Montevideo (Uruguay). From 20 to 23 April 2026, the SEPSUR Escolar 2026 meeting took place in Montevideo, at the Manresa Spirituality Center, bringing together leaders from the educational sector, along with various delegates and coordinators of Youth Ministry, from the Salesian presences within the CICSAL Inter-provincial Conference of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the Southern Cone Region of the Salesians of Don Bosco. This region comprises nine Provinces (5 SDB and 4 FMA) across four countries: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The objective of the annual meeting is to strengthen coordination among the Salesian schools in this region, fostering the sharing of experiences, pastoral enrichment, and the development of shared pathways in the face of current educational challenges.
At the opening, the Councilor for Youth Ministry, Sister Runita Borja, conveyed her message to the participants via video:
“Annual regional meetings are fundamental for keeping the network among educational institutions alive and strengthening the communion among the Provinces. The provincial delegates for schools fulfill a mission of trust, serving as bridges between local educational works and the regional structure. During the Jubilee of the Educational World, Pope Leo XIV published the apostolic letter ‘Drawing New Maps of Hope’, in which he presents Catholic education as an “educational constellation”, a living and pluralistic network in which every institution shines with its own distinct identity, yet together points toward shared paths. Furthermore, the document gives renewed impetus to the Global Compact on Education, adding new priorities to promote a holistic education that unites faith and culture, knowledge and justice, tradition and innovation.”
Fr. Rafael Bejarano, General Councilor for Youth Ministry, connected on-line to welcome the participants and to make a few announcements.
Central Themes
The program included moments of spirituality, formation, and collaborative work, addressing themes significant to the Salesian educational mission, including:
- Hope in the American continent and the Global Compact on Education;
- Convergences among the six-year programmatic plan, the Global Compact on Education, and the new Apostolic Letter of Pope Leo XIV;
- Listening to young people as a contribution to educational reflection;
- A process of pastoral reflection on affectivity and sexuality;
- Development of tools for youth consultation;
- Definition of future perspectives for SEPSUR Escolar.
Participation and contributions
The gathering was attended by representatives and consultants from the fields of education, theology, and youth ministry. It also included Eucharistic celebrations, workshops, and moments of fraternity. The Holy Masses were celebrated by Fr. Jorge Pérez, Coordinator of Youth Ministry, and by the Provincial of St. Joseph Province (URU), Fr. Francisco Lezama, SDB.
Significant contributions were made by Sister Ivone Goulart Lopes, FMA, a collaborator in the Youth Ministry Sector, with her reflection on the “ESA Educational Constellation: Hope in the American Continent – Global Compact on Education,” and by José Luis Jiménez, SDB, the coordinator for the Youth Ministry Sector, who explored the convergences among the six-year programmatic plan, the Global Compact on Education, and the new apostolic letter by Pope Leo XIV dedicated to education.
Furthermore, Fabián Vitabar developed the theme “Listening to Young People: A Contribution to Reflection”; Sebastián Ferreyra, SDB, presented the SEPSUR Pastoral reflection process on Affectivity and Sexuality; and Manuel Catalán and Guillermo Gutiérrez conducted a workshop on developing the instrument for consulting young people.
The group was also presented with two videos prepared by Sister Patricia Parraguez, FMA, a member of the research group on the Preventive System at the Pontifical Faculties Auxilium and UPS, who oversaw the analysis of pastoral documents from the Provinces of the Southern Cone. The videos produced are based on all the pastoral and provincial projects of the four Countries.
Fraternity and Cultural Visits
The group visited the Don Luigi Lasagna Museum at the Collegio Pio, the first presence of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Uruguay. Subsequently, they attended Holy Mass, presided over by the Provincial, Father Francisco Lezama, at the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians. Many also had the opportunity to visit the Provincial House, the first presence of the FMA in the Americas, specifically in Uruguay, where the 150th anniversary of their arrival will be celebrated in 2027. There was no shortage of recreational moments, particularly an evening filled with joy, fraternity, and fellowship, featuring expressions of gratitude to the two Provincial Superiors, Sister Maria de los Angeles Grassi, Provincial of Immaculate Conception Province (URU), and Father Francisco Lezama, SDB, for the welcome and support they provided.
An encounter to dream of the future
More than only an organizational meeting, SEPSUR Escolar 2026 aspires to be a space for discernment and missionary renewal, reaffirming the Salesian commitment to an integral, evangelizing education that is open to the challenges of the present age.
Rooted in mutual listening and communion among the participating Countries, the gathering seeks to consolidate educational networks capable of generating hope and transforming the realities of young people throughout the region.
