Sokołów Podlaski, 10 January 2026

On 10 January 2026, Sokołów Podlaski became the heart of the provincial community of the Salesian Cooperators. We gathered at the Parish of St John Bosco for the annual Christmas wafer meeting. The event was organised by the Local Centre of Sokołów Podlaski (FMA), and thanks to the kindness of the Salesians of Don Bosco and the management of the Salesian school, it could take place on the premises of their institution. The meeting brought together representatives of communities from across the entire province. It had a special significance, as it symbolically inaugurated the celebration of the jubilee year marking the 150th anniversary of the Association of Salesian Cooperators.

The main venue of the meeting was the Salesian school in Sokołów Podlaski. It was there—amid an atmosphere of warmth and beautifully prepared decorations—that we were able to experience the joy of encounter, community and formation. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank the School Management, staff and the entire school community for their openness to this event, for making the space available and for the organisational effort involved. This hospitality carried something profoundly Salesian within it: a “home that welcomes,” where everyone can feel part of a family.

We also extend a special word of gratitude to the host of the place—Fr. Wojciech Szabrański, parish priest, director of the religious community and local delegate. We thank him for his involvement in the preparations, for the warm welcome offered to participants and for his care for every detail of the meeting. His presence and cordiality were a clear sign to us that the Association is truly at home within the Salesian Family.

The meeting began with a time of shared coffee and conversation, followed by the official opening. The central moment of the day was the Eucharist, during which the Salesian Cooperators renewed their promises. This moment resonated strongly as a renewal of a personal “yes” to God and the Church—in the spirit of the responsibility of the lay faithful who live the charism of Don Bosco in everyday life: in their families, workplaces, parishes and wherever young people are present.

Representatives of the Province and provincial and local delegates took part in the meeting. Present were: the Vicar of the Provincial, Fr Adam Wtulich SDB; the Provincial Delegate, Fr Henryk Bonkowski SDB; and the Provincial Delegate, Sr Halina Koćwin FMA. Although the Provincial and the Provincial Superior were unable to attend in person, their closeness to the Association was expressed through greetings conveyed on their behalf by Fr Adam Wtulich SDB and Sr Halina Koćwin FMA. The Provincial Coordinator also addressed his greetings to us, emphasising the time in which we find ourselves and the importance of unity, formation and shared mission in view of the 150th anniversary jubilee of the Association.

After the Eucharist, participants were invited to a special part of the celebration: a Christmas carol concert performed by the Effatha band. The carol singing was not only artistic in nature, but also deeply formative. Short spiritual reflections were woven into the programme, summarising the three-year formative journey of the Association expressed through the themes: “remember – renew – revive.” These reflections—experienced in a climate of prayer and joy—helped us to look with gratitude at God’s action, to renew the zeal of our vocation in our hearts, and to revive the missionary desire to be “for the young” and “with the young,” in the spirit of Don Bosco’s Preventive System.

After the shared meal and time for conversation, a surprise awaited us—one that brought many smiles, especially among families and the youngest participants. An extraordinary guest arrived: St Nicholas, who had prepared a festive, Salesian gift for everyone. This gesture—simple yet deeply meaningful—reminded us that Salesian celebration always carries the flavour of goodness, warmth and joy that builds community.

At the very end of the meeting, special gratitude was also expressed to Fr Henryk Woźnowski, the long-serving local delegate of the Local Centre of Sokołów Podlaski SDB, for his many years of devoted service and accompaniment.

Acknowledgements

At the conclusion, we wish to express our gratitude to all those who co-created this event and were its living testimony:

• we thank the Salesian school for its openness, kindness, preparation of the space and the organisational effort involved,
• we thank Fr Wojciech Szabrański—the host of the place—for his engagement in the preparations, warm welcome and care for the course of the meeting,
• we thank the Local Centre of Sokołów Podlaski FMA and the Local Centre of Sokołów Podlaski SDB for the joint preparation of the meeting,
• we thank for their presence and ministry: Fr Adam Wtulich, Fr Henryk Bonkowski and Sr Halina Koćwin FMA,
• we thank the Provincial Coordinator for his words of greeting and encouragement,
• we thank all local delegates, as well as priests and sisters from local communities who accompany the Association on a daily basis,
• we thank the Effatha band for the beautiful carol concert and the musical setting of the Holy Mass,
• and finally, we thank each and every participant—Salesian Cooperators, aspirants and friends—as well as all guests, for their presence, prayer and community.

The wafer meeting in Sokołów Podlaski was more than an annual tradition. It became a sign of the unity of the Salesian Family and an important threshold through which we entered the jubilee year of the 150th anniversary of the Association. With gratitude for this experience, we ask Mary Help of Christians to continue to lead us along the path of fidelity to the charism of Don Bosco and joyful service to the young.

Maciej Baraniecki. Provincial Coordinator PLE