Buenos Aires (Argentina). From 3 to 7 June 2025, the house of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Buenos Aires will host the American Seminar of the Association of Salesian History Scholars (ACSSA), on the theme: “The Salesian Missions in America – 150 years: contexts, contributions, and challenges (Up to Vatican II).”
ACSSA Councilor Sister Maria Imaculada da Silva, Daughter of Mary Help of Christians from Brazil, and Pamela Alarcón from Argentina, recount the preparations and the state of the art a few days after the start of the works:
“We have good expectations, and we are already anticipating this meeting that we hope will be a real feast, full of meaning for everyone. Our history is our identity and we know we have good reasons to love it.
The seminar will have 47 in-person participants and 60 remotely connected. With great joy, we will welcome people from different countries of the Americas: Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, USA, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. And, outside the American continent, also from Austria and Italy.
Among the personalities expected: Cardinal Daniel Fernando Sturla, Archbishop of Montevideo, from Uruguay; the President of ACSSA, Sister Maria Maul; the Secretary-Treasurer of ACSSA, Father Stanislaw Zimniak; the Salesian Provincials of Argentina, Fr. Dario Pereira and Fr. Horacio Barbieri, the latter connected remotely; the Provincial of Laura Vicuña Province (ARG) of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Sister Silvia Boullosa, and other Provincials.
The program is already confirmed: there will be 24 researches that will allow us to know a little more about the missionary journey of the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in America during these 150 years of mission, service, and dedication. We congratulate all researchers and thank them for their work.
Other projects will also be on display: books, the website commemorating the 150th anniversary, and the presentation of the magazine “Chrónica”. Everything will be formative.
The last day, on Saturday 7 June, will be dedicated to an excursion to visit the places of foundation of the Salesians and the landscape, cultural and religious sites. Finally, at the river that brought them, we will pay tribute to the missionaries of the First Expedition in Argentina and conclude the meeting with the festive Eucharist in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians.”
After the Congress, the contents of the Seminar will be available on the ISS/ACSSA: https://iss-acssa.org/
