Rome (Italy). The Missions Sector of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, in collaboration with the Team of Project Missionary Spirituality (PEM), proposes for 2026, in preparation for the 150th anniversary of the First Missionary Expedition (14 November 2027), an online pilgrimage to the places in South America where the first FMAs arrived in 1877.
The Mother General, Sister Chiara Cazzuola, in Circular no. 1038, encouraged all FMAs in the world to experience this journey towards celebration with the aim, “to celebrate with a grateful heart the missionary zeal of the Institute to revive in today’s world, the prophetic impulse of our charism as a gift to the Church and humanity.”
It is for this reason that the General Councilor for Missions, Sister Ruth del Pilar Mora, and Sister Adriana Gomez, President of the PEM CICSAL-CIB Team, with their collaborators, urge the Provinces so that all the Educating Communities can together carry out an online Pilgrimage of its places which have marked a milestone in the history of the Salesian religious family and, “to the warmth of that first missionary fire lit in the hearts of our missionary Sisters of Mornese, to contemplate and let ourselves be deeply touched by this humble but courageous missionary history,” as Mother Chiara says.
Mother and the Sisters of the Council wish this journey to be enhanced with the involvement of the Educating Communities (animation nucleus, FMA Past Pupils, Salesian Cooperators, FMAs, lay people particularly sensitive to the Charism, etc.) with a single membership per Community, to experience in communion a journey of formation and preparation for this important anniversary.
The eight meetings, lasting an hour and a half, will be held via the Zoom platform with translations into Arabic, Korean, French, English, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Slovak, and Vietnamese.
It will travel the South Cone of America on the following dates:
01 March 2026 Villa Colón- Las Piedras (URU)
22 March 2026 Almagro – La Boca (ARG)
12 April 2026 Patagonia North (ARG)
19 April 2026 Patagonia North- Junín de los Andes (ARG)
11 October 2026 Patagonia South – Tierra del Fuego e Punta Arenas (CIL)
25 October 2026 Patagonia South: Misión de la Candelaria” (ARG)
14 November 2026 Missionary expansion in Brazil
29 November 2026 Mission in Chaco Paraguay
With the following times for each meeting:
- Asia 9 – 10:30 Rome time;
- Europe and Africa 15 – 16:30 Rome time;
- America 20 -21:30 Rome time.
Registration must be made by 15 January 2026, via Google form at the link sent to the Provinces.
The Online Missionary Pilgrimage aims to rekindle the fire of the missions, be praise to God for the wonders He has accomplished at the FMA Institute over these 150 years, and encourage us to continue to be a religious family that “is outgoing”.
Obrigada por nos recordar
Grazie per l’iniziativa!
Sono molto contenta di partecipare a questo meraviglioso viaggio e rivivere il fervore delle nostre primissime FMA Missionarie. Spero proprio di partecipare.
Grazie
Grazie per questa bella iniziativa, posso viaggiare gratis e visitare luoghi di grande significato spirituale per la vocazione Salesiana, missionaria. Con grande riconoscenza
Muchas gracias por esta linda oportunidad que nos dan de amar mas la vocacion misionera y la alegria de participar desde el campo de mision
Toda nuestra Comunidad participa muy agradecidas y con tanta alegria
Grazie di cuore per questa organizzazione. È magnifica. Sono molto felice di partecipare. Che il Signore vi benedica e vi doni molta gioia nel vostro servizio.