By Peter D. Blanchard A Salesian priest, Father Silvio Mantelli is a magician with a mission. He travels globewise to bring magic and laughter to deprived children in the third world. He says, "I bring Don Bosco's message to the young through my magic tricks, illusions and animated shows". Ten years ago he was teaching Italian in a Salesian Secondary School, but when he realised just how popular he was becoming through presenting himself as a magician (and a good one at that) he packed his costumes and props in large trunks and set off on a tour of Salesian Missions around the world. His object is to perform in the western world to raise money for children in need. Then to go back to those deprived areas with the proceeds to help people in distress; people in South Africa, Brazil, Cambogia, Vietnam, Bolivia, New Guinea, Timor, Kenya and the Philippines. He manages to perform 50 shows in just over three weeks. Audience participation is an important feature of Sales shows, he like to give the participants the feeling that they are doing the magic. Sales (pronounced S Alice) has entertained the youth of Thalland, representatives of the communist party in Hanoi, Bombay orphans, the street children of Kenya, Vietnamese refugees and the late Mother Teresa, whom you see here in the picture with Sales. Sales points out that there are no social or religious differences where magic is concerned. He speaks fluent English and French and is a great mimer. Asking Sales what first gave him the inspiration and motivation to enter this field he said, "One day a small child called Paolino came to me after assisting in my show in Brazil. He said 'If you are a magician, why can't you magic away my horrible disease?'. "Paolino had suffered with leprosy for over three years and whilst I could not help him with magic directly, I could by raising funds for treatment for the child. On my return to Italy, thanks to the help of the Mato Grosso organizations, I arranged a big magic show and the money collected served to help Paolino begin his fight against leprosy in the San Juliano Leper Hospital in Mato Grosso, Brazil. In this was I became a magician with the gift of performing "BIG MAGIC", the magic of generosity. In Nigeria at one of his shows a local King with his ten wives came up on the stage to assist, and an Indonesian Bishop pleaded for Sales to teach him some tricks. Sales has established a School of Magic in Torino in the Michele Rua Oratory at 37 Via Paisiello. Here his school teaches acting, scenography, practical psychology and prestidigitation. His secretary and publicity agent Jill M.Taylor is a collector of magicians' business cards. Please send her your cards, you never know what it might lead to. Send them to her at Via Degli Ulivi, 33 10156 Torino, Italy. Father Silvio Mantelli alias SALES takes the view that whilst we are still capable of expressing astonishment and in turn are still capable of astonishing others, there will always be room for magicians on this earth. Well said, Silvio! The magician with a mission.