With a very full program, and strictly followed, a meeting of the Salesian Family was held on April 27th, bringing together 60 Salesian Cooperator members (SSCC) and Associates of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) coming from Porto, Mogofores, Balasar and Arouca.
The reception for participants took place in the municipal park around the bust of D. Bosco, present there since 2007 and which attests not only to the passage of the Salesian Work through Arouca, as well as the permanence of D. Bosco’s spirit, 42 years after the closure of the former Colegio Salesiano that operated in spaces of the Arouca Monastery between 1960 and 1982.
Being in Arouca to participate in a gathering on “The Future of Youth Groups” organized by the group of young people from the Parish of Santa Eulália de Arouca, in celebration of its 40 years of existence, Bruno Leite, from the Salesian Youth Ministry and responsible for the “Conversations in the courtyard”, he joined the meeting and spoke a little about his project.
Formative and cultural moment
After the song “Father and teacher of the young”, the participants went to the church of the Monastery of Arouca for the morning prayer, prepared by the Mogofores group, and which took place in front of the altar of the “Virgin of D. Bosco” . The image, which has been on display for the devotion of its faithful since 2022, was part of the altar of the old “Chapel of the Salesians” that operated in the former refectory of the Cistercian community until 1982.
Then, in one of the rooms of the Arouca Monastery, a moment of reflection on the devotion to Mary Help of Christians took place by Father Gabriel Andrade, Delegate for the ADMA and who accompanied the group from Porto. After talking about the history of the title of Mary Help of Christians, over the centuries, the speaker considered D. Bosco as one of the greatest devotees and propagators of devotion to Mary Help of Christians, his “Teacher” who “did everything” throughout his life. intense life dedicated to the education and evangelization of young people. Before, however, and as it was impossible to be present at this meeting, a beautiful message was read from the National Delegate of the Salesian Family, Father Artur Pereira, addressed to all participants.
Next, there was a visit to the convent spaces, some of which were used by students from the former Colégio Salesiano. This visit, which was accompanied and enriched with comments from a guide from the Arouca Monastery, ended with entry to the Sacred Art Museum, where visitors were able to appreciate the richness and variety of the numerous collections on display there since 1933.
Gastronomic and convivial moment
After the enriching guided tour of the Arouca Monastery, the necessary gastronomic and convivial moment took place, which consisted of a lunch served in the canteen of the EB1 School of Arouca, kindly provided for this meeting.
Following lunch, a cultural and sharing moment with the participation of all groups involved in this meeting and which took place in the facilities of the Academia Sénior de Arouca, graciously provided by its management.
One of the surprise numbers was the performance of Simão Oliveira, national winner of “The Voice Kids” 2021, who performed a song about the “Nine Years Dream” and which will be performed at the Salesian National Pilgrimage to Fátima, accompanied by a choreography by young people from the Salesian Youth Center of Arouca. This moment ended with the delivery of a small souvenir, made by the Mogofores group, to everyone present.
The program for this meeting also included a conventual sweets tasting, which took place on the terrace of the “Doces conventuais” house, which kindly allowed visitors to learn about and taste a good number of the sweets originating from the Arouca Monastery.
The intense program of this meeting ended with the celebration of the Eucharist in the chapel of Senhora do Carmo, followed, at the end, by the group photo with the famous Calvário de Arouca as a backdrop, dating from 1643 and declared a property of public interest since 1948 .
