Medellin (Colombia). On 10 February 2024 in Medellin, at the headquarters of the Province of St. Mary Mazzarello (CMM), the Salesian formation meeting was held with the participation of the World Delegate, Sister Gabriela Patiño Osorio, of the Presidents, Delegates, members of the Federal Council, and Past Pupils of the 14 Unions, hosted by the Federation Saint Mary Mazzarello Past Pupils of the FMA. The objective of the meeting was to define the journey of the new Federation Council and to share the motivations and expectations of each participant.
“During the intense and significant day, says Ms. Ana Catalina, a Past Pupil, we listened to a dynamic presentation, deep and rich in content, which framed the past and the ‘here and now’ of our mission as a Federation, with the commitment to work in synodality and to transform the ‘I into we’, for the fulfilment of a common mission.
Thanks to the hospitality and spiritual accompaniment of the delegate of the Federation, Sister Gloria Elena Echeverri, we found the ideal space to express administrative, juridical, and missionary issues that have asked us to live under the motto ‘Be happy to make others happy’, a recurring and fundamental phrase that Sister Gabriela Patiño has given us, with the intention of making it our backbone in every step and action.
With infinite gratitude, we have understood that every decision and/or response is not only correct, but also valuable to increase our strength as a federal team, as leaders, and as Past Pupils of every Union. Sister Gabriela offered us concrete modes of action and was always available to accompany us on the journey of our mission. The day allowed the participation of a mixed group of about 30 people, young and adults, a detail that left our host happy and hopeful.
At the end, we lived with her a moment of fraternal sharing, experiencing her closeness, spiritual serenity, and management experience, which filled us with confidence. As a sign of gratitude, we gave her a personalized and ecological gift to ‘write history together’.
From our acts of caring there comes something good, not always immediately visible. It is the Salesian style of the “word in the ear”. It is up to us to choose it every day”.
