Salesians hold event with theme ‘Your dreams have gone much further’

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries held the first Xavante Youth Day on July 24, at the Salesian center in São Marcos, Brazil. The day, which had the theme “Your dreams have gone much further”, brought together 30 youth from Indigenous villages.

Salesians Cleiton Cecílio da Silva and Pablo Henrique Gomes Silveiro presented the Rector Major’s Strenna 2024 “The dream that makes you dream.” The meeting was also attended by the Father Douglas Chrystiano, director of the Salesian mission, and Father Beatus Volkmar Tola, the pastoral coordinator who administered sacraments to the youth.

A Salesian explained, “The relationship between the Xavante community began when Salesians arrived in the region to provide social and educational services to the Indigenous populations. Since then, Salesians have built schools, clinics and community centers, offering formal education and medical assistance.”

The Salesian added, “As a sign of respect, Salesians immediately committed themselves to promoting Xavante culture, respecting and enhancing local traditions, helping to integrate the Xavante into the broader context of Brazilian society and preserving important aspects of their cultural identity. The Salesian presence in São Marcos remains an example of this collaboration.”

According to the World Bank, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on Brazil with poverty tripling in 2021. Nearly 17 million people fell into poverty in the first quarter of the year and the poverty rate now is higher than it was a decade ago. Researchers estimate that 12.8% of Brazil’s population, some 27 million people, are now living below the poverty line.

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Sources:

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ANS – Brazil – The First Xavante Youth Day in the Salesian presence of São Marcos

Salesian Missions – Brazil

World Bank – Brazil