Rome (Italy). On 16 February 2024, the Provincial Youth Ministry Coordinators of the Interprovincial Conference of Brazil (CIB) met online with the General Councilor for Youth Ministry of the FMA Institute, Sister Runita Borja, and with Sister Ivone Goulart Lopes, Sector collaborator.
The meeting began with a prayer led by Sister Claudiane Cavalcante on the theme: “Praying the dream of Don Bosco at 9 years”, with a reflection on the phrases: “Here is your field, where you must work” and “In time you will understand everything.”
Sister Ivone presented the program for the next Continental Meeting of the Salesian School in America – ESA V, that has as its theme: “Together for the present and the future of the Salesian School in America”. She addressed an invitation to the Sisters: “Clothe ourselves with hope, educate yourselves to imagine a new future” and added, “We of the Salesian School in America (ESA) share Pope Francis’ desire to build a Global Educative Pact that takes on the task of helping the younger generations to imagine a new future, as UNESCO also points out in its report ‘Reimagining our futures together: a new social contract for education’.”
Sister Runita Borja spoke of the Series of YM no. 20, sent to the Provinces at the beginning of January 2024, whose theme is: “Building the global educative pact. The Global Educative Pact from the perspective of the Preventive System”.
The participants, Sister Teresa Cristina Domiciano (BAP), Sister Claudiane Cavalcante (BRE), Sister Nádia Caetano (BRM), and Sister Ana Maria Cordeiro (BMM) then shared the organization and animation of the Groups of the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM), Oratories, Social Works (Social Pastoral Care), Schools, Universities, the situation of indigenous pastoral care, catechesis, and catechists in the parishes where the FMA work.
Sister Claudiane Cavalcante also presented the CIB Youth Ministry Calendar, which includes all the pastoral activities of the Committees of the Salesian Network Brazil, the National Council of Salesian Youth Ministry of the FMA and the SDB, and the national meetings organized by the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB).
There was talk of networking as FMA in the four Brazilian Provinces and collaboration with the Salesians of Don Bosco through the Youth Ministry of the Salesian Network Brazil (RSB).
In conclusion, Sister Runita reminded the Coordinators that for the FMA, the Global Educative Pact is very much in tune with the Salesian educational system. “It is not just another thing to do, but a new way of expressing our educative charism in a language that can be understood in today’s world. May the transformation of the new generations through integral education be our contribution to a world dreamed of by God for all humanity: the “dream of God”, the great plan of fraternity that Jesus had at heart when He prayed to the Father saying, “That they all may be one” (Jn 17:21).
