(ANS – Rome) – The 6th World Congress of Salesian Cooperators (Sacrofano, June 7–10, 2026), held to mark the 150th anniversary of the Association’s foundation, included among its principal events the presentation of the new World Coordinator of the organization, the Spaniard Borja Pérez. Having concluded his service, the outgoing World Coordinator, Antonio Boccia, wished to share his gratitude with all members through a letter, along with reflections on his years of leadership and governance and his hopes for the future.
The text of the letter is reproduced below:
Dear Friends,
Now that my term as World Coordinator has come to an end, I feel a profound need to address each of you. What I am writing is not a formal report but a letter from the heart, inspired by a feeling that surpasses all others after these eight years of journeying together: gratitude.
My first thoughts go to those who have shared most closely with me in the leadership of the Association: the World Councilors and World Delegates. Together, on the World Council, we have lived through years that I can only describe as extraordinary. We faced unexpected challenges, such as the pandemic, which forced us to reinvent the way we remained close to one another, discovering that communion does not end at the edge of a screen. We worked to strengthen our identity, fostering a spirit of co-responsibility that today is no longer just an idea but a living organizational culture. We experienced the beauty of economic and human solidarity that reached those most in need, demonstrating that the Salesian family spirit is capable of embracing the entire world.
I want to thank each of you by name, my precious companions on this journey. Thank you to our World Delegates: Fr. Giuseppe Casti, Duc Nam Nguyen, Sr. Leslie Sandigo, and Sr. Lucrecia Uribe, for your spiritual guidance and your constant reminder of the heart of the charism.
Thank you as well to all the World Councilors who have served over the years, representing the voice and life of our Regions and the Executive Secretariat: Filippo Servilli, Franz Defaut, Stanislav Veselsky, Antuvan Amali, Patrick Hinvi, Philip Yu, Francisco Burciaga, Asmirian Montilla, Orazio Bidarra, Alzira Maraes, Carlo Pellegrino, Raul Fernandez, Italo Canaletti, Barbara Klose, Jan Daems, Blazka Merkac, Jennifer Nkonde, Athanasie Baranykwa, Alphonse Mukaya, Devasia Kuriakose, Imelda Benitez, Martin Calderon, Miguel Zevrnjia, Darlene Reis, and Deliana Almendras. Thank you for your dedication, for the hours you sacrificed from your personal time, for the honest discussions, and for always seeking, alongside me, what was best for the Association.
A special word of thanks and best wishes goes to Borja Pérez, who now assumes the role of World Coordinator. I entrust the leadership of our Association to him with joy and confidence, certain that he will guide it with wisdom and passion.
At this moment of grateful remembrance, my heart also turns with affection to two sisters who shared this journey with us and who now accompany us from Heaven: Cinzia Arena and Rosanna Katangu. Their witness of faith and love for the Association, lived faithfully until the very end, remains a priceless gift for all of us.
My gratitude extends, like an embrace, to the entire Association—to every Salesian Cooperator throughout the world. During these eight years, I have had the invaluable privilege of traveling, meeting you, and witnessing firsthand the vitality of our charism. I have seen with my own eyes the richness of our global diversity. I have encountered enthusiastic young formation leaders, families who, despite their difficulties, become homes of welcome, and communities that give generously to the poorest. You are the face of Don Bosco today. It is you who, in the ordinary circumstances of daily life, bring our Project of Apostolic Life to life.
As I look back on what we have experienced together, Mary’s Magnificat comes to mind. We too can say that the Lord has done great things through our smallness. He has looked upon our humility and made us instruments of His mercy from generation to generation.
And precisely by looking at what we have become, I invite you never to stop dreaming. Dreams, as Don Bosco taught us, are the force that propels us forward. I share with you the dreams I have nurtured over these years: the dream of an education that truly touches the heart; the dream of young people who are not merely recipients but courageous protagonists in our decisions; the dream of an Association that becomes a healing home for wounded families and a laboratory of synodality for the entire Church.
I ask you to continue dreaming of a future for us and, above all, for our young people. They need our joyful witness, our lay expertise, and our ability to be “Salesians in the world.”
I leave you with the “holy indifference” of St. Francis de Sales. I entrust these years and these dreams to you not as an achievement already attained, but as a seed planted in the good soil that is each of you, confident that the Holy Spirit and Mary Help of Christians will continue to guide our steps.
Thank you for walking this journey with me. Together we have accomplished much, and together you will continue to accomplish great things.
With love and gratitude,