From the 30th of January to the 3rd of February 2023, the Nazareth Province celebrated, with the three schools of Ecuador, the Calasanctian Youth Day. It has certainly been a beautiful experience to be close to themselves, God, others, and Calasanz.
More than 60 young people from the Piarist presences of Cañar, Loja and Saraguro, accompanied by an influential group of religious and lay people, gathered at the Calasanz Training House in Zhindar (Saraguro, Ecuador). There they joyfully shared the experience of being Calasanctians.
The first day began with a presentation dynamic among all the members. They demonstrated some artistic talents, and there was time to award the recognition of the Best of themselves, starting from that deeply Calasanctian premise of living one’s knowledge as a principle of spiritual life. During this day, the young people built their internal network, where they addressed the positive traits that reflect the different dimensions of the person; they also recognised that the place to discover and live their truth, goodness and beauty is by sharing with others, for which they joyfully participated in the Ubuntu Match.
On the second day, we went to the village of Gera. An indigenous community to which the young people walked and endured the rawness of the rain, the intense cold and the dense fog. However, these conditions did not prevent them from contemplating the person of Glicerio Landriani, opening themselves to tasting his heart as a poor man, a saint and an angel.
The penultimate day of the Calasanctian Youth Day considered the wonderful experience of serving others; for this, the young people went to three towns: the first was the centre for the elderly; another experience was the accompaniment of the children of MIES of the Calasanz Saraguro Fiscomisional Educational Unit, and the third was the Centre of Specialised Education El Divino Niño (non-formal education work of the Piarist Fathers). There, the young people explored their capacity to serve, give of themselves, donate, give of their time, and live their abilities freely. The first was a tour of the different spaces that make up the Piarist community life; the second was the celebration of the Eucharist, remembering the Piarist martyrs: their service, testimony and fidelity illuminated the experience of the day.
To close the Ecuador JJC, the young people of the different delegations expressed their artistic gifts with dances, declamations, and songs, showing Ecuadorian cultural richness. Finally, Calasanz was the centre of attention: the closing was presided by the celebration of the Solemnity of St. Joseph Calasanz, recognising that by being close to him, we discover a beautiful way of life to be close to God, to the poor, to the children, to ourselves.
And so, the Nazareth Province celebrated the Calasanctian Youth Day in each of the countries that make it up (Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), having around 300 young people as participants, and recognising it as a rich and pleasant experience shared between Piarist religious, Piarist and Calasanctian nuns, and lay people of all presences.
Daniel Toro, Sch. P.
