by: FIS CYM Correspondence
Talisay City, Cebu – March 2–6, 2026. The Provincials of the East Asia-Oceania (EAO) Region gathered at the Don Bosco Retreat House in Cebu for their regional meeting, led by Regional Superior Fr. William Matthews, SDB. The assembly was enriched by the presence of Fr. Fidel Maria Orendain, SDB, General Councilor for Social Communications, and Fr. Rafael Bejarano, SDB, General Councilor for Youth Ministry.
The meeting opened on the first day with a focus on sharing good practices from each province. The Provincials presented key initiatives and pastoral experiences in formation, youth ministry, governance, and mission animation. This exchange fostered mutual learning and strengthened regional solidarity, highlighting creative, context-based responses to the needs of young people across East Asia-Oceania.
Central to the gathering was the role of the Provincials as animators of communion and guardians of Salesian identity. Guided by the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis et Studiorum, the discussions focused on strengthening formation processes, ensuring fidelity to the charism of Don Bosco, and promoting unity of vision in the region. The Provincials reflected on their responsibility to safeguard the quality of consecrated life and to lead their provinces with pastoral clarity and missionary zeal.
In his input, Fr. Orendain emphasized that Social Communications is a true ministry of communion. More than managing platforms or disseminating information, it is a pastoral service that builds unity, transparency, participation, and shared responsibility within the Congregation. He highlighted the crucial role Social Communication delegates play in connecting local communities, provincial leadership, and the wider Salesian world, ensuring that communication strengthens relationships and fosters synodality, especially in the digital environment.
In his talk, Fr. Bejarano presented key criteria for renewing Salesian Youth Ministry in the region. He emphasized the identity of the Salesian educator as pastor, mentor, and companion of the young, called to be a credible witness and presence among them. He highlighted the importance of the Salesian Educative-Pastoral Plan (SEPP) as a concrete instrument for ensuring unity of vision and coordinated action in every presence. He also encouraged provinces to review and update their organic planning processes, aligning pastoral priorities with mission realities and fostering collaboration among Salesians and lay partners.
The EAO Provincials also witnessed the blessing of the BUGSAY Leadership Center at Don Bosco Technical College Cebu, a significant initiative aimed at strengthening youth leadership formation. In the evening, they prayed the Rosary with young boarders of Basic Education and TVET, followed by a Salesian Goodnight, offering a meaningful moment of presence and encouragement to the youth.
As part of the program, the Provincials undertook a cultural and faith pilgrimage in Cebu, visiting the Minor Basilica of the Santo Niño, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Casa Gorordo Museum. These visits deepened their appreciation of Cebu’s Christian heritage and its enduring legacy of evangelization.
The gathering also included a visit to the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, a parish entrusted to the Salesians. The day concluded with a fellowship dinner with the Salesians and members of the Salesian Family in Cebu, strengthening fraternity and communion within the wider mission.
The assembly continues in a spirit of prayer, dialogue, and shared commitment to the Salesian mission in the East Asia-Oceania Region.
