The morning opened with Lauds in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, animated by the present Delegation of the Witnesses of the Risen One (TR), and continued with the Eucharist presided by Fr. Á.F. Artime. During the Eucharist, the preacher, Fr. Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy, Councilor for the Mediterranean Region, commented on the Gospel of the day and then, establishing a parallel with the theme of GSFS 2023, added: "Healing and forgiveness are the two poles of the saving action of Jesus, reminding us of our charismatic style of being yeast in the world, our way of understanding evangelization and education, the actualization of the Good News of the Kingdom in the process of growth and progress of persons and society (...) This way of acting and understanding of being yeast in our world leads us to look at the agents of this process, and in particular, the way of understanding and uniting as agents in ourselves: consecrated and lay people in the communion of spirit and mission."

The morning's spiritual recharging gave the energy to face the intense activities that followed with commitment and diligence. Divided into almost twenty groups, based on the languages spoken, participants reflected upon the Strenna’s theme - on what had already emerged in the meeting’s first phases and in general on what aspects help enhance the lay dimension of the Salesian Family most. The methodology adopted for this session made it possible for each group to gather the elements to be cultivated and the challenges to be overcome, to be shared later in the assembly.

The afternoon included the act most awaited for of this second day of GSFS 2023, the panel discussion, moderated by Antonio Boccia, World Coordinator of Salesian Cooperators (SSCC), on the current moment and status of the laity in the Church. Thus, after some ice-breaking dynamics by the event's presenters, Marton and Federica, and the showing of the video presentation of the Catechist Sisters of Mary Immaculate Help of Christians (SMI), those present in the Theater of Valdocco received a series of high-level presentations and prompts from Susanna de Torres, an educator in a Salesian institute; Renato Cursi, Director General of "Salesians for the Social" APS; Pierluigi Dovis, Director of Caritas Diocesana of Turin and Coordinator of Caritas of Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta; and Fr. Fabio Attard, Head of Formation for Salesians and Laity in Europe.

"We are all signs and bearers of God's love to young people," began Susanna de Torres, who then illustrated a vision via concentric circles of the educational processes and accompaniment of young people; and readjusting the traditional four pillars of each Salesian house - courtyard, home, school, and church - the young speaker identified four stages of adherence to the Salesian proposal and invited everyone to think about how to develop appropriate pastoral processes for each of these groups.

Renato Cursi developed the theme of the identity of the Christian layperson with the Salesian style. He cleared the field of an understanding of the term that seems to exclude all that is transcendent, focusing precisely on a vision, which entrusts the laity with a role of special commitment and protagonism, of being a key player, all the more so in this ecclesial season of synodality. And quoting Pope Francis, he renewed the identity question of "Who am I?" from a mission and service perspective, replacing it with, "For whom am I?"

Pierluigi Dovis, empowered by his experience in Caritas, asserted the role of the laity in social engagement, from the perspective of complementarity with the purely spiritual and religious service of consecrated persons. He then invited all lay people to be "conscious dwellers" of the "profane" space (from the Latin etymology meaning "outside the temple"), and to do so with "the style of presence."

Finally, Fr. Attard analyzed the current moment of the laity in the Church in the light of the ecclesial journey made since the Second Vatican Council and through Christifideles Laici (John Paul II, 1988) and Evangelii Gaudium (Francis, 2013), identifying traits of the identity, perspectives, responsibilities, and challenges that the Church assigns to the laity. 

To further explore the vast fields of reflection opened by the panel discussion, after the screening of a new video dedicated to illustrating the apostolate of the Sisters of St. Michael the Archangel (CSSMA), the speakers made themselves available to those present to continue in small debates their considerations and thoughts on the topic.

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