Italy – Fr Juan Carlos Godoy’s Extraordinary Visitation to the IME Province has concluded, with the presentation of the ‘Overview’

(ANS – Naples) – “Dear Fr Gianpaolo, following my experience with you over these past few months during the Extraordinary Visitation to your Blessed Michael Rua (IME) province, based in Naples, on behalf of the Rector Major I would like to offer you my assessment of the situation, setting out a number of points for your consideration. First of all, I would like to thank you most sincerely for the warm welcome and the support you have shown me during this time of the Extraordinary Visitation. These have been days spent in a genuine atmosphere of fraternity and family, which have made me feel truly at home, thanks to you and all the Salesian communities and educative and pastoral communities, through concrete and simple gestures of gratitude, which I would like to convey to you, to the Provincial Council and to my confreres. This extends also to the Salesian Family…’.

With these words, Fr Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy, Councillor for the Mediterranean Region, opened the “Overview”, the concluding document of the Extraordinary Visitation presented to the IME Provincial, Fr Gianpaolo Roma, and to the Rectors of tSalesian houses gathered on 4 July at the Provincial Centre in Naples.

The “Overview” is the document that brings together and summarises a journey that began on 26 January, during which Fr Godoy visited all the Salesian communities in Southern Italy, Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Over the course of these six months, he met with confreres, young people, educators, collaborators, staff and members of the Educative and Pastoral Communities, sharing in the life of the Works and listening to the challenges, hopes and prospects for the Salesian mission in the various contexts.

The report presented is a valuable resource for the province: not only an analysis of the situation that emerged from the meetings, but also a collection of reflections, guidelines and recommendations that will guide the way forward in the coming years, in fidelity to Don Bosco’s charism and with a keen eye on the needs of young people and the local areas.

At the end of the presentation, Fr Godoy entrusted the Salesian Province of Southern Italy to the protection of Mary Help of Christians, imparting his blessing as a sign of communion, gratitude and renewed enthusiasm for the future.

The Extraordinary Visitation represented a precious time of listening, evaluation and discernment for the whole Salesian Family in the south. It was an opportunity to reflect on the journey undertaken, to recognise the many signs of vitality and weakness present in the Works, and to identify the educational and pastoral priorities for the years to come.