:: Salesian Regions

Salesian Youth Ministry

Applies the basic framework to a variety of different contexts of Salesian Youth Ministry

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Don Bosco was acutely aware that God called him for a unique mission on behalf of poor young people.

Its focus on the young, especially the poorest of them
Don Bosco’s realisation that his mission was to reveal the love of God to poor young people
A style of ministry particularly suited to his mission: the approach of the Good Shepherd
Other people sharing in the mission to evangelise the young

God continues to call many others to carry on and share in Don Bosco’s educative and pastoral mission for the total well-being of young people, especially the poorest

Don Bosco’s mission and life project, shared by the Salesian Family, find their expression in a specific style of life and action, the Salesian spirit, centred on pastoral charity and characterised by that youthful dynamism which was revealed so strongly in Don Bosco and at the beginnings of our Family.
The Salesian spirit is embodied and manifested in the spiritual and educative experience of Don Bosco in the first Oratory at Valdocco. He called it the Preventive System. It is a rich synthesis of:

Is a participation in the ministry of the Church
Through the gift of the Salesian charism it enriches and brings this action to the world of young people.
It is the way of living out the Salesian mission with Don Bosco’s spirituality and Preventive System
Serves the Church’s mission of evangelisation

Don Bosco consciously chose the poorest, those at risk, those who live on the margins of society and of the Church.
He sought them in the places where they were to be encountered, proclaimed the Good News to them, accepted them, recognised and respected what they had within, journeyed with them and adapted his pace to theirs.

Don Bosco adapted his work to suit his young people.
It was aimed at helping them to grasp the richness of life and its values, at preparing them for life in this world and making them aware of their eternal destiny.
The Salesian ministry is youthful – not only because it is primarily aimed at young people – but because its style and perspectives display a youthful quality.

The choice of this ministry calls for a special way of looking at reality and a special way of reacting to it. Salesians learn to understand reality from the standpoint of the young and:

are sensitive to all that promotes the education and evangelisation of the young or that endangers their welfare;
are attentive to positive aspects, new values and possibilities that emerge;
develop an attitude of listening, dialogue and empathy for the young.

Salesian Youth Ministry emphasises the profound relationship between educative activity and evangelising action.
The entire educative process is directed towards openness to God and conformity to Christ.
The process contributes to each young person’s growth in freedom and responsibility with Gospel values and Christian inspiration.

Proclaim the Gospel with educative and pedagogical realism
Cultivate an operative faith in the young
Are committed to dialogue with the cultural milieu in which young people live
Strive to implant and cultivate fundamental values, criteria for judgement, and models of life that conform to the Gospel

The Salesian pastoral proposal encourages and fosters the human talents of the young, draws out their deepest aspirations, cultivates a desire for the transcendent	Educative and Cultural Dimension
It directs the young towards an encounter with Jesus Christ	Evangelising Dimension
It brings to maturity their sense of belonging to society and the Church	Group Dimension
It leads them to a discovery of their own vocation as a commitment to transforming the world in conformity with God’s plan	Vocational Dimension

Community experience is a characteristic of the apostolic work and educative style of the Salesians.

Community is subject and agent of pastoral mission
Salesians lead young people to an experience of the Church by having them share in the life of a community
Family spirit, personal relationships, mutual trust between educators and young people, fostering youth groups and youth leadership – these elements are characteristic of the Salesian style of education and evangelisation

Animation “means giving life to a work which raises questions, gives motives for hope, brings people together, prompts collaboration, and gives rise to an ever more fruitful communion for the realisation together of a plan of life and action in line with the Gospel.”
(Juan Vecchi)

These various elements combine to form a holistic and unified approach to Salesian Youth Ministry, that has a single goal: “the all-round welfare of young people and the world in which they live” and which is a significant presence in the Church and in the world.

The community lives and acts as a meaningful presence in the Church and in the world

As part of the Church community
As a significant presence of the saving action of God in the social and political community
As a presence of the Church in a pluri-religious and pluri-cultural context