EUROPE/SLOVAKIA - European Conference of Missionary Childhood: "Creativity in the New Evangelization"

Saturday, 11 April 2026 evangelization childhood missionary childhood pontifical mission societies

SLOVAKIA

2026-04-11
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Bratislava (Agenzia Fides) – From Sunday, April 12, to Thursday, April 16, representatives of the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood from across Europe will gather in Bratislava for the "European Conference of Missionary Childhood" (“Conférence de l'Enfance Missionnaire Européenne”, CEME).
The conference is held every two years. The last conference took place in Romania; this year, Slovakia is the host country.
The main theme of this year's conference is “Creativity in the New Evangelization.” It emphasizes the need to find new, authentic, and creative ways to proclaim the Gospel in today's world, especially among children and young people.
“I am looking forward to participating, not only to meet the people who work with children and thank them for their work, but also to share insights into the goals of our Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood," explains Sister Inês Paulo Albino, Secretary General of the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood, who is attending such a conference for the first time as Secretary General. “The chosen theme, creativity in the New Evangelization, deat to Saint John Paul II and later taken up by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, invites us to renew our methods. Jesus is always the same, but the generations are different; therefore, we must use creativity strategically to reach the children and young people of today.”
The participants of the meeting in Bratislava come from numerous European countries, including Scotland, Luxembourg, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Malta, Hungary, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Latvia, and Slovakia. This year's conference is further enriched by the presence of participants from the United States, particularly from Boston. Spiritual topics alternate with continuing education opportunities and opportunities for sharing experiences.
On the first working day of the meeting, April 13, the program includes a talk by Father Andrew Recepcion on creativity in evangelization and a workshop with singer Miro Jilo, who offers practical insights into using creativity in Christian preaching. On the afternoon of the following day, a Eucharistic celebration will take place in St. Martin's Cathedral in Bratislava, presided over by Auxiliary Bishop Jozef Halko. In the morning, a workshop with Andrea Draganova on the responsible and creative use of artificial intelligence in missionary work is scheduled. On the final day of the meeting, the Secretary General of the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood will deliver a speech, after which will announce the next CEME meeting and the conference of the Apostolic Nuncio to Slovakia, Nicola Girasoli.
"Today, more than ever, we must accompany our children and young people and, above all, listen to them," Sister Ines concluded. “Only by starting with them and working together with them can we shape the world together. They will feel that this world belongs to them and experience it more intensely. My dream is to see all children happy, not because they possess something, but because they are fulfilled as children. This way, they can contribute so much more as adults.” (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 11/4/2026)