In his address, the Rector Major proposed four verbs and three fundamental actions that shed light on the vocation from an educational, pastoral and evangelising perspective, against the backdrop of the 150th anniversary of the Association of Salesian Cooperators and in harmony with the 2026 Strenna.

In his message, Fr Attard encouraged everyone to walk together in the mission, being prophets of hope and joy in the style of Don Bosco, and reminded us that it will never be possible to measure the impact that an encounter lived with closeness and affection has on young people.

He reaffirmed that Salesian Cooperators are part of a concrete educational and pastoral journey: a vocation that is neither theoretical nor distant, but one lived out in real experiences that educate, accompany and transform lives, always beginning with a living encounter with young people.

At the end of the presentation, participants from the United States, Nicaragua and Haiti asked questions in English, Spanish and French. Fr Attard responded in each language with warmth and depth, leaving a lasting impression on everyone present.

At the end of the meeting, Martín Calderón, Regional Councillor for the Salesian Cooperators, shared a message to mark the 150th anniversary of the Association, encouraging everyone not to focus solely on the celebration, but to take this historic event as an opportunity to bear concrete fruit, renewing their commitment to the mission.

More than 240 people took part via Zoom, along with many others connected via Facebook Live, representing the 13 countries of the region, with the valuable presence of the Salesian Cooperators from Peru and Venezuela.

The Our Lady of the Rosary Centre (Stony Point, New York – Eastern United States) gathered in person to experience the meeting as a community. In addition, 70 Salesian Cooperators and aspirants from Costa Rica also took part, having begun their national meeting with this presentation.

The opening prayer was led in English by Jill Conroy, while the closing prayer was led by Anna Tran in French, both from Canada.

The meeting took place in Spanish, with simultaneous translation into English and French in the Zoom rooms and via three Facebook Live streams, one for each language of the region. The live stream of the event remains available on Facebook on the “SC Interamericana” page.