Peru - "We are called to be educators of the faith": train the animators and the catechists

01 March 2019

(ANS - Piura) - In the late 1960s Fr Alberto Álvarez moved from Castilla, the area where the Salesian school was located, to the western sector of the city of Piura, in an uninhabited area. With a lot of work and sacrifice he created a new Salesian oratory he called "Coscomba", with an area of about 12 hectares. With the passing of time this great work in the desert, thanks to the efforts of Fr López, has become a center at the service of young people and has been called "Bosconia". Today it is a presence with a number of different structures and a community that works among the local population, even if everything "began with a simple catechesis."

The Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) who work in Bosconia continue to work with the same enthusiasm that Don Bosco had. "Evangelization and catechesis are the fundamental dimension of our mission," they explain. In this area of ​​Bosconia and in some areas of Piura, the oratories have been founded over the course of many years now, but still continue to animate, train and accompany.

Recently, the animators of the oratories, the catechists of the First Communion and Confirmation, gathered in the educational community of the "Maria Mazzarello" Center to participate in a training workshop on the Christian life. This workshop, made possible thanks to the coordination of Fr Stefan Gorécki and the FMA community, was led by Sr Eliana Salas, FMA, in the company of Ana Tenorio, in charge of pastoral care with the Salesians of Peru. The speakers, coming from the city of Lima, shared enriching testimonies with all the young people and educators present.

María Morales, Coordinator of the Oratory "Mary Help of Christians", noted that the week of formation allowed her to understand that being a catechist involves several commitments, among which stand out: the preparation of the themes and the knowledge of Catholic doctrine: "Catechesis is not based only on the knowledge of the doctrine or on participating in the sacraments, but also on the interiorization, living and sharing with others what we profess. The idea is that the doctrine must be practiced in daily life," she said.

María Jiménez Sernaqué, Coordinator of the oratory "Ceferino Namuncurá", said she understood that the path of Christian initiation involves a series of steps to get to know the Church and follow the teachings of Jesus: "We have been nourished by the teachings. We have learned that we must always accompany children and adolescents, and that their spiritual growth does not end with the celebration of the sacraments."

In a context in which it is not easy to announce and bring Jesus, the Salesian Family is called to "educate to the faith in all circumstances."

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ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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