This great event, which brought together the Provincial Pastoral Animators and their teams, was celebrated from 27 to 30 July in the Emaús Retreat House in Panama City.
The first meeting had taken place in Cumbayá, Ecuador, in 2010. It involved only the Salesians of Don Bosco. For this second meeting, instead, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the teams working in the Youth Ministry were invited, a sign of walking together in the common training process for SYM's young people.
After revising the agreements of Cumbaya, it was decided to work on the theme of the world of Youth based on the experience and data of each country and on the studies of each of the Provinces.
In addition, the history of the SYM was presented with an analysis on training, vocational culture; the world of social networking was also addressed. This latter space underscored the commitment to educating participants towards the good and proper use of social networks as a means of training and community meetings.
This second meeting of the Region's SYM began with an affectionate greeting from the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, who said "The Salesian Youth Movement is not something created by and of ourselves. The SYM is not something thought and dreamed of for you ... It is a world that speaks to us about everything that unites us in the Salesian charism at the service of young people ... You arrive here at the meeting with those youngsters who need the testimony of your life, your faith, your time and your person," he said.
In an environment of family and cheerfulness, the meeting culminated with many expectations for the future from the participants.
