To the region's Brothers, Fr Coelho was invited to present the figure of Simaan Srugi, a lay Salesian who lived in the Holy Land between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (1877-1943).

In his report, the Councilor General emphasized the ability of this Salesian, now recognized as venerable by the Church, to be present among the young, in the playground, in the school, in the church and in the infirmary. In the multi-religious context in which he lived, he was able to gain the trust of the Muslim population, who called him Muallem, ie teacher. By far the most valued Salesian in his community - according to the testimonies of past pupils – he lived his consecration to God with zeal and joyful charity: "The acts of the religious, even if very small and simple, are precious and welcome to God, when they are made to please and give glory to the Lord ... How I feel happy and blessed to have been consecrated body and soul to my God!", he wrote in his diary.

Subsequently, the participants had a time of reflection to share within the groups of the individual Provinces on the resonances raised by the presentation.

The third and final session of the day, in the early afternoon, featured mixed groups who shared and discussed the numerous material collected during the preparation for the Congress. The reflections that emerged during this phase were then shared on the second day, Friday 10 August.

The activities of the opening day then closed with a cultural evening full of songs, dances, video-projections and exchanges of gifts among the various delegations present.

In the closing speech of the Salesian "goodnight", Br Muller started from the liturgical memorial of St. Edith Stein, patroness of Europe, and concluded by specifically decreeing for the Lay Salesians the guiding question of the General Chapter 28: "Which Salesian Brothers for the young people of today?"

The reflection on this theme continued, by the same Economer General, the next morning. Through interesting references to the concrete reality in which the Salesian Brothers also operate - marked by the pervasive presence of new technologies - and at the same time recalling the original values ​​that underlie the vocation of the Salesian Laity, Br Mueller underlined how today's Brothers should be guides of the young in the changing world: apostles of a culture of Human Rights, of reconciliation and prevention of conflicts, of care for Creation, of Salesianity, of a culture of honesty ... at the same time be always missionaries and educators of the young, until the end of their life.

On the morning of the second day, also of note: the message to participants by the Salesian bishop of Thai Binh, mgr. Peter De.

Full text of the talks are available on BoscoLink - AustraLasia website

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