Maria Ausiliatrice Festival in the Don Bosco District

A festival born from the heart of the Salesian charism

May 24th is, for the entire Salesian family worldwide, the solemnity of Maria Ausiliatrice, the Help of Christians to whom Don Bosco entrusted all his works. "She did everything!" the Piedmontese saint used to repeat when looking back: that phrase remains the guiding theme of the festival celebrated every year in the Don Bosco district, in Rome's VII Municipality, around the monumental Basilica of San Giovanni Bosco in Piazza San Giovanni Bosco.

This is not just a liturgical anniversary. For the neighborhood, it is the event of the year: a gathering that fills the church square, the Viale dei Salesiani, and the oratory courtyard with families, alumni, youth groups, and curious visitors. Every year, the Municipality of Rome Capital, in the Lazio Region, implements temporary traffic changes in the Appio-Tuscolano area to allow the procession to pass.

The evening procession through the neighborhood streets

The most anticipated moment is the procession, which sets off at nightfall following the solemn Eucharistic celebration. The statue of Maria Ausiliatrice travels through the neighborhood streets accompanied by candles, Marian hymns, and parish bands, while balconies light up as it passes. The routes change slightly from year to year: they wind through Piazza San Giovanni Bosco, Viale dei Salesiani, Viale Marco Fulvio Nobiliore, and the streets named after figures of ancient Rome that define the entire district, with a final return to the Basilica or the oratory.

Faith, music, and conviviality

A program that brings different generations together develops around the religious dimension. In the afternoon, the oratory opens with courtyard games for children and teenagers; in the evening, after the procession, there are fireworks launched from the courtyard and a live concert. Music always plays an important role: over the years, polyphonic choirs, youth orchestras, and sacred music concerts have taken turns, in a parish that boasts a solid choral tradition.

• Games and entertainment for the little ones in the oratory courtyard
• Solemn Mass presided over by a Salesian superior or a bishop
• Evening procession with the statue of Maria Ausiliatrice
• Fireworks display from the oratory courtyard
• Closing concert and food stalls with sandwiches, fried snacks, granitas, and crêpes

The Basilica of San Giovanni Bosco

The church hosting the festival is one of the largest in Rome: consecrated in 1959 and designed by Gaetano Rapisardi, it is a minor basilica and gives its name to the entire district. Its dome, over seventy meters high, is a landmark visible from much of the city's southeast sector. The oratory of Piazza dei Decemviri, the Cinema Teatro Don Bosco, and a Salesian community very active in working with the municipality's youth revolve around the parish.

Why it's worth attending

Those arriving from outside Rome will find an authentically local festival here, far from the tourist circuits of the historic center: no tickets, no reservations, just a community taking to the streets. It is also an opportunity to discover a piece of 20th-century city life little frequented by visitors, just minutes from the Via Appia Nuova and the catacombs. For those familiar with Salesian spirituality, the Roman Basilica is a natural stop alongside Valdocco and Colle Don Bosco.