(Luis Beltrán) – From 9 to 11 October 2026, the city of Luis Beltrán, in the province of Río Negro, hosted “MÁS”, a Canossian youth gathering organised by the Canossian Youth Ministry. More than 250 young people, aged between 15 and 20, took part in the initiative. They came from different communities in Argentina and Paraguay and belong to the Religious Province of Our Lady of Luján.
Over three days, the young people shared moments of formation, prayer and mission. The gathering, which has been held for many years in the Religious Province, invited participants this year to reflect more deeply on their identity: to recognise themselves as people loved by God, beyond the masks they may build around themselves and the expectations imposed by society, and to find in Jesus the meaning of life.
Through workshops, group activities, moments of personal reflection and shared experiences, the young people were invited to explore their own stories, recognise what shapes the way they see themselves and discover the value of their identity. One activity invited them to make a mask, representing what they often show to others in order to hide what they carry in their hearts. They then symbolically entrusted their masks to Jesus, as a gesture of trust and openness, allowing themselves to be seen and welcomed just as they are.
A particularly significant moment was Eucharistic adoration. After entrusting their masks to Jesus, the young people were invited to encounter him and allow themselves to be looked upon by his love, recognising that they do not need to appear different in order to feel loved. Before Jesus in the Eucharist, they were able to recognise that it is he who knows their hearts, embraces their stories and reveals their true identity. Many participants described this moment as one of the most meaningful of the gathering.
On Saturday afternoon, the young people carried out a mission in the neighbourhoods of the city. Organised into groups, they visited families in Luis Beltrán, sharing the joy of their experience and messages of hope. In this way, they embraced Saint Magdalene of Canossa’s call to make Jesus known and loved, proclaiming his love not only through words, but also through their witness and the joy of sharing their faith.
The mission enabled the young people to discover that proclaiming the Gospel also means listening, learning and allowing oneself to be transformed through encounters with others. Jesus’ love became present through simple gestures: sharing, listening, offering words of encouragement or embracing those in need.
The teachers who accompanied the young people also took an active part in the experience. Sharing these days allowed them to grow closer to their students and to deepen their understanding of the Canossian charism, their educational mission and the pastoral dimension of their service.
Joy accompanied every day of MÁS. Laughter, shared mates, music, games, dancing and enthusiasm made the gathering an intense experience, in which the young people built relationships, encountered different realities and discovered the joy of belonging to one charismatic family.
The gathering concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist, during which the community gave thanks for all that had been experienced and entrusted to Jesus the fruits of these days. MÁS ended with the desire to share with others what each participant had discovered and received, renewing the commitment to form hearts capable of discovering Jesus and proclaiming his hope.
Sister María Lourdes Lodos
St Joseph Community – Berisso
