Cachoeira do Campo (Brazil). From 14 to 17 August 2025, in Cachoeira do Campo (MG), at the Casa Retiro das Rosas of Mother Mazzarello Province (BMM), the 1st Meeting of Salesian Youth was held which brought together 200 participants from different realities of the Province.
On the first day, the young people were warmly welcomed with passes, t-shirts, and gadgets, by the Provincial Coordinator of Youth Ministry, Sister Ana Maria Gomes Cordeiro, and by the other Coordinators. The atmosphere was immediately filled with energy with the choreography of the official anthem, “É Tempo de Celebrar” (It is Time to Celebrate), performed by the Social Opera group CJS Mazzarello of Linhares-ES.
Joy increased with the arrival of Sister Amélia de Assis Castro, Coordinator of the Provincial Team, dressed as Mother Mazzarello, and Pedro Augusto, Coordinator of YM of Collegio Pius XII, dressed as Don Bosco, who brought messages of hope and remembered the Charism of the Founders. The show “A Ti As Confio” (I entrust them to you), staged by the Saint Teresa Formation House, reached the hearts of the participants.
At the opening, the Provincial, Sister Teresinha Ambrosim, underlined the relevance of the meeting. “It is a very big dream since we reconfigured ourselves as Mother Mazzarello Province. This is a historical moment, dreamed, desired for months and years. And in this Jubilee Year, the year of Hope, I believe that it has come to renew the hope of our Province and of the young people, who are here with great enthusiasm, also reinvigorating ours.”
“Go into deeper waters” is the motto of the 2nd day. Divided into groups with the names of figures such as Domenic Savio, Laura Vicuña, Mamma Margherita, and Carlo Acutis, the young people experienced moments of reflection, creativity, and sharing.
Led by the Pastoral Provincial Committee, they have together built a “Cry of Hope”, a collective expression of the dreams and challenges they carry in their hearts. Sister Ana Maria Gomes Cordeiro highlighted the meaning of this experience. “This meeting aims to celebrate with young people, Christ who calls us and sends us to be pilgrims of hope. It is a dream that comes true to bring together all the young people of the States in which our Province is present. It is time to celebrate with Salesian Youth!”
The program included dynamic activities, artistic productions, and ended in a festive atmosphere, with a treasure hunt, music, and interaction, reaffirming the protagonism of young people.
The third day, August 16, was celebrated with great emotion, as it coincided with Don Bosco’s 210th birthday. The morning, led by the Formation House, began with music, dance, and lots of joy. The Provincial invited the young people to recognize themselves as crew members of the large “Salesian Family Ship”, following the path of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello.
Another highlight was the launch of the Vocational Portal of the Salesian Network Brazil (RSB), a national initiative that strengthens the accompaniment and vocational discernment of young people. Subsequently, participants passed through nine thematic stations inspired by Salesian holiness – Don Bosco, Madre Mazzarello, Mamma Margherita, Domenic Savio, Laura Vicuña, Maria Troncatti, Zeferino Namuncurà, and Petronilla Mazzarello, as well as Carlo Acutis, who will be canonized in September 2025. Each stop was an opportunity to get to know and reflect, taking home special medallions as souvenirs!
“This encounter is very important, not only for the Province, but also at a national level, because it speaks to us of unity, of cultivating hope and, above all, of youthful protagonism. May it also inspire other Provinces to promote this beautiful protagonism of our young people,” highlighted the National Coordinator of YM, Sister Claudiane Cavalcante.
On the last day, the young people revisited the 2024 Youth Synod Document, reflecting on the mission of young people in today’s world. From this sharing was born the “Decalogue of Hope”, a synthesis of what they experienced during the encounter.
The Eucharistic Celebration, presided over by Father José Paulino, strengthened the missionary sending. In the final moment, each participant received a chain with the anchor-shaped pendant, symbol of the Jubilee Year and the certainty of walking “Anchored in Jesus, our Hope”.
Among the young people there was a sense of great gratitude. Lívia, 16 years old, student of the Educational Center Our Lady Help of Christians of Campos dos Goytacazes-RJ, summarized what she experienced as follows: “The Salesian Charism is one of the most important things we have, because that is what we live here. It is living surrounded by people who have love to give. We have a different way of welcoming others, of being close, so it is very, very beautiful to be here!”
One of the symbols of this experience was the anthem, “It is Time to Celebrate” composed specifically for the encounter by Postulant Vitória Salamucha and Sister Ana Maria Gomes Cordeiro. The words, sung and danced during the four days, expressed the joy of faith, the strength of hope, and the commitment of the Salesian youth.. Video
