(ANS – Sao Paulo) – The past pupils are the fruit of the Salesian mission and a force that leavens the world. They have a unique passport, which is the education received. They are a force that cannot remain without a voice, without a pulse to transform society,” writes Fr José Pastor, former World Delegate for the Past Pupils. On 29 October the meeting of the Presidents and Salesian Delegates of the Past Pupils of Don Bosco in Latin America commenced at the Pius XI Theological Institute in Sao Paulo.
The participants were representatives of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and the Dominican Republic. The Coordinator was the Regional Director of America, Eduardo Pessoa. The meeting sought to create in the Federations a culture of communion among themselves and with the World Confederation and to grow in brotherhood and unity.
The meeting opened with the reading, study and analysis of the Strategic Plan of the World Confederation of Past Pupils, by the World President, Mr Michal Hort. He said that “programming is the best way to plan and implement actions that are carried out.”
Other important issues were presented by Fresia Mendez, Youth Councillor for Latin America, of Costa Rican nationality, and Yeudy Jiménez, Dominican, on the theme “The importance of the Young Past Pupils (JEX) in the continent – characteristics, challenges and prospects.”
Fr Pastor Ramirez was also a participant in the meeting. He presented the theme: “a prayer-promise that seeks to strengthen the identity, mission, communion and prophetic vocation of the Latin American Past Pupil of Don Bosco”. He insisted that “the Salesian Delegate has the responsibility of accompanying the Latin American past pupils to help them to become aware of what they are called to be and to behave as prophets at a time when it is difficult to be a prophet.”
The meeting was also the platform that served to announce the next Latin American Congress of Past Pupils (CONGRELAT) to be held in Santo Domingo in 2018. It was also announced that Mr Jiménez was appointed sub-editor of “NewFlash”, the World Confederation of communication.
“The role of the Past Pupils in the world today” according to the Rector Major “puts us in a unique position to work and develop our mission among young people and society.”
