The meeting was attended by 44 delegates, including Salesians and laypeople, from various provinces across the Salesian world. Three registered participants were expected but, due to difficulties in their respective local contexts, were unable to depart on time.
The opening took place in an atmosphere of fraternity and cordiality, encouraging moments of mutual acquaintance and exchange among all participants right from the start.
During the afternoon, the Rector Major, Fr Fabio Attard, accompanied by the General Councillor for Youth Ministry, Fr Rafael Bejarano Rivera, addressed a warm welcome to the Delegates, inviting them to experience this time as a true experience of discipleship.
“The first thing,” Fr Attard emphasised, “is to live an authentic faith. If we are not witnesses to a true Christian life, we risk losing the heart of our mission.”
Returning to the theme of the quality of youth ministry, the Rector Major then added: “Quality is measured by the way we accompany young people and laypeople. Let us therefore look at our identity and how we are carrying out the various processes. It is not a question of remaining closed within a self-referential mindset, thinking we are ‘good’ or ‘obedient’. What matters is being authentic disciples of Jesus.”
Finally, summarising the heart of the Salesian proposal, he concluded, “Discipleship and apostolate must go hand in hand: we are called to be passionate disciples and dedicated apostles”.
At the end of the conversation, Fr Bejarano put a few questions to the Rector Major, tracing the origins of the School of Delegates and its significance for the present day.
Subsequently, the participants celebrated the Eucharist, presided over by the Rector Major. The evening continued in a festive and convivial atmosphere, with dinner and the exchange of souvenirs and tokens from different cultural contexts, an expression of the richness of the Salesian presence in the world.
At the end of the day, Fr Bejarano thanked everyone for their participation and expressed particular appreciation to the youth ministry team at Salesian Headquarters for their hard work in organising the event. He also invited those present to approach the moments of reflection and deeper study scheduled for the following days with an open mind.
{gallery}RMG – Scuola Delegati PG 2026{/gallery}
