Rome (Italy). On 3 July 2022, the meeting of the Provincial Coordinators of Youth Ministry of the Interprovincial Conferences CIMAC (of Mexico, Antilles, and Central America), CINAB (of the Bolivarian Nations), and CICSAL (of the Southern Cone of Latin America) took place online on the theme, “Reading the Encyclical Laudato si’ from the horizon of the social principles of the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium”.
The meeting was attended by the World Councilor for Youth Ministry of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Sr. Runita Galve Borja, and more than 30 representatives for Youth Ministry, including FMA and lay animators of the works from nine Countries participated.
On the basis of the Acts of the XIV General Chapter, the formative guidelines have been established from which are intended to accompany the animation processes of Youth Ministry. Sr. Viky Ulate, collaborator of the Sector, and Sr. Magda Cruz, FMA from Colombia, gave a conference on the Encyclical Laudato si’ and on the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.
The meeting constituted a formative space of great richness of contents and, above all, of fraternal sharing around various principles that emerged from some phrases of the documents, including: “Time is superior to space”; “Unity prevails over conflict”; “Reality is more important than the idea” and “The whole is superior to the parts”.
The various contributions of the FMA and of the lay people participating brought to the reflection a heterogeneity of expressions, in which ideas about working for the common good prevailed, with the creative adoption of proposals in the wake of conflicts, on integral ecology, and on networking with the Preventive System.
Pastoral work with young people in the various Provinces that make up CIMAC – CINAB – CICSAL also emerged from the meeting, in particular on the problems that arose following the Covid-19 pandemic and the various socio-political and cultural contexts faced on a daily basis.
The conclusions are the result of the considerations expressed by the participants through the Padlet application. One of them wrote, “This meeting gave me new light in rereading the document. I think it is important to let ourselves be questioned by this reality and to renew the option of walking with young people, letting ourselves be touched by what they are sensitive to, such as the social and political aspects, history in their hands, the ecological dimension”.
