After arriving and having lunch at the Rainha do Brasil Hotel, the participants proceeded to the Padre Vitor Coelho de Almeida Event Centre, where they were warmly welcomed by the Executive Directors of RSB, Communication Reference person, Provincials and collaborators from the national office: Sr Silvia Aparecida da Silva, Fr Sérgio Augusto Baldin, Sr Maria Carmelita Conceição, Fr Francisco Inácio Vieira Junior (Salesian Provincial of the Northeast) and Maria Dantas, Executive Coordinator and National Communication Coordinator of the RSB.
The opening ceremony highlighted the importance of ENAC as a space for communion, listening and strengthening the educational and evangelising mission of communication in the Salesian Network in Brazil. Fr Pedro André then led the conference ‘Communication as a charismatic dimension: profile of the Salesian communicator’, awakening in the participants the awareness that communication is also a pastoral and vocational act inspired by the charism of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello.
Starting from Don Bosco's dream at the age of nine, Fr Pedro André recalled that ‘the Salesian charism is born from listening to a message that needs to be understood and communicated with the heart’. For him, this dream is the archetype of the communicative vocation of educators of young people: ‘It is there that a journey of listening, interpretation, witness and proclamation begins,’ he said.
After a moment of fellowship during the coffee break, the afternoon continued with group activities that deepened reflection and allowed for the sharing of experiences among communicators from different regions of the country.
During the presentation, Fr Pedro also emphasised that communication is not an appendix to the Salesian mission, but one of its constitutive dimensions. ‘Don Bosco created a true communicative ecosystem by living and sharing his dream,’ said Fr Pedro. Mother Mazzarello, in turn, expressed this same communicative spirit through her warm welcome and letters filled with tenderness and presence.
The presentation ended with a group activity, proposing that each participant reflect on the values (heart), skills (mind) and concrete actions (hands) they wish to cultivate as Salesian communicators. As a final commitment, participants were invited to take a personal action to improve their way of communicating from that moment on.
‘Being a Salesian communicator is not just about knowing how to use the media well. It is being a living presence, a true listener and a prophetic voice among young people,‘ Fr Pedro concluded.
The day ended with the traditional Salesian Good Night given by Sr Luzinete Rego Freitas and Fr Francisco Alves de Lima (Fr Chicão), in a moment of spirituality and gratitude for the promising start to the meeting.
ENAC 2025 continues until Saturday, bringing together communicators and provincial coordinators to discuss the challenges, innovations and mission of communicating with soul, creativity and fidelity to the Salesian charism.
