The Preventive System as the central theme

The central theme of the meeting was “Deepening our understanding of and living out Don Bosco’s Preventive System as the Salesian Family”. This choice was no coincidence: the meeting serves as preparation for the International Congress on the Preventive System, scheduled for April 2027 in Rome, to mark the 150th anniversary of a document written by Don Bosco himself on his pedagogical and spiritual methodology.

Fr Felipe Bauzière, Superior of the St Dominic Savio Province of Manaus, Brazil (BMA) and Provincial Representative for the Salesian Family in Brazil, highlighted the scale of the group present: “In Brazil we are 15 different groups and worldwide there are 32 (…). This is a crucial moment for us to feel like a more united Salesian family and to walk together”.

A way of life, not just education

During his reflections, Fr Bauzière highlighted how the Preventive System extends far beyond the school walls and constitutes an existential proposal. “Don Bosco had very particular insights precisely through the Preventive System (…) It encompasses not only a complete pedagogical approach, but also a spiritual one,” he stated, describing this legacy as a way of following Jesus Christ in the Salesian style. Also present at the meeting was Fr Adalberto Alves de Jesus, Superior of the Salesian St Alphonsus Liguori Province in Campo Grande, Brazil (BCG).

A Return to the Origins of the Charism

Sister Maria Américo Rolim, the Provincial of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) reresenting the Salesian Family, played a central role in coordinating the event, leading the moments of reflection and the final evaluation of the activities. In her address, she emphasised that the Preventive System should not be regarded merely as a pedagogical technique, but as a transformative identity: “It is not enough to think of it as a method: it is a way of being and living that transforms our lives first and foremost.”

For Sister Maria, these meetings represent a return to the origins of the charism, and indeed she compared the experience to “always coming home, to the home of the oratory”. Indeed, she emphasised that, despite the diversity of each group, they all share a common essence: “We have a common face. And that common face is called Salesian spirituality.”

The participation of the Campo Grande Province

The Provincial Delegate for the Salesian Family in the BCG Province, Fr Wagner Luís Galvão, recalled that one of the great challenges today in living out the Salesian charism amongst young people is coexisting with the various spiritualities that draw young people to the Catholic Church. “The Salesian charism is capable of welcoming and coexisting with the contemporary ways in which young people have chosen to live their faith. However, such welcome does not mean renouncing our Salesian charismatic identity,” he stated.

The challenges of the present day

Fr Bauzière also highlighted two issues that create tension for the life of the charism in the contemporary world. The first concerns presence: “This means closeness, familiarity, being present. Sometimes what I would call ‘the world with its demands’ – especially administrative ones – risks overwhelming us and robbing us of this presence amongst people”. The second is spiritual identity, described as “the challenge of living out our spirituality, our identity today” in the face of a polarised and constantly changing world.

A congregation knocking at the doors of the Salesian Family

The meeting was also attended by Fr Enésio Severino da Silva, representative of the Congregation of the Joselites of Christ (SJC). Founded in 1950 in the Brazilian state of Sergipe by the Servant of God Fr José Gumercindo de Jesus – formerly a Salesian priest – the congregation is currently in the process of being admitted as an official member of the Salesian Family. Fr Enésio emphasised that the congregation already upholds typically Salesian practices in daily life, such as the “goodnights – evening moments of reflection and dialogue with young people –, informal community gatherings known as “tertúlias”, and the application of the Preventive System in educational settings, whilst maintaining what he described as “the distinctive style of St John Bosco.”

Youth as a horizon and a challenge

Father da Silva also spoke of the challenges his congregation faces in applying the Salesian charism to the Brazilian context. For him, working with young people and adolescents proves to be “very demanding”, as young people are “so in need of role models.” In this context, he affirmed that Don Bosco remains an essential point of reference, being one of the patron saints of his congregation. The religious also emphasised the need to strengthen the institutional framework to preserve the legacy left by the founder, and reiterated that the Preventive System cannot be learnt in one go: it is a way of life to be lived out day by day.

Closing with Mass and a renewed commitment

The meeting concluded on Sunday 14 June with an evaluation of the shared activities and a closing Mass. The occasion renewed the commitment of the groups present to  “creative fidelity” to the Salesian charism, in an effort to be, for the youth of Brazil, a point of reference for a fulfilling life.

Euclides Brites

{gallery}Brasile – Incontro Naz FS 2026{/gallery}