“It is essential to have meeting places, even more so in the current context, which is now that of a war period. FAFCE, with its different realities that compose it, wants to be an example of dialogue, ad intra, also in the Church, in this time of synodality, and ad extra, starting from the European institutions”, said the president of the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE), Vincenzo Bassi, reflecting on the Autumn Board Meeting that took place in Brussels a few days ago. The focus of the work was primarily on two topics: demographic changes which were discussed at a high-level seminar with the participation of Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission; and “Young people and mental health: families as their best allies”. The latter is also the title of a document adopted to remind the EU institutions of the importance of “encouraging Member States to prioritize family-friendly policies that recognise that families provide individuals with a sense of security, love and belonging, essential for a good mental health”. The meeting was also an opportunity to officially present and bless the work of the artist, winner of the European Art Contest, Jesús Arévalo – a statue of St. Joseph represented as a Jewish father with a kippah and sidelocks, holding the hand of little Jesus and teaching him how to take his first steps. The meeting accepted the Dutch association opGROEIsymposium as a new member of FAFCE.