(ANS – Porto) – On the 5th of October, about 700 pastoral workers – catechists, animators and priests – from Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Bragança, Leiria, Viseu and Lamego, gathered at the Salesian School of Porto to improve their ability to proclaim the Gospel. The initiative, called "E-vangelizar 2012" was promoted by the Salesian Training Centre co-ordinated by Edizioni Salesiane.

In opening remarks Fr Rui Alberto Almeida, sdb, expert on Catechetics and Youth Ministry, presented the project "To profess the Faith," a teaching aid for the Catechesis of pre-teens. "This is the first generation of ‘digital natives’, i.e. youth born into a world of mobile phones, internet, mp3s and with a digital communication which necessarily involves interaction," he said. The Salesian showed how kids of today move better in the Hypertext network, rather than in the linearity of a book; for this reason, catechists should try to implement in catechesis this "talk-active" network, along with the interaction.

After the intervention the participants visited various parts of the school, where, throughout the day, they were able to attend 5 workshops of a total of 27 available.

The Salesian Fr Tarcizio Morais, Rector of the Salesian Formation Centre, when asked about the needs and difficulties of E-vangelizar 2012 , explained: "This formation proposal is bold and challenging from the point of view of the Organization, but as Salesians we are committed to helping Youth Pastoral agents to find new ways of evangelizing young people of this time and of this culture".

In the closing speech, always the responsibility of  Fr Almeida, the speaker launched the challenge of religious life for young people as a vocation that is still worth pursuing.

All participants stressed the need to always have an optimistic perspective on the mission, maintaining the double loyalty to which Pastoral workers are called: the Gospel, on the one hand, and the recipients to whom you talk, on the other.

Published 12/10/2012