A Rich and Representative Participation
The meeting was attended by 29 Provincials in office from as many Provinces: 13 from the Mediterranean Region and 16 from the Central and Northern Europe Region. They were joined by four Provincials-designate awaiting installation (Spain–St James Major, Slovakia, Czechia, and Poland–Pi탅í¢â‚¬Å¡a), as well as the Provincial Delegate for Belarus within the Poland–Warsaw (PLE) Province.
About a dozen other Salesian figures also contributed by presenting and deepening various topics discussed during the sessions. Notably present were many members of the General Council of the Congregation, beginning with the Rector Major, Fr Fabio Attard, along with his Vicar, Fr Stefano Martoglio; the General Councilor for Formation, Fr Silvio Roggia; the General Councilor for the Missions, Fr Jorge Mario Crisafulli; the Economer General, Fr Gabriel Stawowy; and the Regional Councilors for Europe: Fr Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy (Mediterranean) and Fr Roman Jachimowicz (Central and Northern Europe).
Opening Address of the Rector Major
In his introductory greeting, the Rector Major delivered a wide-ranging address linked to the distinctive developments of the 29th General Chapter (GC29), held in Valdocco one year ago. On that occasion, Salesians were urged to be passionate about God and dedicated to young peopleíƒ¢í¢”š¬”two expressions that remain timely and demanding for Salesians in Europe today.
As “passionate” men, Salesians “do not accept standing still. Rather, we want to be people who, with great freedom, live a path of human, spiritual, and charismatic growth, convinced that our example and witness are the most significant and sought-after gift we can offer.” To live truly “dedicated” to the young, the Sons of Don Bosco are called to carry forward their mission as a broad and integrated communityíƒ¢í¢”š¬”“men and women, young and adults, lay people and priests”íƒ¢í¢”š¬”renewing the light that shone in 19th-century Valdocco and which Don Juan Edmundo Vecchi recognized as the forge of “a new culture, not in an academic sense, but in the direction of new internal relationships between young people and educators, between lay people and priests, between artisans and studentsíƒ¢í¢”š¬”a relationship that influenced the life of the neighborhood and the city.”