(ANS - Tlazala) – Camp Cagliero was held at the Casa del Hombre Nuevo of Tlazala on 28 February – 1 March. Camp Cagliero was organized to meet the challenge of caring for migrant teenagers. This initiative is coordinated by Fr Miguel Ángel Rojas Lezama, Delegate of the Mexico-México Province for the Preferential Option. The project was requested by the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, who asked the Regional Councillor for Inter-America, Fr Timothy Ploch, to take on the task of coordinating this priority sector for young people at risk.

In response to this challenge the Mexico-México Province invited young people from the missionary groups to participate in Camp Cagliero. Twenty-nine of them responded and were given two days’ formation by Fr Rojas Lezama, Fr Paulo Armando Morales, Delegate for Youth Ministry, and Professor Irma Botello.

The objective of the meeting was "to encourage the participants to encounter Christ in his migrant brothers."

On the morning of 28 February, there was an intervention from Doctor Cinthia Pérez Trejo, Director of COMAR (the General Coordination of the Mexican Commission for Aid to Refugees), an agency for the protection and return of migrants. It provides refuge or asylum to foreign applicants who request them, including child migrants arriving from Central America. The topics discussed were: migrants; Don Bosco and migrants; and migrants and me.

Fr Lezama Rojas says,"The goal for this year is in harmony with the appeal made by Fr Timothy Ploch, to give priority attention to the humanitarian emergency of unaccompanied minors.  We want to strengthen our missionary work during Holy Week, and also our community service wherever there are young people in missionary groups.

"In this way the young people are calling on the Salesian Family in our Province, to develop gradually the work for these children, adolescents and young migrants like those to whom Don Bosco gave his heart."

Published 06/02/2015