressed through contacts, visits, different forms of communication and information, as well as concrete gestures of solidarity. It is important and vital that every local group and every provincial and national coordinating body maintain and foster this relationship.

ARTICLE 15 – ROLE OF THE PRIMARY

The Association of Mary Help of Christians existing at the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Turin–Valdocco is the heir and successor of the first one founded by Don Bosco, and for this reason it is called the “Primary.” Given its origin and its bond with the Shrine, it carries out a role of animation, coordination, and communication for the Association at the worldwide level. (Art. 15)

ADMA is the only group of the Salesian Family that has its seat in Turin, by virtue of the special bond linking it to the Shrine, and sees in the Primary ADMA the first historical and charismatic nucleus of the Association. By tradition, the President and the Spiritual Animator of the Primary ADMA are also those of the entire Association, with the following responsibilities:

• to officially represent the Association at the levels of the Church and the Salesian Family (World Council of the Salesian Family, participation of the World Spiritual Animator in the SDB Department for the Salesian Family, participation in the Days of Spirituality...);

• to promote International Congresses of Mary Help of Christians;

• to participate, when requested and invited, in provincial and national Congresses and Councils.

ADMA Formazione (ed. 2023).