Present at the meeting were: Fr Francesco Motto, President; Fr Stanisław Zimniak, Secretary-Treasurer; Fr Joaquín Torres and Sr. Grazia Loparco for Europe; Br Ariel Fresia, SDB, for America; Sr. Maria Rohrer for Africa, Fr Nestor Impelido for East Asia; and the General Councilor for Formation, Fr Ivo Coelho, who, speaking of fostering historical memory in the Congregation and in the Salesian Family, indicated that it is indispensable to Salesian formation that the knowledge of the sources of inspiration be updated and made available to all.
Regarding the Continental Seminars, the first focusses on South Asia (22-24 June 2018 - Hyderabad, India). Preparations are in an advanced state, though several items still require clarifications.
For the European Seminar (31 October-4 November 2018 - Bratislava, Slovakia), the program is ready, with about forty speakers.
For East Asia (February 10-15, 2019 - Sam Phran, Thailand) the addition of topics related to methodology was proposed to address the request by the least trained in historical work. The preparatory works are still in their embryonic state.
For the Seminary of Africa and Madagascar (4-10 March 2019), the speakers have already been identified by the FMA and here, too, archival conservation and historical method have also been proposed as added topics.
Lastly, the Seminar for the Americas (March 18-22, 2019 - Buenos Aires, Argentina), for which a certain number of available researchers have already been identified.
The five continental seminars are preludes to the 7th International Conference, scheduled for the end of November-early December 2020, with the Salesian Historical Institute (ISS) celebrating a world congress on the Rector Major Fr Paolo Albera in November 2021.
The agenda also examined the activities of the national sections of ACSSA - Italy, Spain, Poland, Brazil, Argentina and India - the improvement and increased use of the ISS-ACSSA website, a report on recent publications and, finally, the economic report. Also this year, eight new members have been admitted, as well as Fr Jan Krawiec, a Polish Salesian, as an honorary member.
Currently ACSSA has 195 members: 75 FMA, 102 SDB, and 18 lay people and members of groups of the Salesian Family.
