Portugal – Provincial Delegates of Mediterranean Region reflect on missionary animation

Lisbon, Portugal – November 2022 – A meeting of the Provincial Delegates of Missionary Animation (DIAM) at the level of the Mediterranean Region was held in Lisbon, Portugal, from November 25 to 28. Various themes were addressed, including: young missionaries in Europe; the synergy between vocation animation and missionary vocation; reflections on “Laudato sì”. All themes were contextualized by the participants through the sharing that was done after each meeting. The presence of Fr. Alfred Maravilla, General Councilor for Missions, helped to address some of the challenges that are experienced within missionary animation in the various Provinces. The importance of taking into consideration the missionary animation of Salesian communities, which would risk being neglected by focusing only on the various youth missionary initiatives, was stressed. The moments of prayer and fraternity were an object of admiration; they gave the meeting a family and “missionary” feel, which are proper to the Salesian spirit. The participants felt at home thanks to the generous hospitality of the Portuguese Province and thanks to the organizational care of Portuguese DIAM Fr. Sílvio Faria. In the end, everyone returned to their Provinces with a renewed spirit, with evangelical zeal and with a desire to move forward with the good things that are already being done and also to think about how to implement the various prompts that emerged from the meeting.