World Council of Salesian Cooperators Meets

World Council of Salesian Cooperators: “Reflections on programmatic guidelines for 2018-2024 unite us”

(ANS – Rome – March 15) – The world council of the Salesian Cooperators gathered from March 13 to 17 in Rome. The council, made up of the leaders of the world’s 11 Cooperator regions. Accompanying this group of the Salesian Family in their work were Fr. Eusebio Muñoz, the Rector Major’s delegate for the Salesian Family, and the Salesians’ and Salesian Sisters’ delegates for the Cooperators, Fr. Giuseppe Casti and Sr. Lesley Sandigo.

The Cooperators world coordinator, Antonio Boccia, commented beforehand, “We meet with the objective of reflecting and initiating implementation processes in the daily tasks of our lay mission, and above all with the aim of deepening the programmatic guidelines of the six-year 2018-2024 period.”

The objective of this meeting was “to review and plan the mission of the Salesian Cooperators starting from the programmatic guidelines elaborated in the world congress for the six-year 2018-2024 period,” said Fr. Casti.

On March 14, Fr. Angel Fernandez visited the participants and greeted each of them. Fr. Casti asked him, “What pointers can the Rector Major offer us Salesian Cooperators from different parts of the world?”

Fr. Fernandez replied: “What I ask of you Salesian Cooperators is to live the guidelines you have for your six-year term, but I would like to add a further, topical element. Today, our world needs witnesses, needs to see credible witnesses. Live your identity as Salesian Cooperators wherever you are, and be authentic witnesses there.”

The Rector Major also insisted on a fundamental element of the Salesian Family. “So that it is possible to walk together, Salesians and Salesian Cooperators, I ask you to make a reality of the mission among the young. Always remember that we are born to serve boys and girls, and all our actions must be directed to work for the neediest young people.”

“Furthermore,” Fr. Fernandez added, “I ask you to refer to the Church and a charismatic union with the Pope. Today we live in difficult times for the Church. It is true that the Holy Spirit guides the Church, but our presence with prayer and in harmony with the Pope must show our communion and our adhesion to the Pope.”