Brazil. From 1 to 4 May, the cities of Petrolina (PE) and Juazeiro (BA) were at the center of the Salesian Youth Missionary Experience, promoted by Mary Help of Christians Province (BRE). The initiative brought together 74 missionaries, including young people, educators, and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, from different North-East States, including Alagoas, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Bahia, and Piauí.
Coordinated by the Provincial teams for Mission and Youth Ministry, the experience is held annually with the aim of strengthening the Christian commitment through evangelization and the proclamation of the Word of God in the neediest communities.
During the four days of mission, the participants experienced moments of spirituality, sharing, and service. In line with the Jubilee year, one of the strongest moments was the passage of missionaries through the Holy Door of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Petrolina, a gesture of surrender and faith renewal.
“It was a wonderful experience of faith, which helped me to be tuned in more and more with God and with others,” shared Renan, a young past pupil at Collegio Auxiliadora in Recife.
The Missionary Experience Program included several activities, such as visits to the communities of Curral Novo (Juazeiro) and Monsenhor Bernardino (Petrolina), as well as moments with the elders of the Casa of Petrolina. Oratorian activities were also carried out with the children of these communities and Mary Help of Christians Center for minors (CEMAM), with moments of evangelization, joy, and sharing.
The culminating moment was the Eucharistic Celebration on Saturday, May 3, presided by Fr. Antônio Carlos Cruz, Bishop of the Diocese of Petrolina, in the Chapel of the Our Lady Help of Christians School. This moment strengthened not only the union of missionaries in faith, but also the preparation for the celebration of the centenary of the presence of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Petrolina – the first home of Mary Help of Christians Province in the Northeast – which will be celebrated in 2026.
“More than a mission, it was an encounter with God, with the other, and with myself. This mission has made me see with greater sensitivity the reality of people and has awakened in me an even greater desire to be a sign of hope wherever I go,” said Maria das Graças, educator at the Mary Help of Christians Youth Center, in Penedo (AL).
The Salesian Youth Missionary Experience 2025 leaves a legacy of faith, solidarity, and hope for both participants and communities visited. It is a living testimony of the Salesian Charism that continues to transform lives in the Northeast of Brazil.
