From: "jbfox" <jbfox@is.com.fj>
To: <jbfox@is.com.fj>
Subject: austraLasia #406
Date: Sunday, 13 August 2000 1:32 PM

FORUM SYM 2000

Press Release n°7

“The Salesian Youth Movement is not a dream, but a reality”

The presence and the word of Fr. Juan Vecchi, Rector Major of the Salesians,
were the indisputable protagonists of this second to the last day of FORUM
MGS 2000, which took place this week at Colle Don Bosco (Asti, Italy)

After the group work by continents, wherein the youth delegates had to
contribute their reflections for the drafting of the final document of the
FORUM, which shall be announced publicly tomorrow, Fr. Juna Vecchi, eighth
successor of Don Bosco, addressed his words to the participants.
The Rector Major started with a brief review of the history of the SYM from
its beginnings precisely here at Colle Don Bosco, to its actual realization
whose most evident characteristics are a greater awareness of the “Salesian
Youth Spirituality”, the choice of a more frequent and qualified
communication among the groups and the priority of the formation of the
young animators.
Based on this, the Rector Major did not hesitate to affirm:  “The SYM is nor
a dream, but a reality”.
In his frequent visits to the different continents, in fact, Fr. Vecchi very
often met with this fact in its different expressions worldwide.
“The SYM” -  Fr. Vecchi continued  “is a youth movement because if composed
mostly of young people who, however, are not averse to the presence of
adults whether religious or lay, who walk together with them.  It is a
uniquely educative movement with different levels of identifying with it and
with  varying ways of participation and involvement.  All can belong to it:
chilcren, adolescent boys and girls, young men and women and even adults.
Finally, it is a worldwide movement, as is very evident now with your
presence in this FORUM”.
In the second part of his message, the Rector Major entrusted some
perspectives to the young people, almost as indicators of a journey which
the SYM shall undertake in the following years.
“Live deeply the proposal of a Christian life which Don Bosco offers you:
i.e., the Salesian Youth Spirituality.  This first recommendation,
accompanied by a call to convince many young people that Christian faith
lived  in the style of Don Bosco “helps us to live intensely and fully every
aspect of our life and every dimension of our existence”.
“Do not be contented with half-measures”  Fr. Vecchi continued
energetically- “and as a consequence, the second recommendation is that of
living your life as a vocation and as service, particularly in the different
groups of the SalesianFamily.
The third recommendation is a call to the necessiity of a formation capable
of making the young capable of being protagonists in the animation of the
SYM adn making them capable of critical judgment and actualizing with
effective choice and commitment in order to be present with competence in
the different social and cultural realities.
“Consider yourselves protagonists and responsible of the SYM” he added  “and
try to involve many other young people in this experience.  Don  Bosco
desired that the salesian association be not only “for the young” but “of
the young”.
At the conclusion of his message, the Rector Major invited the young of
FORUM MGS 2000 to be promoters and defenders of life in all its forms,
committed to building a society of love based on justice, peace, solidarity
and respect of every person, against every form of discrimination due to
race, language, economic situation, political ideology and religion;  in any
place you find yourself in, proclaim the liberating power of the Gospel.”

Colle Don Bosco, August 12, 2000 (Italy)
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