4853(I)_Who is the Delegate for the Youth Ministry?

Youth Ministry Delegate Handbook - edition 2018

September 17, 2018

By YM Sector

RMG, 16 September 2018 -- Already four years ago was published the third edition (2014) of the Framework of Salesian Youth Ministry during the GC 27. In eight chapters we got quite clear vision - way - theology - method - criteria - structure and process related frame of reference. In our daily reality the Youth ministry does need one well prepared confrere (Delegate) with a robust team (Commission, Equipe). To make this animation more effective, the YM sector at world level prepared simple and practical "Handbook of Youth Ministry Delegate".

Already 28 years ago the General Chapter 23 (n. 244, 1990) deliberated: "The Provincial will appoint a delegate for the youth pastoral sector, who will coordinate the work of a team which will ensure the convergence of all activities on the objective of education to the faith, and render possible practical communication between the provinces”.

We know, that the 'new' Youth Ministry animation reality does encounter quite few challenges according the history and Salesian culture in each province (e.g. in some 'school' or 'parish' or 'oratory' or 'social welfare' provinces is not easy to position the YM delegate role in effective way. Until very recent times many Youth Ministry delegates were not full timers and not able to dedicate minimum time for the necessary reflection and YM process accompaniment. In recent years most of the EAO provinces are making relevant progress in their YM animation.

In our Region the YM Frame of Reference is already translated into Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Chinese (almost), Bahasa Indonesia (almost) and is being translated into Japanese and Tetum. The General Councilor for the Youth Ministry personally conductes every year the YM Delegate formation during the annual meeting and assisted quite few EAO provinces through the seminar or spiritual retreat to get familiar with the 2014 Frame of reference: Vietnam-Mongolia (VIE), Philippines (FIN-FIS) and THA (Thailand-Cambodia-Laos).

Now we get in our hands another useful material how to make the Youth Ministry animation in our provinces realy effective. The Handbook of the YM Delegate is rather short (20 pages) and concrete tool in our hands, helping the effective province animation of our mission.

In each of the 13 section the Handbook presents the three-fold scheme: Who is he? (Role of YM delegate) / What he does? (Functions of YM delegate) / How he does? (Know-how of YM delegate). We wish that this simple tool would be soon translated to all EAO languages and will in hand of our provincial, their councils and each rector or confrere in charge of any apostolic work.

Youth Ministry Delegate Handbook for download (ENG)