Santiago (Chile). On 13 May 2022, Solemnity of St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello, as part of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the FMA Institute, St. Gabriel Archangel Province (CIL) organized a Magistral Lesson entitled “The educational style of Mother Mazzarello and today’s challenges”, held in the auditorium of the Catholic University Silva Henriquez (UCSH) in Lo Cañas, La Florida.
The event opened with a short theatrical performance prepared by a group of students from the High School José Miguel Infante of the FMA in Santiago. The Provincial, Sr. Ximena Oyarzo Mansilla, then greeted the members of the Salesian Family present, “On this feast day, let the luminous testimony of Mary Mazzarello reach us, 150 years after the ‘yes’ that changed the history of many young people in the world.”
Afterwards, Sr. Cecilia Poblete, Responsible for Schools of the FMA Institute in Chile, and Dr. Ingrid Bachmann, journalist of the Catholic University of Chile, spoke about the historical context, the educational style, and the journey of the Institute. They focused on how Mary Mazzarello’s educational idea was born, on the predilection for girls, and their personal qualities. They also addressed the issue of the current challenge of the educational option for the formation of women in the 21st century.
Sr. Cecilia explained to those present how Mother Mazzarello’s educational style was first influenced by Fr. Joseph Frassinetti and by Fr. Dominic Pestarino, and how it later began to acquire its own characteristics: organization of the educational guidelines, formation of educators, centrality of the person and of the greatest values, convergence and collaboration between educators, atmosphere of work and joy.
The journey the Institute continued, delineating itself through the various works created in the course of the years: colleges, primary and secondary schools, boarding schools, hospitals, and orphanages. Sr. Cecilia concluded her presentation by emphasizing that the FMA Institute, in constant updating, always tries to promote a culture of care, “We always try to give answers in step with the times. The Preventive System is our treasure.”
Dr. Ingrid Bachmann spoke about the gender inequality present in society and in the world, stating that “the incidence of women on an economic, social, cultural, and political level is still secondary today”. She also highlighted that the commitment to women’s education is not limited to providing access to education, but to making it essential for women to achieve gender equality and become agents of change.
At the end of the Lesson, both those present and those who were connected to the live streaming of the event participated with their reflections on the issues addressed.
The event ended with a dance performance by a former student of the Mary Help of Christians High School in Iquique, who danced to the song of the Magnificat, “for the wonders that the Lord has done and will continue to do for many years to come”.
