(ANS – Aracaju) – More than a thousand student-athletes from the St Aloysius Gonzaga (SDB) and Mary Help of Christians (FMA) provinces took part, from 26 to 30 June, in the 39th Salesian Nordestão, held at the Salesian College of Our Lady Help of Christians, in the city of Aracaju, in the state of Sergipe. Under the theme: “In life and in sport, the rule is to respect and love” and the motto: “Believers and free to love”, the event brought together Salesian schools from seven states and the Federal District.

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony, held at the Constâncio Vieira Sports Hall on the evening of 26 June, featured a parade of the delegations to the music of the Sergipe Military Police Band, followed by a minute’s silence in memory of the athletes who died in an accident in Juazeiro do Norte. Fellipe Domingos, a basketball player from Salesiano Aracaju, recited the traditional Athlete’s Oath, whilst Matheus Williame, a futsal player, carried the symbolic torch that preceded the official opening declaration by Fr Robson Barros, rector of Salesiano Aracaju.

Messages from the Provincials

The Superiors of the two Salesian provinces in the North-East addressed the young people, emphasising the educational value of sport. Fr Francisco Inácio BRE, Provincial, highlighted the historical roots of this tradition in Salesian pedagogy: “In the Salesian tradition, sport is a fundamental educational element, a component that fosters the development of all aspects of our integration and education, above all by promoting coexistence, healthy competition and a spirit of collaboration and teamwork. All this has been taught from the very beginning in the courtyard of Don Bosco’s first school in Valdocco.”

He added that the experience gained during the competition days serves a greater purpose: “Wherever we play and compete, we will repeat in our hearts what Don Bosco taught us: we are committed Christians and upright citizens. And every sporting gesture will be for the good and the integral salvation of all young people”.

Sister Maria Américo, Provincial of the FMA, drew on the messages of two Popes to situate sport within the Salesian mission of evangelisation: “Pope Leo emphasised the importance of sport as an element that integrates the various dimensions of the person, as an opportunity for spiritual growth. […] I really liked what he said: the age of competitions passes, but the values remain.”

Quoting John Paul II as well, she added: “Sport is a school of inner and outer balance; it is a school of self-improvement, a means of human formation that teaches order, loyalty and respect for people and the law, as well as being a school of vigour and elegance”.

Holy Mass

On Saturday 27 June, the programme continued with the celebration of the opening Holy Mass at the Constâncio Vieira Sports Hall, presided over by Fr Francisco Inácio and concelebrated by Salesians from the Northeast. After Mass, the delegations made their way to the various competition venues scattered throughout Aracaju, spending their days in a spirit of integration and healthy competition. Recife to host the 40th edition in 2027At the close of the 2026 edition, it was confirmed that the city of Recife, capital of the state of Pernambuco, will host the 40th edition of the Nordestão Salesiano, from 3 to 7 September 2027. This decision marks the event’s return to the capital of Pernambuco following the 36th edition. The organisers plan to bring together hundreds of student-athletes from various Salesian houses across the Nordeste, upholding the spirit that has established the Nordestão as a benchmark in education through sport.