The meeting was held at the Passionist Fathers’ Retreat House and was attended by catechists, catechesis coordinators from all the communities and the parish priest. The aim of this meeting was to offer catechists a privileged moment for personal encounter with Jesus Christ, listening to the Word and inner renewal, strengthening spirituality, reviving the catechetical vocation and renewing their commitment to the evangelising mission in the light of the Salesian charism.
The programme began with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Subsequently, Salesian Fr Renato dos Santos led the central conference of the day, reflecting on the theme of the Rector Major’s Strenna 2026 – ‘Do whatever he tells you. Believers, free to serve’ – proposed as a path of pastoral conversion for catechists.
The reflection highlighted the importance of listening to Jesus in pastoral and catechetical life, recalling that the mission of the Church does not arise from activism but from listening to the Word and the action of the Spirit.
The afternoon programme featured animation, fraternal communion and formative activities that encouraged the sharing of experiences and the development of concrete proposals for catechesis in the communities.
The retreat also highlighted the figure of Mary Help of Christians, as a model of faith education and a woman of listening, and reaffirmed the Salesian identity of parish catechesis, inspired by Don Bosco, especially in the care of formative processes, in accompanying people and in the educational presence among children, adolescents, young people and families.
The general coordination of the meeting was entrusted to the Community Catechetical Coordination teams, with the support of the service teams, the music ministry and the Parish Coordination.
Some participants also emphasised the importance of the retreat for their own journey of faith and for the catechetical mission. For catechist Ana Maria Costa Andreata, for example, the meeting helped to reinforce the awareness that being a catechist is, above all, a vocational response, born of God’s call and realised in service to the community.
Carolina Aparecida Amaral emphasised that the retreat was a true moment of encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist, which renewed her mission as a catechist in the style of Don Bosco, characterised by joy, closeness and care for people.
In Livair Aparecida dos Santos’ assessment, the retreat was a precious moment to recharge her inner “vessels”, which were empty due to discouragement and fatigue, thus restoring enthusiasm and hope for the continuation of her mission.
The closing ceremony took place with a Eucharistic Celebration at the Parish Church, which brought together a significant number of faithful in an atmosphere of thanksgiving.
The Catechists’ Retreat is considered fundamental for Our Lady Help of Christians parish, as it strengthens the spiritual and human formation of those who work directly in the initiation into Christian life, promotes communion between communities and contributes to a more evangelising catechesis, rooted in faith, in listening to the Word and in the synodal spirit of the Church.
{gallery}BPA – Catechisti 2026{/gallery}
