As in the other similar regional-level meetings, after the presentation of the content of the text "A Pastoral Care that Educates to Love" of the Youth Ministry Sector, a discussion was opened in the groups and the assembly. There are many intersections between this theme and other issues, such as identity, inequality, and rights. A nonjudgmental dialogue took place, covering a wide range of topics, such as bullying, diversity, social norms, media representations, culture, or relationships in Salesian educational works.
The General Councilor for Youth Ministry also presented the document "Vocational Animation, Inspiring Principle and Horizon of Youth Ministry." It discussed how all Salesian youth ministry is oriented, by its very nature, to vocational discernment, insofar as its ultimate objective is to help young people discover the concrete path to fulfill the life project to which God is calling them: "Youth ministry and vocation animation are a symphony with two voices," said Fr. García Morcuende; he then insisted that vocation promotion must be seen as the soul of all processes of provincial youth ministry and, for this reason, vocation ministry cannot be reduced to "candidate recruitment" activities.
Finally, a motivational document was presented on the importance of pastoral planning and house visits, insisting on the proper elaboration of the Provincial Salesian Educational-Pastoral Project. "We have always found the contrast between one type of pastoral care characterized by the uniformity of repetition of actions, methods, and much improvisation, and another type of pastoral care in which planning, creativity, and attention to realities mark a plural future according to the needs of different situations and evangelization itself," summarized the General Councilor.
Under the guidance of Fr. García Morcuende and Fr. Joebeth Vivo, a member of the Sector for Youth Ministry, the implementation of the themes addressed last year was also reviewed and the various Good Practices developed in the Provinces were shared.
Other topics of dialogue and reflection included the accompaniment of the Salesian Youth Movement, the Congress of Salesian Social Works and Services, the process of updating the Framework on Oratory-Youth Center, initiatives for the celebration of the "9-year Dream" in 2024, World Youth Day in Lisbon 2023, and initiatives promoted by the Youth Ministry Sector on integral ecology.
