DAY FIVE: VOCATION PROMOTION Mixed groups sharing – Aug, 25 2006

Questions for workshop

1. As vocation is the mysterious gift of God, we have to beg the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to work in the field. A sustained and well organized program of prayer can itself be educative and sufficiently reflective to induce thoughts of vocation in the minds of the young and the adults.

Please, do some brain storming to get different ways HOW this can be done in different settings and then select some more effective ways of introducing it on different occasions. It is good to remember that in order to be effective there should be variety, and the services should be spiced with lively anecdotes. Multi media facilities can also be introduced.

2. What strategies will you suggest for recruitment for Salesian brotherhood at different settings? How will you ensure effective accompaniment at different stages without which perseverance is not possible? What obstacles do you envisage both at recruitment level as well as in organizing accompaniments and how would you solve them?

3. How will you exploit the opportunities that multi-media offer in order to prepare effective vocation promotion materials? Explore the methods you will employ to expose the probable candidates to the experiences of Salesian Brothers, past and present, to enthuse them to follow their foot-steps. Are there already excellent promotional materials available elsewhere which can be adapted to suit the local needs?

4. View now what we have already discussed regarding creating awareness about Salesian Brother’s vocation, his visibility, his ‘marketability’, his ‘doing’ as well as his ‘being’, and his high quality formation in the light of effective vocation promotion and draw practical conclusions.

5. Do you like to propose any strategies that can be planned at the level of the congregation that would help us to project a better figure of the Salesian Brother in order to facilitate more effective vocation promotion?

Question n.1: Please share what is being done in your different Provinces in order to help all youth to discover their vocation ion life and follow it with commitment.

Korea: Particularly in parishes the youth groups are being organized to gather the young. The problem is the difficulty in the presentation of the specific vocations that are oriented to genuine service.

India (INM): Human vocation : There is no plan or program.

Consecrated life: simply inviting boys and introducing the idea of this life.

Indonesia-Timor - There is still the struggle in the work of evangelization.

Vietnam: Oratory, hostel, frequent and regular gatherings and encounters especially on Sundays are useful means for promotion. Vocations flourish primarily because of the encouragement of the parents. Frequent contacts with the young people in religious and non-religious activities help in the promotion of vocations. Secularism is not so strong yet in the place.

Hong Kong – China: Vocation camps are means used in order to gather the young people; however this method needs more improvement. Poverty has a role to play. In the past when the country was poor, vocations were flourishing. It was easier to gather the young people. Now that the country is rich, there is great difficulty in promoting vocations.

FIS: Sports is a practical and effective means to foster human maturity and values.

A program of vocation promotion to foster basic and Christian values does exist.

Interest groups are organized to gather the young.

PNG-SI: It is a Christian country that is even declared in the country’s constitutions. But Christianity is still superficial. There is no problem in the recruitment of vocations to the religious life. But there is a need to accompany closely in order to clarify motivations

Human vocation: there is a need to foster this aspect.

Lay christian vocation: a real need

Consecrated life: there is promotion being done but must be done more carefully.

Australia: Human vocation: this is being done in a very good way in all the settings. Programs exist. Lay christian vocation: well done. Consecrated life: not very well done. Priestly and religious vocation were not promoted explicitly.

Samoa:Consecrated life: due to the deep Christian roots, there is strong promotion.

The problems are the same as in PNG.

Other comments:

There seems to be more vocations to the priestly and religious life where there are few Christians and less vocations where there are more Christians.

On vocation promoters:

- there is a full time vocation promoter: FIS, INM, FIN

- there is no full time vocation promoter: Korea, Vietnam, ITM, HK-China, Australia

Japan: For the past 35 years the bible camp done every summer has been producing good results since most of the vocations comes from this camp. The Salesians must be in good terms with many parish priest since most of the aspirants now in Japan comes from the parishes even non-salesians. Happy Salesians and contented is the best way to promote vocations..

Samoa: Come and See program done three times a year for young people. These young people comes from our school and in parishes. They are invited to come during the Feastday of Don Bosco and on week-end.

HK- China: Young people join the community during week-end as sort of Aspirants.

Students are brought to China to do some volunteer work to do something for the poor. Some joined the Aspirantate. Young people are encourage to do volunteer work since doing volunteer work is a source of vocations.

Thailand: The 10- days vocation camp is organize every year and most of the aspirants come from the non-salesian setting. Varied activities are conducted for the boys to express themselves and as a way of knowing them more. Some other Congregations are invited as speakers during the camp. The Salesian Family is invited to take their part like sending some students to take part in the camp.

Vietnam: There are four centers for vocations. The youth come to the city to study and they are invited to the Center for Vocation for those who like. Every Sunday they gather together for inputs and common activity. They are invited to come during feastday of Don Bosco. We get vocations from college students in the cities. Only on Sunday the candidates gather on Sunday for Formation.

FIN: All the students are `Catholic and they pass the seminary before going for the retreat. All fourth year`students are given an orientation about vocation before proceeding to the retreat house. At the end some will be attracted and they will be given an opportunity for a deeper experience by staying an overnight stay in the seminary. The schools are challenged that they must send at least one candidate every year. If not, the school’s youth ministry is a failure.

FIS: The Vocation Promoter goes to the different schools and give vocation talks to the graduating students. Those who express the desire to join the seminary has to undergo a Search-In for two days on a week-end. Those who passed the screening will join the Summer Camp and to those who passed, will be accepted to the Seminary as college aspirants. There are other young people in the different houses (8 of them) who are joining the Salesians for the prayers, daily Mass, Rosary and Good Night.

QUESTION 2. What strategies will you suggest for recruitment for Salesian brotherhood at different settings? How will you ensure effective accompaniment at different stages without which perseverance is not possible? What obstacles do you envisage both at recruitment level as well as in organizing accompaniments and how would you solve them?

PROPOSED STRATEGIES:

- Meeting with the prospective candidates in their environment, in SDB environment (schools; parishes, youth club); making proposals: each SDB has to make proposals (for 1 or 2 candidates/year)

- Family visit: very important, a part of the ministry of vocation promotion;

- Constant and adequate accompaniment: formators are very important; they need proper and sufficient preparation;

- Pro-active proposal of SDB vocations: presentation of SDB Families; Salesian Works; SB in the Regions;

- Clear and comprehensive presentation of SB life, formation, ministry for aspirants & prenovices & their families.

• As much as possible, assign brothers in positions/works that young people will come to know more.

• Celebrate the Brotherhood in Provincial Level, hopefully much as we celebrate Priestly Ordinations, Youth Gathering activities, Anniversaries.

• Brothers should also be invited for talks at schools and formation houses, and for the Brothers to accept these invitations.

• Create a Brothers Team (2-3 people) that goes around school and presences at the Province or the Regional Level to campaign.

• Salesians or communities should have a strong resolution to promote both vocations: in pamphlets, posters, or campaigns. A not so good example is the Phil-south vocation poster which shows only clerics. The one who designed it even told one Brother: ‘Why become a Brother? There is no future!’ In others, the idea that Brothers are for slow learners that they will say that they want to be become priest-even if like to become Brothers-just to avoid bias and stigma.

• A comics or manga type magazines which could be easily understood by young people can be made to promote.

• Make a Provincial Resolution that whenever there would be youth gatherings/ activities to insert as part of the activity the promotion of vocations.

Vocations come from Separate Aspirantates; from personal contacts; from those who work in SDB services;

A SEPARATE BROTHERS SEMINARY - ASPIRANTATE?:

• No, as long as it’s team of formators (priest/brothers) who are good in helping people to discern and resolute in introducing both vocations. At the same time, the seminary life style should foster both vocations: sacraments and education to introduce specialty.

• No need because, like fostering ‘Clerical’ mentality, these might create ‘Brotherhood’ mentality’.

• Having a Brother Seminary would also take good care of those who already have ideas of the Brotherhood and are expressing interest to become one. We have Brothers now who are products of these seminaries.

• Difficult to separate due to the lack of personnel and funds.

DIFFICULTIES OR OBSTACLES OF VOCATION PROMOTION?

• Difficulties in funding to run operations for Vocation Campaign and in running Seminaries.

• Communities that are not conducive for promoting vocations because of in fighting or too busy!

1- From SDB’s: little knowledge about SB vocations

2- No provincial formation plan for SB. There is some plan before practical training, but no plan after practical training

3- Low visibility of SB

4- Less effort given to SB formation

5- No adequate accompaniment when young SB have difficulties

6- Vocation number decline: too many experiments (e.g. immersion methods); world-wide trends; rapid change of structures; nb.: new congregations have vocations but with unhealthy approaches (free education to young men)

Question 3: How to ensure the effective accompaniment?

• In the provincial level there is a SB assigned to be the in-charge of the SB’s in the province in formation.

• The role of the provincials, the rectors and formators are of great importance to ensure for the promotion of this vocation.

• It would be better if we will have Salesian Brothers who will accompany the candidates to the Salesian Brotherhood.

• It would be good to assign a SB to the formation team to help and guide the province regarding the SB vocation.

• It is not effective to have the formation of the candidate in the outside the country and it is more favorable in the country but it still lack resources. (Cambodia)

• Building good communities that would sustain our work and our promotion for this vocation. It is the main responsibility of the rector to build the community with effective communication among them and coordination of their work.

• Formators’ formation must be ensured in order to guide the candidates in their discernment process.

• Consistency and continuity in the vocational guidance and discernment of the candidates for this vocation. Special attention must be given to both vocation (clerical or religious) and stronger promotion for the SB vocation must be considered.

• The rector plays an important role in promoting and sustaining the SB vocation. They must in a way be supportive in the growth of the SB in their vocation, i.e. to guide, ‘coach’ and assist them but not demand from them.

• Promotion of the SB vocation must not just be emphasized but the ‘care’ for the SB’s who are in the congregation as well.

• The SB themselves must accompany and encourage themselves to help and assist one another as a way of caring one another. Crisis might happen in the long run but if the brothers themselves support one another, and not to transfer them in order to avoid the problem then, it will become the source of perseverance and strength of the brother.

• Vocation camps will be a fishing grounds for candidates for the Salesian Brotherhood and it would be better if a SB is assigned as a committee head for the said camp.

QUESTION 4

REVIEW WHAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED REGARDING CREATING AWARENESS ABOUT SALESIAN BROTHER’S VOCATION, HIS VISIBILITY, HIS ‘MARKETABILITY’, HIS ‘DOING’ AND HIS ‘BEING’ AND HIS FORMATION OF A HIGHER QUALITY IN THE LIGHT OF EFFECTIVE VOCATION PROMOTION AND DRAW SOME PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS.

4.1 SB IDENTITY AWARENESS AND VOCATION PROMOTION

We have been saying that we should have such and such confreres and such and such communities. The actual reality is that we all are defective people living in defective communities. In this defective context, we must zero in on things that urgently need to be done and that can be done, putting them into practice notwithstanding many difficulties, without waiting for ideal communities and situations to appear. Each one must do his best.

The SB vocation must be promoted first of all by the SB themselves. Priests and clerics can speak well of the SB vocation, but in the end people may ask: “If the SB vocation is so nice, why did you not become a SB?” We had a young SB who spoke very well of this vocation to the Aspirants, but later he asked to become a Salesian cleric. This caused a certain counter-witness. We need SB who are true witnesses of their own vocation. This is only natural. Only married people can speak convincingly about the beauty of married life. It would be strange if a priest spoke too convincingly about this topic.

4.2 SB VISIBILITY AND VOCATION PROMOTION

Putting a SB in the formation house e.g. the Aspirantate has its problems. We have technical schools. The SB feel that their proper environment is the technical school. There, by word and deed, they can bear witness and make the SB vocation known to many young people.

In this time of planning, to make sure that the SB vocation is not neglected, the province should make sure that each community with its Rector draws up a programme of vocational promotion that is fair to both SB and SP vocational forms.

4.3 SALESIAN BROTHER ‘MARKETABILITY’ AND VOCATION PROMOTION

In the nations with a Buddhist background, we Salesians should study how the presentation of the SB vocation includes traits that are attractive to the Buddhist mentality, e.g. the desire to do something nice for one’s parents.

Human and supernatural motivations are both needed in following a vocation. At the beginning of the vocational process, the human motivations are essential. The vocational decision of young Giovanni Cagliero had an element of very human motivation: “Friar or no friar, I want to remain with Don Bosco”. SB must show attractive qualities. Ideally, the SB must be young, to attract the young. Even aged SB can attract young people, if they are rich in human qualities, if they are approachable, if they smile, if they refrain from grumbling, etc.

The young are attracted to the vocation by individuals, not by communities. Fortunately, they know nothing about our community life, when they begin to show interest in our Salesian vocation. As a parish priest, I can say that this is not only the problem of our communities. Coming to know the situation of so many Christian families, I began to realize that our communities are after all not so abnormal.

Vocation promotion of SB should target also the Salesian Family. For example, in Korea the Sisters of Miyazaki are even more ardent promoters of Salesian vocations than the FMA. The Salesian Family members can be great helpers in vocation promotion. Preparation and distribution of literature about the SB vocation is an essential need for us in Korea.

In the past, becoming religious or priest was itself a way of going up in the social scale, it was a way of achieving status. Today this is not so. Hence, it is more urgent than ever to promote vocations with evangelical ideals of service and consecration to God.

In my experience, all young people who come to become priests, brothers, sisters they say that they come because of “that person” (Fr. Locatelli, who never did vocational promotion, but who is visibly living his Salesian vocation in humble service). They don’t say “because of that priest”, or “because of that brother”. They say “because of that person”. We can say that the credibility of our life witness is the essential condition of our marketability. Each one of us could ask oneself: “Has ever anyone asked to become a Salesian because of me?”

The same can be said of Don Cimatti. He came to Japan at 46 years of age. He did not learn Japanese well. But people were attracted to him by his life witness.

4.4 SB DOING/BEING AND VOCATION PROMOTION

Because of his concentration on work, the SB is in danger of losing the soul of his vocation through a striving for an ever greater excellence in his work performance and in his professional capacity. This tendency can make the SB become alienated from the primary target of his service, the poor and abandoned youth. The SB must imitate Don Bosco in making sure that the search for souls, including one’s own, is the absolute priority.

4.5 SB QUALITY FORMATION AND VOCATION PROMOTION

We need to animate all SDB confreres regarding the SB vocation. Confreres at large need to become aware of the true identity of the SB vocation. Even though I am in charge of formation, I must acknowledge that I am not fully confident I know how to present well this vocation. I think we need to form a special team, made up of Salesian Brothers and Salesian Priests, so as to promote in an adequate way the SB vocation. This team can approach all the Salesian communities, even those where no SB are present, to arouse the awareness of all confreres regarding the SB vocation. We hope that in this way we set up a system of ongoing formation in the province that is fair to the SB vocation. The objective is to increase the concern of all about the SB vocation and to deepen in this way the awareness of all about the nature of the Salesian vocation.

The Salesian community must be strengthened through perseverant and consistent ongoing formation. True, the first approach of a person does not depend on the community. However, the growth of the vocational choice can be frustrated by the counter-witness of the community. In the end, a mature vocational choice cannot abstract from the community. Choosing to be SDB we choose to be in community. We must make sure that our communities, however imperfect, they are a help, not an obstacle for vocational fidelity.

The Salesian community needs to be protected from people with incurable psychological problems. An aspect of vocational promotion is to screen out people that can be destructive of community harmony and community commitment to the evangelical ideal.

The candidate to Salesian life must be helped to face the defective reality of the Salesian community. Even Jesus did not promise to give the ideal community to those who followed him. He only commanded (and gave us the grace) to love one another as he loved us.

A very useful way to strengthen the Salesian community and vocational promotion is the translation and diffusion of short biographies of the admirable SB who lived in the Congregation and in the province.

Every year or every two or three years in each nation we could organize a Day of Reflection on the SB vocation. Experts from the Region could be invited. Such a Day would bring to the grass-roots the formative benefits that we enjoy through our SB Congress every five or six years.