On the opening day among those present who spoke were Fr Fabio Attard, the new Salesian Councillor for Youth Ministry and St María del Carmen Canales, the Daughter of Mary Help of Christians Councillor. After the opening ceremony Fr Ángel Astorgano SDB, Secretary General of the International Organisation for Catholic Education (OIEC) gave a talk. Also present were Fr Natale Vitali and Fr Esteban Ortiz, Councillors for the Regions of America South Cone and Interamerica. Respectively. Recorded messages of greetings were also sent by Fr Pascual Chávez, Rector Major of the Salesians, and Mother Antonia Colombo, Superior General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
With the help of the Jesuit João Batista Libânio, those at the Meeting were able to have on overview of the current educational situation in the continent, and to follow the progress made by Salesian schools in the last six years since the Cumbayá II Meeting.
On the programme for the Meeting there are six busy days of work mainly at the Mary Help of Christians Educational Centre (CEMA) in Brasilia. It is possible to follow proceedings with short video presentations on the site www.redeamerica.com.
Published 09/05/2008
