(ANS) – El Saturday, July 25, 2026, the Cooperadores Salesianos of the Interamerica Region participated in the 2nd Regional Formation Meeting of 2026, held online under the theme: “Young People Who Evangelize Us: The Salesian Youth Mission as a Shared Journey.” The meeting was led by Fr. Rafael Bejarano, General Councilor for Youth Ministry, who offered a profound and thought-provoking reflection on the role of young people in the Salesian mission.
Key Points from Fr. Bejarano
During his address, Fr. Bejarano recalled:
“Young people are not merely the recipients of our mission. They are also a Word of God addressed to us. We are called to work with young people, not just for young people. For this reason, when we speak of the Salesian youth mission, the first question is not: What activities shall we carry out? But: To whom is God entrusting us today?”
Building on this invitation, Fr. Bejarano proposed three fundamental conversions needed to faithfully live out the Salesian youth mission in today’s context:
- Moving from activities to processes
- Moving from recipients to protagonists
- Moving from nostalgia to missionary boldness
At the end of his presentation, participants from the United States, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica raised questions and shared their concerns. With warmth and depth of thought, the General Councilor for Youth Ministry responded to each question, offering valuable insights to continue strengthening the mission in every center and province of the Cooperadores Salesianos.
Participation and the Regional Journey
The meeting brought together more than 170 participants through the Zoom platform, as well as numerous people who followed the broadcast on Facebook Live, representing the 13 countries of the Interamerica Region of the Salesian Cooperators. Salesian Cooperators from Argentina also participated in a spirit of fraternity.
In particular, 40 Cooperadores Salesianos and aspirants from Southern Mexico gathered together from Chiapas, incorporating the conference into their zonal meeting.
The prayers were led by the young people who represented the Interamerica Region at the World Congress of Salesian Cooperators, held last May in Roma: María Rafaela Martínez from Cuba; María del Carmen Vázquez from Southern Mexico, representing the Spanish-speaking section; and Federico Parada from the USA West Province, who led the closing prayer in English.
Al concluir el encuentro, Martín Calderón, Regional Councilor for the Interamerica Region of the Salesian Cooperators, delivered a closing address in which he shared a summary of the action points focused on young people that were presented at the World Congress.
The meeting was conducted in Spanish, with simultaneous translation into English and French through Zoom, as well as three separate Facebook Live broadcasts, one for each of the Region’s official languages.