By: Fr. Fabian Cardenas, SDB
Editors: Marisol Becerra and Gina Robles
Delegate for Youth Ministry

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Regional meeting of the Youth Ministry delegates. (Interamerica region)

Last week the Regional Meeting of the Youth Ministry Delegates for the Interamerica Region was held online via Zoom. This meeting gathered 13 delegates from the Interamerica Region to reflect on the General Chapter 28 and the 2020 to 2026 programme of the Youth Ministry department of the congregation. Fr. Miguel Angel Garcia Morcuende, the General Councillor for Youth Ministry, and Fr. Rafael Bejarano, member of the youth ministry department of the world and coordinator of the interamerica and cono-sur region, led this meeting. The main point that was discussed was the Letter of synthesis about the conversations held with all the delegates of youth ministry around the world. The other discussions centered around the care of the educative pastoral community, joint formation and accompaniment to the different communities of the province. Lastly, the importance and promotion of the oratory, youth centers, social works, the salesian identity of the parishes and the salesian youth movement. The next meeting will be in September 2021 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Province commission for parishes 

On October 26th the province commission for parishes gathered to reflect on improving communication and coordination amongst all the Salesian parishes. This commission includes the Provincial Fr Mel Trinidad,Youth Ministry Delegate Fr. Fabian Cardenas, the eight pastors of the Salesian parishes in California and Texas and lay people. They reflected on The Frame of Reference. Their hope is to come up with  a formal commission for the province and strategies on how to foster communications and collaboration among the Salesian parishes. There was also a discussion on the Letter from Fr. Miguel Angel Garcia Morcuende (Salesian Councillor for Youth Ministry) and Ms. Antonella Sinagoga (Coordinator of Salesian Parishes) on the international effort to coordinate the Salesian work in parishes. The next meeting will be on November 16th.

Visit to the Salesian community of Stockton 

Fr. Fabian Cardenas, the Province Youth Ministry Delegate, visited the Salesian community of Stockton from October 21 to 23. The purpose of this visit was to meet with Fr. Ramon Zarate, the director of the community to recognize the reality of the community and provide different resources and updates from the Province Youth Ministry Office. On one of the days during his visit Fr. Fabian led the Salesians in a meditation on the Frame of Reference and with a Salesian Goodnight. This visit was also to provide the Stockton community with a survey on the youth ministry department, and to receive feedback on ways the department can serve the Province better.  Fr. Fabian also had the opportunity to celebrate mass for the kids of the school and for the sisters of the convent who work in the parish. Overall, this visitation is just the beginning of future visits to improve communication, collaboration and transparency among the province.