(ANS - Rome) - As we draw near the starting date of the 27^th General Chapter, we complete the publication of reflections on Salesian life and work in the various regions. Today we examine the situation in the Inter-American region as presented by Fr Timothy Ploch, Provincial of the Western Province of the U.S.A.

 What is the state of the Congregation in your region in relation to the needs of young people, society and the Church?

 This is a region full of life and diversity. The young people of the United States and those of Bolivia or Haiti are very different from each other, so it is difficult to speak of them all in the same way. All in all, however, it can be said that the congregation in the region is alive and well.  There are many Salesians, although there has been a slight decrease in the number, and we also have many novices, although there are difficulties that affect perseverance. Many of those who make their first profession leave later.

 Other issues to be addressed are the strong influence on young people of secularism and relativism, in the north of the region, and also of some fundamentalist sects.

And we cannot forget the issue of migration, which affects the entire continent, in a movement that goes from south to north. The Salesians of the United States are trying to respond to the fact that there are about 12 million immigrants who have crossed the border with Mexico, most of them undocumented and now deprived of the support of their family. For this reason, we launched a project throughout the region to address this specific phenomenon. In conclusion we can say that the main challenge is to find how to respond to the pastoral needs – the care, education and evangelization of immigrants, especially of young people.

What specific contribution will this region bring to GC27?
I think we can make a contribution from our experience of trying to live the Gospel radically in the face of situations of great wealth and extreme poverty.  We face both these extremes in our region and that profoundly affects the way we live.

In what way do the Salesians of this region seek to be witnesses to Gospel radicalism?
We try to do so by living religious life consistently, as a form of witness to all and in relationship with others. In this regard, the relationship with the local bishops and laity is also important. For example, as far as the relationship with the diocese goes, in the Latin American region the Salesians are stronger and there is close collaboration between the Congregation and the Bishops. In the northern part of the region the relationship is also good, but the Salesian presence is rather limited. This has led to a natural attention to our lay collaborators, who are well trained and who are considered not just as employees. They cooperate in clubs and civic organizations, and share with us a truly educational responsibility for young people.

 Published 27/12/2013