The annual meeting, as foreseen by the Project of Apostolic Life (PAL), takes place each year and this was the occasion in which all new World Councillors elected during the Regional Congresses that took place between 2022 and 2023 participated.
The Councillors shared the findings of the 2018-2024 six-year period, presenting how efforts were made in the various Regions to update the guidelines delivered to the entire Association by the 5th World Congress that took place in Rome in October 2018.
The numerous points for reflection brought out the richness of the local and provincial Cooperator situations. Even during the years of the pandemic they have been able to maintain the commitments made, continuing to animate responsibly in a synodal spirit.
The work continued by planning initiatives for the second year of preparation in view of the 6th World Congress in 2026, where the 150th year of the foundation of the Salesian Cooperators will be celebrated.
After the year of "remembering" – where all the Cooperators had the opportunity to share, through short videos, the stories of their vocational choice – the second year will begin on 4 May 2024, with a live streamed worldwide event which will have "renew" as its reference, with strong reference to the Promise and the Project of Apostolic Life.
To do this, all the Regions will reflect on the peculiar characteristics of the Project of Apostolic Life to which Cooperators constantly refer.
There was no lack of intense moments during the recent meeting from an experiential point of view, with the visit to the Sistine Chapel and the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, as well as the Chapel of Relics where the Council "met" Don Bosco, Mother Mazzarello, Dominic Savio, Artemides Zatti, John Paul II.
During the work of the Council, Antonio Boccia shared the communication sent by the Rector Major extending the mandate of the World Coordinator by two years, with a new appointment, until the 2026 World Congress.
The letter from Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, sent to the World Coordinator, comes after sharing the request presented by Antonio Boccia himself, to be able to celebrate the 6th World Congress in 2026 and not in 2024, six years after the previous one held in 2018.
The two reasons presented by the Coordinator, on behalf of the World Council, refer to the period of the Covid-19 health emergency, which prevented the Regional Congress from being held for the renewal of the Councillors, while the second is to be able to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its foundation with a global event.
The trust of the entire World Council in Antonio Boccia was renewed, with the hope of continuing his service of animation of the Salesian Cooperators with the same commitment shown so far.
