The meeting, which will bring together all the Superiors of the Salesian circumscriptions of the Old Continent in a single event, will serve primarily to disseminate the new features contained in the new edition of the Ratio Fundamentalis, the basic text for the formation of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Furthermore, it will be a moment of great enrichment for all participants, also due to the presence in one place of many Salesian personalities, thus giving the Provincials of Europe a special and privileged moment of dialogue with the Rector Major, Fr Fabio Attard; his Vicar, Fr Stefano Martoglio; the General Councillor for Formation, Fr Silvio Roggia; the General Councillor for Missions, Fr Jorge Mario Crisafulli; the Economer General, Fr Gabriel Stawowy; and the Councillors of the two Regions of Europe, Fr Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy, for the Mediterranean, and Fr Roman Jachimowicz, for Central and Northern Europe.

At the operational level, the work will begin on the afternoon of Friday, 27 February, with an introduction by the Rector Major, who will offer guidelines for the meeting, followed by an initial moment of listening and sharing in the assembly. The central theme of the first day will be ‘The new Ratio and the formation of Salesians in Europe’, with an in-depth study led by the Formation Sector on some elements of particular relevance to life and mission in the European context. The assembly discussion will allow perspectives and contributions from different territories to be gathered, with a view to making choices that are increasingly consistent with Don Bosco’s charism.

The second day, Saturday 28th February, will be largely dedicated to the beginning of the journey towards Salesian life, with a focus on prenovitiate, novitiate and vocational animation. Through testimonies and contributions from different provinces and from the Formation Commission of the Central-Northern Europe Region, the Provincials will be called upon to reflect on ways of accompanying young people in their vocational search and on the conditions necessary for a solid and meaningful formation proposal. The working groups, scheduled to take place at the Don Bosco House Museum, will encourage a more direct and practical discussion, prior to the phase of dialogue and sharing in the assembly.

In the afternoon of the same day, the meeting will continue with separate sessions for the two Regions – Mediterranean and Central and Northern Europe – and with a session dedicated to ‘Salesian Places and the Study of the Charism’, to enhance the synergies between historical sites and paths of deepening Salesian identity. In this context, the School of Salesian Accompaniment will also be presented as a tool for personal and community growth.

On Sunday 1 March, attention will shift to some strategic dimensions of the Salesian presence in Europe. In this regard, the experience of Don Bosco Tech Europe, a network that promotes Salesian collaboration in the field of professional formation, will be explored in depth, and then there will be a discussion on the theme of integration and the challenges related to the missionaries of Project Europe, with a concrete look at the dynamics of welcome and integration in the provinces.

Each day will be marked by the celebration of the Eucharist in the church of St Francis de Sales and moments of common prayer, emphasising that pastoral and organisational discernment arises from listening to the Spirit and fraternal communion. The conclusions of the Rector Major, scheduled at the end of the proceedings, will offer a summary of guidance for the future path.

‘At a time that challenges our Congregation to renew its service to young people with creativity and fidelity, we have thought of this meeting as a significant pit stop to strengthen our shared vision and courageously relaunch the Salesian mission in Europe, the continent where the Salesian charism was born and from which it spread throughout the world,’ explained the Regional Councillor for the Mediterranean, Fr Pérez Godoy, ahead of the start of the meeting. Fr Pérez Godoy, ahead of the start of the proceedings.

He concluded: ‘With the vision of Fr Fabio Attard, our Rector Major, and the contributions that will come from all the Sectors, the Provincials and the personalities involved, we are convinced that we can take a small but significant step towards relaunching our formation programmes and thus improving the accompaniment of young people, especially those searching for their vocation.’