Chile – Valuing educational leadership to improve integral Salesian formation
Santiago, Chile – April 2024 – About 80 representatives of the Salesian schools in Chile participated in the Educational and Pastoral Day for Headmasters, Legal Representatives, Rectors and Administrators, held at the Holy Spirit Retreat House, on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 April. The objective of the event was to offer a synodal space for formation and common outreach between religious and lay people, to promote the continuous improvement of the Salesian Schools Network, for an integral formation of young people. The meeting began with the Eucharist, presided over by Fr Nelson Moreno, Superior of the Salesian Province of Chile (CIL) and concelebrated by the Vice-Provincial Fr Juan Bustamante and the Provincial Economer, Fr Néstor Muñoz. The participants then received an official welcome from Fr David Rivera, Delegate for Youth Ministry, and from Manuel Catalán, Director of the Salesian Schools Network. In the first part of the meeting, Fr Moreno spoke in depth about the service of the Province, according to the Salesian Constitutions and underlined the Rector Major's Action Guidelines for 2024-2030. Subsequently, Fr Heriberto Cabrera spoke about the pastoral guidelines of the Episcopal Conference of Chile and their link with the Salesian charism, also explaining the process of discernment that the Chilean Church is experiencing. The work continued with the Educational Improvement Plan (PME), a theme developed by Johanna Mora. On the last day, then, a video was presented with the Rector Major's greetings to the Provincial and his Council.