(ANS - Rome)- Yesterday 23 July, the Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, left Rome for South America. From today until next Sunday, he will participate in the National Meeting of Formation Personnel at Niterói in Brazil. Then, from 27 July to 2 August, he will visit Chile.

There will be over 200 participants at the meeting in Niterói, including formation personnel and candidates in formation from pre-novitiate through to Theology. In addition to the Rector Major, there will also be six Provincials of the Salesian Provinces in Brazil.

The meeting will open on 24 July with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Fr Edson Castilho, President of CISBRASIL and Provincial of Brazil-San Paolo. The following day will be devoted mainly to the meeting between candidates in formation and the Rector Major. The programme includes Mass, moments of fraternity and some talks. Fr Á.F. Artime will leave a message for all young people in education. On 26 July, the meeting will conclude with a Good Night on the arrival of the Salesians in Brazil and the significance of the house in Niterói.

The objectives of the National Meeting on Formation are: to renew the process of vocation formation of those in initial formation; to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco with a significant event regarding the existing formation programme in Brazil; to allow for a rich exchange of experiences and promote responsibility in training students by enabling them to take responsibility for their own formation.

TV Canção Nova, run by the Canção Nova Community, one of the groups of the Salesian Family, will broadcast live the Mass presided over by the Rector Major in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Niterói-RJ, on Sunday 26 July at 7.30 a.m. local time.

When he arrives in Chile, the Rector Major will still have a long difficult journey which includes, among other things, visits to the communities of San Ramon, Macul, Concepción, Alameda, Don Bosco Oratory, El Patrocinio de San José and La Cisterna.

The Rector Major will meet with the Rectors of the communities, confreres in formation, members of the Salesian house and Salesians in general, as well as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, representatives of the Don Bosco Foundation and the Silva Henríquez Catholic University, and members of the Salesian Family.

Published 24/07/2015