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--
SECOND PART
SENT TO TIlE YOUNG
IN COMMUNITIES
FOLLOWING CHRIST
The second part of the Constitutions carries the main body of the
Rule of salesian life; in its four chapters and 70 articles the essential
elements of the salesian apostolic consecration are developed in con-
siderabledetail. .
The first part, as we have seen, set out in synthetic and global
form the fundamental notes of the nature and mission of the Salesian
Societyin the Church and for the world, and described the characteristic
spirit which animates it. Within the Society'sapostolic project the per-
sonal vocation was considered as a gift and commitment of each
member.
In this second part are taken up one by one the various elementS
which together form the plan of salesian life: the apostolic mission,
its community context, the radically evangelical way in which it is
lived through the profession of the counsels, and the indispensable
contribution made to it by prayer which gives life to its every aspect.
M can be easily seen, it is a question of developiQ.gwhat has been
alreadyexpressed in the formula for profession (C 24) and, before that,
in art. 3 which presented Hourapostolic mission, our fraternal com-
munity and the practice of the evangelicalcounselsHas Htheinseparable
elements of our consecration which we live in a single movement of
love towards God and towards our brothersH.
In this part of the Constitutions an innovation will be noticed
from a structural point of view; both as regards earlier texts and also
the text produced by the SGC: the new version collectStogether in
the same section (gth though spread over several chapters) material
which was previously distributed over several partS and chapters. In this
the intention of the GC22 is quite clear: with this new structure it
wanted to emphasize the unity and mutual relationship of the various
fundamental commitments made inprofession. The RectorMajor writes:
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HOneof the great merits of this part is to be found in the wayit presents
the mutual compenetration .of these various aspects of our vocation".1
In fact in each of the chapters of this part the educational and pastoral
commitment, community life and the practice of the religious vows
are fully dealt with, bur alwaysin constant correlation with each other.2
A study of the various chapters will reveal that the mission to youth
is described in a way that showsthat it would not be salesian if it were
not lived as a community project and in the evangelical style of the
counsels, and equally that witness to the counsels would not be sale-
sian either, were it not translated into a "practical exercise of charity
towards the young" realized together by a group of Don Bosco's
followers.
Bur after pointing out the deep unity which binds together the
various aspects of our life, it must be said also that within this second
part the C9nstitutions adopt an order between the various chapters
which has a precise significance.They develop what is already indicated
in the title givento the wholepart: "SENT 10 THE YOUNG - IN
COMMUNITIES - FOLWWING CHRIST'~ We note that in this ex-
pression the apostolic mission is placed. first. This corresponds, as we
shall see in greater detail in the introduction to the fourth part, to
both the constant traditi()n in out constitutional texts c(Don Bosco
himself dealt in the first chapter of the Constitutions with the "scope"
of the Society), and the indications of art. 3 which puts the mission
at the centre of our identity as Salesians,declaring that it sets the "tenor"
of our whole life, i.e. its original stamp and complexion.3 .
In the arrangement of this part too, one should note at the outset
the position of the chapter dea.ling with salesian prayer, understood
in its deep meaning of dialogue with the Lord. It is placed as a con-
cluding synthesis of the entire description of the salesian plan, and
in this wayemphasizes both the intimate link between prayer and every
element of our vocation, and the vital importance (as both "ource~and
1 Cf. E. VIGANO, The renewed text of our Rule of lift. AGC 312 (1985), p. 24
2 ibid.
3 Cf. Introduction to Chap. IV: 'Sent to the young', p. 276 ff.
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vertex)of prayer itself as a permanent stimulus to the celebration of
the Hliturgyof life (C 95) in pastoral activity, in fraternal community
and in the practice of the evangelicalcounsels4.
On the basis of these considerations we can better understand the
way the SECOND PART has been put together:
chap. IV
SENT TO THE YOUNG
- section I
- section II
- section III
Those to whom our
mission is directed
Our pastoral educational
servIce
Criteria for salesian
activity:
- section IV Those who share respon-
sibility for the mission
art. 26-48
art. 26-30
art. 31-39
art. 40-43
art. 44-48
chap. V
IN FRATERNALAND
APOSTOLIC COMMUNITIES
art. 49-59
chap. VI
chap. VII
FOLLOWING CHRIST, OBEDIENT,
POOR AND CHASTE
- section I
- section II
- section III
Our obedience
Our poverty
Our chastity
IN DIAWGUE WITH THE WRD
art. 60-84
art. 64-71
art. 72-79
aft. 80-84
art. 85-95
To end this brief presentation we may note once again that the
contentsof this second part will provide indispensablepoints of reference
for the parts that follow. Both salesian formation and the service
provided by authority are based entirely on the apostolic, community
and evangelicaldimensions, and hence on the valuesset out in this part.
4 AGC 312 (1985), I.c.
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CHAPTER IV
SENT TO THE YOUNG
The theme of the apostolic mission begins long before this chap(er
and continues long after it. In fact from the first article of the Con-
stitutions the apostolic mission is presented as an objective of the Con-
gregation. Further references to it are found in each of the parts, in-
fluencing the individual themes and in this way giving effect to what
was said in art. 3: "Our mission sets the tenor of our whole life". For
this reasonwe are identified as a religiousinstitUtededicated to apostolic
works (cf. C 4), and our life in the Spirit is expressed and nourished
by activity for the Kingdom.
The mission is therefore a characterizing element of the salesian
life and charism to such an extent that. it shapes the physiognomy of
our consecration, a consecration which is in fact "apostolic" (cf. C 3).
The meaning given by the Constitutions, following the conciliar
documents, to the word "mission';must be emphasized from the start.
Since the words most frequently occurring in association with it are:
pastoral, apostolate, service, and work, there are grounds for fear that
in the mind of the listener or reader the missiof?may come to be seen
as something like a "movement", "activity"or "workinitiative", or worse
still as ceaselessunreflecting activity among youth 'or among material
things (bricks, money and equipment). That kind of thing would
deprive the mission o'f its true and deep significance.
And so it is fair to ask: When the Constitutions speak of the mis-
sion, what precisely do they mean?
In the first place the Constitutions present something which is
a theological reality, i.e. an existential relationship with God, who calls
us personally (C 22) and "who consecrates us through the gift of his
Spirit and sends us" (C 3).
It is a matter therefore of a ''gift" coming from the Spirit which
transformsand shapes history. We do not take a mission upon ourselves.
We participate in the eternal designs of God for the salvation of the
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world: we are involved in the mystery of salvation. The first and every
subsequent move is made by God; he even prompts our response.
Anyone who lives this reality will daily renew his Hchoice*of the
lord, recognizing him as humanity's renewing presence and man's
futUre. He will cultivate Don Bosco'shumble and characteristicattitude
of being an HinstrumentH in God's hands. He will have faith in the
'seeds' he can sow, knowing that what he is and does bears no pro-
portion to the matUring of the Kingdom and yet a tiny part of that
Kingdom is enough to leaven the world, asJesus said in the parables.
He maintains a constant union with Him who has sent him (C 12).
The mission therefore is a manifestation of the "following" of
Christ,of identification with him, of a preferential lovefor him. It means
allowing ourselves.to be moulded and guided by "zeal in preaching,
healing and saving because of the urgency of the coming of the
Kingdom" (C 11) and "cooperating with Christ in building the
Kingdom" (C 18), giving 'practical expression to his redeeming love"
(C 41) at the present day.
This relationship with Christ, God and Man, makes us constant-
lyrethink the mission and have trust in the strength of his Redemption.
Furthermore, the plission is alwaysdescribed as an ecc/esialcom-
munion. Within it are defined those tasks which "place us at the heart
of the Church and put us entirely at her service*(C 6). We feel a liv-
ing part of her and in her we see "the centre of unity and communion
of all the forces working for the Kingdom" (C 13).
This consideration gives rise to a continuously renewed relation-
ship of fraternal communion with the People of God (C 13),a solidarity
with their intentions, an active insertion into their livesfor the world's
salvation, and an acceptance too of the need for practical coordination.
The mission mobilizes Hfaithand charity" in every direction and
immerses us in the existence of the Body of Christ, as can well be seen
in today's world.
Finally the mission is our contn'bution to the history of human
development, to the overcoming of the forces of evil, to the struggle
to find horizons of sense and quality of life. In fact, Hourvocation calls
us to be deeply united with the world and its history..: For this reason
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we "shape our concrete pastoral activity so as to bring about a more
just world and one of greater brotherhood in Christ" (C 7).
The urgent needs of the mission lead us to keer abreast of the
movement of history and try to meet them, periodically evaluating our
work (C 19). The development of the temporal order is something we
have at heart: "Wecooperate in building a societymore just and worthy
of man's dignity" (C 33); bUt we are certain that in the mystery
of Christ, the revelation of God and man, and in his Gospel we have
been given the supreme sense of existence and the moving force of
history.
Our temporal choice is the Gospel and the education of youth,
just as others may choose politics or the arts. We rely on the Gospel
and charity as compelling and transforming force.s,and thus equip-
ped we take part in man's pilgrimage. --
By reason of this fourfold reference, to God, to Christ, to the
Church and to history, the dedication of himself to the mission becomes
for the salesian a "mystical" experience, and not merely a matter of
external bustling activity. "Ashe works for the salvation of the young,
the salesian experiencesthe fatherhood of God" (C 12). The experience
that others encounter in secret contemplative prayer he finds as he
spends himself in the work God has entrusted to him. His contempla-
tion is found in his activity (cf. C 12), because there in events and in-
dividuals he perceives the Spirit's initiative; he meets God "through
those to whom he is sent" (C 95). Drawing in this way on God's char-
ity, he works out his educational and pastoral system (C 20) and, like
Don Bosco, builds his life into unity by bringing together every trait
and tendency into a plan for the service of the young (C 21).
In this way he comes to realize that in carrying out his mission
he finds his own way to holiness (cf. C 2).
We have said that the mission does not consist only in activity.
We must add that neither is it activity juxtaposed with a general kind
of interior religious feeling bUt disjoined from its initiatives and pur-
pose. It means a life linked to two pillars: the Lord who sends us, and
the young to whom wemust giveourselvesso as to be signsand witnesses
of God's saving love for them (cf. C 2). This ensemble of ideas and
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~
conceptscan lead to the development of a spirituality of activelife which
is characteristically salesian.
Consequently the salesian finds his "ascesis"in the carrying out
of his mission: his path of purification and perfection, and the prac-
tice of virtUe.
It is to this that Don Bosco's recommendation refers: no extraor-
dinary penances of one's own choice, but work, work, work. In fact
the mission callsfor constant availability,careful preparation, resistance
to discouragement and frustration, mortification of inordinate tenden-
cies, and the renouncement of an easy life. As art. 18expressesit: The
salesian "does not look for unusual penances but accepts the daily
demands and renunciations of the apostolic life. He is ready to suffer
cold and he:!,t,hllnger and thirst, wearinessand disdain wheneverGod's
glory and the salvation of souls require it" (C 18).
. The apostolic mission referred to in many articles of the Constitu-
tions is not something generic. It is not a general intention of doing
good nor a vague purpose to save souls. It has a concrete apostolic
physiognomywhich is part of the Congregation's identity. In this chapter
therefore we find spelled out the mission's characterizing elements,
which then become points of reference for a unified pastoral practice
which will not become dissipated in a vague multiplicity of methods,
despite the different contexts in which it develops.
What then are the elements that characterize the apostolicmission
and pastoral activity of the salesians? The text lists four of them, and
each has a corresponding "section":
- THOSE 10 WHOM OUR MISSION IS DIRECTED, i.e. the field,
to use the expression of Don Bosco'sfirst dream, jn which the Sale-
sians will work.
.
- The PASTORALEDUCATIONAL SERVICEwhich the Salesians
intend to provide. Among the same group of people it would be
possible, absoh,ltelyspeaking, to provide a variety of services(clinical,
remedial, educational, catechetical, etc.) which have an influence
not only on the abilities but also on the form of the community
and on its spiritual life. The project defmes the mission and therefure
pertains to the identity of a religious institute.
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- The ACTIVITIES AND WORKS through which the Salesiansprefer
to realize their mission, i.e. the instruments and working structures
in which the practice of the Congregation is carried out.
- The SUBJECT of pastoral activity, i.e. those to whom it is entrusted
and who in consequence share responsibilityfor its implementation.
There is a harmonious relationship between the four elements.
To particular recipients there corresponds a particular plan, with cer-
tain relevant activities and works which in turn rc:quire a subject who
will put them into effect. In this way the four elements are seen to
be not isolated choices but to present an overall pastoral complexion.
They are equivalent to the preventive system translated into practical
terms.
Let us look carefully at the structure of the complete chapter to
see how it is built up.
1st section: THOSE TO WHOM OUR MISSION IS DIRECTED
. Young people: art. 26-28
. Environments: art. 29
. People not yet evangelized: art. 30
2nd section: OUR PASTORALEDUCATIONALSERVICE
. Ultimate overallobjectiveof our project: art, 31
. Various dimensions of the single project: art. 32-37
- Education and development: art. 32, 33
- Evangelization and catechesis: art. 34, 36
- Community and group experience: art. 35
- Vocational guidance: art. 37
. The pedagogical and pastoral method: art. 38, 39
- Underlying principles: art. 38
- In practice: assistance: art. 39
3rd section: CRITERIA FOR SALESIAN ACTIVITY
. The ideal model: the Oratory of Valdocco: art. 40
. Discernment criteria for activities and works: art. 41
. Main lines of our activity: art. 42, 43
- Education and evangelization: art. 42
- Socialcommunication:art. 43
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4th section: mOSE WHO SHARE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR mE MISSION
. The Salesian community: art. 44-46
.The educative and pastoral community: art. 47, 48
The spirituality of the salesian has its model and source of energy
in Christ the apostle, and is developed and externalized in his pastoral
commitment. This takes up his entire day. It is impossible therefore
to conceivehis religious authenticity without concrete reference to the
features which characterize his apostolic work.
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THOSE TO WHOM OUR MISSION IS DIRECTED
"He saw a great throng, and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep
without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things" (Mk 6,34).
The biblical quotation is taken from the great account of the first multiplica-
tion of loaves (Mk 6,30-44), great because it reveals the messianic power of
Jesus and his style of practical intervention in the lives of people: an exact
perception of their state, a deep and even emotive sharing with them, and a
concrete action to bring about change in them.
But for a deeper analysis of the extraordinary significance of Jesus' sign,
we must go back to the biblical tradition associated with the three evangelical
elements of,the "sheep without a shepherd", the "lonely place" (v. 31),and the
"bread". To Mark and the christian community, the crowd surrounding Jesus
in the "lonely place" seemed to be the people of old, tormented by the traps
and perils of life's journey, whom God intended to shepherd through historic
guides, Moses in the first place (Num 27,17),providing them with abundant food
(Ex 16).
Jesus, in line with the great messianic announcement that the scattered
people would be reunited (Ex 34), is God's Shepherd par excellence, who in-
tervenes fully and in person ("I know my sheep", says Jesus, "individually" (cf.
Jn 10,3.14). When he says he "will teach them many things" he does not mean
that he will say a lot of fine words, but rather that he will communicate to them
the "Word of God", which is at the same time God's truth, his plan of the Kingdom
and the powerful living energy which follows from it. By his teaching Jesus
multiplies bread for everyone (v. 43) to an extraordinary extent. His pastoral care
in fact will emerge in an unheard of form when in the Eucharist, to which this
account is a prelude (cf. Mk 6,41), he will give himself completely as bread and
truth.
The quotation highlights very forcefully the pastoral charity which Don
Bosco realized in concrete experiences, and which the salesian must feel in
the first and fundamental moment of his encounter with those to whom the mis-
sion is directed, "sheep without a shepherd", or in other words to "the young
who are poor, abandoned and in danger" (C 26).
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ART. 26 THE YOUNG TO WHOM WE ARE SENT
The Lord made dear to Don Bosco that he was to direct his mission first and
foremost to the young, especially to those who are poorer.
We are called to the same mission and are aware of its supreme importance: young
people are at the age when they must make basic life-choices which affect the future
of society and of the Church.
With Don Boscowe reaffirm our preference for the young who are "poor, aban-
doned and in danger",l those who have greater need of love and evangelization, and
we work especially in areas of greatest poverty.
I ct. MB XIV, 662; BM XIV, 536
Art. 26 introduces a block of five articles which define clearly and
coherently the fields in which the Salesiansintend to commit their
resources.The section as a whole has two particular merits: it provides
a complete list of those to whom our activity is directed, and through
the verystructure of the section and the inner components of the ar-
ticles makes quite clear what the priorities and preferences are.
In particular the article establishes two elements:
- the choice of the field which characterizes the salesian mission:
the young;
- the preference: those who are poorer.
Young people
First among those to whom we are sent are the young. By
themselves they give to the salesian mission its original complexion,
eventhough it be incomplete. Without them all the other aspectswould
not be sufficient. Don Bosco is .chiefly the "father and teacher of the
young".The most widespread and truest pictures of him are those which
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r
depict him surrounded by boys; without them he would be I
unrecognizable. With this priority for youth are linked many of the
articles of the Constitutions which refer to our spirit, consecration and
community.1If there were ever a day when youth no longer constituted
the pastoral "portion" and "inheritance" of the Salesians,the Constitu-
tions would have to be rewritten.
The text gives prominence to this unqualified priority by means
of three elements.
In the first place we may note the solemn quality of the phrase:
"The Lord made clear to Don Bosco that he was to direct his mission
... to the young...'~The expressiontakes us back to specifichistoric facts,
like the dream at the age of nine and its repetitions in the life of our
Father.2
Secondly,there occursthe explicit expression "first and foremost";
the work we do for any others is related in some way to the work for
youth. In fact the young are mentioned too when other fields of work
are spoken of: in presenting our pastoral involvement with poor peo-
ple in general, art. 29 says that it fits in well with "our priority com-
mitment to young people; art. 30 describesthe "missions"as mobilizing
"all the educational and pastoral means proper tb our charism"; and
art. 43, speaking of "communication" recalls the great possibilities it
offers for the education of the young.
Thirdly, particularly striking is the absolute nature of Don Bosco's
declaration: "That you are young is enough to make me love you very
much" (C 14). There is no need to seek further reasons for our com-
mitment to youth.
These and other similar compelling indications have their origin
and foundation in the conviction expressed in art. 14, where it is said
that "our vocation is graced by a special gift of God: predilection for
the young", and that "this love is an expression of pastoral charity and
1 Cf. C 1. 2. 3. 14. 15. 19. 20. 21. 24. 61. 81
2 Cf. commentary on C 14 with its many quotations from Don Bosco concerning his conviction
I
about the priority of his mission for youth (p. 188-194)
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gives meaning to our whole life. Without the young therefore there
can be no specificallysalesian presences, and everynew decision made
in respect of activities or works should be directed to making us ever
more effectively "youth specialists".
Since this article is fundamental for our identity, the editorial
nuances should not be allowed to pass unnoticed.
It speaks of "the young'; i.e. those who are at an age when they
are matUring biologically and psychologically,and who by the assimila-
tion of cultUreand the gaining of professionalqualifications are prepar-
ing to take their full place in society.
The age limits for this period have been extended, especially(but
not only) in developed societies. Salesian works and institUtes were
formerlyfound predominantly among adolescents and pre-adolescents.
This is certainly a category that needs attention in terms of human
formation, evangelization and decisions about their futUre calling; but
at the present day, given the greater time needed for professional
preparation, young adults are still in a period of "educationand prepara-
tion for life"..Thisperiod too is one of religious and cultUralphenomena
which affect the formation of young people, and often manifest various
forms of deviation which need to be forestalled.
It will be up to each Province to decide, in the light of the social
and cultUralconditions of its own context, to which age-group the Safe-
sians should give more attention: the adolescent group (11-17years)
or that of young adults (18-25 years).
We speak of 'young people" or the "young~ The term in its col-
lective meaning (= "youth")3 implies that we are attentive not only
to individual youngsters, but to their condition as a group. Youth as
a group is at the present day an object of concern and action by govern-
ments, the mass media: and international institUtions. Action in favour
o{individuals is of little avail if the youth condition itself in a social,
3 Don Bosco himself uses the term ngiovaniHin a collective sense, e.g. in art. 1 of the
Constitutions he wrote (1875). Severaltimes in his writings is found also the term "gioventu'
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cultural and educational sense is not given attention. The GC2!, in
fact, recommended insistently that salesiansshould become "specialists"
in youth conditions. 4
But together with the term "young people", a choice is also em.
phasized: "Our pastoral service is directed to boys and young men"
(R 3). This means that our initiatives are intended to meet the specific
needs that appear among this particular group; and this implies in turn
that if for pastoral reasons we work in environments where both boys
and girls are encountered, our preferential attention and our initiatives
which go beyond a general service,will be thought out and programmed
in terms of the boys, leaving to others a more detailed care of the girls.
This means also that we feel able to manage big establishments
and large numbers of boys, but when it comes to girls and pastoral
reasons make.their presence convenient or necessary,we establish cern
tain limits: group participation, for formational, cultural, religious or
social purposes, in numbers proportionate to the need.
This option is connected. with our origins, with the pedagogy of
shared life that we apply, and with the kinds of educational themes
in which we specialize: vocation, work, games ete.
Finally, an element that must not be overlooked is found in the
.motivations of our commitment in favour of the young, as proposed
in the text of the Rule.
The first concerns their own life: they are at an age when fun-
damental options are being made, as a result of which life will take
. a turn towards fulfilment or towards frustration; our lovefor the young
prompts us to help them in this difficult time of growth.
The second concerns society and the Church. "Young people are
preparing the future of society and of the Church". This motivation
opens up.a topic which will be developed in the course of the whole
section - the social perspective of our pastoral and educational work.
4 Cf. GC21, 'Sa/esians evangelizers of the young'; especially Part 1: 'Youth and its condition"
(GC21, 20-30)
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In the formulation of this article echoes can be detected not only
of our own tradition but also of the words of the Council: "The sacred
Ecumenical Council has given careful consideration to the paramount
importance of education in the life of men and its ever-growing in-
fluence on the social progress of the age".5
Young people who are poor
But among the young there are preferences. The first is for those
who are poorer: "With Don Bosco we reaffirm our preference for the
'young who are poor, abandoned and in danger; those who have greater
need of love and evangelization, and we work especially in areas of
-greatest poverty'.
Poverty has no limits. In our own neighbourhood there is always
someone poorer than the last one we heard about. And on a larger
scale there is alwaysa situation more wretched than the worst we im-
agined in our smaller area. The 'poverty' evident in certain cities does
not seem so bad when compared with the conditions in some of the
world's slum areas, and these in turn are far exceeded by the tragedies
of drought and famine suffered by whole peoples who have become
refugees.
Furthermore, when Don Boscoformulated his preference no one
had any idea of what we now call "structUral poverty", i.e. a poverty
born of a particular social and economic situation which produces it,
and from which it is possible to free individuals only at a rate far below
that at which they are being produced. In fact what is being said and
written at the present day reveals the hope that education may prove
to be the only remedy for such poverty.
These fleeting reflections may help us to understand the sense
of our option, which is not to solvethe problem of povertybut to reveal,
through a 'human' sign, the fatherly countenance of God.
~ GE. Inuoduction
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The threefold reference to young people who are npoorn,
nabandonedn, and nin dangern, indicates three kinds of poverty which
are frequently interconnected.
.
- nPoorn;means lacking material resources and the means for
self-development.
- nAbandonedn;implies the absence of supportive relationships:
parents, family, educational institutions. This lack is often found in
association with the preceding one, but can exist independently of it.
- nIndanger";describesthe situation of those youngstersexposed
to hazards which make it impossible for them to attain a happy
maturity as human beings. They are nat riskn, in the sense that they
display weaknesseswhich make them an easyprey to the evilsthat assail
them, such as drugs, inducement to crime, vagrancy and unemploy-
meot.
Towhich of these three kinds of povertyshould we givepreference?
The decision must be made against the background of the social con-
text in which we are working, and in the light of other criteria which
the Constitutions speak of later (cf. C 40, 41); bUt the first article of
the General Regulations puts them in the following order:
- youngsterswho because of economic, socialand cultural poverty,
sometimes of an extreme nature, have no possibility of successin life:
the typical aspect of this condition is that it often renders impossible
a normal human existence;
- youngsters who are poor at an affective, moral and spiritual
level: this is a kind of poverty which has repercussions on the deepest
dimensions of an individual, because of the lack of fundamental af-
fection, true values, and openness to God;
. - youngsters who live on the fringe of society and of the
Church.6
6 Cf. SGC. 39-44; 47-48; 181-182
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These options are not mutually exclusive.There are in fact pastoral
initiatives which tackle all three at once.
We emphasize the motivation expressed in the anicle: we prefer
the young who are poor because they have "greaterneed of love and
evangelization ': More than just the specific aspect of the teaching of
catechism, evangelization means the announcement and proclamation
of the possibility for the young of salvation in Jesus Christ, and the
experience of love that can open them to the presence of God in their
lives.
From preference for the poor two practical consequences follow:
care for them individually, and the geographical and social installa-
tion of our works and activities "in areas of greatest poverty".
All this is far from easy. BUt there are two forces, one internal
and the other external, which give us encouragement and support: first
the love of Christ the Saviour ("caritasChrzsti urget nos'; in the words
of St Paul), and secondly fidelity to Don Bosco,who so often declared
that the Salesian Society is meant primarily for the young who are
poorest.7
Lord our God,
you showed our Father by unmistakable signs
that our mtssion tS first and foremost to the young;
grant that we too
who are called to the same work of salvation
may reaffirm the same predilection by heart and deed,
and so become ready and attentive educators of youth,
helping them to dtscover in their own extstence
your saving presence.
7 SGC,48
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May young people
who are "Poor,abandoned and in dangerH
hear in our voice your own proclamation of salvation,
and by accepting it and adhering to it with faith,
cooperate in realizing the hopes and expectations,
which the Church and humanity
repose in the new generations.
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ART. 27 YOUNG WORKERS
Young people from poor areas who are looking for work, and young workers in
general, often enrounter difficulties and easily berome victims of injustice.
Making the roncern of Don Bosro our own, we go to them to prepare them to
take their place with dignity in society and in the Church and to alert them to the
role they must play in the chtistian transformation of social life.
Don Bosco's solicitude
The historical antecedents of this article go back as far as the first
Rule written by Don Bosco,and there are uninterrupted references to
the matter in everyconstitUtional text down to the present day.,Young
apprentices and works for their benefit have always been listed in se-
cond place, immediately after the young in need of catechetical in-
struction who were provided for through festive oratories.
In the historical preamble to the very first text of the ConstitU-
tions Don Boscowrote: HManyof them were poor and abandoned, and
were received into a house so as to remove them from danger, instruct
them in their religion, and prepare them for employment': 1
The Constitutional expression stems from some facts in the life
of our Father which are recorded in the Memoirs of the Oratory: HIn
general H,wrote Don Bosco, HtheOratory was made up of stonecutters,
bricklayers, plasterers, road makers, and others doing similar kinds of
work, the majority coming from long distances awayH.2So characteristic
were these occupations at the Oratory that in 1842 one of the feasts
celebrated was that of the bricklayers.3*Theyoung lad who constitUted
I Cf. Costituzi(mi de/fa SocietJ di San Francescodi Sales, 1858-1875, ed. F. Marro,
2 Cf. MO, 129
3 ibid. 130
p. 66
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the first step in the building up of the moral and religious work of
the Oratory would have had this identity card: Bartholomew Garelli,
orphan, illiterate, migrant labourer".4
This was the seed or beginning from which sprang an enterprise
that underwent significant stages of development in Don Bosco's own
lifetime: individual work contracts, hostels for young workerswho had
to learn a trade outside the house, internal workshops, schools of arts
and trades with a complete and organized programme.
Don Bosco'ssolicitude for young workers, far-sighted in its intui-
tions and tenacious in application, was responsible for a series of in-
itiatives which made one of the original features of the Congregation
its natural linkage with the world of work.
In the first place we remember the trade schools, educational in-
stitutiQnswhich, like the festiveoratories, seem like a characteristicwork
of the Salesian Congregation. Long practice in these schools led even-
tually to the drawing up of a ''Pedagogyof work" which the Salesians
pioneered in more than a few regions. With this kind of work and
pedagogy the Congregation became decisivelyinserted in working class
neighbourhoods and entered into the dynamics of society for the ad-
vancement of the individual and the environment. For this reason it
took on a strong "secular" complexion, which<enabled it to intervene
from a cultural and technical standpoint"fn social themes of concern
10poor areas. From this there developed in the Congregation the figure
of a member strongly characterized by his professional preparation in
the work sector, even though not limited to it: the salesian coadjutor
brother.
Work too was an essential characteristic of the Congregation's
ascetics ("work and temperance"). And if it is true that by work Don
Bosco meant every apostolic occupation, it is also true that becal;1se
of the large proportion of craftsmen in the Congregation the term
"work" took on a 'practical' and 'manual' meaning which together
4 E. VIGANO, The salesian mission and the workers' world, ASC 307 (1983), p. 11
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I with its ascetical aspett led ~atutally to a close linkage with the world
of work and the style of life associated with it.
The expression 'making the concern of Don Bosco our own. is
therefore verysignificant: the choice of a field of pastoral work involves
spiritual aspects of our identity.
OUJ:concem at the pJ:esent day
The words which follow: 'we go to them to prepare them to take
their place with dignity in societyand in the Church and to alert them
to the role they must play in the christian transformation of sociallife",
bring us to the modern phenomenon of work and to its collective im-
plications, to the complexus of norms and circumstances, models and
life relationships, which are included in the phrase .the 'world' or
'cultUre' of work.)
It is not primarily a case of providing the youngsters with a means
of earning a living, or of providing skilled workers for industry, but
to savethe individual by helping him to play .with dignity., i.e. with
human and cultUral matUrity and in the light of faith, his role in the
.transformation of sociallife".The Salesianshave a propensity for choos-
ing the workers' world as a field for evangelization,6 and in it they
give effect to their preference for the young.
In the second paragraph of the article our preference is motivated
and defined in terms that fully express its collective and cultural
overtones.
The first paragraph had already expressed the form in which the
Congregation takes up at the present day the same mmmitment as
Don Bosco's. The young' apprentices of the last centUry have become
"'youngpeople looking for work, and young workers in general.. The
j Cf. ASC 307 (1983), pp. 8-9; v. also John Paul II, Encyclical Laborem exercens, 1981
6 ASC 307 (1983), pp. 14-20
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-
range has been extended. Many youthful phenomena of the present
day belong, in fact, to the period that follows school, and a cultural
and christian mentality is formed in the conflictsthat are part and parcel
of the organization of work, rather than in the earlier years of
preparation.
The phrase Htoenable them to earn an honest livelihood * of earlier
texts has given place today to another reason: young people *oftenen-
counter difficulties and easily become victims of injustice. Behind this
expression lie the phenomena of gross exploitation found in the third
world (illegal and concealed child labour, job allocation in accordance
with HideologiesHd, ismissal of superfluous workers and the exploita-
tion of others taken on, etc.) and the typical phenomena of the in-
dustrial society.One thing is cenain: the Salesiansdo not consider work
only in terms of the individual and what he can do: the- article is
permeated by a pastoral charity which is aware of the collective and
cultural dimension which envelops the educational and promotional
theme of nworkna, nd of the effectit has on the overallsalvationof youth.
Lord Jesus,
in the years of~hidden
life at Nazareth
you willed to be known as a carpenter,
and experience in your own person
the hardshiPs of a workman's life.
Teach us to understand and to love
young people of the world of work,
so as to gutde them in their preparation for life,
that they may become among their companions
faithful witnesses of your Gospel
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I ART. 28 YOUNG PEOPLE CAUED TO SERVETIlE CHURCH
To meet the needs of his people the lord continually calls some to follow him,
and entiches them with a variety of gifts in the service of the Kingdom.
We are convinced that many young people are rich in spiritual potential and give
indications of an apostolic vOcation.
We help them to discover, accept and develop the gift of a lay, consecrated or
priesdy vocation, tOr the benefit of the whole Church and of the Salesian Family.
With equal zeal we nurture adult vocations.
This is not the only article of the Constitutions which speaks of
vocations. One may compare and contrast it with articles 37 and 109.
What is specificto this article, placed in the chapter dealing with those'
forwhom we work, is that it indicates those who show signs of a voca-
tion as being a special field of work for the Congregation. It recalls
what was said in art. 6 which gave a synthesis of our principal com-
mitments in the Church: 'We pay special attention to apostolic
vocations'.
The expression in the text has its roots in the beginnings of our
charism. It appears, in fact, for the first time in the edition of 1860,
at n. 5 of chapter I, under the heading: 'Purpose of this Society': 'In
viewof the great dangers faced by young people who wish to embrace
the ecclesiasticalstate, this Congregation will take care to cultivate the
piety and vocation of those who show a special aptitude for study and
are eminently disposed towards piety'.l The text of 1875 said that
'when considering the ad~ion of those who wish to study, preference
shall be given to those who are poorer ... provided they give some hope
of a vocation to the ecclesiastical state'. 2
1 Costituzioni 1860, 1,5 (d. F. MOITO, p. 76)
2 Costituzioni 1875. 1,5 (cf. F. MOITO, p. 76)
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,..
From that time there has alwaysbeen some reference to this group
in everysubsequent edition of the Constitutions. The article expresses
one of Don Bosco's most constant preoccupations, a manifestation of
the depth of his priesthood and of his practical Church sense: to make
possible the realization of their vocation to those who show signs of
having one and the will to follow it. Well known are the sayings of
our Father: "Everycare and concern of the Salesians and the Sisters
of Mary Help of Christians must be directed to the fostering of ec-
clesiastical and religious vocations") "Let us remember that we give
the Church a great treasure when we cultivate a good vocation".4
The Lord calls
The anicle opens with a declaration of faith: nThe Lordcontinually
calls some to follow him. Before its ministerial significance, attention
is'directed to the radical sense of vocationas it appears from the Gospel:
"He called them and appointed them to be his companions" (Mk 3,14).
To the many different needs of his people the Lord responds with
an outpouring of grace and a multiplicity of gifts which he lavishes
on the faithful, all of them converging on the same objective - the
Kingdom.
The statement reflects and almost repeats the words of St Paul:
"Toeach is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good;
... there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit" (1 Cor 12,7.4).
This phenomenon is abundantly clear in the youth sector. Young
people are making "basic life-choices" (C 26). We are convinced that
many of them are rich in availability and spiritual resources~Our con-
viction stems from experience and from the recollection of a judge-
ment often expressedby our Father: a high percentage of the youngsters
sent to us by the Lord are favourably disposed to take up a vocation
, MB XVII, 305
4 MB XVII, 262
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l to some particular commitment, if suitably motivated and followed
up.5 Don Bosco's conviction was recalled by John Paul II when he
visited the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in 1980.6
We collaborate with the Lord
This portion of you'th, endowed with signs and dispositions of a
vocation, is for us a field in which to intervene with well thought out
initiatives aimed at helping those concerned to recognize, accept and
develop the Lord's call. The GC21 reminded us that this is one of our
characteristic areas of activity, and proposed that we "revitalize con-
cretely(in our attitUdes and apostolic initiatives)one of the components
of our salesian vocation: to offer our active service to the Church in
cultivating the vocation of those young people whom the Lord calls
to a priestly or religious vocation, to the various ecclesialministries and
to a commitment as lay leaders".7
Practicalexpressionsmade by Don Boscoof this commitment were
his offer to the Bishops to look after seminaries, and the taking on
of the specific care of vocations in several places, especially in poor
dioceses. He was able to write to the Archbishop of Turin: 'I rather
think that from 1848 to the present day this Congregation has been
responsible for at least two thirds of the diocesan clergy".8
We may note that the text speaks of different forms of vocation
in the Church, which correspond to the variety of gifts poured out by
the Lord (lay, consecrated, and priestly). In all. these different forms
the emphasis is on "apostolicvocation"; this implies a particular need
for discernment and formation. It is not a question of an initial offer
to teach catechism, but of more committed forms of witness and
apostOlate.
j Cf: BM XI, 248
6 Cf. 'Ton'no vivi in pace~ LDC Turin 1980, p. 113
7 GC21, 110
8 MB XVI, 91
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The article concludes with a reference to the care of adult voca-
tions. This draws attention to the fact that the fundamental reason
for the choice of this field is neither poverty nor youth but the voca-
tional call itself. It is true that through our method of integral educa-
tion, because of the presence of the greater number of confreres among
young people, we have a special regard for the youth sector also in the
matter of vocations, but the vocational question as such leads us to
a wider outlook and greater concern. In this connection it is well to
remember DQn Bosco's concern for "late vocations", as they were once
called, and the contribution these have made to the Congregation,
especially iri the missions.
Finally, the expression 'jar the benefit of the whole Church and
althe Salesian P,!mtly" indicates a scale of motivations.
'. The first and principal reason why, with Don Bosco, we choose
this field-isJQvefor the Church and the sense of the need of her mIS-
sion in histor~The three vocations ~
lay: priestly, and religious
~
form the woof and warp of her fabric and. enable her to undertake all
good works. They represent her possibility of presence and witness in
secularrealities, of serviceto the christian community and of evangelical
te~timony. We turn our eyes first to the Church, and to her we direct
our principal concern.
But the Church is made up of different charisms. The salesian
vocation can be discovered and cultivated especially by us who have
already received this grace of the Spirit, and we can therefore discern
its signs and have an idea of its development. But everything comes
under the sign of the personal response. Our activity is not a recruiting
drive aimed ai increasing our own "strength", but a help to those who
have received from God the grace of the salesian spirit so that they
may be followed up and encouraged in corresponding with it.
The significance of this choice of field for salesian pedagogy and
pastoral work should not be forgotteh. The ability to guide and bring
to realization a vocation of commitment in its spiritual and practical
aspects is the apex of religious pedagogy. If the theme of work em-
braced the contents and horizons of the purely human aspect of educa-
tion (the formation of an upright citizen), the discoveryof the chris-
tian vocation a09 its cultivadon to the point of its full realization
298
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represents the synthesis and summit of education to the faith: the for-
mation of the good christian (d. C 37).
Lord our God,
you sow the seed of your Wor,d in men's hearts
and lavishly distribute the gifts of your Spirit.
Make us sensitive, in the same Spin't,
to the presence of these gifts
in the young you entrust to our care,
so that we may be able to discern in them
the germ of your call,
and collaborate with you in forming
for your Church and our Salesian Family
new apostles,
who wtll help their brothers to grow
as members of your Mystical Body.
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ART. 29 IN WORKING-CLASS AREAS
Our priority rommitment to young people who are poor fits in well with pastoral
involvement among poor people in general.
We rerognize the gospel values which they stand for, and the need they have
of suppon in their effurts at human advancement and growth in the faith. Hence
we support them by "all the means that christian charity suggests".1
We also giveour attention to the lay people responsible fur evangelization of their
local area, and to the family where different generations rome together2 and build
the future of mankind.
I C 1875, !, 7
~ 2 cf, GS 52
Evident in the text of the Rule as it came from the pen of Don
Bosco is his concern for Hadultsof the lower classes and especially in
rural areasH (text of 1858).1 Don Bosco addressed himself to them
through the channels then available and with a precise aim in view:
Handso the members will dedicate themselves to the preaching of
spiritual exercises, the spreading of good books, and in general will
use all the means suggested by iealous charity as a barrier to irreligion
and heresy".2
The working classes
It is of interest, first of all, to understand the social, cultural and
religious implications of this sector of the salesian mission. The work-
1 Costituzioni 1858, !, 5 (cf. F MOTTO, p. 78)
2 ibid,
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ing classesare the ensemble of people who live a veryordinary life and
who, because of their financial, social and political state, without
privilegesand without reaching the public eye, represent the common
people. Don Bosco turned his attention to the HmralHareas in what
waspredominantly an agricultural era, but he was concerned too about
the problems emerging in the new urban society. The 'working class'
therefore meant those who were not well off and who enjoyed no
privileges;they had feweropportUnitiesfor education and advancement.
Light is thrown on the meaning of the term by General Chapter
texts which speak of the location of our works. Referring to parishes
the GC2l says: HThesalesian parish is for the common people and this
becauseof its location (preferably in populous urban areas) ..., because
of its openness to its neighbourhood, ... sharing the ordinary people's
concerns, their joys and sorrows, their disappointments and hopesH,3
The same GC21 declares that the salesian school Hcatersto the com-
mon people, as regards locality, the way it deals with people, its tone
and style, its special concerns, and especially for its loving care for the
most backward H.4
Activity for the benefit of the working classes is not something
that is carried out alongside our priority work for the young, and still
less is it detached from it; indeed it harmonizes with it very well. In
what does this harmony consist? It means that in our encounter with
the working class, our characteristic and specialized area of interest is--
still the youth sector. The working class neighbourhood is the environ-
ment in wpich we give expression to our priority for youth, the social
circumstan~es in which we prefer to meet them. We are at the side
of the common people in the development of one of their most
characteristic qualities: the family, the sense of life, children. 5
3 GC21, 141
4 GC21, 131
j Cf. SGC, 54, which refers to the internal unity between our mission to the young and to
the common people
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The attitude of the salesian
After thus setting out the field of work and the need to harmonize
it with the first and principal category to which our mission is directed,
the article turns to the attitude of the pastor.
Working-class people have cultural values linked with their con-
dition: work, the family, solidarity, hope for a better fUture, constancy
in suffering.
These are already gospelvalues.Tothem must be added the typical
regard for popular devotions in an environment where the presence
/ of the Lord in history is felt and expressed in a cuiture pervaded by
a sense of the transcendent. "The piety.. of the people", said. the.Bishopr
of Latin America .at Puebla, "is a heritage of values which provide a
wise christian response to the great questions concerning existence.
Popular Catholic wisdom is able to make a vital synthesis: it brings
together divine and human elements, body and spirit, communion
and institution, individual and community, faith and fatherland, in-
telligence and sentiment; it isa christian humanism which asserts in
radical form the dignity of the individual person as a child of God,
it sanctions the fundamental brotherhooH of men .~.and assigns due.
reasons for joy and love even in the context of a very hard life".6
This double aspect of the common people, with their human and
christianvalues,determines the basic attitude of the salesian,who comes
hin1selffrom the same group: he recognizesthe hunian and evangelical
richesof the people, he reads in th~ light of salvationhistory their situa-
tion and the better things they are capable of, he supportstheir com-
mon efforts "by all the means that charity suggests". The. salesian
therefore does not work for the common people as though coming to
them from outside, bringing them waysoflife and benefits from other
sectors, bUt rather finds first of all what those people already possess
as their patrimony which he has to make his own, and then tries to
purify and develop it.
(0Puebia: cunciuding document, n. 448
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Other forms of intervention
Mter emphasizing the fundamental attitude of the salesian en-
gaged in activities for working-classpeople, the Constitutions mention
someverysignificant forms of intervention. Don Bosco'sphrase already
quoted, "allthe means that chnstian chanty suggests'; emphasizes both
the breadth of possible interventions (which like charity is boundless),
and the animating spirit which moves him, and which is always the
pastoral zeal characteristic of our spirit.
But the text suggests certain specific fields of activity, to which
~ salesians are particUlarl se sitive, since the common people form a
collectivereality and their ormation is influenced by the environment
and by family, social a political stru.ctures.
.
Two forms of intervention are pointed out which have a major
influence on the religious and cultural formation of the working class,
and which respond in fact to the concerns shown by Don Bosco:
- the care of those who are responsible for education and
evangelization in their local area: if it is true that the environment is
ofgreat importance for the formation of the individual, one can easily
understand the importance of joining forces and taking an interest in
thosewho have local educational responsibility: parents, teachers, social
workersete.; such people are linked with our own mission and expect
the support of the animation we can give them;
- attention to the famtly, "where different generations come
togetherand build the future of mankind ".The importance of the fami-
lyfor the growth of the new generations has been affirmed both by
the Council and by the 1980 Synod of Bishops.7 For us. Salesians the
familyis an essential part of the educative community (cf. C 47), and
in this light we have to think out and plan our pastoral work.8
We must add also our commitment in the field of social com-
munication (cf. C 6): we cannot forget Don Bosco's attention to the
7 Cf. GS, Part II, chap. 1; cr. also Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris consortio (John Paul II, (981)
8 Cf. E. VIGANO, The ch[1llenge of Synod-SO, ASC 299 (1981), p. 8
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r p"'" and the circulatingof good booksfur rhe educacionand evangeliza-
t tion .of the commo? people; ~t the ~resent ?ay we als? hav~ more ef-
ficaclOusmeans available, as wdl be said later 10connection Withart. 43.
!
Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
make us compassionate as you were
in the face of your people 's needs.
That we may be able to detect in your poor ones
the gospel values of which you make them bearers,
Lord, h'ear our prayer.
That we may sustain the poor and disadvantaged ~
in their attempts at human advancement
and in their efforts to grow in the faith,
Lord, hear our prayer.
That we may give special attention
and to the different generations
who meet and grow in it,
Lord, hear our prayer.
to the famtly
That we may always provIde our generous support
to all who are involved
in the evangelization and advancement of your people
Lord, hear our prayer.
304
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r
ART. 30
PEOPLE NOT YET EVANGELIZED
People still awaiting the gospel message were the special object of Don Bosco's
roncem and apostolic effurt. They rontinue to stimulate our zeal and keep it alive.
We look upon missionary work as an essential feature of our Congregation.
Through our missionary activity we carry out a patient work of evangelization
by fuunding the Church within a group of people. 1 This work mobilizes all the
educational and pastoral means proper to our charism.
Following the example of the Son of God, who m:1de himself in all things like
his fellow men, the salesian missionary makes his own the values of these people and
shares their hopes and anxieties.2
'cf.AG6
2 cf. AG 3, 12, 26
The solicitude of Don Bosco
The anicle begins from Don Bosco, as did articles 26 and 27.
Missionary sensitivity has its roots in our origins.
Many elements and facts in the life of our Founder link the mis-
sionary field to others i!1which the Congregation deploys its forces,
and this without any break in continuity. We shall dwell on just three
of these facts.
The first was Don Bosco'sconstant desire to leave for the missions,
a desirewhich his confessordid not approve.1
.
The second was the completely missionary character of his style
of pastoral activity, even where the 'christian society' was thought to
hold sway.This missionary style was evident especially in his desire to
go to those who as yet found no place in ecclesialstructures: he wanted
1 Cf. BM II, 160-161; ct. also SGC, 470
305
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to be the "parish priest of boys who had no parish ".2His purpose was
evident also in his efforts to bring the light of faith into secular themes;
the desire to link evangelization with every form of human advance-
ment took him to institutions and environments oUtside the limits
usually observed by religious. Evenif he didnotmove awayfrom Turin
he was a missionary in mind and style. He felt himself to be 'sent'
by God.
The missionary element can be rightly joined to our preference
for the poor, because those who have not yet had the Gospel proclaimed
to them are in a more grievousstate of want than those who lack bread.
The third fact was Don Bosco's immediate response the open-
ing of missionary possibilities for his Congregatio. Ith the first ex-
pedition (1875), which was lived at the Oratory by both Salesians and
boys alike as an epoch-making event, began a Story which was quite
extraordinarily fruitful. There were the missionary dreams, the looks
he cast on other continents,3 his friendships with great missionaries
(Lavigerie,Comboni, Allamano), the uninterrupted further missionary
departures of Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians; and
fmaUy there was the fact that at Don Bosco's death, 20% of the con-
freres were "missionaries".4
The concern of our Father for peoples not yet evangelized is abun-
dantly documented by letters, projects, enterprises, trials and dreams
which would take too long to enumerate.
An essential feature of the Congregation
The missionary trait belongs not only to Don Bosco as an in-
dividual, bUt to his charism as rounder. From him it has passed to
the Congregation as a feature of its spiritual and pastoral physiognomy.
2 a. BM III. 135
j Cf. ASC 297 (1980). pp. 19-23
4 Cf. SGC, 471
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From a negative point of view we can say that without missionary work
the Congregation would not merely be impoverished, bUt would be
distorted and alienated from its true nature. In it one could no longer
recognize the Salesian Society as its rounder had visualized and wanted
It.
This statement, the result of long reflection, has been repeated
by General Chapters. The GC19, for instance, expressed it as follows:
HTheSalesian Congregation ... revives the ideal of Don Bosco who
wanted the work of the missions ro be a permanent preoccupation of
the Congregation to the extent of being part of its nature and pur-
pose. ... It therefore reaffirms the missionary vocation of the SaleJian
Society ... and intends that it be known as such in the Church as well
as to its own members and cooperatorsH.5
The practical consequences of this characteristic are many and
varied. It means that a significant proportion of personnel, means and
initiatives must be dedicated to the spreading of the Gospel among
peoples it has not yet reached. It means too that the Congregation ac-
cepts and fosters the development of the vocation of those who fed
called to this eminent service. But it also means that the salesian voca-
tion as such has missionary horizons. In this sense every member of
the Salesian Society is a missionary in his own way. All foster in their
heart a thirst for the ex:Pilnsionof the Kingdom to the very endS of
the earth. All are "missionaries. in the specific sense of this article,6
in Don Bosco's style,.in the place where they happen to be working;
and even those who are not engaged directly in missionary work offer
their collaboration according to the possibilities of each one, by prayer,
interest, words and deeds. 7
j Acts GC19, pp. 178.179
6 'Missionary" is used hete in the specific sense of an apostle dedicated to the proclamation
of the Gospel in the missions 'ad gentes', and not in the wider sense used when ir is said
rhat salesians are 'missionaries of the young'
7 In the text of the Constitutions, 1972 we read: "All salesians, even those not specifically
involved in missionary work, collaborate according to their possibilities in the coming of the
universal Kingdom of Christ' (art. 15)
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[
The salesian missions
The second part of the article (second and third paragraphs) cor-
relates the reality of the Missions, as presented in the Council
documents, with the salesian pastoral identity. Do the salesian
Missions have some particular and valuable element arising .from our
charism?
dThe special purpose of this missionary activityd,says the decree
'Ad Gentes',S "is evangelization and the planting of the Church
among those peoples and groups in which it has not yet taken root.
Thus from the seed which is the Word of God, particular native
Churches can be ~uately established and flourish the world overdo
This is typical of all the Missions.
, In the case of the Salesians this objective activates and revealsthe
educational capacity and youth characteristics of their charisma. The
charismatic originality is not lost in the overall purpose but gives to
the latter its own particular complexion. In other words a dsalesiand
Mission,in the courseof its effoJ.:tt5o form the fIrst nucleus of the people
of God will leave in the newly b()rn Church the stamp of the sensitivity
of Don Bosco's charism, especially as regards the education of the
new generations and concern for problems in the youth sector. It will
enable the growing Church to become a place of meeting and of
dialogue on the faith and vital concerns betWeendifferent generations.
In this waythe Missionsare for us not just one workamong many others,
but the spearhead of Don Bosco'swhole charism which, together with
the gospel message, presents the spirit, mission, educational method
and preferred options of the Congregation.
But a salesian Mission has also tWoother characteristics: the ef-
fort at inculturation and the determination to lay down roots among
the local people. The salesian missionary does not give the impression
of being one who has brought a religious dmessage from elsewhere,
but of one who bears witness to Christ's Gospel by making his own
8 Cf.AG6
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I the values of the people and sharing their hopes and anxieties.' The
Mission is not finished once the Church has been planted. The sale-
sian mission means also the inserting of a particular charisma in a
Church for its enrichment. When the original work of foundation is
concluded, the charism remains to offer its original contribution within
the community now formed.
The example kept alwaysin mind is once again the Son of God,
who through the Incarnation makes himself like man in everything.
He is the criterion and asceticalmodel for everymissionarywho is called
"to make himself like his brothers whom he evangelizes". And this
is an indication too for the Congregation whose missionary complex-
ion requires that it become truly European, Asian, African, American
or Polynesian according to the place where the lord has called it to
work and flourish.
That salesian missionanes,
inserted with love and humility
among the people to whom they are sent,
may work with faith and courage
for the patient evangelization of these people,
we pray to the Lord.
That they may display
a delic...te salesian charity,
by taking care of the poor and suffering,
of the young and of vocations,
we pray to the Lord.
That following the example of the Son of God
who made himself in everything like his brothers,
salesian. missionaries may make their own
the values of the people they evangelize
and share their hopes and anxiettes,
we pray to the Lord.
9 Cf. AG 11-12; cr. also SGC, 468
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Grant, 0 Lord,
that our Congregation may never lose
the missionary trend of our beginnings,
and bestow on all Salesians,
and especially those who are missionaries
the abzlity to make themselves all things to all men,
so that all may hear the Good News of your Kingdom.
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