This international congress will have three specific contents:
• The family today: starting from the current experience of the Congregation, to respond to the challenges and opportunities offered by this moment in history.
• An ecclesial and spiritual understanding of the family in the light of the synodal process of the Church and of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia. There will be ideas and incentives for personal and community reflection: the family and evangelization; young people and the vocation to marriage; education to love; formation courses for engaged and married couples; couple and families in special situations; family and children.
A Salesian educative and pastoral reflection to propose, strengthen and integrate Salesian ministry on behalf of the family within the Salesian Pastoral Educational Project.
The programme of the Congress is based on a structured methodology providing different times to promote and share initiatives on behalf of the family. Each day the participants of the Congress will be involved in the following proposals:
• In-depth reflection by experts to accompany the day's work.
• Testimonials and good practices in the field of Salesian youth and family ministry already found in various parts of the world to facilitate experiential learning and group sharing.
• Group work on a continental level, for a more contextualized reflection.
• Workshops: practical and experiential workshops on specific subjects led by international experts to offer pastoral accompaniment for various age groups and sectors, allowing them to acquire new knowledge, skills and attitudes with respect to various areas regarding the family.
The direct beneficiaries of the Congress will be 400 participants, laity and religious, coming from the 89 Provinces of the Congregation of the Salesians of Don Bosco. From each of these provinces there will be a delegation of experts or people engaged in the field of pastoral work with the family. Their participation in the Congress will help to promote and strengthen various pastoral processes on behalf of the family as a subject and recipient of the Salesian apostolate.
