(ANS – San Lorenzo del Escorial) – Aware of the importance of the family and family ministry, especially with regard to New Evangelization, Salesian parishes in Spain organized a Conference to reflect together on how they're doing in this area and on what to do to strengthen Family ministry. The event, scheduled from 6th to 8th December, has been taking place in the picturesque setting of the Escorial monastery.

There are about 250 participants, including youth leaders, catechists, working families and Salesians from the whole of Spain.

The purpose of the initiative is to make the family aware of its special role and responsibility as regards Ministry, and provide concrete guidance to ministers to enable them to accompany, support and help families. Over the course of 3 days various presentations of significant experiences gained by the Salesians in Family Ministry were planned, with the focus on the guidelines proposed in this area since the last General Chapter of the Congregation.

Speakers include: sociologist Luis Ayuso, commissioned to deliver a presentation on family circumstances in Spain; Bishop Sebastiá Taltavull, Auxiliary Bishop of Barcelona, called to give some suggestions on how to help and encourage families to become protagonists of the family Ministry; Fr Emilio Alberich, SDB, President of the Spanish Association of Catechetics (AECA), and Fr Fabio Attard, General Councillor for Youth, with a report on the relationship between Family ministry and Salesian activities.

The Salesian Fr Álvaro Ginel will deal instead with the presentation of the experiences that some parishes already have, in movements like "Hogares Don Bosco" or the "Mary Group", this latter belonging to the Ignatian charism.

The meeting also involves opportunities for prayer, spiritual reading and the Eucharist. Fr José Miguel Núñez Moreno, Councillor for Western Europe will bring the meeting to a conclusion.

In Spain the Salesian Congregation has about one hundred parishes and public churches entrusted to it by the Dioceses, These parishes provide pastoral care to approximately 300,000 people, only possible thanks to the commitment and cooperation of 3800 pastoral workers.

Published 07/12/2012