Junín de los Andes – “We are gathered before the Lord with gratitude to commemorate and celebrate an event that has shaped the spiritual, cultural, and human history of our Patagonia,” said Cardinal Fernández Artime , Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, during Sunday Mass, which he celebrated on November 16 at the Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Snows, in northern Neuquén Province.
The occasion was one of the most recent intercultural celebrations commemorating the arrival of the first Salesian missionaries in Argentina. “150 years ago, the first Salesian missionaries and the first Daughters of Mary Help of Christians encountered the Mapuche-Tehuelche people,” Cardinal Artime emphasized. “Many of your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were protagonists in this story.”
Numerous representatives of the Mapuche people participated in the celebrations. Among them were the Bishop of Neuquén, Fernando Croxatto; the Bishop of Viedma, Esteban Laxague, SDB; the Superior of the Inspectorate of Southern Argentina ; Father Darío Perera ; and numerous staff members from the Diocesan Team for Aboriginal Pastoral Care of Neuquén and the the National Team for Aboriginal Pastoral Care of the Episcopate .
“Today we can see that mission and genuine encounter, which creates life, do not begin with imposition but with acceptance; they do not begin with speaking but with listening; they are not based on power but on closeness,” Cardinal Artime added in his homily. “Today we sincerely recognize that the encounter between cultures has not always been free of tension, misunderstandings, and perhaps even mistakes. But it is equally true that these Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, despite their human limitations, brought respect, education, human development, and the defense of the dignity of the indigenous peoples. The proclamation of the Gospel and faith in the Lord Jesus were the most precious gift they could have left behind.”
Finally, the Cardinal, on behalf of the Church, thanked the Mapuche and Tehuelche peoples who opened the doors of their culture, their spirituality, and their land. “You taught the missionaries how to walk in these territories, to listen to the wind, to respect and interpret the earth, to value the Word, and to live in community. We all want to walk together as brothers and sisters in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.”
It was November 11, 1875, when Giovanni Bosco greeted the first ten confreres who departed for Argentina. This courageous undertaking led to the founding of the Salesian presence in 136 countries worldwide. Since then, the Salesian mission has survived wars, famines, and mass migrations, providing young people from impoverished backgrounds with a comprehensive education and a vocational training.
For the Congregation of the Salesians of Don Bosco, 2025 is a year of numerous celebrations around the globe. In addition to the Mass celebrated by Cardinal Artime, the retreat for young people from the Americas and the intercultural celebrations with the Mapuche people in San Ignacio, held at the Salesian House in Junín de los Andes, also garnered significant attention.
In addition to the Mass celebrated by Cardinal Artime, the retreat for young people from the Americas and the intercultural celebrations with the Mapuche people in San Ignacio, held at the Salesian House in Junín de los Andes, received considerable attention.
A statement from the Salesians of Don Bosco said that about one hundred young people from various countries in the Americas gathered for a few days of retreat, during which they undertook a spiritual journey to the places where Blessed Laura Vicuña lived. She is venerated in Chile, her country of origin, and in Argentina as the patron saint of victims of incest and sexual abuse; a walk along the Via Christi; and a visit to San Ignacio, a town 60 kilometers north of Junín, home to the indigenous Mapuche community, the home of the young Salesian Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá, the first Blessed Indigenous person in South America.
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