Feelings of joy and pride lingered throughout the campus. Laughter and commotion were prevalent.

These were the feelings I felt during Don Bosco Day, a day in which entertainment and religion were intertwined to create a festive and joyous event.

To fully understand what is the Salesian spirit, we will need to dive deep into the history and life of Don Bosco, an Italian saint who encouraged young children to have fun while being responsible and being true to the Faith. In fact, Saint Don Bosco created the oratory model, which consists of a “playground where friends meet”, a “home the welcomes”, a “school that prepares”, and a “church that evangelizes”.

During Don Bosco Day, all aspects of the Salesian spirit were present and physically manifested within people and events. Compared to other days here at Immaculata-La Salle High School, the Salesian spirit was definitely more apparent.

For example, I truly admired the homily during mass, where father took time to explain Don Bosco’s message and oratory model. Furthermore, while playing games with my friends, including ping pong and foosball, I experienced a sense of true belonging in my friend group. I remember that every time we would score a goal, the crowd would go wild and my team felt a sense of pride and joy.

In addition to the mass and my friends, Don Bosco day also prioritized a “home that welcomes”.

For example, at home, I do not feel guilt eating unhealthy foods, when my parents are not home, and during this faith-filled day, I ate cotton candy, snow cones, and popcorn to an abundance.

Overall, the Salesian spirit in Don Bosco was more prevalent because all aspects of the oratory model were present, whereas in a regular school day, only one or two parts of the oratory model are manifested.