International Congress of the FMA Past Pupils – A window of hope

Rome (Italy). On 25 May 2025, at the Fraterna Domus of Sacrofano, immersed in the silence and peace of the park of Veio a few kilometers from the Vatican, began the International Congress organized by the World Confederation of Past Pupils of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, with the theme, “Let us not be robbed of hope” (EG. 86), accepting the message of the Ordinary Jubilee 2025: “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5).

The participation was extraordinary, with about 300 Past Pupils from 27 Countries of the world, from four continents.

The work began with a welcome from the Confederal President, Maria Carmen Castillon, who urged us to walk together as “pilgrims of hope, aware of the mission that is before us, alive and dynamic.”

It was followed by the intervention of the Superior General of the FMA Institute, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, who made a synthesis of three elements. The first is the global breadth of the Congress because, in her words, “to see you from here is a simply wonderful spectacle that makes us feel the diversity, the various cultural, national, and continental affiliations which are all synthesized for us in the one Salesian identity.” She then recalled that “we are here to share values that make us a family, that give strength to our daily lives” and that “being together is a moment of grace.”

The second element is that of hope, to which everyone looks, especially at this moment in history. “Hope helps us to look beyond, where we see nothing else,” said Mother. Finally, the third element is the wager on education, remembering that the greatest act of hope we have received from Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello is education. “Our founders taught us that hope is embodied in future generations through education.”

 From day one, the theme, “Caravan of hope”, well-illustrated by Olivia Furlan, Vice President of the Confederation, emerged as decisive aspects of the meeting and the report. The welcome of Sister Leslie Sándigo Ortega, General Councilor for the Salesian Family and director of the days of the Congress, was an expression of the joy of being together.

The theme of the Congress was the title of the second day, “Give reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pt 3:15-16), deepened through the morning intervention by Fr. Mario Llanos, Salesian of Don Bosco, Professor of Education Sciences at the Pontifical Salesian University.

The speaker, started from the premise, “that hope is a central concept that runs through the entire Bible, unites the stories, promises, and experiences of the peoples involved in the history of salvation.” Through some passages of the biblical books (Psalms, Sapiential, Proverbs) and characters of the Old Testament (Job, David, Ruth), he argued that “hope is nourished by authentic relationships and significant experiences capable of restoring value to life.” He concluded his talk by stating that, “in Sacred Scripture, therefore, hope is not only a theological theme but an educative and pastoral principle that can transform the lives of young people.” The day was enriched by the magic show of Rita Utzeri of the Witnesses of the Risen One, one of the groups of the Salesian Family.

The third day, on the theme “Resilience, a formation for hope”, completed the program. Three speakers – Dr. Salvatore Giannone, psychologist and psychotherapist; Sister María del Rosario García Ribas, Vicar General of the FMA Institute; and Marcela Perez, Councilor – deepened the theme respectively under the psychological, charismatic, and associative aspects.

In summary, from their reports it has been possible to draw that at the base of successful lives there are rich relational experiences, cultivated personally and shared communally in joy.

In the afternoon, the participants moved to Rome at the General House of the FMA Institute, to live a charismatic experience, with the visit to the exhibit of the Charism; penitential, with confessions in view of the Jubilee pilgrimage; and to meet Mother and the General Councilors.

The following day, to crown the Congress, the group participated in the General Audience of Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square, followed by a pilgrimage to the Holy Door. They then concluded the day with a visit to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

The element that during the days has had particular meaning and value was the closeness of Mother Chiara and the General Council. Their hospitality, the presence of Mother Chiara at the pilgrimage to the Holy Door, and her participation, together with the Past Pupils, in the Holy Mass at Saint Mary Major where Pope Francis rests, will remain in the memory of each one. The Congress ended in the evening in Sacrofano, with the consignment of the mandate.

At the end, thanks were expressed to all the Past Pupils and FMA who contributed to the realization, for their generosity in the commitment, for the ‘fresh air’ breathed during the days, fruit of the organizational spirit that allowed effective listening and sharing between Past Pupils from all over the world and, most importantly, to have shared in the common faith in Jesus Christ, their own Salesian identity in Mornese style!

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