The participants were accompanied by a team consisting of Fr. Paulo Profilo (Brazil–São Paulo Province), Fr. Dario Navarro (Chile), Fr. José Ruiz (Ecuador), and Fr. Manuel Cayo from the host Province of Southern Argentina.
A Missionary Pilgrimage Through Salesian Roots
Although the meeting is usually held in the Patagonian city of Junín de los Andes (Neuquén), this year began with a Salesian missionary pilgrimage. Starting in Buenos Aires, the group visited some of the earliest Salesian mission sites: Bahía Blanca, Fortín Mercedes, and Carmen de Patagones in the southern part of Buenos Aires Province; Viedma and Chimpay in Río Negro; and Zapala and San Ignacio in Neuquén.
This journey also offered opportunities for prayer at the tombs of saints connected to the region: St. Artemide Zatti, Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá, and Blessed Laura Vicuña.
During these intense first days, the participants not only visited significant mission sites but also shared their personal vocational stories, allowing the meeting to begin with a deeper understanding of each one’s faith journey.
Formation in Junín de los Andes
Upon arriving in Junín de los Andes, the group continued with the core formation program. Various themes essential to this stage were explored, including vocational identity, fraternal life, mission, affective and sexual maturity, discernment criteria, key elements of the Salesian charism, the implications of perpetual profession, the rite of perpetual vows, new formation paradigms, and spirituality.
Additional contributions were offered by Fr. Silvio Roggia, General Councillor for Formation (online), Dr. Graciela Gigliotti, and Fr. Cássio Rodrigo de Oliveira from the Brazil–São Paulo Province.
Celebration, Reflection, and Retreat
The days unfolded through liturgical celebrations, formative dialogues, workshops, and both personal and community reflection, fostering a deep process of growth and discernment. The high point came with the retreat on January 21, held in a desert setting inspired by the landscape of Via Christi, a thematic park located on the slopes of Cerro de la Cruz in Junín de los Andes.
January 22 was dedicated to evaluation and closure. Participants also joined the local faithful and other pilgrims in celebrating the liturgical memorial of Blessed Laura Vicuña in the very places where she once lived.
Inspired by Patagonian Salesian Holiness
Through this pilgrimage, formation, and fraternal sharing, these young men—preparing to profess their perpetual vows as Salesians of Don Bosco—found inspiration for their religious life in the Salesian holiness rooted in Patagonia.
