"The presence of all Provincial Councils to be leaven in the territory testifies to the active participation of a vocational and lay choice of commitment," said World Councilor Italo Canaletti.
Animating the days was Prof. Lorenzo Biagi, of the Salesian University Institute of Venice (IUSVE), who traced a path for Salesian Cooperators: women and men who bring their vocation into society, and through their encounter with the Lord, as another speaker, Fr. Paolo Bolognani, suggested, become a leaven in the Church.
During the three days, there was room to meet with the reference persons of the animation sectors, continuing a journey that began with the formation workshop in Florence in 2019. The sectors, in the Provinces, are active presences in the territory, supporting the animation of the Provincial Councils in the family, youth, social-political and communicative dimensions.
The testimony of Pier Mario Riva, Salesian Cooperator and one of Attilio Giordani's boys, is significant. A figure like Giordani, a Servant of God, must be the reference and compass to orient ourselves in the world as committed lay people. In the courtyard of the Monteortone house, the Salesian Cooperators of the Lombardy Province set up a photo exhibition to tell the story of Attilio Giordani's extraordinary life.
The theme of the workshop was yeast, leaven, also a reminder of the Rector Major's Strenna. Analyzing what was shared during the three-day journey, World Councilor Italo Canaletti summarized the way forward now: "Let us seize the moment to donate these lived days to all Salesian Cooperators, to respond like Peter and John, strong in the experience of Christ: 'We cannot be silent about what we have seen and heard.' The disciples are willing to pay for their discipleship in person, but not only that, they make the Lord's invitation their own, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature,' as Fr. Igino Biffi reminded us in his homily. Let us seek, let us find, and let us give ourselves, through the re-signification to be leaven, indicated by Sister Elena Cavaliere in the 'Salesian Goodnight': God to man, man to God, man to himself, man to the other man, to evangelize religion, culture-thinking and language, relationships, social-citizenship-legality, and civic responsibility. All this is the meaning of our commitment in the Association of Salesian Cooperators."
Finally, Canaletti concludes, "'Accompanied to accompany': this exhortation of Father Stefano Pastorino at the beginning of the days to all participants sustained us in our work. We return home aware of the gifts received by treasuring these words and the gesture that concluded the Eucharistic Celebration: we want, like Don Bosco, to be 'open arms' that welcome and accompany all those we meet on our journey."
