(ANS – Porto Alegre) – From July 13 to August 2, the Salesian Province “Saint Pius X” of Brazil-Porto Alegre (BPA) organized the 2025 edition of the “Animação Missionária Juvenil” (AMJ – Youth Missionary Animation in Portuguese). The event brought together more than 450 participants in four cities across three southern Brazilian states: Guarapuava (Paraná), Ascurra and Joinville (Santa Catarina), and Viamão (Rio Grande do Sul). This edition marked the 15th anniversary of the project and was part of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the First Salesian Missionary Expedition sent by Don Bosco to the Americas.
Mission and Vocation at the Heart of the Experience
Provincial Superior Fr. Ademir Ricardo Cwendrych emphasized that AMJ is a time of encounter and service. “We are celebrating the 150 years since Don Bosco sent the first missionary expedition to America. The arrival of those young Salesians continues to inspire today and renew this missionary spirit.”
According to him, AMJ aims to offer adolescents and young people an experience of faith and discernment, encouraging the discovery of vocations for the entire Church.
Fr. Diego da Silva, Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry, stressed that AMJ is one of the Province’s most important projects because it integrates various aspects of youth evangelization. This year’s theme was inspired by the words “give thanks, rethink, and relaunch,” linking missionary action to the Province’s journey.
Fr. Edvaldo Nogueira da Silva, Delegate for Missionary Animation, explained that the proposal offers three key experiences for adolescents: prayer, living together with Salesian communities, and encountering their personal life project. “We want each young person to say at the end: ‘I want to serve God and my neighbor,’” he stated.
Volnei Rafael Sevenhani, from the provincial Youth Ministry team, recalled that AMJ requires great mobilization: preparatory meetings, materials, transport, food, and lodging. “It’s a big commitment, but essential to allow young people to live Salesian youth spirituality and find God in encounters with people.”
Presence in Four Cities – AMJ 2025 in Numbers
Guarapuava (PR) – July 13–19
159 participants (95 missionaries, 35 coordinators, 17 Salesian trainees, 2 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, and local volunteers), 973 visits, Activities with about 160 children and adolescents in the oratories of the “Don Bosco Assistance Institute”
Ascurra (SC) – July 20–26
95 missionaries, 700 homes and businesses visited, Activities in the communities of “St. Ambrose” parish
Joinville (SC) – July 20–26
83 missionaries and coordinators, 1,412 visits, Celebrations and oratory activities in the “Lord Good Jesus” parish in the city’s most populous district, Aventureiro
Viamão (RS) – July 27–August 2
110 participants, 505 visits, Pastoral care and oratories for about 100 children at the “Novo Lar” social work
Overall total: 3,590 visits and about 260 children, adolescents, and young people reached through recreational and formative activities.
Personal Transformations and Future Commitments
Missionaries’ testimonies confirmed the impact of the experience:
A participant from Ascurra shared: “It was a wonderful experience. Every house, every face, every reaction was important for us. I would return as many times as possible because it was the best experience of my life.” Maria Eduarda from Guarapuava reflected on the value of her presence: “Even when you feel low, you always realize there are people who need you.” After AMJ, she wants to be more involved in her community and speak about God with her family. Gabriela Jardim Vaz from Bagé (Viamão) recounted being moved when she visited a man who told her he had prayed to God two days earlier, asking for a sign of His presence. She concluded, “It’s not enough to be a missionary here. We must be Good Samaritans in every aspect of our lives.”