After the opening prayer of the meeting, Fr. Alfonso Bauer, Provincial of Uruguay (URU), explained the "urgency" for the "St. Joseph" Province to address this situation, stressing that "we cannot look the other way, but we must face this reality together, to seek answers that can generate a more fruitful reality."

"We know well that it is the Lord who calls, but we also know that He does so through human mediations that help us encounter Him and accompany discernment," the Provincial recalled. He then stressed that the shortage of priestly vocations has a multifactorial origin, where some causes are external but others "depend on us" and "we must take responsibility for them." "We cannot remain inert, nor engage in lucubrations that only try to explain the situation: we must do something," he added.

Referring to the poor local response received to the proposals of the "We will do by halves" vocational path, Fr. Bauer said it is necessary to take up this challenge, "not with a judgment that blames, but with a critical spirit, and using all our abilities to turn it into an opportunity." As he stated in his Circular sent earlier this month, the Provincial underscored that although "no one has a clear solution to this challenge, we can all help each other to find paths that facilitate or foster a vocational humus, which can become a proposal for young people, helping them to make room in their lives for God's will."

"Today this is a responsibility shared by religious and laity, because we are together in the mission from the Salesian vocation, and it is in this involvement that we want to walk and respond," he said.

After an introduction to the theme by the Provincial, participants were invited to share their views on the topic, divided into smaller groups. After much and varied sharing, some aspects concerning the situation were presented to the Assembly, among which were highlighted: the older age at which today's young people make their vocational choices and the lack of pastoral proposals for these older young people; the lack of contact with testimonies and the time needed for a more accurate accompaniment in this regard.

At the end of the meeting, the Provincial thanked all participants for accepting the challenge of being involved in this reality and urged them to meet again in a few weeks to continue the journey together.

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