Cuanza-Sul (Angola). From 9 to 13 February, about 650 young people from different Salesian realities and from out of the Country, transformed with their cheerful presence the Municipality of Quibala, in the province of Cuanza-Sul, the land of dreams of Don Bosco. The slogan of the Camp was the theme of Strenna 2024, on the occasion of the Bicentenary of Don Bosco’s dream: “The dream that makes us dream”. A theme that has fascinated young people and educators.
The SYM Celebratory Camp is held every four years. The last was before the pandemic in 2019. After mucy preparation, difficulties, and date changes, the Camp finally took place, gathering the young people of the Salesian world for five days of intense Salesian spirituality.
Throughout the days, participants could dream together and share their experiences of faith, feeling part of a greater dream. The Camp was characterized by moments of prayer, adoration, recreation, and formation around the dream at 9 years and ecology. The theme of care of the common home is in fact one of the priority strategies of the SYM and was introduced by the members of the International Salesian Volunteer (VIS).
At the end of the moment of adoration, Fr. Quaresma, Salesian of Don Bosco, concluded: “Pope Francis said to young people: dream, do not stop dreaming; do not be satisfied in life; do not be useless. Now I also tell you to dream, because our God is indeed a God of dreams. He had a dream for the world and that is why He created us and thought of each of us, as we read in Psalm 138: ‘you knew my soul when I was formed in secret’.
Your mission, my mission, is to try to discover what God wants from me. Not what I want, because often what I want can be trivial, selfish, and interested. So, you, teenagers and young people, take advantage of this time to find out what God wants from you. Talk to your friends, priests, sisters, teachers, catechists, parents…, pray, study, mature, discover the talents and qualities that God has for each of you”. He then left the following questions for reflection: Have you ever realized a personal dream that brought you no benefit or joy? Have you ever had unfulfilled dreams for lack of patience and perseverance? What lesson did you learn? In your opinion, if God has already promised us something, why must we fight to achieve it?
The final Eucharistic Celebration was presided over by Fr. Victor Sequeira, Superior of the Preprovince Mamá Muxima (ANG) of the Salesians, at Saint Joseph Novitiate of the Friars Minor. It was concelebrated by the parish priest, Fr. Reis, who kindly made available the space and everything necessary, and by other Salesian and Franciscan priests.
The young people expressed great gratitude to all those who made the dream a reality, to the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians who were present, to the Superiors: Fr. Victor Sequeira, and the Superior of Queen of Peace Preprovince (ANG), Sister Natália Miguel, who were also present at the camp.
