1st Student Congress on History – PAR

Concepción (Paraguay). On 25 May 2023, at Mary Help of Christians School of Concepción, in the Province of St. Raphael the Archangel (PAR), the 1^st Student Congress on History was held, on the 250^th anniversary of the foundation of the Villa Real de la Concepción, today known simply such as Concepción, and the 120th anniversary of the arrival of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in this city.

The main objective was to motivate the young people to build the present on the memory of the past and their own socio-cultural roots, deepening the historical evolution of Concepción and the influence that the arrival of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians has had on the city, to strengthen its Marian and civil identity.

The recipients of the Congress, organized by the Student Center of Mary Help of Christians School – with the coordination of the Councilor of the Center, Sr. Gloria Asunción Mazacotte Alcaraz, FMA, and the accompaniment of the Directors and history teachers – were female and male students of the Secondary Schools of the Department of Concepcion.

History, rich in content, is of great educational importance because it helps young people to appreciate the past and their roots, to value the present, and to project themselves to the future. Furthermore, it favors the understanding and correct evaluation of events that took place in the past, to place them in today, and acquire a well-grounded and critical knowledge.

Prominent exponents intervened in the Congress, members of the Academy of History of Paraguay: Prof. Hugo Ramón Mendoza Martínez, Rodrigo Cardozo Samaniego, Julio Espínola, and members of the Academy of History of Mary Help of Christians School, a Past Pupil, a student of the 9^th year of the basic school, and one from the 1^st course.

The event was sponsored by the Governor of the Department, the Mayor of the Municipality, and the Director of the Department of Education. It has also been declared of municipal and departmental interest by the Councilors and the Directorate of the Department of Education.

Fiorella, a 1^st year student, describes the experience as follows:

The Congress was very important to me, and as a young woman, I felt motivated to continue cultivating the desire to know the historical and social processes. It is information which helps us to place ourselves in the era that is fundamental for us: a history full of heroes, men and women who are an example for current and future generations. It is a project that I consider very valid and that we should propose again.

I thank my dear Mary Help of Christians School for this opportunity to develop our critical thinking and for having given us a leading role in these activities which help us and form ourselves to face life with its lights and its shadows. We would like other young people in the world to know the rich history of Mary Help of Christians School of Concepción, which has been present for 120 years and which, together with the Help of Christians, has accompanied us in difficult situations. We have experienced Her care and help at all times. This experience fills me with gratitude and pride for all that the memory of my city and my School represent. It stimulates me to act boldly, collaborating every day in their continuous edification.

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