EMPOWERING SALESIAN LEADERS

The annual Empowering Salesian Leaders program took place from Sunday, June 3, until Friday, June 8, at the Don Bosco Retreat Center in Haverstraw-Stony Point, N.Y. The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry offers this program as a way for young adults across the province to experience the Salesian Youth Movement in a unique, formative way.

Empowering Salesian Leaders is designed to provide college-aged young adults with an opportunity to continue to form and develop their relationships with God and their identities as Salesians, so that they will be empowered to return to their local communities and colleges as Salesian leaders. This program is marked by workshops, daily liturgy, prayer moments, and community building. Guilherme Lopes served as the program coordinator with the assistance of Fr. Abraham Feliciano, program director and chaplain. They were assisted by four other core team members, including the Youth Ministry Office’s new program coordinator, Victoria Weekley.

Every Salesian school in the Eastern U.S. was represented by one or more alumni in attendance. The program was also blessed to have participants from St. John Bosco Parish in Port Chester, N.Y., and Toronto, Ont., which beautifully demonstrated that our province is truly one Salesian family. There were 25 young participants in all.