Frame_of_Reference_en


Frame_of_Reference_en

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Salesian
Youth
Ministry
Frame of
Reference
Salesian
Youth Ministry
Department

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Salesian
Youth
Ministry
Frame of
Reference
Salesian
Youth Ministry
Department

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The following collaborated in the preparatory work:
With Fr Fabio Attard, SDB
Councillor for Youth Ministry
Andrea Bozzolo - Antonino Romano - Antonio Jiménez - Centro Nacional Salesiano Pastoral
Juvenil (Spain) - Centro Salesiano Pastorale Giovanile (Italy) - Chris Ford - David O’Malley
- Dominic Sequeira - Equipo del Teologado Don Bosco (Guatemala) - Gianantonio Bonato
- Don Bosco Youth Ministry Institute (Germany) - Joe Arimpoor - José Antonio Vega - José
Miguel Núñez - Joseph Gevaert - Marek Chrzan - Don Bosco Center (Philippines) - Osvaldo
Gorzegno - Pier Fausto Frisoli - Riccardo Tonelli - Ronaldo Zacharias - Rossano Sala - Savio
Hon Tai Fai - Thomas Menamparambil.
The following collaborated in drawing up the document:
Alberto Martelli - Carlo Loots - Charles Maria Antonysamy - Chiara Bambozzi – Erino Leoni
- Fernando García - Francesca Ciolfi - Francisco Santos – Francesco Cereda - Gianni Filippin –
Giovanni Doff Sotta - Gregoire Kifuayi Nzilimpiem - Javier Valiente - José Francisco M. Zazo
- José Luis Aguirre - Jose Luis Plascencia - Koldo Gutiérrez - Marcello Baek - Mario Olmos
- Marta Cesteros - Miguel Angel Alvarez - Miguel Angel Garcia - Pier Fausto Frisoli - Rafael
Borges - Robert Simon David - Samuel Segura - Santiago Domínguez - Santiago G. Mourelo
- Sergio Castellini - Tarcizio Moráis.
Graphic Design: Artia Comunicación
Illustrations: Javier Carabaño
Translation: Dominic Mathews, Francis Hembrom, Samuel Elow, Pathiaraj Rayappan, Michael
Smyth, Julian Fox, Bernard Francis Grogan.
Rights reserved to the SDB Youth Ministry Department
Third edition 2014
Extra Commercial Edition
Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco
Via della Pisana, 1111
Casella Postale 18333
00163 Roma Aurelia
rinted by ra sur
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 16
Foreword to the Third Edition.................................................................................. 18
Documentation ............................................................................................................ 21
PART ONE
Chapter I
INHABITING THE LIFE AND CULTURE OF TODAY’S YOUNG PEOPLE
1. ”Here is your field, here is where you are to work”............................. 32
2. Love for young people and a desire for contact with them............... 33
3. Discernment by educators and believers..................................................
4. Communion with others in love ................................................................. 37
5. Salesian Youth Ministry is the primary expression of the
Salesian mission................................................................................................ 38
6. Increase the number and improve the quality of the places
where we encounter young people ......................................................... 42
7. Twofold Fidelity................................................................................................. 43
Chapter II
FROM CHRIST THE EVANGELISER TO THE EVANGELISING CHURCH
1. Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, is the complete manifestation
of God’s love ....................................................................................................................
2. Jesus reveals to us the Mystery of God, a Community of Love ...............
3. The Church, called to continue Jesus’ mission.............................................
4. The Salesian Mission ..........................................................................................
5. Mary, Mother and Teacher ...............................................................................
Chapter III
EVANGELISING AND EDUCATING: OUR APOSTOLIC IDENTITY
1. Fullness of Life and the Happiness of every Human Being.................... 60
2. Directed to Christ, the perfect man .................................................................. 62
2.1. Encountering Jesus Christ and integrating love for life ................ 62
2.2. Originality and boldness in Don Bosco’s approach to education....
3. Evangelise and educate through a project of holistic development ......
3.1. The understanding of evangelisation ....................................................
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INDEX
3.2. The relation between educational activity and evangelising
activity............................................................................................................................ 67
a) The educational implications of Christian anthropology
b) The Gospel, radical inspiration
c) The Good News in the variety of cultures and religious traditions
4. Choice of a field of apostolate .......................................................................... 72
4.1. The young, especially the poorest, are our decisive
determining option .................................................................................................. 72
a) A strong, constant love for the poorest
b) Poverty compromises the education and growth of young people
4.2. Humanisation and evangelisation of culture ....................................
a) Fidelity to the Gospel and fidelity to culture
b) Cultural challenges cut across all pastoral experiences
PART TWO
Chapter IV
THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM: A SPIRITUAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
1. The Salesian mission is enlightened by Don Bosco’s practice ............. 86
1.1. The Salesian spirit is inspired by the style of the Good Shepherd .. 86
1.2. The embodiment of the “Salesian spirit” is the Preventive System . 87
a) The implementation of Don Bosco’s pastoral, spiritual and
pedagogical programme
b) The guiding principle is pastoral charity
c) The Preventive System involves the educator and the community
to which he or she belongs
2. The Preventive System as pastoral zeal ......................................................... 90
2.1. An all-embracing educational project .................................................... 90
2.2. The dual role of preventive education ................................................. 91
a) The Preventive System and disadvantaged young people and
their rehabilitation
b) The art of positive education
3. The Preventive System as a proposal of spirituality ................................. 97
3.1. Spirituality is first of all life in the Spirit................................................. 99
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
a) The primacy of God’s freely given gift
b) The encounter with Christ
c) Life in the Holy Spirit
3.2. n original way of living the hristian life alesian outh
Spirituality .................................................................................................................. 100
a) Salesian spirituality, a concrete expression of pastoral charity
b) Salesian Youth Spirituality in practice
c) Planning programmes of education to the faith
Chapter V
EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL COMMUNITY: MAKE THE HOUSE
A FAMILY FOR THE YOUNG
1. alesian outh inistry a co unity e perience.................................. 116
1.1. Community experience in the Salesian spirit and mission ......... 116
a) Communion at the service of the same mission
b) The Salesian way of being present among the young
c) The EPC involves many people in the Salesian Educative and
Pastoral Project
d) The EPC and family
e) The EPC as a meaningful experience of the Church in a
particular area
1.2. Animation of the EPC ................................................................................. 122
a) An accompanying environment
b) Group Accompaniment
c) Personal accompaniment
1.3. speci c service of ani ation the ani ating nucleus ........
a) A group of people in mutual enrichment
b) New organisational models
2. The Heart of the Salesian Educator ................................................................ 127
2.1. An inner apostolic spirit is essential...................................................... 127
a) Enter more deeply into the Gospel
b) The first form of evangelisation is witness
2.2. Salesian Charismatic Identity ................................................................... 129
2.3. Animation is the best form of Education........................................... 130
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INDEX
a) Priority is given to the person in the growth process
b) The active presence of educators among the young
2.4. Pastoral Intelligence to give life to the SEPP..................................... 132
a) Read the present youth situation from an “educational
perspective”
b) A patient commitment to change and formation
3. he reventive yste in practice the alesian style of education........ 134
3.1. Don Bosco’s Oratory, criterion for all our works and activities....... 134
a) The “oratory criterion”, inspiration and model for our activities
and works
b) General indicators for discernment and renewal
3.2. Ways of sharing life and communion in the Salesian style ....... 136
a) A home that welcomes - the experience of family spirit
b) A parish that evangelises- religious experience and gradual
religious development
c) A school that prepares them for life - holistic growth through
education
d) A playground to meet up with friends and be happy (the
pedagogy of joy and celebration)
Chapter VI
SALESIAN EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL PROJECT:
OPERATIONAL TOOL
1. A planning mentality............................................................................................. 144
2. The Salesian Educative and Pastoral Project .............................................
2.1. SEPP as a Salesian apostolic project ....................................................
a) The SEPP is already part of our history and an operational tool
b) Basic characteristics
2.2. The SEPP as a dynamic and holistic process ..................................... 148
a) An articulated understanding of Salesian Youth Ministry
b) The meaning of the four dimensions
2.3. The specific nature of each dimension and the essential
choices it requires ..................................................................................................
a) The dimension of education to the faith
b) The educational and cultural dimension
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
c) The social experience dimension
d) The vocational dimension
2.4. Choices cutting across all of Salesian Youth Ministry .................. 163
a) Animating apostolic vocations
b) Mission animation and various kinds of volunteer activity
c) Social Communication
2.5. The Salesian Youth Movement .............................................................. 173
a) The identity and nature of the SYM
b) Preferential fields of activity for the SYM
c) The visibility of the SYM and how it is run
PART THREE
Chapter VII
ACTIVITIES AND WORKS OF SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
1. n ordered and syste atic inistry unity in diversity .......................... 184
2. The various sectors and activities ....................................................................
2.1. The Oratory-Youth Centre ........................................................................
2.1.1. The Original nature of the Salesian Oratory
2.1.2. The Educative and Pastoral Community of the Oratory-
Youth Centre
a) The importance of the EPC of the Oratory-Youth Centre
b) Membership of the EPC of the Oratory-Youth Centre
2.1.3. The educative and pastoral proposal of the Oratory-Youth Centre
a) A process of evangelisation
b) A Salesian style of education
c) An education integrated within society to transform it
d) An experience of vocational maturity
2.1.4. Systematic pastoral animation of the Oratory-Youth Centre
a) Main interventions of the proposal
b) Structures of participation and responsibility
2.2. The Salesian School and Vocational Training Centre (VTC)....... 197
2.2.1. The original nature of the Salesian school and Vocational
Training Centre
2.2.2. The Educative and Pastoral Community of the Salesian
school/VTC
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INDEX
a) The importance of the EPC of the Salesian school/VTC
b) Membership of the Salesian school/VTC EPC
2.2.3. The educative and pastoral project of the Salesian school/VTC
a) Inspiration from Gospel values and an invitation to faith
b) An efficient and quality education
c) Salesian pedagogy
d) Social function and care for those most in need
2.2.4. Systematic pastoral animation of the Salesian school/VTC
a) Main interventions of the proposal
b) Structures of participation and responsibility
2.3. Salesian presence in the Higher Education field............................. 212
2.3.1. The Original nature of Salesian presence in Higher Education
2.3.2. Salesian Higher Education Institutes
a) The Academic Community in Salesian Institutes of Higher
Education
b) The Institutional Project
c) The educative and pastoral proposal
d) Systematic pastoral animation of Salesian Institutes of
Higher Education
2.3.3. University residences
a) The Educative and Pastoral Community for university
residences
b) The educative and pastoral proposal in colleges and
university residences
c) Systematic pastoral animation in college and university
residences
2.4. Parishes and shrines entrusted to the Salesians ............................ 228
2.4.1. The original nature of the Salesian parish and shrine
2.4.2. The EPC of Salesian parishes and shrines
a) The importance of the EPC of the parish and shrine
entrusted to the Salesians
b) The members of the EPC of the parish and shrine entrusted
to the Salesians
2.4.3. The educative and pastoral proposal of the parish entrusted
to the Salesian community
a) A centre of evangelisation and education in the faith
b) A Church presence which is open and fully part of its locality
c) A Community with a missionary outlook
d) Clear option for the young and for working class people
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
2.4.4. Systematic pastoral animation in the parish
a) Main interventions of the pastoral proposal
b) Structures of participation and responsibility
2.5. Works and social services for youth-at-risk....................................... 241
he original nature of wor s and services for youth at ris
he ducative and astoral o unity in our youth at ris
presences
a) The importance of the EPC in youth at risk presences
b) Members of the EPC in youth at risk presences
he educative and pastoral proposal for youth at ris presences
a) The evangelising inspiration
b) A holistic and systematic educative proposal
c) The choice of the preventive criterion
d) The social and political perspective
yste atic pastoral ani ation in social wor
a) Principal interventions of the proposal
b) Structures of participation and responsibility
2.6. Other works and services in a variety of settings...........................
a) Experiences or services of animation and vocational guidance
b) Specialised services in Christian formation and spiritual
animation
c) Leisure time services
Chapter VIII
SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY ANIMATION STRUCTURES
1. A structured and well-organised youth ministry ...................................... 266
1.1. Planning and implementation of youth ministry............................ 266
a) Province level structures for government and animation
b) Local level Salesian communities and works
1.2. special way of carrying out apostolic activity
pastoral animation ................................................................................................. 269
a) Characteristics of Salesian animation
b) Principles and criteria for animating procedures and structures
2. Local animation and coordination .................................................................. 273
2.1. A Salesian community as the animating nucleus of a
Salesian work ............................................................................................................ 273
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INDEX
a) The SDB community
b) The SDB Rector
c) The local community Council
d) The Council of the EPC and/or of the work
e) The local Youth Ministry coordinator and team
f) Other bodies and roles of animation and government in the EPC
2.2. Other animation models for the EPC in Salesian works ............. 279
a) Salesian works managed by lay people with a community presence
b) Works managed by lay people as part of the Salesian Province Plan
3. Animation and coordination at province level ......................................... 280
3.1. The Provincial and his Council ................................................................ 280
3.2. The Province Youth Ministry Delegate and Team ......................... 281
a) The Youth Ministry Delegate
b) The Province Youth Ministry Team
c) Those responsible at Province level for sectors and settings
and their teams
4. Inter-Province animation and coordination ............................................... 284
5. Animation and coordination at world level .............................................. 286
6. Pastoral Planning ................................................................................................... 287
6.1. The different levels of Provincial and local planning..................... 287
6.2. Suggestions for determining the types of documents to
be prepared............................................................................................................... 290
a) The Salesian Youth Ministry Frame of Reference
b) The Overall Provincial Plan
c) The Salesian Educative and Pastoral Project
d) The different practical expressions of the SEPP
6.3. Guidelines for drawing up and assessing the SEPP ....................... 296
a tages in drawing up the
a dyna ic proposal
b) Fundamental Criteria in the drawing up or revising the SEPP
Epilogue ...............................................................................................................................
Comment on illustrations......................................................................................... 306
Glossary................................................................................................................................ 310
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Introduction
The Second Vatican Council was an event of great importance in
the life of the Church. It marked the beginning of a long process of
reflection which found new life in the great Council constitutions. The
Church, as a community of believers, finds power in the Word and in
its sacramental liturgical life, especially in the Eucharist, to be a sign of
hope and joy for the world. The work of the synods and the Apostolic
Exhortations continued to nourish that process. The Apostolic
Exhortations Evangelii Nuntiandi and Catechesi Tradendae, together
with the Encyclical Redemptoris Missio and the General Directory for
Catechesis gave further vigour to the Church’s evangelising mission.
Immediately after the Council, the Congregation became deeply committed
to reading the signs of the times and responding with generosity and
pastoral creativity to new needs and demands. While rethinking its
mission in recent decades, the Congregation has done serious work
in updating its understanding of Don Bosco’s Preventive System. It
has also reflected seriously on the Salesian Community as both object and
subject of evangelisation. Special attention was given to the Educative and
Pastoral Community (EPC), with a clear vision of its Salesian Educative and
Pastoral Plan (SEPP), a project that defines the evangelising and educative
identity of every form of Salesian work.
The Congregation has also tried to engage in spiritual research and
provide answers to questions on the meaning of life through Salesian
Youth Spirituality, practised by a vast movement of people.
During these same decades the Youth Ministry Department has
accompanied Provinces with systematic ongoing leadership and
animation. The aim of this was to increase the knowledge and practice of
the Congregation’s pastoral model which has its roots in our Constitutions
(31-39).
During this ongoing work of animation the Department found clear and
solid support in the teaching of the Rector Majors who gave their
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reflections in a continuous and systematic way, offering wise leadership in
this process of evangelisation and education.
The effort to assimilate, clarify and carry this process out needs to be
reinforced on the pastoral front so that it may continue to grow. There is
clearly a deep desire on the part of those involved in pastoral ministry to
respond more effectively to the needs of young people.
It must be acknowledged that this present edition of the Frame of
Reference is in continuity with previous editions. An effort has been made
to enrich it with the wisdom derived from the Church’s reflection over
recent years. The present edition is the result of a journey that began in
the communities and matured in the various provinces.
We have here a rich vision of our Salesian pastoral patrimony, enriched
and enlightened by the Church’s Magisterium in response to the challenges
of today’s world. It is a consistent synthesis, a positive interpretation of
the story of young people, with its source in Christ, a synthesis ever
more conscious of its charismatic patrimony and pastoral identity.
Every Educative and Pastoral Community (EPC) should receive this manual
as a gift and responsibility. It should then be translated into a Salesian
Educative and Pastoral Plan (SEPP) which gives every sector of activity and
every work a clear plan for evangelisation and education which follows
common lines of planning for what Salesians do today.
The Frame of Reference is an instrument offered by the Youth Ministry
Department to shed light on and give direction to the pastoral work of every
Provincial and Local EPC; to guide the pastoral activity of Provincial and Local
Youth Ministry Delegates and their teams, in order to contribute to the formation
of all Salesians and educators who share responsibility for the Salesian mission.
Fabio Attard
General Councillor for Youth Ministry
Rome, 8 December 2013
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Foreword to
the Third Edition
The 26th General Chapter of the Salesians (2008) decided, in its 6th guideline,
to et the ector a or with his ouncil encourage, through the co petent
Departments, a deeper understanding of the relationship between
evangelisation and education in order to put the Preventive System into
practice, and adapt the frame of reference for youth ministry to changing
cultural circumstances (GC26,
Immediately following GC26 the Youth Ministry Department began a process of
consultation to achieve this aim. Initially, all Study Centres in the Congregation
were consulted as also National Youth Ministry Centres and Ongoing Formation
Centres, as well as Salesian experts in this scene. Their contribution served as a
basis for drawing up an instrument intended to solicit reflection on the part of
all the communities in the Congregation. After this wide-ranging consultation,
the Department received a report from every province on the process they had
carried out. The diversity of topics and the different nuances of these reports
coming from every part of the Congregation, were studied by the team that
drew up this present edition. It is meant to lead to a systematic presentation of
the various elements that make up Salesian Youth Ministry.
The text is intended as a guide and instrument of formation. It is in
continuity with what was contained in previous editions but it tries, at the
same time, to gather together the new educational and pastoral demands
and the cultural and ecclesial challenges of today’s world.
The publication of a new edition is an opportune time to emphasise
once again the central role young people play, especially those most in
need; they are at the heart of Salesian Youth Ministry. The text recalls this
charismatic choice in the early pages (Chapter 1). The approach we have
chosen is to reflect on how the Salesian Congregation has understood, or
better, how it has felt its commitment to young people from Don Bosco’s
time to the present day.
The structure and basic contents of the second edition (2000) have
been enriched and developed by a more ample theological, spiritual and
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charismatic reflection (Chapters 2 and 3). Particular attention is given to
the diversity of contexts coming from the multicultural and multi-religious
era in which the Congregation exists today.
Special attention is given to two particular aspects in Chapter 3 rst
of all, the understanding of the relationship between evangelisation and
education, and secondly the Preventive System as a formative programme,
a spirituality and an educational methodology.
The new edition is enriched by an updated presentation of Salesian Youth
Spirituality and by programmes for education to the faith that correspond
more closely to the actual situation of young people today (Chapter 4).
Chapter 5 outlines the Educative and Pastoral Community (EPC) in a
detailed manner and contains a new section which describes “the heart
of the Salesian educator”.
The Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan (SEPP) is presented with its
essential elements in Chapter 6. Strictly linked to the SEPP, this edition
presents some directives for better attentiveness to a culture of vocation,
suggestions for animating missionary and voluntary service and guidelines
for social communication.
Chapter 7 offers practical guidelines for the activities and works of Salesian
outh inistry services and wor s in different alesian environ ents that
can have a strong educative and pastoral influence. This chapter has been
restructured considerably in the light of new social and cultural situations
and the new Salesian reality.
Chapter 8 presents a way to approach various pastoral instruments, how
they are to be understood and applied within a systematic Salesian Youth
Ministry. Pastoral planning at local, provincial and interprovincial level is
explained so that it can more easily be put into practice.
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The graphics are meant to help with the interpretation and study of the text
and encourage reflection in common by all pastoral workers. A privileged
place is given to the Word of God and there are references to Salesian
sources. These constitute a theme that runs throughout the text. They are
presented in ‘text boxes’ that enrich every chapter. All the quotations are
taken from documentation listed after this foreword. Special attention
is paid to the language of the Constitutions and Regulations, and to the
Magisterium of the Church and of the Rector Majors.
For a clearer and more logical reading, the text is divided into three parts,
always respecting the structure of the individual chapters. Each chapter
can be read on its own as part of a formation programme, or chapters can
be taken up in a different order from the one proposed here.
My heartfelt thanks go to all those who over these past few years have
accompanied this process with their prayers, reflections and suggestions.
In a particular way I would like to thank Miguel Angel Garcia Morcuende,
who closely followed the preparation and drawing up of the text, and
also Rafael Borges, Mario Olmos and Robert Simon who participated
generously in reviewing the text.
It is incumbent upon us to express our heartfelt gratitude to all who,
with their precious but hidden work of translation, have ensured that the
pastoral reflection of the Congregation can reach all parts of the world.
Their generous service is a true and proper ministry which is ever more
appreciated.
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Documentation
Church documents
• Lumen Gentium. Dogmatic Constitution of the 2nd Vatican Council on
the Church
ove ber
• Gravissimum Educationis. Declaration of the 2nd Vatican Council on
Christian Education (28 October 1966).
• Gaudium et Spes. Pastoral Constitution of the 2nd Vatican Council on
the Church in the Modern World (7 December 1966).
• Evangelii Nuntiandi. Apostolic Exhortation of Paul VI on the duty of
proclai ing the ospel ece ber
• The Catholic School. Document from the Sacred Congregation for
Catholic Education (19 March 1977).
• Puebla Conference. Document of the General Conference of the
Episcopate of Latin America (28 January 1979).
• Familiaris Consortio. Apostolic Exhortation of John Paul II on the
duties of the Christian family in the world of today (22 November 1981).
• Code of Canon Law pro ulgated by ohn aul
anuary
• Christifideles Laici. Apostolic Exhortation of John Paul II on the
vocation and mission of lay people in the Church and in the world (30
December 1988).
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• Juvenum Patris. Letter of John Paul II (31 January 1988).
• Ex Corde Ecclesiae. Apostolic Constitution of John Paul II on Catholic
niversities
ugust
• Redemptoris Missio. Encyclical Letter of John Paul II (7 December 1990).
• Presence of the Church in the University and in University Culture.
Congregation for Catholic Education, Pontifical Council for the Laity,
Pontifical Council for Culture (22 May 1994).
• General Directory for Catechesis ongregation for the lergy
August 1997).
• Novo Millennio Ineunte. Apostolic Letter of John Paul II (6 January
2001).
• Deus Caritas Est. ncyclical etter of enedict on hristian love
ece ber
• Spe Salvi. Encyclical Letter of Benedict XVI on Christian hope (30
November 2007).
• Doctrinal note on some aspects of evangelization. Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith (3 December 2007).
• Letter of His Holiness Benedict XVI to Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva, the
S.D.B. Rector Major, on the occasion of the 26th General Chapter
(1 March 2008).
• Caritas in Veritate. Encyclical Letter of Benedict XVI on human integral
development in charity and truth (29 June 2009).
• Verbum Domini. Apostolic Exhortation of Benedict XVI on the Word of
God in the life and mission of the Church (11 November 2010).
• Porta Fidei. Apostolic Letter of Benedict XVI (11 October 2011).
• Message to the People of God. 13th General Ordinary Assembly of
the Synod of Bishops (7-28 October 2012).
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Salesian sources
• Cronache dell’Oratorio di San Francesco di Sales by Domenico
uf no o e alesian entral rchive, uaderno
• Memorie dell’Oratorio di S. Francesco di Sales dal 1815 al 1855
by Giovanni Bosco. Saggio introduttivo e note storiche a cura di Aldo
Giraudo (Roma, LAS 2011). [The main text, though not the introduction
and note, exists in English print and digital editions]
• Vita del giovanetto Santo Domenico allievo dell’Oratorio di
san Francesco di Sales by Giovanni Bosco, in Giovanni. Bosco, Vite
di giovani. Le biografie di Domenico Savio, Michele Magone e
Francesco Besucco. Saggio introduttivo e note storiche a cura di Aldo
Giraudo (Roma, LAS 2012). [The ‘Lives’ are all available in English in
both print and digital editions, though not Giraudo’s notes]
• Introduzione al Piano di Regolamento per l’Oratorio maschile di
San Francesco di Sales (1854) by Giovanni Bosco, in Pietro Braido
(ed.), Don Bosco educatore scritti e testimonianze. Istituto Storico
Salesiano, Fonti, Serie prima, n. 9 (Roma, LAS 1997).
• Il giovane provveduto per la pratica de’ suoi doveri degli esercizi
di cristiana pietà by Giovanni Bosco (Torino, 1847), in Pietro Braido
(ed.), Don Bosco educatore scritti e testimonianze. Istituto Storico
Salesiano, Fonti, Serie prima, n. 9 (Roma, LAS 1997).
• Il Sistema Preventivo nella Educazione della Gioventù (1877) by
Giovanni Bosco, in Braido P. (ed.), Don Bosco educatore scritti e
testimonianze. Istituto Storico Salesiano, Fonti, Serie prima, n. 9
(Roma, LAS 1997).
• Lettera da Roma di Giovanni Bosco (Roma, 1884), in Pietro Braido
(ed.), Don Bosco educatore scritti e testimonianze. Istituto Storico
Salesiano, Fonti, Serie prima, n. 9 (Roma, LAS 1997).
• Lettera di Giovanni Bosco a Don Giacomo Costamagna (10 agosto
, in raido ed , Don Bosco educatore scritti e testimonianze.
Istituto Storico Salesiano, Fonti, Serie prima, n. 9 (Roma, LAS 1997).
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• Lettera Circolare sulla Diffusione di Buoni Libri di Giovanni Bosco
ar o
, in eria , Epistolario di san Giovanni Bosco, volume
, lettera
• Memorie biografiche di don [del venerabile servo di Dio / del
beato / di San Giovanni Bosco di Giovanni Battista Lemoyne - Angelo
Amadei - Eugenio Ceria, 19 vol. [Available in English print edition]
Documents of the Congregation
and of the Salesian Family
• Acts of the General Council of the Salesian Society of St John
Bosco. Official Organ of animation and communication for the
Salesian Congregation. Direzione Generale Opera Don Bosco.
• Special General Chapter of the Salesian Society (1971).
• 21st General Chapter of the Salesian Society (1978).
• 22nd General Chapter of the Salesian Society (1984).
• 23rd General Chapter of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Educating
young people to the Faith” (1990).
• 24th General Chapter of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesians
and Lay People: Communion and Sharing in the Spirit and mission
of Don Bosco” (1996).
• 25th General Chapter of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The Salesian
Community today” (2002).
• 26th General Chapter of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Da mihi
animas, cetera tolle” (2008).
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• Constitutions and Regulations of the Society of St Francis of Sales
(1984).
• Salesian System of Social Communication. Guidelines for the
Salesian Congregation Social Communication Department (2011).
• Voluntary Service in the Salesian Mission. Manual of Guidance
and Directives. Youth Ministry and the Missions Departments (2008).
• Charter of the Charismatic Identity of the Salesian Family. Fr
Pascual Chávez (2012).
• Identity of Salesian Institutes of Higher Education. Direzione
Generale Opere Don Bosco (2003).
• Policies for Salesian Presence in Higher Education 2012-2016.
Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco (2012).
Abbreviations
AGC/ASC
C.
EPC
GC
IUS
OPP
PSEPP
R.
SEPP
SYM
VTC
Acts of the General/Superior Council of the Salesian
Society of St John Bosco.
Constitutions and Regulations of the Society of
St Francis of Sales (1984).
Educative and Pastoral Community.
General Chapter of the Salesians of Don Bosco.
Salesian Institutes of Higher Education.
Overall Provincial Plan.
Provincial Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan.
Regulations of the Society of St Francis of Sales.
Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan.
Salesian Youth Movement.
Vocational Training Centre.
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I II III

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PART
ONE
This first part contains the outlines of a renewed vision of Salesian
Youth Ministry starting from a theological and anthropological
approach. Some keys to interpretation of the text are given to help
with the communication of the Good News in a way that it can be
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INHABITING THE LIFE AND CULTURE
OF TODAY’S YOUNG PEOPLE
CHAPTER
I
“He had compassion
on them …
and he began to
teach them”
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The Lord made clear 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 Bosco we
reaffirm our preference for the young who are “poor,
abandoned and in danger”, those who have greater
need of love and evangelisation, and we work
especially in areas of greatest poverty”
(C. 26)
Look, she said… Here is your field, here is where
you are to work”
(Memoirs of the Oratory, Introduction)
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The first chapter is of an inspi-
rational nature. As well as giving youth ministry a positive
slant on the youth situation, it opens it up to all the young
people’s expectations, even those that are hidden and uncon-
scious. Only by inhabiting their world can we come to real-
ly appreciate its potential. We need to abandon any form of
ministry that is turned in on itself, and open our gaze with
hope, always keeping in mind young people who are weakest
and most at risk. New cultural paradigms and the challenges
thrown up by different contexts call for specific attention and
challenge the very meaning of ministry and of being Church.
In this chapter we would like to focus on the motivation that
drove Don Bosco and the Congregation during and after his
time in their commitment on behalf of young people.
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1 Here is your field, here is
where you are to work
At home with his family and in the Becchi where he lived John Bosco
undoubtedly spoke the Piedmontese dialect used by ordinary country folk.
And it is our belief that Mary, the woman of majestic aspect in the dream at
the age of nine must have used this same dialect when she spoke in a dream
to young John. In the dialect of the time, in the words Mary used to point
John to his future field of action, it is not altogether accurate to use the verb
“work” (“here is where you are to work”). It is more likely that the word Mary
used meant to plough: “here is the field you are to plough.”
We are sons of a ploughman, and this is confirmed for us by the fact that
the Salesian charism has a power in itself which sustains Salesian youth
ministry. It is the virtue of hope.
The ploughman does not look back, nor does he measure his work by immediate
results. In Piedmont the ploughman had to contend with rough stony ground,
the cold soil of autumn still frozen solid at the start of spring. The ploughman
does not have the vision of the sower nor the joy of the reaper. He has only
hope and the certainty of the future that he can visualise in bloom, even though
at the time of ploughing he sees only hard work and the sweat of his brow.
These are the virtues of anyone who wants to be an evangeliser and
educator of the young. We have no time to waste. We cannot stand on
the road and contemplate the past,
looking over our shoulder. Neither
can we expect to see the result of
our labour straight away. We need
to hope, look to the future and
“In those things that are for the benefit of
young people in danger or which serve to
win souls for God, I push ahead even to
the point of recklessness”
(BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS 14, CHAPTER 28)
know how to nurture the certainty
in our hearts that what we are
doing will bear much fruit, the
fruit of holiness, the fruit of good
Christians and upright citizens.
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We Salesians look at young people the way the ploughman looks at the field
he is working in, with the tenacity of the farmer and the temerity characteristic
of our founder when he saw that his projects were from God. Our eyes
and our minds are on the present as the place of hope because now is the
time of the young people. It may not seem so but the ground we are working
on is already rich in holiness. All it needs is to be properly cared for.
2 Love for young people and a
desire for contact with them
For Don Bosco as a young priest
from the country, his arrival in
Turin in 1841 meant the discovery
of a youthful world that was new
to him and quite unexpected, very
different from what he had been
“It is enough that you are young for me to
love you very much”
(COMPANION OF YOUTH. INTRODUCTION ‘TO YOUNG PEOPLE’)
used to. On the one hand, there
were many boys and young men
who converged on the capital of the State of Savoy in search of work and
a future. On the other hand, Don Bosco discovered a more dangerous
aspect of society, harsher and more cruel than what he had known at the
Becchi or even in the small town of Chieri.
Don Bosco found himself catapulted into a new world where there
was no shortage of problems social, economic, political and religious.
There was a growing anti-clericalism. People of the upper classes, and
many also in the Church, felt that these young people were not and never
would be capable of civilised living. Many of them were illiterate, ignorant,
given to robbery and crime, and they did not practise their religion. There
was only one solution — the juvenile prison known as the Generala.
Don Bosco looked at this situation with a different perspective
under the spiritual and pastoral guidance of Fr Cafasso. He saw not just
prisoners but possible future upright citizens, not just street boys but boys
who could become good Christians. He saw the chimney sweeps and
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
other youthful workers as future saints, pillars of Church and society, now
and in the future.
This is the great value of hope which is capable not only of loving (like
charity), but of loving what will be in the future, not only of believing and
knowing (like faith), but knowing the future and believing in it.
Don Bosco’s way of seeing things is marked first of all by empathy
and love. He was able to walk in the boys’ shoes. During his years of
formation he had learned to become the kind of priest who was close to
young people, capable of empathy, of establishing immediate contact.
He was able to feel with the young and ordinary people. The pastoral
model that Don Bosco intuited, experienced and practised, under Mary’s
guidance, was that of a kindly priest – no fool, no hail-fellow-well-met,
but one who makes you feel at ease right away, because you feel loved
immediately for who and what you are.
Don Bosco’s pastoral work, his decision to start with the young and his
creative planning were not based on simple sociological research into the
problems of society, nor on a psychological belief in the innate potential of
the youthful stage of life, not even on the pure philanthropy of someone
who is moved to action by unease at the situation of the people around
him.
Don Bosco was moved by the heart of the Good Shepherd who sees
a flock lost and astray, feels deep compassion and sets about preaching the
Word to them, giving them something to eat to nourish both body and
spirit for this world and for eternity. “As he went ashore he saw a great
throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep
without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things” (Mk 6:34).
The pastoral activity of the Congregation is, therefore, marked by a
profound ability to fi nd ways of making contact, of getting close to the
young and sharing life with them. We go in search of the people to whom
we are sent, and find them wherever they are, in the place where they are
physically, in the things they are interested in (cf. C. 38). Like the Good
Shepherd, the Salesian lets himself be moved by the confusion felt by
those to whom we are sent and by their desires. He adapts himself to
them, praying to the Holy Spirit for the gift of compassion, modelled on
the meekness of the heart of Jesus (cf. GC20, no.100).
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To do this, our pastoral activity
must be done in a way that is
professionally correct, making use
of every help offered by the sciences
and human wisdom. Above all,
“Let the superiors love what the young
however, it must be guided by
people like, and the young people will love
our contemplating the youth
situation through God’s eyes,
what the superiors like”
(BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS 17, CHAPTER 3)
a way of looking at things that
Don Bosco had all through his life,
starting from the dream at nine and lasting right to the end of his life. It
demands prayer, entrusting our work to Mary, obedience to the Church,
conforming our desires and sentiments to those of Christ: “Have this mind
among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).
3 Discernment by educators
and believers
Contemplation enables us to see things in all their depth. We are all
familiar with Don Bosco’s dreams where he describes his own work and
the events of the Oratory as a struggle, sometimes even a bloody struggle,
between good and evil, or better, between the devil and Jesus and Mary.
These scenes are not only studied from a pedagogical angle as a metaphor
for the formation of the boys who were listening to Don Bosco in his
Goodnights at Valdocco. They are also the understanding of one who
contemplates life through God’s eyes. The struggle between Jesus and the
power of evil is ongoing – a struggle that has been won definitively (this is
the basis of our optimism and hope) but is not yet finished.
Our pastoral activity is part of this ongoing struggle for the freedom of
young people from the very real slavery and the real evil which
is sin. Sin manifests itself in many ways – personal sin, the sin of the
Church community, the sinful structures of society. Sin oppresses the
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
human person and obscures the horizon of salvation towards which they
are already walking and which awaits them in Paradise.
It is in this struggle that our pastoral ministry takes place, addressing all
its implications – spiritual, material, political, social, economic and legal
– so that young people may attain to a life fully worthy of God and the
happiness intended for them.
The Salesian takes on the task of listening to, observing and discerning the
circumstances of sin in this world with a sense of responsibility (cf. C. 18)
and with optimism and joy (cf. C. 17). He makes a daily effort, through
personal and community action, to make use of all that can help to realise
his mission – a happy life here and in eternity for all young people, even
for those furthest away.
This is why, like the ministry of the Good Shepherd who gathers his sheep
and leads them to rich pastures, Salesian ministry is both evangelisation
and education. It aims to transform the entire life of the young person. It
seeks to listen and to know in depth the situation in which we live, in order
to transform it in accordance with God’s design (see Chapter 3).
In this way, the Salesian mission in the mind of its Founder coincides with
the whole person and the whole world. Don Bosco’s missionary zeal cares
for the whole person in all aspects, personal and social, and for all the
young people of the world. It is here, right at the start of the Congregation,
that the decision was born to reach out to young people in the situations
and places where they are to be found, to share the Gospel with them.
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4 Communion with others
in love
We bring about in our works the Educative and Pastoral Community. In it
and through it we Salesians are signs and bearers of the love of God
for young people (cf. C. 2, 47).
This dual reference point sheds light on and gives meaning to our mission.
In the fi rst place, our mission takes place in the context of Christ’s own
mission. He came that they might have life, and have it abundantly (Jn
10:10), not any life, but his own life. He is the life and the truth that lights
up the way to reach it (Jn 14:6).
The divine life which Christ incarnates and makes visible on earth, and
bears witness to by his death on the cross, is the very life of God, the life
of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, a single movement of communion and
love.
We are therefore, fi rst of all fi rmly convinced that the ultimate purpose
of our mission in the Church and the world is to offer young people,
especially the poorest of them, the very life of Christ. This is a life
of relationship, love, Trinitarian communion with the Father, who is the
ultimate goal of our existence and the source of our happiness in time and
in eternity.
Young people can fi nd the true
meaning of their lives only in full
communion with God, the Trinity
of love, in the form of the Son who
became man. This means fulfilling
in the concrete circumstances of
their daily lives, the truth that God
has in store for them – the fullness
of life and happiness.
“Communion and mission are profoundly
connected with each other, to the point
that communion represents both the
source and the fruit of mission”
(CHRISTIFIDELES LAICI 32)
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This personal fulfi ml ent cannot be achieved alone. Right from the
beginning it is rooted in the Trinitarian communion which characterises
us as human beings, children of God. The human being is created in the
image of the Son and is created for communion. Fostering this spirituality
of communion is the educational principle in all the settings where the
human being and the Christian are formed (cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte
43). This is why our mission is not primarily about organising works and
projects but about giving life to Educative and Pastoral Communities
which reflect here on earth the Trinitarian community of heaven
where we are called to dwell.
We are certain that the love of God which we bring to the young develops
in their lives through joy, mortifi cation and the sacramental life which
combat the sins of individualism, loneliness and self-suffi ciency. We are
called to communion in love with one another. We carry out our mission
in community and we try constantly to give life to communities that live
here on earth as God wants us to live in eternity.
5 Salesian Youth Ministry is
the primary expression of
the Salesian mission
The Salesian Mission, which sets the tenor of our whole life, specifies the
task we have in the Church and our place among other religious
families (cf. C. 3). It is expressed in practice in the projects and works,
the educational environment, the places of formation and evangelising
activities which all come under the title of ‘Salesian Youth Ministry’.
Salesian Youth Ministry does not, however, exhaust the abundance of
the mission of the Congregation. The mission is, in fact, a theological
reality strictly linked to the very vocation of the Congregation and of each
of its members. However, the mission can only be expressed through
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specific activity. Youth Ministry is the primary and typical expression of
the mission.
It is pastoral because it is, in the fi rst place, a multifaceted expression
of an ecclesial community in which, alongside our lay collaborators, the
community of consecrated Salesians is present as the animating nucleus
(cf. GC25). Together they make up the community of the Church in a
particular place distinguished by the Salesian charism which, in turn,
expresses its evangelising mission through the educative and pastoral
works undertaken from time to time.
It is youthful because young people, especially the poorest of them, are
at the centre of all our activity. We go in search of young people in the
real situation of their lives, with their resources and difficulties. We try
to discover the challenges presented by the cultural, social and religious
contexts in which they live. We dialogue with them and, through a
pedagogy of accompaniment, we invite them to undertake a journey
that leads to a living community encounter with Jesus Christ (cf. GC20,
no.360).
Finally, it is Salesian because it finds its principal point of reference in the
charism of Don Bosco, following the inspiration of the educative love of
the Good Shepherd. It finds expression in preventive education, based on
love and trust, and always ready to dialogue. These qualities constitute the
criterion of genuineness and the yardstick for planning and activity.
As the expression of ecclesial ministry in the style of Don Bosco, Salesian
Youth Ministry sees evangelisation as its most urgent activity. Its most
basic task is to invite all young people to live their lives as Jesus lived his, so
as to get to know Jesus gradually, live their humanity to the full, and play a
full and responsible part in building
the kingdom of God in the world.
Salesian ministry is no different
from that of the Church and is
therefore an evangelising ministry.
It is characterised by a style of
educative intervention and is a
ministry carried out through the
work of education.
“We must have as our primary aim the
care of youth, and any occupation that
distracts us from this is not good”
(BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS 14, CHAPTER 11)
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The people to whom we are sent first are the young people whom Don Bosco
describes as the most delicate and most precious portion of all humanity and
the delight of the Lord. The category “youth” inevitably suggests a stage in
the age and growth of the individual, but it is not used here in a psychological
or sociological sense. Youth is not to be understood only as a particular stage
through which one passes with a view to becoming a “good Christian and
upright citizen” in the future. It is to be taken in two ways:
• on the one hand it can be thought of only as part of an individual’s entire
life, and cannot be understood except in relation to the age which prece-
des it and that which follows. It is part of a person’s growth to adulthood;
• on the other hand, we need to focus on what is unique to this stage,
and which must be experienced in order to pass on to the next wi-
thout missing out on something important.
The stages of an individual’s life do not follow one another in such a
way that the new one simply means the end of the previous one. Youth
represents a fundamental expression of human existence, a characteristic
way human beings develop, part of their journey from birth to death. It is
a way of feeling and a way of behaving in relation to the world.
In this way we discover that youth and the stage of adolescence that precedes
it are the most precious part of humanity because they are the stage in life
when people discover themselves, and recognise the emergence of freedom
as a task. It is the task of accepting
the truth of who they are, marked
by divine vocation and solidarity with
others. It is the age for understanding
“At the present time, youth is the most
delicate and most precious part of human
society, on which the hopes of the present
and the future are founded”
(INTRODUCTION TO THE REGULATIONS OF THE ORATORY OF ST
FRANCIS OF SALES)
and choosing their mission in life so
that, after a trial period in which the
individual visualises him or herself
in various different possible future
identities, he or she can take the first
step in moving from a provisional
choice to a definitive decision about
“Remember, young people, that you are
the Lord’s delight”
(BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS 3, CHAPTER 53)
life. This is the age when fortitude
becomes the cardinal virtue par
excellence. It is the stage of idealism
when reality is challenged in the
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name of the memory of their fathers
and the strength of their choice for
what is true and good. It is the time
for courage in the mission, time to
“cast their nets” on the promise of
an authoritative word.
Our fundamental task is then to “propose to
the young with courage and joy that they live
their lives in the way Jesus Christ lived his”
(GC26, NO.36)
Salesian Youth Ministry engages
in all this, not only on behalf of
young people, but together with young people. Don Bosco was the first
Saint to found a Congregation not only for young people but with
young people. He valued, in a way previously unheard of, the unique
part that young people could play and involved them actively in the
adventure of their religious and human development. This is why Salesian
ministry is essentially youthful, not only because we see young people as
the beneficiaries of our ministry, but because they play an active part in it.
Their involvement is not blind. We overcome the generation gap and any
tendency to paternalism in the ministry by engaging in a family style that
involves honest and open dialogue and a shared educative responsibility.
It values the responsible contribution of every member of the community,
in proportion to their maturity. We are also aware that it is impossible for
young people to play an active part in their own growth and relationship
with God unless they are involved in the pursuit of holiness.
Finally, precisely because ours is a youthful ministry it is always, at one
and the same time, both evangelisation and education. It is a method of
evangelising that invites young people to live their lives in the way that
Christ himself lived his. It also aims at the all-round development of the
person, which is precisely what we mean by education.
Salesian Youth Ministry is therefore a systematic activity of the Edu-
cative and Pastoral Community which is motivated by a charismatic
mission. It seeks to enable young people to grow to maturity, in a re-
ligious vocation, and to communion with Jesus Christ in the Church.
Christ is seen as the one who gives the fullness of life and is the basis
of this fullness. It helps young people, by means of educational activi-
ty, to become “upright citizens and good Christians”.
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6
Increase the number and
improve the quality of the
places where we encounter
young people
Salesian Youth Ministry is by definition attentive to the signs of the times.
Young people are not always the same. Their age and circumstances change.
It is part of nature. For this reason, Salesian Youth Ministry is not afraid to
change its models and structures. It is in a constant state of pastoral conversion.
The contexts in which we move are characterised by complexity and
contradictions. This is a given fact that needs to be taken into consideration
explicitly, more so now than ever before.
The religious experience of young people is varied and even contains
contradictory elements. They have one experience after another and
faith is not the pivot that gives meaning to their plan of life. For many
young people, the Christian message is received sporadically. There is some
continuity in catechesis or liturgical celebration, or through some Church
initiative, but it does not impact much on their experience. It does not speak
to the young in a way that influences the real problems they face in life.
Sometimes the Christian message presupposes, if not an explicit interest in
the faith, at least an openness to the religious dimension of life or an explicit
questioning of the meaning of life. Many young people, however, are caught
up in the difficulties they face in everyday life. They are concerned about
immediate problems. They are in a different place, not only physically, but
especially mentally. This leads to indifference in relation to faith. It should
be noted however, that this indifference is towards the way the message is
proposed and should not be seen as a complete rejection of faith, or of the
presence of God, or the good news that gives hope and meaning to life.
This complexity is not limited to the world of the young. The Salesian
Congregation is now firmly established on a global level. It is experiencing
a fruitful and creative tension between fidelity to its identity and the way
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it needs to express this in the very different and complex circumstances
we find ourselves in.
It is in this varied situation of globalisation and structural change, which
is not just superficial, that we Salesians are called to rediscover the force
and the roots of our identity. We need to contemplate our pastoral
projects in faith and incarnate our youth ministry with greater truth.
Then our invitation to faith will be strengthened with new and up
to date ways of proclaiming the good news of the Gospel.
7 Twofold Fidelity
Love for Don Bosco nowadays means being aware
that we have to evaluate our pastoral activity to
ensure that it is always guided by a twofold fidelity.
We must be faithful in listening to the feelings
of young people, to their deep desires, the
cultural climate in which they live and in which
we want them to be active participants and not
just passive consumers and recipients. We must
also be faithful in listening to the Church, to
its evangelising mission. We must be able to live
its mission in the present, thanks to the action
of the Holy Spirit, not just applying formulas
from a past that is behind us, but as a truth
that is forever new and fruitful, that renews us
constantly and leads us to union with the Spouse
(cf. Lumen Gentium 4).
In other words, we must live on common ground, in
harmony with the young. This means being faithful
to the kind of assistance and sharing our lives with
the young which Don Bosco spoke about in the
Letter from Rome in 1884. What is important is not
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emotional closeness. This is not paternalism but an awareness of how
young people live. It implies a strong desire to be close to the young in
an educative relationship that helps them to discover the newness of God
and his call, and to express and live the vocation of the Church in a way
that is always new.
This twofold fi delity to the world of the young and the mission of the
Church demands that we increase the number and improve the quality
of the places where we meet the young people of our day. It also means
that we need to discover, experience and propose new ways of listening
to the young, sharing our faith with them and offering them the gospel.
This is the pastoral conversion demanded of us today. Herein lies the
pastoral creativity (cf. C. 19) which we Salesians cultivate in our works
and programmes. This conversion is a process of evaluation and a new
beginning of our ministry, starting from fidelity to the world and
to the Gospel. It is not something static, but eminently innovative and
missionary.
Here is the heart of the New Evangelisation. The Church takes up again
the missionary mandate of the Lord Jesus. He has sent the Church into
the world so that, guided by the Holy Spirit, it may bear witness to the
salvation received and make known the face of the Father who is the first
agent in the work of salvation. It is not only a renewal, a change of model
or a new plan, but a real and proper conversion. It is a journey of holiness,
a battle against sin and a constant effort to be ever more fully conformed
to Christ the Good Shepherd.
We, Salesians and lay people, have been gifted with a charism and are
called as an Educative and Pastoral Community to proclaim the Good News.
We are particularly challenged by the urgency of the New Evangelisation
which is a task for the whole Church today. This urgency motivates us to
find, in renewed fidelity to our charism, a new apostolic thrust, a new urge
to make contact with young people and, above all, to look again at our
pastoral ministry. We want to become ever more effective in proclaiming
the Gospel, in working for the coming of the Kingdom of God, and the
formation of good Christians and upright citizens in the present and in
the future.
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FROM CHRIST THE EVANGELISER
TO THE EVANGELISING CHURCH
CHAPTER
II
“…To gather into
one the children
of God who are
scattered abroad”
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We, the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), form
a community of the baptized. Submissive to the
bidding of the Spirit we are resolved to carry out
the Founder’s apostolic plan in a specific form of
religious life: to be in the Church signs and bearers of
the love of God for young people, especially those who
are poor. By carrying out this mission we find our
own way to holiness”
(C. 2)
…to gather into one the children of God who are
scattered abroad” (Jn 11:52). The words of the holy
Gospel which tell us that our Divine Saviour came from
heaven to earth to gather together all the children of God
scattered in different parts of the earth, can be applied
literally to the young people of our day. They are the most
delicate and precious portion of human society, on which
we found our hopes for a happy future … This was the
mission of the Son of God. This alone can be his holy
religion … When I gave myself to this part of the sacred
ministry I intended to consecrate my every effort to the
greater glory of God and the good of souls. I intended to
work to make good citizens on this earth so that one day
they might become worthy dwellers in heaven. May God
help me to continue thus until the last breath of my life”
(Introduction to the Regulations of the Oratory of St Francis of Sales)
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FROM CHRIST THE EVANGELISER TO THE EVANGELISING CHURCH
An updated presentation of Salesian Youth
Ministry requires reflection not only of a charismatic type but
also of a theological nature. Youth Ministry as an activity of the
ecclesial community demands of us a deep theological and
ecclesiological study. This chapter expounds three basic con-
victions: Jesus Christ, the evangeliser who proclaimed com-
munion with God and communion between people (fraternal
love), is the full revelation of God as a community of love. The
Church is the mystery of Communion and mission, animated
and sustained by the Spirit of God. The Salesian Congregation
shares the Church’s evangelising mission, with a specific op-
tion for the young.
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1
Jesus Christ, the Good
Shepherd, is the complete
manifestation of God’s love
The precious text of our holy founder (see above), as well as pointing
out the holistic nature of Salesian education which aims, through the
Preventive System, to form “upright citizens and good Christians”, also
clearly shows the theological profundity of the mission entrusted
to him by God. This continues to be our mission in new contexts very
different from that in which Don Bosco lived and worked. We are called
“to be in the Church signs and bearers of the love of God for young
people, especially those who are poor” (C. 2).
The love of God is made fully manifest in Jesus Christ. We read in the first
letter of St John: “That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon
and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – the life was
made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the
eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us – that
which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may
have fellowship with us” (1 Jn 1:1-3a). In this sense, Jesus is the prophet
par excellence, unlike the prophets of the Old Testament, through whom
in many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers (cf. Heb 1:1).
He is the Word of God through whom God communicates in a definitive
manner with all the men and women of the world.
The love of God manifest in Jesus Christ is the Good News par excellence given
to all people, the euanghèlion. This love also constitutes the fullness of every
man and woman in their situation. Jesus gives this love through communion
with God, especially through forgiveness of sins, and through communion
with all people, in the “new commandment”: “By this all men will know that
you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35).
Jesus communicates the Love of God which leads to the salvation of all
with nobody excluded, but with a special predilection for those who are
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FROM CHRIST THE EVANGELISER TO THE EVANGELISING CHURCH
socially or religiously marginalised,
for different reasons: the poor,
the sick, especially lepers and
those afflicted with an evil spirit.
Even those who are furthest from
God, public sinners (tax collectors
and prostitutes: cf. Lk 7:36-50;
Lk 15:1-3). Similarly, he shows
great kindness and tenderness
towards children, of whom he says:
“whoever does not receive the
kingdom of God like a child shall
not enter it” (Mk 10:15).
This manifestation of the Love of
God for all men and women is not
just a promise that will be fulfilled
in the future. Jesus reveals the Love
of God through his salvifi c signs:
“he went about doing good” (Acts
10:37-38).
Poverty refers directly “to their social
and economic situation; abandonment
implies the ‘theological note’ of lack of
support through the absence of adequate
mediation of God’s love; and danger
refers back to a determining phase of life,
adolescence, the time of decision after
which habits and attitudes formed can be
changed only with great difficulty”
(FR PASCUAL CHÁVEZ, AGC 384, “LOOKING AT CHRIST
THROUGH THE EYES OF DON BOSCO”)
“Jesus Christ made himself little with the
On the other hand, all who
experienced the Love of God
through the word and action
little ones and bore our weaknesses. He
is our master in the matter of the friendly
approach”
(LETTER FROM ROME, 1884)
of Jesus Christ, those most in
need in their different situations,
themselves became evangelisers:
the sick, the poor, the despised Samaritan woman, even the man who
was possessed by a legion of devils (cf. Mk 5).
Jesus himself described his mission with the image of the Good
Shepherd (cf. Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:4-7; Jn 10:1-8), “who wins hearts by
gentleness and self-giving” (C. 11).
As a Good Shepherd, Jesus always has a missionary concern. “I must
preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for
I was sent for this purpose.” (Lk 4:43-44). “And I have other sheep that
are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice.
So there shall be one flock, one shepherd” (Jn 10:16). The Good Shepherd
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loves all his sheep but has an almost disconcerting predilection for the one
that is lost, displaying his tender solicitude by searching for it till he finds it,
and his loving-kindness by rejoicing as he carried it on his shoulders: “And
when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing” (Lk 15:5).
The most profound meaning of the Incarnation of the Son, sent by
the Father “through the work of the Holy Spirit” which finds its full
realisation in the Paschal Mystery, the death and resurrection of Jesus,
is precisely this: to reveal the divine love to us “to the end” (Jn 13, 1ff.)
in order to gather together in unity all the men and women of the world.
“For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down
the dividing wall of hostility … for through him we both have access in
one Spirit to the Father” (Eph 2:14.18).
2 Jesus reveals to us
the Mystery of God, a
Community of Love
Jesus not only reveals the love of God for us, but the true face of God,
who is in himself a Communion of Love. The Father gives himself to the
Son by generating him, and together they breathe the Holy Spirit. This is
the heart of the Christian faith.
This communion of love is not only manifested to all people by the Son, but
is really shared with them through the action of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It
constitutes the basic duty of every Christian: to build in our world the Kingdom
of God which is a Kingdom “of justice, love and peace”. I pray “that they may
all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be
in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (Jn 17:21).
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3 The Church, called to continue
Jesus’ mission
This is the raison d’être and the fundamental mission of the Church: to
continue the mission of Jesus Christ, with the light and the power of the
Holy Spirit, to make visible the God who is Love, and to build communion
with Him and among all men and women. Nobody is excluded but “the
least” are privileged, in different situations in space and time in history.
This continuity is described in the New Testament, in the writings of John,
with a phrase that is quoted twice: “No one has ever seen God” (Jn 1:18; 1
Jn 4:12). The first time it refers to the mission of Jesus: “the only Son, who
is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known”, but the second
time it transfers this mission to the community of believers in Christ: “if
we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
The Church is, in its deepest essence, “a mystery of communion and
mission” (Christifideles Laici 32): the continuation of the Mission of Jesus
Christ, by proclaiming the Love of God for the building of the communion
and community of the sons and daughters of God. The experience of the
Church is the experience of communion with God and with men and women.
It is a community sustained by the Spirit, where faith
is lived in community (koinonia)
is reflected and becomes consistent witness (martyria) is
celebrated (liturgy) is transmitted in service and pastoral
action (diakonia)
is translated into attitudes of life (spirituality)
Its community dimension is seen and realised at different levels. It has
its proper goal in the eschatological fulfi lment of Communion of love
with God, and of people among themselves, which is the fullness of the
Kingdom of God. Here on earth, the privileged instrument of this love and
the place where it is made real is the Church community, a communion of
love which is being built every day. It is, at the same time, an instrument
of indispensable ministerial service for the realisation of the Kingdom
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through its work of evangelisation and catechesis, the celebration of the
Sacraments, the experience of fraternal life in community, ecumenical
and inter-religious dialogue, and its work for human
development which leads to the overcoming of all
discrimination and marginalisation.
Therefore, the Church is essentially
missionary. Its primary duty is to bring the
good news of Christ to every people and
culture. This mission of the Church sets the
tone and the very identity of the Christian
community. The task received from Christ to
evangelise all peoples is not just “something
to be done”. It is part of the very nature of the
Church and expresses the Church’s identity. This is
beautifully stated in one of its liturgical texts:
To make of all the nations one single
people, which has as its end your kingdom,
as a condition the freedom of your
children, as its law the precept
(ROMAN MISSAL, COMMON
of love
PREFACE VII).
4 The Salesian Mission
The Salesian charism is a participation in the universal mission of
the Church, and an experience of the Spirit, a gift of God given to the
Church and to humanity through Don Bosco. It has its own distinctive
characteristics:
• the people to whom we are sent: to ‘unite’ young people;
• predilection for “the poorest, those abandoned and in
danger”: those who are far from God, marginalised from the
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human community, most in need of an experience of the love
of God;
• a style of its own which favours loving-kindness (educative love
that makes young people grow and creates a relationship) and
a sense of community (family spirit) to overcome loneliness
and exploitation;
• our privileged means which is education and the experience of
the Educative and Pastoral Community, “a living experience
of Church and a revelation of God’s love for us” (C. 47).
5 Mary, Mother and Teacher
“All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with
the women and Mary the mother of Jesus.” (Acts 1:14). The motherly
presence of Mary in the fi rst community, at the centre of the ‘brothers
and sisters’ of Jesus, has continued down through the centuries. She is
“the motherly face of the Love of God.” She leads us to Jesus, so that all
men and women of the world may become sons and daughters in the
Son. As at the wedding at Cana, her concern and motherly predilection is
for all those “who have no wine” (Jn 2:3). And in particular for the many
young people who cannot find meaning in their lives because they do not
feel loved by God. They are marginalised because of their socio-economic
condition, their lack of employment, their family situation, or their need
for affection. By making us their companions of the journey, “the Virgin
Mary is present in this process as a mother. We make her known and loved
as the one who believed, who helps and who infuses hope” (C. 34).
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OUR APOSTOLIC IDENTITY
CHAPTER
III
“Give me this water,
that I may not thirst”
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Our mission is a sharing in that of the Church,
which brings about the saving design of God, the
coming of His Kingdom, by bringing to men the
message of the Gospel, which is closely tied in with
the development of the temporal order. We educate
and evangelise according to a plan for the total
well-being of man directed to Christ, the perfect
Man. Faithful to the intentions of our Founder,
our purpose is to form ‘upright citizens and good
Christians’”
(C. 31)
This system is based entirely on reason, religion
and [above all] on kindness”
(The Preventive System in the Education of the young)
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Fullness of life and the happiness of
human beings is the ultimate purpose of the plan of God. The
Gospel of Christ shows great trust in humanity. It demands that
we pay attention to the unique reality of every person and their
willingness to accept their vocation and destiny in Christ, the
perfect man. The Gospel proposes the good news (the person
of Christ) who invites everyone to share in Christ’s sonship,
the foundation of the freedom and dignity of every person. Don
Bosco educated and evangelised by carrying out a project of
holistic development. He saw education as the growth of the
person, with all the means necessary to assist the person.
Evangelisation inspires people to the fullness of life offered in
Jesus and enlightens them in its pursuit, always respecting the
developing conscience of each person. Finally, regarding the
choice of field of ministry, we are sent to the poor, especially the
poorest, and to ordinary class environments, where we seek to
humanise and evangelise the culture.
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1 Fullness of Life and the
Happiness of every Human
Being
Developing as a person is a daily task linked to the joy and struggle of
existence. At times it can be a particularly difficult undertaking. We have the
sense of having to invent a path not yet mapped out for ourselves (and by
ourselves). The journey is never in a straight line but is marked by ups and
downs, by times of satisfaction and times of frustration, and by hopes and
disappointments. This task often remains a web of situations and experiences
without ideal points of reference or much concern for consistence and unity.
In this sense the present context causes a new unease, not a passing one
but ongoing. Together with the constant change that characterises
society and culture there is also the weakness of the institutions that
accompany young people in this situation. A responsible attitude on the
part of the Salesian educator and a well-planned project are therefore
urgent and important.
The words of Pope Paul VI when he said that the rupture between faith and
culture is the drama of the present time, have not lost any of their relevance
(cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi 20). Present-day culture, no longer homogeneous,
influences young people in its complexity and fragmentation. With its many
enticements and its virtual nature it leads to a consumerist understanding even
in the emotional area. It leaves young
people amidst a jungle of desires,
in the face of the harsh realities of
economic and existential crisis.
“We believe that God is awaiting us in
the young to offer us the grace of meeting
with him and to dispose us to serve him
in them, recognising their dignity and
educating them to the fullness of life”
(GC23, NO.95)
Alongside these hard realities there is
incredibly precious capacity and
potential in everyone’s heart that
can lead them to do great things.
Each man and woman can discover
their precise direction in life if they
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reflect on their lives and ask themselves about the meaning of life. Where do I
come from? Where am I going? How do I want to get there? Who do I want
to go with? In our deepest humanity we discover the fullness of life, in the
young person and in the educator, for it involves both of them.
In interpreting people’s life experience we see the need to be loved, the
sense of gratuity, and the desire to be valued and appreciated as one is, not
depending on the achievement of objectives or results. We see that a wrong
direction in life is a problem of meaning, a problem with one’s life plan. This
means that it is incumbent upon us as educators to identify what is worth
spending one’s life on and giving one’s life for others. We need to see young
people not as containers to be filled but as individuals to be accompanied. We
help them to be themselves and to discover the beauty of their own vocation.
In our way of thinking as Christians we regard the project of life as a response
to a vocation, a call from God who arouses, sustains and strengthens
the freedom of the young, making them capable of corresponding with
freedom and joy to their own identity and mission.
The fullness of life in the Gospel not only opens the young to the dignity
of the human person, but also makes them free and sustains their ability
to give a responsible and mature response to God. Human life is to be
seen in terms of vocation. This calls for great openness to the Spirit,
and a sense of responsibility in taking on the duty of a faithful response.
“Responsibility” means literally accepting the beauty of “responding”.
Young people are involved in measuring up to this responsibility. This
means allowing themselves to be challenged by new experiences, going
beyond themselves to meet new situations where they will rediscover
themselves at a deeper level. It is in this context also that they will meet
the invitation to the faith and reply to their life project. Young people
are the object of God’s call. They play an active role in listening to it and
responding, and in this sense they are “responsible”.
Awareness of vocation is the way to understand life and freedom truthfully. It
is only when freedom takes on this task, and goes beyond one’s own ego, that
it enters the sphere of love, and begins to do good also for others. In a word,
vocation is loving, self-giving, making of oneself a gift which witnesses to a
new culture. Vocation is a response in love. Any life project which is born from
a vocation is a gift to be given that transcends one’s own ego.
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2 Directed to Christ,
the perfect man
21
ENCOUNTERING JESUS CHRIST AND
INTEGRATING LOVE FOR LIFE
Faith shows us that our life-project and the transcendence of the person
recall us to Christ, in his historical condition as the one true New Man.
We Salesians are a community of the baptised and we are present in the
Church and in the world with a task, a vocation and a particular raison
d’etre: to invite everyone to live life as Jesus lived it and to show that
following Christ leads to the fullness of life. We ask ourselves how can
we proclaim the Gospel in a way that it will challenge people to maturity
and the fullness of life? In what way can human desires be compatible
with Jesus Christ?
Jesus, an expert in humanity, interacts via his message with all our human
desires. Jesus shows a great trust in humanity and sees signs of goodness
and the presence of God there. Jesus takes human needs seriously and the
need to be happy in mind and body, in the vast world of relationships and
the experience of love. He knows what is in the human heart, the desire
to be reconciled with one’s deepest being, often shattered, and that this
does not have to be merited but is given out of goodness and love. It leads
to a radical empathy, in the etymological sense of the world, as evoked by
Gaudium et Spes:
The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of
the men of this age, especially those who are poor or
in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the
griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed,
nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their
(GAUDIUM ET SPES 1).
hearts
Jesus’ Gospel is laden with humanity, made up of gestures and words of
welcome, of mutuality and listening. In terms of Christian anthropology
this implies an awareness of the intimate correlation between the
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richness of the humanity of every
person and the human experience
of Jesus. It is founded on the
Incarnation of Christ. Human life,
even in the poorest and most
wretched conditions, becomes
worthy of the divine, in imitation
“Without God man neither knows
which way to go, nor even understands
who he is”
(CARITAS IN VERITATE 78)
of Christ, the place where God
becomes present. It is a call to
grow into full communion with God through the gift of self. Through
the Incarnation, Jesus of Nazareth is the only way available to us to
know the mystery of God and of the human person. The world of
God and that of mankind are not far apart and incommunicable. God and
man are in full dialogue, beginning with Jesus Christ, the best interpreter
of the truth of the human person.
The mission of Jesus is manifested in the context of incarnation and
inculturation. The Incarnation, as the greatest expression of inculturation,
is not a secondary fact, but the way chosen by God to make himself known.
God’s revelation is transmitted through the Incarnation. The Church’s
mission, guided and sustained by the mission of the Holy Spirit, has been
fulfi lled and is fulfi lled in categories of time and space, by inculturation
in the lives of people. The New Evangelisation is accomplished by
inculturation of the faith. This implies the choice of three strategies: new
evangelisation through catechesis and liturgy (evangelising by catechesis);
new evangelisation through the integral promotion of peoples, by the poor
and for the poor, at the service of life and of the family (evangelising by
promotion); an evangelisation committed to penetrating the environments
of urban and non-urban culture (evangelising by inculturation). In this age
of New Evangelisation our youth ministry must seek at the same time
to catechise, promote and inculturate (cf. Fr Pascual Chávez, AGC 407,
“Salesian Youth Ministry”). If New Evangelisation is not translated into
human promotion and inculturation it will not be authentic and will not
cause the energy of faith to mature in history.
The mystery of Christ in his Incarnation, Death and Resurrection is the
full revelation of humanity and of the immense greatness of every human
person. For this reason the Church can be the interpreter of human
nature and can be an expert in humanity. It need have no fear of entering
into the terrain of human life. In Christian anthropology, the centrality
of the human person does not conflict with the primacy of God and is
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understood in the light of God’s initiative. The awareness that we live
immersed in God’s gift of salvation and that we are “new creatures”
(Rom. 8) is what gives unity to our existence.
Christian belief in life and in the human person, in reason and the
capacity for love, is not the result of naive optimism but comes from that
“trustworthy hope” (Spe Salvi 1) that is given to us by our sonship in
Christ. It gives foundation to human dignity and liberty and the ability to
love and be loved. It allows the person to live in an authentically human
way in conformity with human nature and vocation. Christ occupies the
most intimate space in humanity. “By the revelation of the mystery of the
Father and His love, [Christ] fully reveals man to man himself” (Gaudium
et Spes 22), and makes him aware of his highest vocation.
Youth Ministry enables young people to discover the depth of their own
experience and to grasp the religious appeal to full communion with Jesus
Christ. Gradually Jesus Christ becomes the central person to whom reference
is made in all life’s decisions, attitudes, choices, actions and behaviour. Today
we encounter different pedagogical models permeated by positive values
that make no reference to Jesus Christ and, consequently, lack a complete
perspective of the human person to guide the individual towards the goal of
salvation as new life and full maturity as a human being.
Salesian ministry, wherever it takes place, always includes the proclamation
of Christ and solicitude for the salvation of the young. Our predilection for
the young “gives meaning to our whole life” (C. 14). This solicitude is always
our primary intention and desire in every educational and pastoral initiative.
It is gradually made explicit according to the capacity of the young people to
receive it. This is Don Bosco’s apostolic project: “to be… signs and bearers of
the love of God for young people, especially those who are poor” (C. 2).
We want them to hear the voice of God the Father, and come to
know Jesus Christ. We are convinced that the offer of the Gospel brings
unexpected power to the building of one’s personality and to the integral
development that every young person deserves. It is a pedagogical process
that takes into consideration all human forces. It offers young people
the conditions that make every response an act of freedom. A sense of
realism and patience are attitudes that respect the personal situation of
each young person, from the weakest to the strongest, from those who
are furthest from faith and the Church to the closest.
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22
ORIGINALITY AND BOLDNESS IN DON BOSCO’S
APPROACH TO EDUCATION
Don Bosco’s pedagogy explicitly insists on the authentic religious purpose
of life in an educational process positively oriented towards Christ and
enlightened by his message. It integrates faith and life which is nourished
by the power of faith. It is fundamental to recognise that Don Bosco’s
pastoral concern is always part of the process of humanisation which
promotes the integral development of the young person. It includes the
discovery of one’s life-project and a commitment to transforming the
world in accordance with God’s plan for each young person.
The originality and boldness of the call to youthful holiness is an
intrinsic part of Don Bosco’s educative approach. It is a holiness that
meets the profound aspirations of young people (their need for life, expansion,
joy, freedom, a future, etc.). It is a way of holiness which the young people
experience gradually and realistically as a life of grace and of friendship with
Christ. It means the fulfilment of their most authentic ideals. “Here we make
holiness consist in being always cheerful” (St Dominic Savio).
3 Evangelise and educate
through a project of holistic
development
3 1 THE UNDERSTANDING OF EVANGELISATION
Evangelisation in practice becomes a vehicle and expression of the clear
and unequivocal proclamation of the Lord Jesus. It communicates
his message, his way of life and the salvation wrought by God, for all,
through the power of the Spirit. The Church’s reflection on evangelisation
persuades every believer to become an evangeliser who can proclaim the
richness, depth, unity and diverse expression of that message. From this
perspective evangelisation, in its broadest sense, implies:
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“Evangelisation means not only teaching
a doctrine but proclaiming the Lord
Jesus by word and action, in other
words, becoming an instrument of God’s
presence and action in the world”
(DOCTRINAL NOTE ON SOME ASPECTS OF
EVANGELISATION, 2)
◗ working for the extension of
the kingdom and its values among
all people. This, in turn, involves
action and service of people for
social justice and human rights,
the reform of unjust structures,
social progress, the fight against
poverty and the structures that
give rise to it.
◗ bringing people gradually to
share gospel values and ideals:
the rejection of violence and war, respect for every person, the
desire for freedom, justice and fraternity, overcoming racism
and nationalism, affirming the dignity and value of woman.
◗ an effective participation in the forums of the modern world
and in the great areas of human suffering: among exiles,
refugees, migrants, the new generations, emerging peoples,
minorities, areas of oppression, of misery and disaster, the
development of women and children, safeguarding the
environment, international relations and the world of social
communications.
Evangelisation involves many aspects: presence, witness, preaching
(as an explicit proclamation), call to personal conversion, formation of
the Church, catechesis – but also inculturation, inter-religious dialogue,
education, preferential option for the poor, transformation of society.
This complexity and diversity of expression is authoritatively stated in
Evangelii Nuntiandi (no.17) and very well described in Redemptoris
Missio (nos.41-60):
Evangelisation, as we have said, is a complex pro-
cess made up of varied elements: the renewal of hu-
manity, witness, explicit proclamation, inner adher-
ence, entry into the community, acceptance of signs,
apostolic initiative. These elements may appear to be
contradictory, indeed mutually exclusive. In fact they
(EVANGELII
are complementary and mutually enriching
NUNTIANDI 24).
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This broad vision of evangelisation confirms the first task of the Salesian
mission: the total well-being of the person, according to the needs of
the many concrete situations (cf. C. 31). Working in this field, inspired
by the love of God and for the sake of the Kingdom, is evangelisation.
The Salesian understanding of evangelisation is motivated by a holistic
concern. It is followed by an educative concern for the growth of the
person in all aspects. Education is the human activity where we present
the Gospel and where it acquires its typical shape. This anthropological
approach leads us to understand better how the different areas of
Salesian education are happily marked by a wholesome humanism and
transcendent dimension.
32
THE RELATION BETWEEN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND
EVANGELISING ACTIVITY
The goal of Salesian Youth Ministry is to help every young person
to construct his or her personality with Christ as the fundamental
reference point. As this reference to Christ becomes progressively more
explicit and is better internalised, it helps the young person to see all
history in Christ, to judge his or her own life in the light of Christ,
to decide and to love like Christ, to hope in accordance with Christ’s
teaching, to live in Christ in communion with the Father and the Holy
Spirit (cf. GC23, nos.112-115). A true and real missionary conversion
demands that Salesian Youth Ministry discover and live this profound
and unbreakable relation between educational activity and
evangelising activity.
A The educational implications of Christian anthropology
Beginning with education does not mean that we follow the anthropological
approach as if in a kind of ‘secularisation’ of the evangelising mission.
Neither does it mean that we move away from the theological aspect and
basis. We think of education in the light of the history of salvation. Post-
conciliar theological reflection looks at faith in the approach to education,
for example, when treating of the primacy of the Kingdom of God or the
process of salvation in the context of the Church and its pastoral activity. It
recognises situations in people’s lives as theological places, and urges that
they be read in the light of faith.
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The centrality of the person in Christian anthropology has educational
implications. Education is taken in its widest and most comprehensive
sense as the growth of the person and a collection of interventions that
help to make the person aware of his or her identity, to embrace everything
good that the Creator has put in it, and to be open to meaning and to
mystery. Examining the question of education is a matter for everyone,
not just Christians. The decision to consider education as part of pastoral
ministry is becoming ever more urgent because of the centrality of
education as a privileged means of service to people.
Education releases all a young person’s potential, intellectual ability, emotional
capacity and will power. By taking care of young people the Salesian Educative
and Pastoral Plan is to accompany and educate them in the widest sense,
helping them to discover their reasons for living and to grow in every way.
The inescapable starting point is meeting the young people “where they
are”, in the conditions in which they are living, listening attentively to
their questions and aspirations, and recognising the potential for growth
that is in each one.
Seen this way, education of the young is not an optional manifestation
of charity or just one sector of our mission. It is the way we must go. The
educational concern which is part of our youth ministry seeks to
begin with the story of the young person’s life and recognise the action of
God there through our ministry.
From all this it follows that cultural and pedagogical interventions in the
service of the young are necessary. If education puts young people at
the centre, looking after the different aspects, then structures and
institutions are a response to the needs of the young people to whom
we are sent (cf. C. 26). We recognise the valuable contribution of
all educational activity in educating to the faith. Their task is to
sustain and mediate the process of salvation.
Not all educational models offer this valuable contribution to the
process of evangelisation. We depend on an education that is
in keeping with the practice of the Kingdom, seeking to give
the fullness of life to all, within the perspective of the fullest
possible humanisation. We recognise ourselves in a way of
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make absolutes out of the strategies,
content or tools it employs. It
manages the educational process
in an open way, with an outcome
that cannot be foreseen and cannot
be manipulated, because it deals
with the freedom of the person
and the action of God in the life of
every person and in the life of the
community and its institutions.
“Their (Salesian) charism places them
in the privileged position of being able to
give due weight to the role of education
in the field of the evangelisation of the
young. Without education, in fact, there is
no deep and lasting evangelisation; there
is no growth or process of maturity; there
Education to human and Christian
maturity evokes the pedagogical
perspective more immediately. It
is a help in promoting the Gospel
with a realism that is educative and
pedagogical.
is no change of mentality or of culture.
Young people have within them a deep
desire for a full life, for genuine love, for
constructive freedom; but often, sadly,
they are betrayed in their expectations
which are not fulfilled. It is essential
to help young people to make good use
of the qualities they have within them,
B The Gospel, radical
inspiration
such as energy and positive desires; to
give them projects full of humanity and
gospel values; to encourage them to take
The purpose of educative action is
different from that of evangelisation.
Each has its own aim, methods and
contents. We should be able to
distinguish them and also join them
their place in society actively, through
their work, their involvement and their
commitment to the common good”
(LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI TO FR
PASCUAL CHÁVEZ VILLANUEVA, RECTOR MAJOR S.D.B.
ON THE OCCASION OF THE 26TH GENERAL CHAPTER)
together harmoniously. Both work
for the unity of the young person.
They are two complementary ways of caring for the young. They
come together in their intention to “generate” the new person.
They collaborate fully in the all-round growth of the young person. Ministry
works on the human aspect and at the same time in the area of faith.
Evangelisation in dialogue with education
Evangelisation takes place on the human terrain it occupies and it
regenerates the daily life of the young people and their need to make
sense of all that happens in their world. By releasing all the educative
potential of the message of Christ, evangelisation leads to maturation in
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human life and growth in freedom. By helping people to reach the fullness
of life, education is fundamental in the development of the person and
is of interest to all who care about the good of the human person. The
Christian message is part of the work of education and offers a way of
thinking that favours true and integral growth. Evangelisation interacts
with education. It allows the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be heard, which
is a necessary condition if the truth is to be accepted.
We bring an educational focus to the task by endeavouring to make the Gospel
message meaningful in real life terms, by getting it to measure up to, interact
with the real problems a young person has and, more generally, with the whole
question of meaning. Since education is a process and is called to constantly
adapt to changes in the individual and in culture, it has to let people feel that
it is a gradual thing and helps in how courses and approaches are planned. It
also has to play a positive and critical role with regard to certain approaches to
evangelisation which can be naive and too abstract. And it ought to encourage
a pedagogical awareness which is essential to good pastoral planning, that
human values are fundamentally positive ones, even though impaired by
sin. Ministry allows itself to be questioned by young peoples’ experience; by
recognising the deeper questions in their heart, it permits faith and Gospel
proclamation to enter into fruitful dialogue with them.
The Gospel as radical inspiration
On the other hand, the key point is the Gospel, its guiding function and
its radical inspiration. It is a message that interprets life in greater
depth than any other. Evangelisation has a power that challenges. It is
not something added on. The Gospel becomes part of the way of thinking
of the structural unity of one’s personality. Its operating and evaluating
criteria refer to Jesus Christ. A service of education that aims intelligently
at the holistic formation of the young is not afraid of being challenged
continually on the meaning and the reasons for evangelisation.
Educational activity is rooted in Jesus Christ. It does not just take him as a
model, but prolongs his presence in history. It finds its total meaning and
reason in the message of Jesus Christ. Moreover, it fi nds in the Gospel
help for maturation in freedom and responsibility. The Gospel is its guide
in the search for identity and meaning. It enlightens the formation of
conscience and presents itself as a sublime model for the authenticity of
love. It offers the clearest guideline for engagement in the social dimension
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of the person. The Gospel inspires the criteria for judgement, guides the
basic choices in life, sheds light on ethical conduct in private and in public,
governs interpersonal relationships, and gives direction for working and
living. The dignity of the person is enhanced by interaction with faith. In
meeting the good news, the human person reaches the highest point
as the image of God, which reveals the transcendent destiny of life and
sheds new light on all human rights.
This is a holistic proposal: education is enriched if it is inspired by the Gospel
from the very beginning. From the outset, evangelisation recognises the
importance of adapting to the evolving situation young people find themselves
in. Educational activity is ultimately geared towards enabling in each young
person a personal encounter with God, guiding this process towards being
open to God and conforming to Christ, the perfect man. This perspective
overcomes the problem, which is mainly methodological, of when and how to
proclaim the Gospel, and how to integrate all the dimensions of the Educative
and Pastoral Project with concrete situations and the process of education.
C The Good News in the variety of cultures and religious traditions
The Salesian Educative and Pastoral Project has shown itself to be of
great relevance in the most diverse contexts. It has already shown its
value in diverse religious traditions, in multicultural contexts and in secularised
environments. Today however, in societies that are extremely pluralist from a
cultural and religious point of view, it is evident that the Christian elements
of the Preventive System cannot always be explicitly displayed. These need
to be interpreted and adapted, emphasising a wholesome humanism as the
basis of all education. A fully-integrated humanism of this kind is open to the
religious and ethical dimension which gives due importance to the knowledge
and esteem of the cultures and spiritual values of the different civilisations.
What is needed today is to have a good knowledge of the treasure we
possess and be able to apply it in different contexts in harmony with modern
sensitivities. The need for education challenges us to offer an all-round
education which aims at forming the whole person and every person.
Religious freedom helps the exercise of the human faculties by creating
the necessary pre-conditions for a holistic development of the person in
every dimension (cf. Caritas in Veritate 11).
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Because of their missionary vocation to universality, Salesian works are
encouraged by the presence of different faiths and religions to engage
in greater dialogue with other spiritual and religious traditions. It is not
a question of renouncing our own identity and our missionary mandate,
and even less of assuming a fundamentalist mentality. Religious pluralism
presents an opportunity for a better understanding of our Christian identity.
Indeed, in this sense, an awareness of one’s own identity is an essential
premise for any serious dialogue. A purely secularist understanding is to
be avoided, and likewise any kind of rigidity that is not open to other
religions. These two attitudes hinder the true testimony of believers in civil
and political life.
4 Choice of a field of apostolate
41
THE YOUNG, ESPECIALLY THE POOREST, ARE OUR
DECISIVE DETERMINING OPTION
A A strong, constant love for the poorest
Don Bosco directed his work decisively towards youth. He decided
consciously to make himself available to welcome boys and young people
at risk. This choice became the criterion for his work of evangelisation
for their complete liberation. His priority for “the young, especially the
poorest among them” - these are Don Bosco’s words – is also our decisive
choice (C. 6, 26-29, 41; R. 1,3,11,14,15, 25,26; GC20, nos.45-57).
Don Bosco made a gospel choice to become poor with the poor. He took
on the poverty, including the material poverty, of the Son of God, in order to
reach out to those who were most in need. The streets and squares became
his workplace, the field or playground his meeting place and the place where
he proclaimed the Gospel. He welcomed young people without exception and
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without prejudice, recognising and
valuing what was in their hearts (their
dreams, their difficulties and their
challenges). He walked with them,
adapting himself to their pace. For
him, every meeting with a boy
was a time for dialogue, leading
eventually to an encounter with
faith. That, quite simply, is the
terrain where the invitation to faith
“I was horrified at seeing crowds of young
men, between the ages of 12 and 18, all
healthy, robust, and intelligent, but idle,
flea-ridden, and in need of spiritual and
material food”
(MEMOIRS OF THE ORATORY,
SECOND DECADE 1835-1845, NO.11)
is revealed as a resource of life with
the potential for the fullness of life.
The poorest young people wait to
be welcomed and have their aspirations taken seriously, to know that their
deepest desires will find an outlet. Don Bosco’s attitude is of someone who
accompanies and does not substitute or invade, has no prejudices and does not
feign trust, one who walks with the young, supporting and animating them.
Don Bosco regarded poverty that was a cause of corruption and debasement
as being the very opposite of the liberating poverty of the Son of God. In his
mission of caring for souls, he was willing to pay the price and to leave all
(Da mihi animas cetera tolle). He abandoned himself and his own comforts
in order to be totally committed to his boys, to be close to them, to be poor
with the poor. This is why he built his life-plan to meet the needs of the
young, especially the poorest and those in most danger, to help them to
gather the richness of life and its values, and to equip them to live with dignity
in this world, and make them more aware of their eternal destiny (cf. C. 26).
Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Don Bosco was acutely aware that he
was called by God to a unique mission in favour of young people. Without
them Don Bosco would be unrecognisable. “For you I study, for you I
work, for you I live, for you I am ready even to give my life”(C. 14). Signs
from above, his natural aptitude, the advice of prudent people, personal
discernment, circumstances that happened providentially, all combined to
convince him that God, who had enriched him with outstanding gifts, was
asking him to devote himself totally to the young:
I have promised to give of myself to my last breath for
(C. 1).
my poor boys
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The present urgency of the New Evangelisation calls for the same missionary
spirit that Don Bosco had in his pastoral ministry, a missionary spirit that leads
us wherever the needs and demands of young people are not being cared for.
B Poverty compromises the education and growth of young people.
This Salesian field of ministry gives us a way of looking at the situation and
interpreting it from the point of view of young people. We are sensitive to
the conditions that favour their
education and evangelisation, and
also those that place them at risk.
We are attentive to their positive
aspects, their new values and their
“The youth are particularly dear to us,
because they, who are a significant part
of humanity and the Church today, are
also their future … We want to support
them in their search and we encourage our
communities to listen to, dialogue with and
respond boldly and without reservation
to the difficult condition of the youth. We
want our communities to harness, not to
suppress, the power of their enthusiasm; to
struggle for them against the fallacies and
selfish ventures of worldly powers which, to
their own advantage, dissipate the energies
and waste the passion of the young,
capacity for change. All forms of
poverty block or destroy the
educative resources of the person
and compromise the growth of
young people as children of God.
Every young person carries in himself
or herself signs of the love of God in
their desire for life, their intelligence
and their heart. Believers are called
upon to be concerned about all the
forms of poverty, new and old, and
to find new ways of responding, in
solidarity and sharing, to overcome
them.
taking from them every grateful memory
of the past and every profound vision of
the future. The world of the young is a
demanding but also particularly promising
field of the New Evangelisation … Young
people’s active role in evangelising
first and foremost their world is to be
recognised”
(MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD 9, 13TH GENERAL
ORDINARY ASSEMBLY OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS, 7-28
OCTOBER 2012)
In this context, evangelisation and
education mean welcoming, letting
young people speak, helping
them to find themselves and
accompanying them with patience
on a journey to recover values
and trust. This decisive choice
is an essential part of Salesian
spirituality which claims to be
the redeeming power of pastoral
charity, and declares its desire and
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determination to “save” those
who are abandoned by all. It is a
love that finds ways of responding
quickly and immediately to the
pain of young people and pledges
to give them life and hope. This
basic task of the Church and of the
“Now is the time for a new “creativity” in
charity”
(NOVO MILLENNIO INEUNTE 50)
Congregation is the nucleus of the
proclamation of Christ’s Gospel (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi 32).
Proclaiming salvation to the poor is the sign par excellence of the
Kingdom of Christ, and is the most profound component of our educative
and pastoral mission. A relationship with Jesus and his Gospel is a gift to
be offered to all. It is the source that satisfi es their thirst and search for
meaning. Christ is given to the poor and needy. We cannot delay
the gift of their meeting with Him.
Our preferential option for the young, especially the poorest of them, leads
us to poorer areas where they live (cf. C. 29). In poor areas we are called to
bring a family spirit of understandings and daily contact in our apostolic work.
42
HUMANISATION AND EVANGELISATION
OF CULTURE
A Fidelity to the Gospel and fidelity to culture
The proper purpose of education and of any true cultural activity is to
liberate young people, making them conscious of their own rights
and duties, aware of the vicissitudes of their time, and capable of self-
determination and collaboration for a more human society. In this way,
education produces culture, opens it up and enriches it. This process
becomes a reality not only by bringing new ideas, impulses and energy
to society, but especially by forming courageous people, capable of
critical reflection and a wholesome way of life.
Evangelisation is not just conformity to the values of the Gospel,
transmitted by the Founder; it is also an encounter with culture. The
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“For the Church it is a question not only
of preaching the Gospel in ever wider
geographic areas or to ever greater
numbers of people, but also of affecting
and as it were upsetting, through the
power of the Gospel, mankind’s criteria
of judgement, determining values, points
of interest, lines of thought, sources of
inspiration and models of life, which are
in contrast with the Word of God and the
plan of salvation”
(EVANGELII NUNTIANDI 19)
indispensable cultural commitment
implies meeting the new demands
of life that culture generates,
demands that test the realism
of our Christian proposal and
confi rm our capacity for dialogue.
It requires, therefore, an adequate
knowledge of the complexity of
the cultural and socio-political
situation. Discernment must be
exercised in reformulating our
Christian experience in relation to
the concrete historical situations
in which it is to be practised. In
fact, evangelisation of culture
represents the most profound and
most global form of evangelisation
in any society.
“The word ‘culture’ in its general sense
indicates everything whereby man
develops and perfects his many bodily
and spiritual qualities; he strives by
his knowledge and his labour, to bring
the world itself under his control. He
renders social life more human both
in the family and the civic community,
through improvement of customs and
institutions. Throughout the course of
time he expresses, communicates and
conserves in his works, great spiritual
experiences and desires, that they might
be of advantage to the progress of many,
even of the whole human family”
(GAUDIUM ET SPES 53)
The world of the young is the
place par excellence where the
typical cultural trends of our
society are first seen. This calls
for attentive discernment and the
ability to grasp deeply the problems
posed by the changes that are
occurring. It is urgent to understand
their cultural situation, with its
values and limits, its experiences,
language and symbols. These
are the elements that form their
mentality and sensitivities. The
challenges are not a problem or an
obstacle, but positive ones which
call for a courageous intervention.
The activity of the Congregation
in the fi eld of culture is complex,
as said earlier. It can no longer be understood as a single homogeneous
cultural world but needs to be seen in a perspective determined by a
plurality of situations. Numerous factors come together to result in a
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cultural approach that is ever more fragmented and in continuous rapid
evolution. We list a few of them:
◗ the different situations of poverty and social exclusion: poverty
and exclusion lead more and more often to dependence on
drugs, deviancy and violence;
◗ the situation and the understanding of the family, with
consequent human and ethical problems;
◗ questions regarding life and its capacity to transmit values;
◗ the affective and emotional sphere, and the area of feelings, as
well as questions relating to the body, are greatly influenced by
the cultural climate;
◗ educational systems and the quality and integrity of formation
they offer;
◗ the digital culture which favours and sometimes causes constant
rapid changes of mentality, customs and behaviour;
◗ one of the most complex and fascinating aspects of contemporary
society: the multi-cultural and multi-religious identity of peoples;
◗ the anthropological premises underlying sociological and
educational decisions;
◗ currents of thought that insist on denying the transcendent,
and misconceptions of the relational structure of the human
person and of the relation founded on God.
B Cultural challenges cut across all pastoral experiences
The priority attention given to culture cuts across all pastoral experiences,
and reveals challenges for all – for believers and non-believers, for people
who belong to the Church and for those who do not belong, for young
people and adults. These are challenges that are part of life itself, in its
poverty and riches, in its dignity, in its gifts and appeals, which affect
everybody and hold promise for everybody.
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The Salesian educator engages seriously with this culture, sees the signs of
the presence of God in it, and the call to renew our approach to pastoral
ministry, and to renew its language and attitudes. From this perspective,
evangelisation is sensitive in responding to dialogue. Positive concern
for cultural values and institutions becomes a priority, and the
anthropological sciences are seen as having a specific contribution
to offer. This dialogue is enriching because it has the capacity to blend
into one the specific contributions of the various disciplines. This is a vast
field that needs to be known. There are many rich values and also some
counter-values in it. Taken in its
entirety it profoundly infl uences
our way of thinking and acting and
the way of life of individual people,
families and social institutions.
“We were given a sign that on the
threshold of the new millennium, in
these new times, these new conditions
of life, the Gospel is again being
proclaimed. A new evangelisation has
begun, as if it were a new proclamation,
even if in reality it is the same as ever”
(JOHN PAUL II, HOMILY DURING MASS AT THE SHRINE OF THE
HOLY CROSS, MOGILA, POLAND, 9 JUNE 1979)
Like Don Bosco, we show a
particular interest in the world
of work (cf. C. 27). He had a
far-reaching concern to give the
younger generation adequate
professional and technical
competence. It is worth noting
how concerned he was to lay
ever more emphasis on education
to civic responsibility and growth
“Through the Church, the Lord Jesus is
calling us to a new evangelisation: new
in ardour, methods and expression”
(JOHN PAUL II, ASSEMBLY OF CELAM, PORT-AU-PRINCE,
HAITI, 9 MARCH 1983)
in personal dignity. He was
interested in social education
which not only receives its
legitimacy from Christian faith but
is reinforced and strengthened
by it to an incalculable extent.
Through work and a proper
use of resources, the “upright
citizen” is fulfilled as a person and contributes to the common good.
This is an approach that is rooted in a gospel vision of the human
person committed for the good of all.
Our educational establishments are called to be centres that radiate the
culture of life to families, to different groups, to the surrounding area and
to society. The New Evangelisation will express its newness in a renewed
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zeal for the witness of charity, in
fi nding new ways of proclaiming
Christ joyfully, in convinced forms
of intelligent dialogue on issues
of culture with young people
and all those who are waiting in
different ways for the good news
– euanghèlion (cf. C. 30).
“In fact, the call to the new
evangelisation is first of all a call
to conversion. Indeed, through the
testimony of a Church ever more true
to its identity and more alive in all its
manifestations, people and nations
around the world, will continue to meet
Jesus Christ”
(JOHN PAUL II, ASSEMBLY OF CELAM, SANTO DOMINGO,
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 12 OCTOBER 1992)
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PART
TWO
The three chapters of this second part study the choices to be
made in Salesian Youth Ministry, and the proper Salesian way of
carrying out the mission of evangelisation. The charismatic source
is the Preventive System that inspires the Educative and Pastoral
Community and its operational plan is the Educative and Pastoral
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THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM:
A SPIRITUAL AND EDUCATIONAL
EXPERIENCE
CHAPTER
IV
“I came that they may
have life, and have it
abundantly”
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Under the guidance of Mary his teacher, Don Bosco
lived with the boys of the first Oratory a spiritual and
educational experience which he called the “Preventive
System”. For him this was a spontaneous expression
of love inspired by the love of a God who provides in
advance for all his creatures, is ever present at their
side, and freely gives his life to save them. Don Bosco
passes this on to us as a way of living and of handing
on the gospel message, and of working with and
through the young for their salvation. It permeates our
approach to God, our personal relationships and our
manner of living in community through the exercise of a
charity that knows how to make itself loved”
(C. 20)
The practice of this system is wholly based on the
words of St Paul who says: ‘Love is patient and kind;
love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all
things”
(The Preventive System in the Education of the Young)
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Don Bosco’s God-given vocation for the
mission of salvation of the young, especially the poorest,
involves many people and groups in a common spirituality
and a shared educational and pastoral method which is
the Preventive System. It is the source and inspiration of a
concrete and original way of living and implementing the
Salesian mission which we call Salesian Youth Ministry. In
this fourth chapter, the educative and pastoral approach
will gradually take shape, starting from its guiding principle
which is pastoral charity. The centrality of pastoral charity
offers a real prospect of renewal for the pastoral care of
young people. It is therefore the criterion and pivot of pastoral
planning at all levels. The Preventive System, in so far as
it is a project of holistic education, comprises essentially
two aspects. It is a project of Christian life (Salesian Youth
Spirituality) and a practical pedagogical method.
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1 The Salesian mission is
enlightened by Don Bosco’s
practice
11
THE SALESIAN SPIRIT IS INSPIRED BY THE STYLE
OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Don Bosco saw the original purpose of his mission clearly: to reveal to
poor young people the love of God for them (cf. C. 2, 14). He understood
the underlying principles of a pastoral style appropriate to this
purpose – that of the Good Shepherd. The biblical quotation that
opened Chapter 1 of the text offers an eloquent icon of the experience of
Valdocco: the lost and hungry crowd and the compassion of Jesus.
The Salesian spirit, inspired by the style of the Good Shepherd, is the
hallmark of our spirituality and our educational and pastoral action. This
spirit is embodied in the fi rst place, in Don Bosco. He and the mission
derived from him are our historic and charismatic point of reference.
Don Bosco gave his entire life for young people in a closely-knit project
of life: his priestly life and his educative work, his multiple relationships
and his profound interior life, were all oriented to the service of young
people, a service that helped them to grow, making them the agents of
their own life project:
He took no step, he said no word, he took up no task that
(C. 21).
was not directed to the saving of the young
God continues to call many others to continue this mission of Don Bosco for the
young. Among them are Salesian religious (SDB) consecrated by God, gathered
and sent into the Church as signs and bearers of God’s love to the young,
especially the poor. We share the mission of Don Bosco with other groups of
the Salesian Family, according to their specific vocations and their lifestyle. It is a
vast movement of people and groups, men and women in different situations,
who constitute the Salesian Movement. The Salesian mission finds its lasting
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criterion for discernment in Don Bosco and his Valdocco experience (cf. C.
40). It has grown further, bringing together many individuals and groups in
a common spirituality to share in the same educative-pastoral mission for the
integral development of young people, especially the poorest.
12
THE EMBODIMENT OF THE “SALESIAN SPIRIT” IS THE
PREVENTIVE SYSTEM
A The implementation of Don Bosco’s pastoral, spiritual and
pedagogical programme
Don Bosco’s mission and project of life are expressed in a style of life
and action which we call the Salesian spirit. The most characteristic
embodiment of the Salesian spirit is the Preventive System.
The Preventive System connects us to
Don Bosco’s soul and to his attitudes
and evangelical choices. Salesian
practice has the implementation
of the pastoral, spiritual and
pedagogical project of Don Bosco
as its point of reference and
the measure of its authenticity.
The originality of his spirit is linked
to the implementation of the
Preventive System. It is a successful
system which serves as a model and
inspiration for people today who
are engaged in education in the
different continents, in multicultural
and multi-religious contexts, a
model that demands of everyone a
continuous reflection to encourage
more and more the centrality of
young people as beneficiaries and
protagonists of the Salesian mission
(cf. Fr Pascual Chávez, AGC 407,
“Salesian Youth Ministry”).
“I would like to give a sermon myself,
or a conference, on the Salesian spirit
that must animate and guide our actions
and conversations. We must make the
Preventive System really our own. There
should be no severe punishments, no
humiliating words, no stern reproaches in
the presence of others. In the classroom,
there should be only words of kindness,
charity and patience. Use no biting words,
and do not ever strike the pupils, even
lightly. Make use of negative punishments,
and always try to ensure that they are
warned in advance so that they become our
friends more than before, and do not ever
leave on bad terms with us”
(DON BOSCO’S LETTER TO FR JAMES COSTAMAGNA,
AUGUST 10, 1885)
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The word “system” suggests an integrated experience that is complete
in itself, a well coordinated collection of activities that constitute a
dynamic pedagogy. In the Preventive System, in fact, we can distinguish
some expressions which are closely related to each other. The guiding
principle is pastoral charity which creates a particular spiritual attitude in
the person. It is made up of a threefold dynamic:
◗ a pastoral thrust: it inspires an educational project of holistic
development (see Chapter 4, 2);
◗ a spirituality of Christian life – Salesian Youth Spirituality – (see
Chapter 4, 3);
◗ a practical pedagogical methodology inspired by the
“oratory criterion”, which guides the concrete choices and
activities employed (see Chapter 5, 3).
B The guiding principle is pastoral charity
Education, for Don Bosco, involves a special attitude of the educator and
a set of interventions based on a strong belief in love, reason and faith.
At the centre of his vision is “pastoral charity”. The aim is always to seek
the spiritual welfare and the salvation of the young, and their all-
round well-being (Da mini animas).
The Preventive System fi nds its source and its centre in the experience
of the love of God who provides in advance for all his creatures, is ever
present at their side, and freely gives his life to save them (cf. C. 20).
Don Bosco had a deep faith in the goodness and fatherly mercy of God.
His choice of St Francis of Sales as a model for his workers and as the
protector of his congregation is proof of this.
This experience leads us to see God in young people: God gives us the
grace of encountering him in the young and calls us to serve him in them.
It is an experience that recognises their dignity, renews our faith in their
capacity for doing good and educates them to the fullness of life (cf.
GC23, no.95). In this approach, care is taken to train the young people to
play an active role in the work of evangelisation.
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THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM: A SPIRITUAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Ministry
(educational project
of holistic
development)
PASTORAL
CHARITY
Spirituality
(invitation to a
Christian life)
Pedagogy
(practical
pedagogical
method)
Salesian Pastoral charity has another more precise characteristic that
defi nes it even better – it is educative charity. It displays a passion for
education, but also good judgement, common sense and balance, as well
as affection and respect for adolescents and young people. This attitude is
the result of the belief that every life, even the poorest, most complex and
precarious, carries in itself the mysterious presence of the Spirit, the power
of redemption and the seed of happiness (cf. GC23, no.92).
A synthetic expression, the “primacy of educative charity,” reflects the
love which is able to create an educational relationship: it is expressed in a
way that helps the adolescent or young person to open up, to discover the
richness of life, and to grow. Because of a lack of education, adolescents are
sometimes lacking in courage, and do not have the words and thoughts to
express themselves. The charity and love of the educator becomes the way
of communicating God’s love to them. This love of God extends even to the
poorest and the least, the most humble, the ones who have most difficulties.
It is the expression of a fatherly wisdom that prepares them to face life.
C The Preventive System involves the educator
and the community to which he or she belongs
The Preventive System is an experience that is both spiritual and
educational, intimately united to constitute the reference point and the
face of the Salesian Family in the Church. It can be defined as the authentic
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spirituality of our apostolic action. To separate the pedagogical method of
Don Bosco from his pastoral concerns would destroy both of them.
The Preventive System involves the whole person of the educator and the
community to which he or she belongs together with the young people.
It has its own way of thinking and feeling, a way of life and activity, that
inspires and characterises its whole existence.
The Preventive System in practice involves activity that is at the same
time both pedagogical and spiritual, and always open to the Gospel of
Christ. This is the “methodological criterion” of the Salesian mission for
the accompaniment of young people in the delicate process of growth in
their humanity and in faith. Salesian spirituality breathes and acts in the
educational fi eld as an original way of introduction to the Christian life.
It is organised around experiences of faith, and choices based on gospel
values and attitudes that make up Salesian Youth Spirituality.
Salesians fi nd their identity in fi delity to this pedagogical heritage (the
Preventive System) and its continuous updating. The goal of the project
is summarised in the well-known formula “good Christians and upright
citizens”, by which Don Bosco wanted to “form builders of the city, and
men and women of faith.” In Don Bosco’s mind these two terms were to
be taken together to form an indivisible whole.
2 The Preventive System as
pastoral zeal
2 1 AN ALL-EMBRACING EDUCATIONAL PROJECT
The Preventive System inspires an educational project for the all-round
development of young people in different contexts as part of the work of
evangelisation. At the same time it highlights the human richness and the
essentially religious heart of the system, based on reason, religion and loving
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THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM: A SPIRITUAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
kindness (in italian “amorevolezza”). The Preventive System becomes a
method for action, characterised by reason, reasonableness of requests and
rules, flexibility and persuasiveness. Religion is understood as the development
of the sense of God present in every person and an effort to bring to the
young the beauty of the good news. Loving kindness, which is at the heart of
educational love, evokes a response from the young and helps them to grow.
2 2 THE DUAL ROLE OF PREVENTIVE EDUCATION
The practice of the Preventive System comprises two inseparable activities,
albeit with different nuances. It aims to meet the basic needs of young
people (food, clothing, shelter, safety, labour, physical and mental
development, social inclusion, a minimum of values) and to give life to
a more systematic educational activity for the social, moral and religious
training of the individual. In fact, Don Bosco’s intention in starting the
Oratory was to provide a charitable and educational institution.
This dual purpose is still relevant. There is a strong commitment to social
welfare as part of the Salesian educational project, as well as the
promotion and growth of the cognitive, emotional, ethical and
spiritual aspects of the individual.
A The Preventive System and disadvantaged young people and
their rehabilitation
The question of rehabilitating disadvantaged young people brings us back
to Don Bosco, who visited the prisons and went on the streets and into
the workplace to look for boys in need. Even after the opening of the
Oratory, Don Bosco was helping boys infected with disease in the hovels
and alleyways of Turin. He sent his Salesian missionaries to young people
who did not have a safe place that allowed for their proper human and
social growth.
Today, in an era of “educational emergency”, the preventive approach
can achieve satisfactory results. Christian humanism, on which the
Preventive System is based, is a response which is educational and
pastoral and at the same time provides social assistance. “Educational
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
“Therefore we have to move forward in
the direction of an updated re-affirmation
of the “socio-political-educational choice”
made by Don Bosco. This [means]
the forming of a social and political
charity” cannot fail to be
“social charity”. Evangelisation
is always closely integrated with
human development and Christian
freedom. The commandment of
love is a single commandment
with two poles of reference, God
and neighbour.
conscience that then leads to the making
of one’s life a mission for the common
good of society with a constant reference
to the inalienable human and Christians
values and rights”
(FR PASCUAL CHÁVEZ, AGC 415, “LIKE DON BOSCO THE
EDUCATOR”)
The profound transformations that
have occurred in today’s complex
society show a more complex
phenomenon of the “youth
situation”, and in particular that
of young people whom Don Bosco
called “poor, abandoned and at
risk”. Many young people have
serious problems from the point of education and re-education. Many are
affected by poverty and economic, social, cultural, emotional, moral and
spiritual marginalisation. When all these forms of poverty come together,
as frequently happens in developing countries, as well as in large cities in
most developed countries, we can see the extent of the youth problems
which urgently demand educational intervention. Preventive education
seeks to ensure that such conditions do not arise.
Faced with serious situations of injustice and violations perpetrated against
human rights in our societies, Don Bosco’s charism and his educational system
urge us to get to work both personally and collectively. A renewed impetus
in prevention must transform, by means of education, structures of poverty
and marginalisation, especially where minors are concerned. We have the
possibility of offering prevention which fosters their good: educational
interventions which strengthen the integrity of fundamental civil,
cultural, religious, economic, political and social rights.
We also need to set up communities which are capable of proposing basic
values once more, values probably absent in the early years of life. “The
liberating education” of the Preventive System seeks to accompany young
people already affected by negative conditioning: situations which make
them poor from a socio-cultural, economic, moral, spiritual and religious
point of view (cf. GC20, no.61). Salesian prevention, then, is expressed
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THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM: A SPIRITUAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
through many concrete choices: it responds to needs in any context. This
practical pluralism on behalf of needy youngsters is an expression of the
wealth of Salesian education, where the experience or the recovery of
affection is fruitfully combined with reason and religion.
Don Bosco’s preventive experience becomes a system involving
assistance, education and socialisation. Educating means preventing, in
all its possible meanings. Education is expressed through acceptance, giving
back a voice, and understanding. To educate means helping individuals to
rediscover themselves, and to patiently accompany them on their journey
of recovering values and self-confidence. It means reconstructing reasons
for living through discovery of the beauty of life. Educating also means a
renewed capacity for dialogue but is also a proposal full of interests, firmly
anchored in what is the most fundamental of approaches: involving young
people in experiences that help them grasp the meaning of daily effort,
offering them the basic tools for earning a living, making them capable
of acting responsibly in every circumstance. Educating requires that we
understand the juvenile social problems of our time (cf. Chapter 1).
B The art of positive education
The preventive approach is expressed positively in a formative educational
project:
The art of positive education by putting forward what
is good through appropriate experiences which call for
the involvement of the pupil and are attractive because
of their splendour and lofty nature; the art of producing
growth in the young persons ‘from within’ by appealing
to their inner freedom to oppose external conditioning
and formalism; the art of winning the heart of young
people so as to inculcate in them a joyful and satisfied
attraction to what is good, correcting deviations and
preparing them for the future by means of a solid
(JUVENUM PATRIS 8).
character formation
The formula ‘reason, religion and loving kindness’, which summaries Don
Bosco’s system, is understood as the fundamental inspiration of an
educational project for the all-round development of the person. It
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
aims to provide a full answer to the question of the evangelisation of youth.
Educative love, in Don Bosco’s method, is divided into three attitudes: love and
friendliness, love and reasonableness, love and faith. The Preventive System
becomes a formative and educative project, a set of elements that together
make up a single approach based on loving kindness, reason and religion.
Liberating
force of
educative
love
LOVING KINDNESS
REASON
Different
forms of
reasonableness
in our proposals
Pedagogical
love is based
on faith
RELIGION
The liberating power of educative love
Educative love is above all a genuine human love: the principle of the
method is loving-kindness, expressed as a love that helps the person to
grow and brings about a cordial relationship. Here we have the great
insight of Don Bosco: the liberating power of educative love. In contact
with educators who nurture deep passion and loving kindness, young
people feel encouraged to express all that is good in them, and learn to
make their own the religious and cultural experience that they encounter.
Pastoral charity, the centre and soul of the Salesian spirit, recalls some
basic attitudes. First of these is the importance of personal relationships.
For Don Bosco, educative love is both spiritual and emotional. It is a love
that flows from the will, which prompts the educator to search only for
the good of the student, totally forgetting himself or herself. By virtue of
this love, the educator is motivated strongly to action and the spirit of
sacrifi ce. Thus, the spiritual dimension of educative love shows itself in
warmth and affection. The cordial love consists mainly in truly wanting to
love the other as a person. Mature love is at the same time characterised
by desire and affection.
Friendliness is well described by Don Bosco in the Letter from Rome in
1884, in relation to a situation of crisis that had arisen in his institutes.
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He expounds what he considers essential in the educational relationship.
Based on his own experience, he tries to make us understand that the
love of will with the total commitment of the educator is certainly
something good and valuable. But it is insufficient. It does not produce
results if the young people do not feel loved or if love does not become
the language that blossoms into friendship and cordiality. Teachers who
give themselves entirely for the good of young people but fail to let
them feel that what interests them is the good of the young, will bear
no fruit in the lives of these young people. What matters most in love is
not what one does but the attention one gives to the young person. A
spontaneous encounter, freely engaged in, has real meaning and
gives meaning to all other values.
The different forms of reasonableness
Don Bosco’s educative love is also a reasonable love. Don Bosco attached a
lot of importance to this. Educative love must be reasonable, and this
is to be seen in many different forms: the reasonableness of the demands
and the rules, not based on sentimental or emotional motives;
fl exibility and common sense; understanding, dialogue and
patience, starting from the concrete world of young
people; realism and a spirit of initiative, naturalness
and spontaneity; sensitivity to what is feasible in
practice; an appeal to personal conviction.
His is an educational activity that on one
hand helps young people to develop
their talents and to be active and
enterprising at work, and on the
other hand teaches them not to
rely on themselves alone and to
avoid intellectual ambition and
pride. Reasonableness allows the
educator to offer the young people
values that are good in the present
situation and allows the young to be
real individuals. A rapidly changing
society where judgement and critical
sense are essential, presents a magnifi cent
terrain for education based on reasonableness.
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It helps young people to evaluate things with critical sense and discover
the true value of earthly reality, respecting the autonomy and dignity of
the things of this world.
Educative love is based on faith
Educative love is illuminated by faith, developing the sense of God
that is inherent in every person and in the effort of Christian
evangelisation. For Don Bosco, reasonable love is nourished from a
deep root. Young people are individuals called to the fullness of life,
communion with God and neighbour. Don Bosco believed that without
this perspective the educative proposal loses its force and meaning.
The educative love of the Salesian is a symbol of God’s love for the
young.
Don Bosco, religious founder, father of orphans, mature educator, dreamer
and daring entrepreneur, intuitive promoter of educative pastoral initiatives
is understood in the light of the two dynamic nuclei of his vocation: on
the one hand a natural warm and affectionate attitude towards young
people; and, on the other, the unconditional gift of self to God in response
to a mission.
Religion in the Preventive System is that of the Good News, the Gospel, the
Beatitudes, of Jesus who considered his disciples as friends, not servants,
the same Jesus who calls upon everyone to seek the kingdom of God and
its righteousness. He is with us and works with us every day until the end
of the world. The religion of the Preventive System is that of the ordinary
people. It is simple and goes straight to the essential: “love of God and
love of neighbour.”
More concretely, it is the religion St Francis of Sales’ humanism. He had
learned from God to be loving, kind, capable of patience and forgiveness.
In the Incarnation of the Lord we are all called by the Son to holiness:
that is, to live according to the Gospel in every condition of life, in every
moment, in every situation, in every age.
More profoundly, it is religion lived in the Spirit that helps to discern in
time the signs of his presence and the will of God. He is the source of
optimism; it does not allow us to fall into pessimism or feel defeated by
our own difficulties.
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In secularised contexts where the culture seems incapable of speaking
about God, the Father of Jesus Christ, we need to educate to a sense of
transcendence and the big questions of meaning posed by life and death,
pain and love, without hiding the light that comes to us from our faith (cf.
GC23, nos.76, 77, 83).
In the contexts of the great monotheistic religions and traditional religions,
the fi rst educational dialogue will be with the laity who are close to us
to identify, together with them, the grace present in these religions. We
seek to encourage prayer and an appreciation of the fragments of the
Gospel and educative wisdom to be found in the culture and in the life
and experience of young people (cf. GC23, nos.72-74, 86).
3
The Preventive System as a
proposal of spirituality
The formula “reason, religion and loving kindness,” sums up pastoral
charity and is the soul of the Preventive System. It spells out the educational
plan of integral formation and is the only practical method that the
educator needs to use. It also reveals the essential features of a spirituality
to be continuously rediscovered, experienced, and renewed (cf. Fr Egidio
Viganò, AGC 334, “Salesian Spirituality for the new evangelisation”).
Salesian Youth Ministry is rooted in a living spirituality that nourishes the
faith of the educator and prompts him or her to seek God by serving the
young.
Spirituality is a re-reading of the Gospel, capable of unifying the gestures
and attitudes that characterise Christian living. At the root of Salesian
Youth Ministry we find a spirituality suited to our time. It is based
on the experience of God in the context of everyday life. It is a journey of
holiness, a specific project of life in the Spirit.
There is a basic Christian spirituality that flows from the message of the
Gospel, but there are also different types of Christian spirituality that re-
spond to different historical situations. These are especially charismatic
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
and come from an experience of the Triune God on a personal or com-
munity level. In the Church’s history, some gospel values have been par-
ticularly emphasised by various Founders, always faithful to the Word of
God, and enlightened and guided
by his Spirit.
Consequently, we can speak of a
Salesian spirituality: a charismatic
“Our educational ministry must “point
out to everyone this ‘high standard’ of
ordinary Christian living”
(NOVO MILLENNIO INEUNTE 31)
spirituality that enriches the
whole Church with a model of
Christian life characterised by a
concrete path to holiness. It is an
apostolic spirituality because,
led by the Spirit, we are sent to
collaborate in the mission of the
Father who gives redeeming efficacy to our educational and evangelising
activity among the young and at the same time unifies our entire existence
as its central inspiration. Finally, it is a spirituality that makes young people
the evangelisers of other young people.
Therefore, this spirituality is not reduced to a set of psychological or
therapeutic practices aimed at ensuring the well-being of the person.
In these practices ‘spiritual life’ is no more than a subjective, inward
feeling. It is something completely private and personal. We can see the
influence of many philosophies and ideologies that deny the revealed
contents of Christian faith and are presented as an alternative to it.
They deny the transcendence of God as a personal being. They do not
confront the reality of sin or consider the necessity of grace and salvation
by Christ. They believe that “salvation” is achieved by man by his own
efforts, and Jesus Christ is just one of many manifestations of the divine
that have passed in human history under different names.
By contrast, Salesian Youth Ministry offers a spirituality that facilitates and
promotes a unified vision of life, indicating the close link between the
freely given gift of God, the joy of Christ and the freedom of life in the
Spirit.
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3 1 SPIRITUALITY IS FIRST OF ALL LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
A The primacy of God’s freely given gift
Spirituality is fi rst of all life in the Spirit. The initiative comes from him
alone. Everything begins with God – his freely given gift, the initiative of
his love and the encounter with Jesus Christ.
The spiritual life has its source, its centre and its goal in God, the
Mystery of Love. We can understand the spiritual life as tasting the love
of God, living an experience of friendship and intimacy with Him and
recognising that we are sent by him on a mission to young people. The
same dynamic discovery of love and the call to witness to it are at work in
the young people.
God is the unifying centre of our life, the source of our fraternal communion and
the inspiration of our action. Living in the presence of God means cultivating
a deep and constant relationship with God, being filled with his love and sent
to the young. It means accepting the signs of His mysterious presence in the
demands and expectations of the men and women of our time.
B The encounter with Christ
The centre of the spiritual life is the experience of the Christian faith, the
encounter with Jesus Christ,
the Gospel of God. Being rooted
in Christ and conformed to Him is
a gift and, at the same time, the
goal of Salesian Youth Ministry.
Listening to the Word, the liturgy,
the life of the sacraments and the
gift of self in service to others are
all important in the Christian life
and in pastoral action.
«Being Christian is not the result of an
ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the
encounter with an event, a person, which
gives life a new horizon and a decisive
direction»
(DEUS CARITAS EST 1)
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C Life in the Holy Spirit
The spiritual life consists in accepting that our existence is formed by the
Spirit through the action of grace. In this relationship of love we can
assert the primacy of grace, and at the same time, the free and
conscious contribution of man. The human being cooperates by listening
and being available and docile. His desire is to meet with the Lord. He prays
for this meeting to take place, and contributes, in his life, to the mission.
The spiritual life is a dynamic that develops over time, involving all
the dimensions of the human being, with its own rhythm and its own
moments of growth and trial.
32
AN ORIGINAL WAY OF LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:
SALESIAN YOUTH SPIRITUALITY
A Salesian spirituality, a concrete expression
of pastoral charity
Pastoral and educative charity is the heart of the Salesian spirit. The
Preventive System is truly a spirituality for everyone – for Salesians
and lay people involved in the spirit and mission of Don Bosco
and for families and young people. In his own pastoral and teaching
experience, Don Bosco has shown us the path of holiness for young
people, and demonstrated its validity with admirable results.
Don Bosco’s secret of success as an educator is his intense pastoral charity
which united inseparably in him the inner force of love of God and love
of neighbour, making it capable of joining his work of evangelisation and
his educational activity together as one. Salesian spirituality is the concrete
expression of pastoral charity and therefore constitutes a fundamental
element of pastoral ministry. Salesian spirituality is the source of evangelical
vitality and the soul of pastoral charity. It is the principle of inspiration
and identity, and the criterion that guides all our work. We need to be
convinced and become present-day promoters of his pastoral wisdom. A
lived spirituality is precisely the attitude of committed believers. It is not
an escape from reality, but a frontier spirituality that demands research,
initiative and courage. In a word, it is a spirituality of realism.
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All this is called the “oratorian heart” in Don Bosco. It implies fervour,
apostolic zeal, the use of all our personal resources, searching for new ways
of intervening, ability to resist in times of trial, the willingness to start over
after failure, and far-reaching optimism. It implies concern that comes from
faith and charity, and it finds in Mary a shining example of self-giving (cf.
Charter of the Charismatic Identity of the Salesian Family, no.29).
B Salesian Youth Spirituality in practice
It is a spirituality suited to young people, lived with young people
and for them, designed and built upon the experience of the
young. Its aim is to generate a Christian way of living that is feasible
for people of our time, living in today’s situation. It is suited to all young
people, especially the poorest among them, but it is capable at the same
time of pointing to higher goals for those who have made more progress.
It encourages young people to be active among their companions and in
the place where they live.
This spirituality is linked to the Preventive System. It is the fruit of the
Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan offered to all who are involved in
the Educative and Pastoral Community, and leads them to a journey of
greater commitment. The following elements penetrate one another. Each
of them represents an aspect of what is contained in the all others: life,
Christ, the Beatitudes, the Church, Mary, and service of others. They are
points of reference to be refl ected upon and they form a unity in the
whole of Christian living.
Daily life as the place of encounter with God
Salesian Youth Spirituality considers daily life as the place of encounter
with God (cf. C. 18; GC23 nos.162-164; GC24 nos.97-98 ; Charter of the
Charismatic Identity of the Salesian Family, nos.27-28, 34). At the basis
of this understanding of everyday life and the positive evaluation
of life is our faith and continued understanding of the Incarnation. In
Salesian spirituality we allow ourselves to be guided by the mystery of
God who by his Incarnation, Death and Resurrection, affi rms his saving
presence in all human reality.
The daily life of the young person is made up of duty, relationships, leisure,
the tension of growing up, family life, developing skills, prospects for
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the future, requests for assistance and aspirations. It is this reality that
needs to be taken, understood, deepened and lived in the light of God.
According to Don Bosco to become a saint you must do everything you
have to do well. He considers fidelity to duty in everyday life as a guide to
progress in virtue and as a sign of spiritual maturity. This is practical realism
centred on daily life. It implies a religious sense of duty at all the different
moments of the day.
For everyday life to be lived as spirituality we need the grace of unity
that helps to harmonise the different dimensions of life around a heart
where the Spirit of Love dwells. The grace of unity opens the individual
to conversion and purifi cation, especially through the power of the
Sacrament of Reconciliation, which is a privileged means. It ensures that
through work and contemplation the heart is kept free, open to God and
given to others, especially the young and the poor.
Don Bosco was inspired by St Francis of Sales. His spirituality was
simple because it concentrated on the essential, popular because it
was open to all, attractive because of its human values and for all these
reasons, particularly helpful in educational ministry.
Among the attitudes and practices of everyday life to be lived profoundly
under the guiding action of the Spirit we could mention:
◗ life in one’s own family;
◗ love for work or study, cultural growth and educational
experience;
◗ being able to relate moments of strong experience with the
ordinary events of life;
◗ a positive critical vision of the time we live in;
◗ accepting responsibility for one’s life and a plan for a spiritual
path of growth in the efforts of everyday life;
◗ discovering one’s vocation in life and being able to pursue it.
A paschal spirituality of joy and optimism
The most important truth of the Christian faith is that the Lord Jesus is
risen. Eternal glory is our ultimate goal, but even now it has become a
reality in the body of Jesus Christ. Salesian Youth Spirituality is paschal
and eschatological.
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The most deeply rooted desire in the heart of the human person
is the pursuit of happiness. Joy is the noblest expression of happiness
and, together with celebration and hope, is characteristic of Salesian
spirituality. The Christian faith is, by vocation, a call to radical happiness,
and a promise of the gift of eternal life. It knows no boundaries of space
or time, and there are no limits to the aspirations of joy. The discovery of
the Kingdom and the encounter with Christ become the happiness of the
human person. These things, however, are not an achievement, but a gift:
God is the source of true joy and hope. Joy certainly has a real pedagogical
value but it is, first and foremost, a theological value. Don Bosco sees it as
a sure sign of the life of grace.
Don Bosco understood that commitment and joy go together, that
holiness and happiness go hand in hand and he made this clear
to young people. Don Bosco is the saint of joy and his young people
learned this lesson well. It is summed up perfectly in an expression that
was typical of the oratory, “sanctity consists in being always cheerful.” (cf.
GC23, 165). Salesian Youth Ministry proposes a path of holiness that is
simple, cheerful and serene (cf. C. 17; GC23, nos.165-166; Charter of the
Charismatic Identity of the Salesian Family, no.33).
Seeing joy as an act of the Spirit, the source and fruit of commitment,
involves fostering certain attitudes and practices in young people:
◗ in an atmosphere of sincere, friendly, fraternal relations where
the young experience the joy of being loved and are encouraged
to participate;
◗ being able to express themselves freely in youthful celebrations
and in youth group meetings;
◗ admiring and enjoying the good things the Creator has placed
in our way - nature, silence, achievements attained through
sacrifice and solidarity;
◗ the grace of accepting suffering and the cross, as a sharing in
the Cross of Christ.
A spirituality of friendship and personal relationship with the
Lord Jesus
Salesian Youth Spirituality brings the young into an encounter with Jesus Christ
and enables them to form a relationship of friendship with Him. It is nourished
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on trust, in a living bond, and in
faithful adherence. Many young
people have a sincere desire to
know Jesus and seek an answer
to questions about the meaning of
life that only God can give.
“We need to help young people to gain
confidence and familiarity with sacred
Scripture so it can become a compass
Friend, Teacher and Saviour in
Salesian Spirituality are the names
pointing out the path to follow”
(VERBUM DOMINI 104)
that describe the central role of the
person of Jesus Christ in the spiritual life of young people (cf. C. 11; GC23,
nos.167-168; GC24, 61; Charismatic Identity of the Family Salesian nos.24, 36).
It is interesting to remember that Jesus is presented by Don Bosco as friend of
the young – “Young people are the delight of Jesus,” he used to say. He also
presented Jesus as a teacher of life and wisdom, a model for every Christian,
the Redeemer who gave his life even to the point of death, out of love and a
passion for our salvation. Don Bosco saw Jesus in the little ones and the poor.
He often used to quote the Gospel passage: “I say to you, as you did it to one
of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Mt 25:40).
Here, by way of example, are some of the attitudes and practices that
can help young people to become more like Christ:
◗ sharing in the faith of the community that lives in the memory
and the presence of the Lord and celebrates it in the sacraments
of Christian initiation;
◗ the pedagogy of holiness that Don Bosco taught through
reconciliation with God and with our brothers and sisters in the
sacrament of Penance;
◗ learning personal and community prayer, and meditation
designed to help the young to grow in love and personal
relationship with Jesus Christ. Salesian Prayer is simple and
suited to all. It is deeply rooted in everyday life;
◗ a systematic study of faith, enlightened by reading and
meditating on the Word of God.
An ecclesial and Marian spirituality
A good experience of Church and an adequate understanding of it
are distinctive marks of Christian spirituality. The Church is a spiritual
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communion and community that becomes visible through gestures and
agreed ways of acting and working. It is a service to mankind. It is not like a
sect that cuts itself off from people, and sees good only in its own works. It is
the place chosen and offered by Christ, in time and space in our history, for
us to encounter him. To the Church he has entrusted the Word, Baptism, his
Body and Blood, the grace of forgiveness of sins and the other Sacraments,
the experience of communion and the power of the Spirit that move us to
love our brethren. We need a more responsible and courageous sense of
belonging to the particular and universal Church. In fact, one of the treasures
of the rich tradition of the Family of Don Bosco is precisely filial fidelity to
the Successor of Peter, and of communion and collaboration with the local
Church (cf. C. 13; GC21, nos.96, 102; GC23, nos.169-170; GC24, nos.62-
64, 91-93; Charter of the Charismatic Identity of the Salesian Family, no.26 ).
The attitudes and practices to be fostered are therefore:
◗ the concrete environment of the Salesian house as a place
where one experiences a fresh, friendly, active, image of the
Church capable of meeting the expectations of young people;
◗ groups and, above all, the Educative and Pastoral Community,
which unites young people and educators in a family environment
around a project of holistic education of young people;
◗ participation in the local church that unites all the efforts of
fidelity of Christians in a visible communion and in service that
can be seen and experienced in a concrete territory;
◗ respect for and trust in the universal Church, practised in the
relationship of love for the Pope, awareness of situations in which
the people of God are limited in their desire to practise their faith,
and in awareness of the thought and achievements in the various
fields of the saints and other significant Christian personalities.
Salesian Youth Spirituality is a Marian spirituality. Mary was called by
God the Father, by the grace of the Spirit, to be the Mother of the Word
and to give Him to the world. The Church looks to Mary as an example of
faith. Don Bosco certainly looked to Mary and we are called to imitate him
in communion with the Church (cf. C. 34, 92; GC23, 177; GC24, nos.68,
188; Charter of the Charismatic Identity of the Salesian Family, nos.11, 37).
We believe that, through the motherly intervention of Mary, the Holy Spirit
raised up St John Bosco to begin the Salesian work (cf. C. 1). She showed
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Don Bosco his field of action among young people, guided and supported
him constantly and is present among us, continuing her mission as Mother of
the Church and Help of Christians (cf. C. 8). Mary was a living presence in the
Oratory of Valdocco, as inspiration, guide and teacher. Dominic Savio, Michael
Magone and many other young people did not contemplate Mary as an
abstract ideal or a simple object of worship and devotion, but as a living active
person. Her presence filled the house and made them feel and experience the
closeness of the love of God. Salesian Youth Spirituality encourages a simple,
confident reliance on the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
She is also recognised as the Mother of God and our Mother and as the
Immaculate one, full of grace, totally available to God. We see in her a
holiness which is Christian life lived with consistency and integrity. She is the
Help of Christians in the great battle of faith and in building the Kingdom of
God, the one who protects and guides the Church. She sustains and supports
Christians in the faith, and was considered by Don Bosco as “the Madonna
for difficult times.”
In Mary Help of Christians we have a model and a guide for our educational
and apostolic action. We speak of her with love and admiration and
propose her as a model for our imitation. We join in celebrations in her
honour and in memory of her messages. She is our Mother and teacher in
all our formation. We call upon her in prayer in a special way, meditating
on her actions and words in the Gospel (cf. C. 84, 87, 92; Charter of the
Charismatic Identity of the Salesian Family, no.37).
A spirituality of responsible service
Life is lived as an encounter with God, a journey of identifi cation with
Christ, and commitment to the kingdom. The Church is perceived as
communion and service where everyone has a place and where the gifts
of all are needed. This leads to a conviction that life is lived as a vocation
of service (cf. C. 7, 19, GC23, nos.178-180; GC24, nos.94-96; Charter of
the Charismatic Identity of the Salesian Family, no.35).
This is widely reflected in the experience of Don Bosco as a young apostle.
Starting from the dream at the age of nine, he understood and lived his
life as a vocation. He heard and responded with a generous heart to
an invitation: go among the young to save them. Don Bosco invited his
young people to a practical exercise of love of neighbour. Salesian Youth
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Spirituality is apostolic: we are convinced that we are called to collaborate
with God in His mission with dedication, loyalty, trust and total availability.
We are called to a real commitment to doing good, depending on our
own social responsibilities and the material and spiritual needs of others.
Responsible service implies certain attitudes and practices which can be
grouped around four areas:
◗ openness to reality and human contact: Don Bosco wanted his boys
to become “good Christians and upright citizens.” For a young
person today, being an upright citizen entails promoting the dignity
and rights of the individual in all contexts, living with generosity in
the family and preparing for family life on the basis of mutual self-
giving that fosters solidarity, especially with the poorest. It means
developing work skills with honesty and professional competence,
promoting justice, peace and the common good in politics,
respecting creation and promoting culture (cf. GC23, 178);
◗ serious commitment to discovering one’s life plan;
◗ gradual growth in maturity, progressive choices and consistent
service to the Church and all people. This responsible service
is developed through witness of life and is expressed in many
areas: educative and pastoral and cultural animation, voluntary
and missionary service;
◗ promptness in dealing with new situations and ability to sacrifice
less important things for the sake of higher values.
Salesian Youth Spirituality aims to help all young people in their vocational
journey to discover the meaning of their lives, in truth and in dialogue
with God.
C Planning programmes of education to the faith
Spirituality is not just a formula but an experience of life. We need to
translate the theory into practical programmes of structured
learning, in gradual stages, suited to the condition of the young people
who are to implement them (objectives, attitudes, knowledge, concrete
commitments and experiences) with some clearly defi ned content. The
Salesian Congregation has indicated four areas of human and Christian
maturity: human identity, the encounter with Christ, a commitment to the
Kingdom and membership of the Church (cf. GC23, nos.120-157).
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Don Bosco was the originator of an “easy” way of holiness for young people
with his educational and pastoral system. He created an environment
suitable for their growth as human beings and as Christians. He was able
to personalise and customise the educative plan for each young individual.
It is enough to look at the biographies of Dominic Savio, Francis Besucco
and Michael Magone and it will be clear how the path to holiness was the
same for all three as far as the educational programme was concerned,
but wisely adapted to the different circumstances of each of them.
What do we mean by drawing up practical programmes? Here are some
practical criteria for the faith journey:
◗ flexibility that overcomes all forms of rigidity in structures. The
programme must be suited to children who live in different
personal and environmental situations even though the goal
is always kept in view. It means devising programmes that
are open, presenting the full message in a manner and form
appropriate to the various ages and cultural conditions and the
specific spiritual needs of the young people;
◗ continuity (the opposite of improvisation) and a gradual
approach (the opposite of a mentality that wants everything
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here and now). This implies prudence and patience. In this way
the programme takes on the character of an introductory path
which encourages the young and involves their freedom in
accomplishing the steps and taking on the responsibilities that
all education requires. The content is proposed and gradually
internalised. The essential and fundamental goals of human and
Christian growth must be presented at each stage;
◗ orientation towards the achievement of formative outcomes:
journeying towards the goal of “good Christian and honest
citizen”, trying to consolidate lasting values, attitudes and basic
skills. This means being practical and specific, that is, adherence
to reality in order to discern the adequacy of the proposals and
interventions through demonstrable results;
◗ overall unity for the holistic development of the personality
of each individual by harmonising human development and
Christian faith. It means unifying three mutually enriching
factors that lead to a rich personal Christian unity. Educating
good Christians and upright citizens demands therefore that
the entire educational programme and each individual stage are
geared to developing all aspects of the young person.
The pedagogical approach of the method, closely linked to the content and
dynamics, is important. The focus on interpersonal and communication
styles is subject to the objective and content. Priority must be given to the
forms most suitable to young people, flexible forms that give ample space
to a systematic study and creativity. There are some very important “points
of no return”, based on reality. Salesian educators cannot ignore the main
features that characterise contemporary young people and deeply affect
their lives and their experience of religion. Otherwise there is a danger
that our proposals become inadequate and ineffective. Youth Ministry is
authentic if it is characterised by flexibility and creativity.
In this sense, the method is also the message. Young people require
a style of Christian proclamation that is proactive, able to establish
proper communication and to give space for creativity and the linguistic
nuances of today. The real situation of young people and the quality of
objectives and content to be communicated, demand that the following
methodological criteria be taken into consideration:
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Concreteness
Symbol
Narrative
Internalisation
Young people appreciate and welcome concre-
te steps, and effective action. Everything that is
done must be seen, remembered, appreciated,
evaluated and verified in practice in daily life.
The young people’s capacity for symbolism must
be developed, and the ability to communicate
and enter into communion with ideas that can-
not be expressed in a single concept. This requi-
res sensitivity and creativity. Some experiences
cannot be expressed in words but only in ritual
and gesture (greetings, holiday, the sign of pea-
ce ...) The symbolic dimension is needed to enter
into communion with the Mystery of God alrea-
dy present in everyday reality. In this sense, li-
turgical, catechetical and experiential language,
must be used harmoniously.
Rather than argument, proof, justification or
belief, young people prefer a story, especially a
real life story. It encourages them to get invol-
ved in the narrative. Use of the techniques of the
gospel, like the parable, is essential, and more
credible. We need to be able to tell our own story
and the story of our faith journey. We have to con-
vey “what we have seen and heard.”
For the journey of faith to be effective, the expe-
riences and activities must be internalised and
valued by the young person (in head, heart and
hand). They must be able to put words on their
experiences by sharing and communicating, so
that it leads to choices and change.
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Experience
Start from experience, encourage experience,
return to the experience, try to understand the
experience. The experience of one’s own life is
the main educational resource, completed and
stimulated further by new experiences during
the educative process. Experience is also about
consolidating or overcoming whatever is en-
countered in life. It must be accompanied, re-
flected upon and understood if it is to become
part of the personal fabric of life, and not just a
simple accumulation of events.
Participation
and taking
responsibility
Young people need to take responsibility for their
own life. They must learn to believe in their own
capacity to grow and change. They want to be
considered and consulted. We must be prepared
to take risks and give them responsibility, accor-
ding to their situation and their capabilities. The-
re is no growth in maturity without responsibility,
no trust if they do not feel trusted. They are not
the object of our interventions but the subject of
their own lives.
Personalisation
and social
development
We must take into account the level of freedom
the young person has reached and employ a
legitimate educational pluralism that respects
the different situations in which young people
live. We must be flexible, think about each one
as an individual, and try to help his or her per-
sonal growth. This personal development ta-
kes place in relation to others, it happens with
others (in a group) and through others. Each
one gets to know himself or herself in relation
to others, in relation to history and to the world.
Growth takes place through relationships.
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COMMUNITY:
MAKE THE HOUSE A FAMILY
FOR THE YOUNG
CHAPTER
V
“Jesus himself drew
near and went with
them”
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Don Bosco wanted everyone to feel at home in his
establishments. The Salesian house becomes a family
when affection is mutual and when all, both confreres
and young people, feel welcome and responsible for
the common good. In an atmosphere of mutual trust
and daily forgiveness, the need and joy of sharing
everything is experienced, and relationships are
governed not so much by recourse to rules as by faith
and the promptings of the heart. This is a witness that
enkindles in the young the desire to get to know and to
follow the Salesian vocation”
(C. 16)
You cannot have affection without this
familiarity, and where affection is not evident, there
can be no confidence. If you want to be loved, you
must make it clear that you love”
(Letter from Rome, 1884)
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Salesian Youth Ministry requires
agreement of purpose and conviction on the part of all
those involved in the planning and implementation of the
Educative-Pastoral Community. In this chapter we shall
examine the community identity, how it works, the style
of shared responsibility and the way it is animated. The
community is called to invest in the figure of the Salesian
educator. In trying to discern and renew each activity and
work, we look to the Salesian style, the “oratory criterion”
that connects us with the practical insights of the charism
(our way of living together in communion) which have
become part of our shared patrimony, and are applicable
to all contexts where Salesians operate. Importance is
given to the way we offer signs of the Gospel in everyday
life, and the way we cultivate authentic relationships and
communication.
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1 Salesian Youth Ministry:
a community experience
11
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE IN THE SALESIAN
SPIRIT AND MISSION
A Communion at the service of the same mission
Evangelisation is always an ecclesial activity. The first key element
for realising Salesian Youth Ministry is the community involving young
people and adults, parents and educators in an atmosphere of family,
so that it becomes an experience of the Church (cf. C. 44-48; R. 5). It
implies a communion whereby the different gifts and services are seen
as complementary. There is mutual reciprocity in the service of the same
mission (cf. GC24, nos.61-67). Evangelisation is the fruit of a mission
that is shared between consecrated members and lay people, who join
forces in cooperation in sharing their gifts, despite the differences of
formation, different tasks, different charisms and different degrees
of participation in this mission. It is community in which all, religious
and laity, are active agents in the evangelisation of individuals and of
cultures (cf. Christifideles Laici 55-56; GC24, no.96).
This community is the subject and, at the same time, the object
and scope of our educative and pastoral activity. It is called
the Educative and Pastoral Community (EPC). It is our way of being
Church and our pastoral ministry in the Church. Education and
evangelisation are the result of convergence of people, initiatives,
qualifications, implemented in a shared project which involves shared
responsibility (cf. C. 34; GC21, nos.63, 67; GC24, no.99). Salesian
Youth Ministry is not just the action of individuals but a coordinated
project of different initiatives, the result of a shared search for
understanding and sharing of the gifts of all. It calls for collaboration
in research and planning.
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B The Salesian way of being present among the young
From the early days of the Oratory Don Bosco formed around him a
community – a family in which the young people themselves were
the key players. He created a youthful environment in which the values
of the Preventive System were embodied. There were well-defined spiritual
and pastoral characteristics with clear objectives and a convergence of roles
designed to suit the needs of the young people. The Salesian Congregation
and the Salesian Family were born from this community. In Don Bosco’s
mind the Salesians, with their life in common, are the centre of communion
and participation for all the educators who make their contribution to the
project and the spread of the charism (cf. GC24, nos.71-72, 75).
In remembering the beginnings at Valdocco we see not only the pastoral
heart of Don Bosco but also his ability to involve others: church, hostel and
playground become part of the educational reality thanks to the contribution
of religious, priests and lay people. The Preventive System pays attention
to personal relationships, but attaches importance also to community. His
method is intensely “communal”. The EPC is the Salesian way of animation
in every context to achieve Don Bosco’s educational mission. It is not a new
structure in addition to other management bodies and existing ways of
participation in different environments or pastoral works, nor is it only a
way of organising the work or a technique of participation.
The Salesian house is meant to be a home
that is welcoming towards young people,
a place where they are happy to be.
With the EPC we want to form,
wherever we are present, a com-
munity of people geared
to the education of the
young, that can become
an experience of Church
for them and can open
them to a personal
encounter with Jesus
Christ. The EPC (C.
47; GC24, no.156 )
is therefore:
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community: because it involves young people and adults, parents
and educators in a family atmosphere. The thing that unites us
is not work or efficiency, but a set of values of life (educational,
spiritual, Salesian ...) that form a shared identity willingly accepted
by all;
educative: because it gives first place, in all its projects,
relationships and organisations, to concern for the integral
development of young people. By this we mean the development
of their potential in all aspects: physical, psychological, cultural,
professional, social, religious and spiritual;
pastoral: because it is open to evangelisation, it walks with young
people on their journey to encounter Christ and creates an expe-
rience of church where young people experience human and Chri-
stian values in communion with God and with others.
C The EPC involves many people in the Salesian Educative and
Pastoral Project
The EPC demands a new mature sense of belonging and a new
mentality, a new way of thinking, judging and acting, a new way of
confronting problems and a new style of relationships – with young people, and
with educators and pastoral workers. It is a community made up of concentric
circles with young people at the centre as the key reference point (cf. C. 5).
The Salesian community is the guarantor of Salesian identity, and the core of
communion and participation. Families are the agencies first and foremost
responsible for the education of young people. Lay people are responsible
in various ways as leaders and collaborators. Among them, members of the
Salesian Family who work in our settings bring a special contribution that
reflects the peculiar features and the richness of their vocation.
The most significant pastoral initiatives form a network. All members
of the EPC work together at different levels in drawing up the Salesian
Educative and Pastoral Plan (SEPP) which is the centre of convergence of
all activity. All cooperate in the same educational process, enriching each
other in a shared process of formation (cf. GC24, no.157). The formative
experience involves agreed criteria, agreed goals and intentions, initiatives
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that have been planned together (co-responsibility, discussion, research,
evaluation). The SEPP helps in coming to a shared understanding of the
Gospel and of culture, of faith and life (cf. GC24, no.96 )
D The EPC and family
As has been said, the EPC is a centre that welcomes the greatest possible
number of people interested in the human and religious aspects of the
area. One clearly identified pastoral challenge is to achieve a fuller sharing
with the family, which is the primary and indispensable educational
community. We recognise that the family is the basic cell of society and
the Church. Despite all its difficulties, the family is esteemed by the children
because there they receive the affection they need and cannot do without.
For parents, education is an essential duty, connected to the transmission of
life. The role of the family is irreplaceable and inalienable and comes before
the educational role of anyone else. It cannot be delegated or substituted (cf.
Familiaris Consortio, 36).
The emergence of counselling centres in support of education to help with
family problems, run by both lay people and religious, is an interesting
and promising development. The same can be said of groups that help
parents in educating their children to the faith. The EPC is committed
to making parents aware of their educational responsibility, in the face
of new emerging patterns of education. It pays particular attention to
accompanying young couples and actively involving them in the EPC.
It is necessary for Salesians and lay people together to make a careful
community discernment, in order to identify and respond to the most
urgent problems of the family, making use of all the resources available. A
greater involvement of the family in the SEPP is needed.
E The EPC as a meaningful experience of the Church in a
particular area
Every Salesian work has an extraordinary educational potential
because of its widespread penetration in the local area. The Salesian
mission is not identified with and is not reduced to the Salesian community
and Salesian work. However, the Salesian house is necessary as a meeting
place and training place for the vast movement of people who work for
the young, inside and outside Salesian structures, in the Church and in
the institutions of civil society (cf. GC24, no.4). The EPC, when properly
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understood, is open to and collaborates with all those working for the
promotion and training of young people in the area. It works in solidarity
with former students, and with young people and adults in the area it
serves. As an agent of pastoral care it lives and acts in the Church and in
the world (cf. C. 47), and is a significant presence in both.
◗ The service offered by the EPC is integrated into the
pastoral care of the local church. The SEPP is inserted in the
pastoral plan of the diocese or region. The work of the EPC is
coordinated with that of other Christian forces working for the
education of young people. It expresses its belonging to the
Church through appropriate gestures proportionate to the level
of faith reached by the EPC.
By bringing its specifi c contribution to the community of the
Church, the EPC enriches the local Church with the gift of
Salesian Youth Spirituality, Don Bosco’s educational system and
the vitality of the Salesian Family and Salesian Youth Movement.
This can be done by being actively involved in the Parish or area
Pastoral Council. We offer our professional contribution as
educators of the young and we make suggestions or proposals
to serve the educational and pastoral mission of the Church on
behalf of young people.
◗ It operates as a centre of unity for the existing social
forces in the area, and helps them to be integrated into the
situation in which they live. It maintains a mutually enriching
dialogue with these forces and participates in the formation and
human and Christian education of young people, collaborating
with other organisations working for the same purpose (cf.
GC21, nos.17, 132; GC23, nos.229-230, GC24, 115).
Being a centre of communion and participation, the EPC is like a
spiral whose core radiates sensitivity and responsibility out to the
periphery, seeing to communication and the search for meaning
(cf. GC24, nos.49, 114, 135). It makes the Salesian presence
significant, with its educational and pastoral identity. It becomes
a place of welcome and a gathering place, a sign of communion
and participation, and works for the transformation of the
surrounding area (cf. GC23, nos.225-229; GC24, nos.173-174).
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◗ It works as an agent of transformation in the area. It is
not only present through its members who live the area, but it
participates in “the commitment of the Church to justice and
peace.” (C. 33). It works to change situations which are contrary to
Gospel values (cf. C. 7). Its educational and pastoral competence
may be called upon to respond to problems affecting young
people (cf. GC24, no.235). It is present in the human contexts in
which the young people live, especially the marginalised and the
excluded. It is attentive to the factors that have most influence
on their education and evangelisation, discerning there the signs
of the saving presence of God. It participates strongly in cultural
debate and educational processes through the various forms of
group activity, voluntary service and social cooperation, bringing
an original educational proposal for the creation of a mentality
and a social conscience and civic and Christian solidarity, and for
the evangelisation of the prevailing culture.
The dynamism of the EPC will bring the community to evaluate
critically what is happening around and will encourage the
committed Christians in the area.
◗ It is a Church presence in multi-religious and multicultural
contexts: Salesian Youth Ministry is practised also in contexts
of cultural and religious pluralism, with a significant presence
of lay people of different cultures and beliefs involved in our
mission. For this reason, it must always be open to dialogue
and collaboration with different religious traditions, promoting
the integral development of the person and openness to the
transcendent. This points to the need for a deep inculturation of
our pastoral ministry. The Preventive System is the basic criterion
for this collaboration: “With those who do not accept God we can
journey together, basing ourselves on the human and lay values
present in the Preventive System; with those who do accept God
and the transcendent we can go further, even to welcoming their
religious values; and finally, with those who share our faith in Christ
but not our membership of the Church, we can walk still more
closely on the path of the Gospel.” (GC24, no.185) For this reason
it is important that Christians in the EPC live in fidelity to their
vocation and the evangelising mission of the Church according to
the Salesian charism (cf. GC24, nos.183-185).
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1 2 ANIMATION OF THE EPC
The EPC is not a ready-made structure or institution but a living organism
that exists in so far as it grows and develops. For this reason we should pay
attention not only to the organisation but, above all, to developing the life
of the EPC. Every EPC must ensure the promotion and care of the many
different ways of animating and accompanying the people. This is
why we can speak of an original Salesian style of pastoral accompaniment.
We support people at different levels, through the general environment of
the EPC, groups, personal relationships and personal guidance.
A An accompanying environment
First of all, we aim to provide accompaniment by creating an educational
environment, where young people feel at home and there is an atmosphere of
support. Ideas and feelings are shared and there are educational activities which
prepare them to make choices and be committed. The environment which an
EPC offers in a Salesian work must be understood first in its more external and
operational aspects, that is, in its organisation and coordination. It offers
good quality information and communication both internally and externally.
It involves everyone’s efforts in the educational process. It respects the roles,
functions and specific contributions of the different vocations. It provides space
for participation in the drawing-up, implementation and evaluation of the SEPP
together. It values the educational and pastoral objectives, the content being
offered and the achievements of the various participants.
In order to mature, the young person needs to establish an educational
relationship with, and to identify with, different adult figures
in the EPC. Each of these people gives his or her own contribution and
leaves a lasting impression of their personality and their own expertise.
The EPC must ensure open relationships with people who foster personal
relationships between the world of adults and young people, relationships
that go beyond the purely functional and foster fraternal relations of respect
and interest in people. This is the basic principle of Salesian assistance.
Finally, the environment must encourage the constant commitment of
quality ongoing training and formation at different levels, spiritual,
Christian and Salesian. The EPC is not only the subject but also the object
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of Youth Ministry. For this reason, we must ensure training and formation
for all. Our educative and pastoral ministry must be designed not only for
young people but should also inspire formation programmes for adults
(Salesians and lay people together) which, in addition to allowing them to
live “for” young people, will help them grow “with” them, enabling them
to march in step with the younger generation.
B Group Accompaniment
All those forming part of an EPC come into contact with a single proposal for
life and spirituality. Somehow they walk along a single route which involves
various educational and religious activities. Group activity is one of these.
In groups people are accompanied, always taking good care of individual
differences or different stages. An effort is made to meet the diverse interests
of the people, treating each one in a unique way. Different levels of belonging
are blended on a personal level in a form of active learning, which makes
use of experiment, research, active participation, and the discovery of new
approaches. All these are a sign of vitality. They allow young people to develop
the values which appeal most to their cultural sensibilities. Groups can be for
young people the place where their expectations come into contact with the
proposals of value and faith. They become involved in the discovery of values,
and assimilate them in their lives.
They help young people to find their identity more easily and to recognise
and accept the diversity of others, an essential step if they are to mature
in the experience of community and Church.
Group accompaniment helps young people to develop the sense
of belonging to the EPC. Each group must recognise its involvement
in a larger group which is the EPC. The groups become proactive and
offer an experience that avoids the danger either of feeling lost and
anonymous in a large crowd, or the loneliness of being closed in on self.
As the group gets stronger internally, it interacts positively with the EPC,
sharing its proposals, insights and expectations, and encouraging affective
participation in its activities and symbols.
C Personal accompaniment
There is yet a third task, which is to accompany each of the members of the
EPC in his or her human and Christian growth and personal choices.
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This means that the person is encountered with his or her individuality, “face
to face”, even when part of a group. Don Bosco’s pedagogical praxis has
always included the word in the ear, a personal dialogue even in the group.
His is an educational method that is based on relationship. The goal of the
one by one part of the educational journey is personal authenticity.
The life of the members of the EPC is not limited to the environment or
the group, even if this experience is crucial. Meeting and dialogue have a
value and a particular function. The dialogue is an opportunity for pastoral
intervention, as we see in the encounter of the boy John Bosco with Fr
Calosso or the meeting between Don Bosco as a priest with Bartholomew
Garelli. The Salesian approach is intended to evoke the young person’s active
collaboration and this is critical to the educational process, because of the
possibilities, choices and personal experiences it creates. It encourages the
search for underlying motivations for living. It requires clarity at the precise
moment. It evokes the desire for dialogue and discernment, and promotes
the internalisation of daily experiences in order to decipher the messages
to be learned. It enables the young person to face confrontation and make
critical judgements, to seek reconciliation and regain inner calm, and leads
to a growth in personal and Christian maturity. The timing of these choices
and these experiences is not the same for all and neither are the situations
and decisions in which the young people find themselves. Accompaniment
is an educative and pastoral service to individuals. It enhances their personal
life and life is the central theme of all educational and spiritual dialogue.
The EPC provides many opportunities for personal communication. There
is a single goal which can be reached in a great variety of ways,
in different circumstances and interventions. The informal and
spontaneous moments of sharing are the most frequent, but others are
more organised and these also are indispensable. Among these, spiritual
direction is particularly significant. It serves to strengthen the faith as life in
Christ and an understanding of the meaning of life. It assists young people
in discerning their vocation in the Church and in the world. It helps them
to grow constantly in spiritual life and holiness.
Young people feel the weight of the multiplicity of proposals that are
around, and the inner struggle to sift through them all for the sake of
their growth. They want a space where they feel loved but know that their
freedom is respected, space where they can breathe, question, exercise
responsibility, where they can find support as they patiently get to know and
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accept who they are. In a very strict sense, they are looking for educators
and guides, capable of offering personal accompaniment.
The EPC must provide opportunities and possibilities for face to face dialogue.
We cannot turn a deaf ear to their request for this space. This means
ensuring that there are times and places where personal communication
can take place without hindrance or haste. Care for the personal dimension
provides oxygen for the EPC, creating opportunities for each one to check
his or her own life and become aware of where life is leading them. There is
an ever more urgent need for people ready to listen and respect confidence,
without ever intruding on the intimacy of conscience.
People are needed who have the gift of listening and accept the educative
responsibility of assisting young people, particularly in their efforts to grow.
Walking alongside each young person, helping him or her to discover the
way, is a human experience and a faith experience that leave an indelible
imprint.
13
A SPECIFIC SERVICE OF ANIMATION:
THE “ANIMATING NUCLEUS”
Salesian animation of the EPC involves intervening to ensure the
organisation, coordination, educational objectives and content, pedagogical
guidance, the training of individuals who take part, and strengthening of
the distinctive Salesian character of the work. All of these are necessary
and together they make up the overall animation of the EPC as a
group. The diversity of tasks and roles and responsibility of all facilitate the
achievement of the objectives (cf. GC24, nos.106-148).
A A group of people in mutual enrichment
All components of the EPC, Salesians and lay people, participate in
its animation but some have the specific task of promoting the
contribution of all and the responsibility of the largest possible number
of members, taking care of the quality and coordination of the animation
and paying particular attention to levels more immediately concerned
with the Salesian identity and quality of education and evangelisation.
With their charismatic witness, these people constitute the “animating
nucleus” of the EPC.
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The human heart is a small organ compared to the rest of the body but
it is capable of getting blood, and therefore life, to all parts of the body,
though only if all the “valves” are working in harmony to achieve this
end. Similarly, the animating nucleus is a group of people composed of
Salesians and lay people who identify themselves with the mission, the
educational system and Salesian spirituality and together assume the
task of convening, motivating, and engaging all who are involved in
the work, in order to form with them the educational community and to
realise together the plan of evangelisation and education of the young.
It should be emphasised that the Salesian religious community (cf. C. 38,
47, R. 5), with its spiritual heritage, its educational method, its relationships
of fraternity and shared responsibility for the mission, is the point of
reference for the pastoral identity of the animating nucleus: “The Salesian
community plays the role of the charismatic point of reference from which
all take their inspiration” (GC25, no.70). The religious community alone
is not the animating nucleus but is an integral part of it. Lay people who
work in a Salesian work where there is no religious community must
ensure, in whatever way they can, that there is open participation and
real responsibility in the organisation and management, and in all the
functions that belong to the animating nucleus.
The EPC Council is the body that animates and coordinates the
implementation of the Educative and Pastoral Project. It is the first
place for the exercise of shared responsibility between Salesians, lay workers,
parents and young people. It works through reflection, dialogue, planning
and review of planned initiatives (cf. GC24, nos.160-161, 171). Being a
coordinating body for the service of the unity of all who are involved in the
local project, it cooperates with all other agencies that act within the EPC.
It belongs to the Provincial with his Council to decide on the criteria for the
composition of the council, its competence and level of responsibility, in
coordination with the House Council of the Salesian community (cf. GC24,
no.171). This question is treated fully in Chapter 8, 2.1/d.
B New organisational models
The 26th General Chapter (no.120) recognises that there is a plurality
of models of management of works at present in the Congregation.
Some works are managed by a Salesian community which is the animating
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nucleus of a larger Educative and Pastoral Community. There are activities
and works entrusted entirely by the Salesians to lay people, or started by lay
people, and recognised in the provincial project (according to the criteria
set by GC24, nos.180-182). There are other modes of management which
cannot be reduced to a single model in which there is still a relationship
between the local community and one or more works, and there are
pastoral or activity sectors managed entirely by lay people. Obviously, such
situations require new organisational models. Where there is no Salesian
community the animating nucleus, made up of lay people, is inspired
by the three criteria of identity, communion and signifi cance of Salesian
ministry and is implemented under the responsibility of the Provincial and
his Council (see Chapter 8, 2.2).
2 The Heart
of the Salesian Educator
We have identifi ed the people in the EPC with whom we build this
experience. Now, we have to think about the person of the educator, the
image that should inspire him or her, and the attitudes to be cultivated.
We will look briefly at the heart of the Salesian educator who, in whatever
field of activity, is true to the model of educator and evangeliser left to us
as legacy by Don Bosco.
2 1 AN INNER APOSTOLIC SPIRIT IS ESSENTIAL
A Enter more deeply into the Gospel
The essential “inner apostolic spirit” leads to a greater awareness of what it
means to be an educator and pastor and the demands this makes. It means
growing into a fuller and deeper knowledge of Christ, the Good Shepherd, and
developing an authentic experience of faith through one’s daily work.
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Only a person with an interior life has the ability to listen, to distinguish
the apparent from the authentic, to be open to the needs of others and
allow himself or herself to be touched by them. This interiority reaches its
culmination in the person who is “full of God,” who lives and walks “in
the presence of God,” who has discovered God who reveals himself in the
history of daily life and, in a special way, is revealed in the history of the
children and young people we serve.
To make a greater impact it is not enough just to have more people or better
means. What is needed, above all, is to be better disciples of Christ, to enter
more deeply into the Gospel. The force of attraction that motivates all educative
and pastoral action comes from pastoral charity, that is, from a vocational wish
to be of service to the Gospel. This basic choice permeates the consciousness of
the educator to the extent that all his or her activities, whatever their nature, take
on a gospel motivation (cf. Ez 34:11-23, the true shepherd). Really competent
people who are able to combine an interior Salesian gospel way of life with
their own rich humanity, are able to see their commitment to education as an
aspect of their mission. Without special care of the interior apostolic life of the
consecrated members themselves, and that of lay people and young people,
we will not have real evangelisation. It is pastoral charity rooted in the heart
which becomes the living centre of the Salesian spirit.
B The first form of evangelisation is witness
Moved by this apostolic interior life, the evangeliser is aware that the good
news lies not only in the truth that is proclaimed but, above all in the
witness and conviction of the one who proclaims it (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi
42). The Salesian educator bears
witness, not to seek to be imitated,
but to show the possibility of a
life leavened by the gospel and
thus help each young person to
“Modern man listens more willingly to
witnesses than to teachers (I said last year
to a group of lay people) and if he does
listen to teachers, it is because they are
witnesses”
(EVANGELII NUNTIANDI 41)
come to personal understanding.
In proclaiming the gospel to
the young, a witness needs to
be able to live his or her faith
among the young in a way
that can be seen. Youth ministry
requires not only teachers open to
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the illuminating power of the gospel, but also witnesses who speak of
God, because they are accustomed to speaking with God.
Every educator must strengthen, in a conscious way, his or her motivations of
faith. It sometimes happens that some other educational contribution, even
if given in collaboration with the ecclesial community, does not flow from
motivations of faith. It is important that the service we offer comes from a
sincere desire for life and promotion of life. The educational journey touches
the heart of the person (in the biblical sense) and, in the Christian sense it is a
journey of spirituality, life in the Spirit of Christ, nourished by faith in its fullness.
2 2 SALESIAN CHARISMATIC IDENTITY
The charismatic identity sheds light on the life project. Don Bosco made
education his life-choice and the reason for everything he did. His
vocation as an educator gradually matured and it became his specific way
of being a citizen, a Christian and a priest. Then, as now, the Preventive
System needs people who make education their life-choice. Education
becomes the unifying concern of their personal life and the inspiration
and driving force of their activity, their office and their personal roles. Don
Bosco used to say:
Take note of what I am. I am all for you, day and night,
morning and evening, all the time. I have no other aim
than to gain your moral, intellectual and physical well-
being. For you I study, for you I work, for you I live,
(CHRONICLE OF THE
for you I am ready even to give my life
ORATORY OF ST. FRANCIS OF SALES).
By continually studying and re-proposing the theoretical and practical
framework of the Preventive System, our Salesian legacy becomes an
educational, moral and spiritual competence, deeply rooted in interior
dispositions: the desire to respond to the call for help that comes from the
young; the willingness to dedicate our time, our energy, our knowledge
and our skill for the welfare of the young; the ability to continue with
perseverance in a systematic way, in spite of difficulties and disappointments,
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in pursuit of the welfare of every individual. Evangelisation today cannot be
lived in any other way. It cannot be entrusted to people without courage,
who are permanently dissatisfied and pessimistic. The vocation and passion
for education must take first place.
2 3 ANIMATION IS THE BEST FORM OF EDUCATION
A Priority is given to the person in the growth process
The Salesian educator favours the practice of animation to bring people
to listen to Jesus and accept him. The model is the encounter on the
road to Emmaus: the missionary approaches the young person, and meets
him or her with an attitude of listening and welcome, proclaiming the
Gospel and offering to accompany the young person (cf. GC20, nos.360-
365; GC23, nos.94-111). Animation helps people to make the good news
their own and assists them in the development of their conscience. It
makes them aware of the motivations that drive their options and their
critical thinking skills. It encourages their active involvement and makes
them responsible agents in their own education. The aim is to bring about
a sharing of values, criteria, objectives and the various processes of Salesian
Youth Ministry. It aims to deepen the vocational identity of the educators,
by increasing communication and sharing among all, and by encouraging
shared responsibility. It fosters coordination, complementarity and the
collaboration of all in a shared project.
B The active presence of educators among the young
This implies an effort to be where young people live and meet,
establishing a relationship with them that is personal and, at the
same time challenging and liberating. It needs a commitment by adult
educators to share with young people by meeting them, listening to
them and giving them witness. This requires the physical presence of the
educator in the manner that Don Bosco called “assistance”, understood
as accompaniment, being close to the young, animating them, paying
attention to everything that happens, being ready to intervene at the right
time, giving them an example. There is a very telling scene in the life of
Don Bosco which highlights the contrasting attitudes of priests – some of
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them polite but aloof and distant, and others with the paternal attitude of
the elderly priest Fr Calosso:
There were many good priests who worked for the
good of the people, but I could not make friends with
any of them. It often happened that I would meet the
parish priest and his assistant somewhere along the
road. I would greet them from afar. They approached
me politely, but they only responded to my greeting, and
continued on their way. Several times, I was bitter to
the point of tears, and I used to say: ‘If I were a priest,
I would not behave like that. I would try to get close
to the young people. I would give them good advice. I
would speak kind words to them’
(MEMOIRS OF THE ORATORY, FIRST DECADE 1825-1835, NO.4).
This original style of education is based on some fundamental beliefs that
are at the same time precise operational choices. Young people need
contact with educators if they are to develop the energies they have
within them. The educators must cultivate the loving kindness taught
by Don Bosco. It is their duty to be open to all young people and to
every young person, not minimising their educational expectations, but
offering everyone what they need, “here and now”. This decision implies
accepting the young “where they are” respecting their freedom and level
of maturity, gradually awakening their potential and opening their lives to
new perspectives, through different educational and religious measures.
Hence, mature and loving Salesian fatherliness is an essential part of Salesian
education in the present-day world where young people are often more and
more “orphaned” and alone. According to witnesses of his life, Don Bosco had
a fatherly kindness expressed in countless acts of goodness. He used to give
small gifts, write friendly letters, show little gestures of concern, offer words of
comfort and encouragement – little acts of kindness that people kept fondly
in their hearts. Fatherhood, godly and human, is defined in terms of giving
life. There is no way of giving life without somehow, giving of self as a sign of
gratitude. We can say that generating life always involves a dying of some kind.
For educators, this is never a loss of life, but is always finding oneself again
in a better life. In addition to dedication and generosity, loving kindness that
reaches out to all is a requirement for paternity. Young people need not only to
know that they are loved, but also to feel that they are regarded with kindness!
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They have, in fact, a “right” to touch the fatherhood of God in the
lifestyle of educator. The educator’s way of thinking, speaking, feeling and
behaving, should reveal the loving kindness of God.
24
PASTORAL INTELLIGENCE
TO GIVE LIFE TO THE SEPP
A Read the present youth situation from an
“educational perspective”
We need urgently to give a pastoral and cultural qualitative boost to the
SEPP. We need adequate preparation to enable us to carry out our
mission to the full. Our formation should aim at multiple conversion of
heart, mind and pastoral action. This results in a change of heart and a
new understanding of the ministry itself.
The call to read the present youth situation from an educational
perspective demands that we cultivate an acute awareness of the urgency
of educational and pastoral care as seen in the signs of the times. This
means identifying the emerging values that appeal to young people:
peace, freedom, justice, communion and participation, the promotion of
women, solidarity, development, ecological issues, the plurality of cultures,
peaceful coexistence among different ethnic groups, and a commitment
to oppose any kind of exploitation of children and the new forms of
slavery. As servants of young people, we are called to evaluate the events
and currents of thought of our time that most affect the human person.
B A patient commitment to change and formation
As educators with the awareness that we are also mediators, we are asked
for a patient commitment to change and rethinking in many respects. We
have the task of designing faith journeys that are able to make use of
the different ways of communicating that are available today to connect
with the situation of young people. We need to find ways of proclaiming
the gospel that are incisive, vital and clear, and to develop educational
strategies for the evangelisation of cultures. Life becomes a continuous
lesson, an opportunity to reflect on the educational experience, a journey
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marked by creativity, and a readiness to evaluate instead of being satisfied
with what we have always done and simply repeating the same thing over
and over again.
Formation is an attitude of mind and heart, and a willingness to learn
from life for the whole of one’s life. The person is intelligently active and
ready to learn. This attitude cannot be improvised. It does not come from
nothing. It is a consequence of our vocation as educators.
Formative programmes that focus only on content or the acquisition of skills
and techniques have been shown to be insufficient. We are becoming more
and more convinced of the importance of the educator being involved with
his or her whole person in the task of education. Communication skills
and education must be firmly rooted in the educator’s own identity and
be part of a real personal journey. It is possible to have all the information,
and to have mastered all the most modern methodologies and teaching
procedures, to have all the resources and a professional approach, but these
are not enough. The process of professional training of Salesian educators
ultimately brings into play the educator’s own identity and the gift of his or
her testimony. The educator is a model with whom the young identify by
imitating the path of his or her personal growth. The vocation to the service
of education requires the ability to question oneself and allow oneself to
be questioned on one’s deepest convictions, motivations and expectations.
Self-knowledge takes away fear and strengthens one’s identity.
Every time we examine our mission and vocation as educators,
we become convinced of the need to make it more
suitable. We feel encouraged to develop a whole new
range of cultural, pedagogical and pastoral skills,
such as ecumenism, inter-religious dialogue
and dialogue with non-believers, the use of
social communication and participation in
public debate.
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3
The Preventive System in
practice: the Salesian style
of education
31
DON BOSCO’S ORATORY, CRITERION
FOR ALL OUR WORKS AND ACTIVITIES
A The “oratory criterion”, inspiration and model for our
activities and works
“When we think of the origin of our
Congregation and Family, we find first
of all a community, which was not only
visible, but indeed quite unique, almost
like a lantern in the darkness of night:
Valdocco, the home of a novel community
and a pastoral setting that was widely
known, extensive and open … Such a
community gave rise to a new culture,
not in an academic sense but in that
of a new style of relationship between
youngsters and educators, between laity
and priests, between artisans and students,
a relationship which had its effect on the
area and on the city itself … All this had
as its root and raison d’etre the faith and
pastoral charity, which tried to create from
within a family spirit, and led to a deep
affection for God and our Lady”
(FR JUAN VECCHI, AGC 373, “THIS IS THE ACCEPTABLE TIME”)
The Valdocco Oratory brings us
back to the original experience of
the Salesian mission. Don Bosco,
together with his collaborators and
the first Salesians, embodied in the
oratory that particular charism or
experience of the Spirit who raised
up in the Church our original form
of apostolic mission among the
poorest young people. So, today,
referring to the Valdocco Oratory
is not a historical exercise, simply
looking back to what occurred
there with Don Bosco. It is the way
for us to return to our origins, to the
source that inspired our work and
activities (cf. C. 41), and to verify
the fidelity of our educational-
pastoral activity.
Don Bosco’s Oratory in Valdocco is still
the lasting criterion for discernment
and renewal in all our activities and
works (C. 40):
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◗ This return to our origins
has as its goal the
“oratorian heart,” which is
characterised by a concern
for the poorest youth
and ordinary classes.
This zeal is an expression
of the salvific will of God
embodied in the figure of
the Good Shepherd, and it
is directed first towards poor
youth in the various forms of
poverty in which they find
themselves.
“It was on those occasions that I realised
how many were brought back to that place
because they were left to themselves. Who
knows, I said to myself, if these young
men had a friend outside, who would take
care of them, assist them and instruct
them in religion on public holidays, would
they not be able to stay away from ruin,
or at least would it not reduce the number
of those who return to prison? I shared
this idea with Don Cafasso, and with his
◗ It requires a change in
pastoral perspective: young
people come before the
works! Their needs require
that our institutions and
advice and insights I started to look for a
way to do so by entrusting them all to the
grace of God without whom all efforts of
men are in vain”
(MEMOIRS OF THE ORATORY,
SECOND DECADE 1835-1845, NO.11)
activities be rethought,
rewritten and reordered, if
we are to be faithful to the mission entrusted to us “to be signs and
bearers of God’s love” (C. 2 ).
◗ Secondly, in reference to the “oratorian heart,” we practice a typi-
cally Salesian educational method of sharing and communion
which gives a specific style to our works. It is the heritage of the
Salesian Family that consists not only in a wealth of experience in
Valdocco but as an identity that results in a style. The practice of this
method creates a family atmosphere and determines the initiatives
that are necessary for each young person to grow in a warm and
welcoming atmosphere (home) marked by happiness (playground),
where he or she can develop all their potential, acquiring new skills
(school) and embark on an explicit faith journey (parish).
The oratorian heart characterises our ecclesial charism, ensures
the quality of our educational work and renews our pastoral ac-
tivities, in line with the various cultural forms and with the various
experiences of faith and religion in which young people live.
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B General indicators for discernment and renewal
The “oratorian heart” is not only the goal and form of Salesian educative-
pastoral activity, but also becomes the fundamental criterion for
discernment and renewal of our activities and works. If our work is
to merit the description given by Don Bosco to his work, we must measure
it, first of all, against Don Bosco’s basic criteria.
“Don Bosco lived a pastoral experience
in his first Oratory which serves as a
model; it was for the youngsters a home
that welcomed, a parish that evangelized,
a school that prepared them for life, and
a playground where friends could meet
and enjoy themselves. As we carry out our
mission today, the Valdocco experience is
still the lasting criterion for discernment
and renewal in all our activities and works”
(C. 40)
A disposition of listening and of
obedience to the Spirit is absolutely
fundamental if we are to be faithful
to the mission and the people for
whom our work is intended. He
is, in fact, the one who supports
and accompanies our mission, and
directs and renews it. By submitting
to his action and inspiration we walk
the path of Don Bosco who, docile
to the Spirit, gave a lasting response
to the situation of young people.
If we are to be renewed, we must
be consistent in our ability to read
and discern. This demands attentive
listening to the socio-cultural reality
of young people.
The exercise of discernment is of fundamental importance. It is the starting point
from which Salesian Youth Ministry seeks to formulate an appropriate response
to today’s challenges. Discernment involves knowing how to ask appropriate
questions, to examine the signs of the times wisely, and to evaluate carefully the
different options. Then, docile to the Holy Spirit, we try with an understanding
heart and a strong will to put into practice the kind of activities that will make
Don Bosco present and make the work he started fruitful in our day.
32
WAYS OF SHARING LIFE AND COMMUNION
IN THE SALESIAN STYLE
The Preventive System is so tied to the Salesian style that it
constitutes its most characteristic and expressive embodiment. The
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Preventive System as a concrete method of education not only facilitates
educational and pastoral action, but is also the content of what we try
to teach. Its most signifi cant aspects have been identifi ed as home,
parish, school and playground. These are images that do not indicate
determined environments, spaces and places, but rather a series of
experiences that are offered to the young.
The diverse experiences of these four images add up to an indivisible
and inseparable unity. It presupposes various forms of action in
response to the youth situation, and therefore none of the four can
be overlooked.
A A home that welcomes (the
experience of family spirit)
The experience of “home”
creates an environment of
confidence and familiarity.
As in a family it is essential that
“Act in such a way that everyone you talk
to becomes your friend”
(BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS 20, CHAPTER 8)
each member care for the others.
In a Salesian environment this
care is shown in many different ways and young people feel that
they are listened to and understood. Values are transmitted through
witness and accompaniment by educators who love and are loved.
An unconditional welcome to young people when they arrive for the
first time makes a huge impact. They are able to see that their most
important needs are respected and that they are being offered an
appropriate response.
This experience of “home” in the family spirit is a distinctive feature of
our educational method. Salesian assistance consists in an attitude of
empathy and friendly welcome, the desire to bring young people to Christ
and a willingness to meet their concerns.
It is only in this loving and meaningful relationship that young people feel
they can enter into dialogue, albeit slowly, and that values can be shared.
In this climate, all the key conditions necessary for the young to mature in
all aspects and dimensions can develop.
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B A parish that evangelises
(religious experience and pedagogical journey)
The experience of the “parish” is built on two main pillars: in the fi rst
place, the belief that every young person has in his or her heart the
desire for God, the desire for a full life, the unifying perspective of faith;
secondly, a series of initiatives suitable to young people, with the goal of
helping them to discover and follow their vocation.
On this foundation our evangelising activity aims at creating an
environment where faith is lived daily with spontaneity and normality, as
exemplified above all by the EPC. It is an environment where the essential
dimensions of the Church are made explicit, according to the Salesian
charism. This leads to “Koinonia,” whose ultimate expression is the EPC,
whose members live the values of the Kingdom and call others to take an
active part. A key element is “Liturgy” or the Christian celebration of daily
events. It reaches its highest point and fullest expression in the sacraments,
especially in the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Another important element
is “Diakonia,” which means a willingness to serve in educational and
promotional activities, far beyond ordinary assistance. Finally there is
“Martyria,” which means witnessing the values of the Kingdom to the
world in deeds of charity, with formative initiatives that prepare young
people and educators to give a reason for the hope that is in them (1 Pet.
3:15-16).
All this is developed in the EPC within a pedagogical journey of gradual
education in the faith that helps young people to discover their own
vocation and follow it according to God’s plan (see Chapter 4, no.3.2).
C A school that prepares them for life
(holistic growth through education)
The experience of “school” is characterised by providing the resources
necessary to ensure that every young person develops the skills and
attitudes essential for life in society.
In every educational space, formal or informal, the educator must seek
and find the way that leads to the welfare of each young person so that
he or she can mature fully.
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The young person is the one who is fi rst responsible for his or her own
growth and maturity. The educator will accompany the young on their
journey by offering them the experiences necessary for the harmonious
development of their personality, in a way of life founded on respect
and dialogue, for the formation of a critical conscience and a sense of
commitment.
D A playground to meet up with friends and be happy
(the pedagogy of joy and celebration)
The experience of the “playground” is a natural environment where
young people can form and
deepen friendship and trust. The
playground is understood as the
place of education to happiness
and joy. It encourages values and
attitudes of confidence, and a
suitable place for the care of each
young person, for the little word
in the ear, where the relationship
between educator and young
person helps to overcome the
formalism associated with other
structures, roles and environments.
“Here we make holiness consist in
being cheerful. We try to avoid sin,
which is the great enemy who steals
God’s grace and peace of heart, to
fulfil our duties exactly, and to be
faithful to the practices of piety. Start
today and write as a motto: ‘Servite
Domino in laetitia’ – we serve the Lord
In this sense, the experience
of the playground is a call to
in holy joy”
(LIFE OF ST DOMINIC SAVIO, A PUPIL OF THE ORATORY OF
ST FRANCIS OF SALES, CHAPTER 18)
change from formal structures,
and leave the walls within which
we work, to make every place
where we meet young people an environment rich in educational and
pastoral proposals. It means a more decentralised approach, meeting
young people in informal places such as the streets. The focus is not
only on the personal relationship but also on enhancing the dynamics of
informal groups.
In the context of leisure activities, the new virtual meeting places and
social networks are actually spaces where there are no strangers. We must
be able to be present with the young wherever they meet.
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AND PASTORAL PROJECT:
OPERATIONAL TOOL
CHAPTER
VI
“Put on the new nature
created in the likeness
of God”
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Don Bosco has handed on to us his Preventive
System as a means for carrying out our educational
and pastoral service.”This system is based entirely
on reason, religion and loving kindness.” Instead of
constraint, it appeals to the resources of intelligence,
love, and the desire for God that everyone has in
the depths of his being. It brings together educators
and youngsters in a family experience of trust and
dialogue. Imitating God’s patience we encounter
the young at their present stage of freedom. We then
accompany them so that they may develop solid
convictions and gradually assume the responsibility
for the delicate process of their growth as human
beings and as men of faith”
(C. 38)
When we got firmly settled at Valdocco, I gave
my full attention to promoting the things that could
work to preserve our unity of spirit, discipline, and
administration… what was being done at the Oratory”
(Memoirs of the Oratory, third decade 1846-1856, no.6)
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We believe in education and we challenge
ourselves to plan our procedures in its regard; youth mini-
stry comes into being when education is translated into con-
crete educational processes. The effort to plan, by means of
the SEPP, keeps alive our willingness to be actively present
amongst the young. By following the four dimensions we are
helped in developing the personality of the young Christian
through a systematic variety of proposals and a broad un-
derstanding of youth ministry which is open to everyone. In
the end there are certain choices which run through all of
Salesian ministry.
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1 A planning mentality
In a constantly changing world where society becomes ever more complex,
theological and ecclesiological reflection endeavours to accompany the
various educational models in different contexts and ever more diverse
pastoral experiences. “Pastoral charity” is part of this complexity and
“pedagogical intelligence” never ceases to urge on and animate what
we do each day. The Christian community grows in its desire to exercise
its educational responsibility for the young in a convinced manner. The
world of the young demands a renewed commitment to constancy,
continuity and where we act in consort. It requires that everyone think in
terms of intervention but around a unified proposition which is neither
individualistic nor fragmented. This makes it essential that there be a
project capable of continuing the “tradition” while at the same time
blending in what is new so that we are not constantly starting from
zero every time there are new people responsible for events or new
members in the team. It becomes essential for us to understand the
contribution of reflection and pastoral planning. Don Bosco himself
understood the need in his own time to give order and system to every
pedagogical activity.
Those engaging in the youth ministry field should be aware of the journey
they are undertaking, where they are to begin from and the goal they
are aiming at. They should acquire familiarity with the entire process of
education that comes into play in concrete terms. Planning is an attitude
of mind and heart before being something we do concretely.
Planning is a process more than a result; planning is an aspect of ministry
more than one of its activities along the way; planning is a process of
involving and unifying strengths.
To do otherwise is to risk introducing superfi ical and ineffective
interventions. Drawing up a plan sounds like just “one more thing to do”,
a preliminary theoretical activity we have to suffer, a tribute we must pay
to current guidelines.
On the contrary: our plan has the merit of being a “map” and reference
which codifi es our departure and arrival points. A project or plan is not
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just technical planning nor some vague collection of ideas. It is a map
which guides our passion for education and our service to those who are
the most delicate. It will be important to keep it in mind in developing the
various processes. Drawing up a plan does not mean burying creativity nor
does it mean we have the solution to every problem; it means valuing our
resources and being open to likely solutions.
2 The Salesian Educative
and Pastoral Project
2 1 SEPP AS A SALESIAN APOSTOLIC PROJECT
A The SEPP is already part of our history and an operational
tool
The SEPP is planning mentality made concrete, something that should
guide the unfolding of the mission through various works. The SEPP is
part of our history and operational tool that guides how Salesian Youth
Ministry is carried out (cf. R. 4), and the factor of inculturation of the
charism (cf. GC24, no.5). It is what guides the process of growth of
the provincial community and the various EPCs within it in their
efforts to incarnate the Salesian mission in a particular context. The
SEPP is equivalent to a practical manual offering direction and continuity
to ministry and ensures that works have unified aims and directions.
If the primary purpose of the SEPP is to lead the Province and local
communities to work with a shared mindset and with clear criteria and
objectives, it also makes shared management of pastoral processes
possible. The project or plan is codified in a text which must be understood
and acted upon.
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B Basic characteristics
Since the SEPP is an operational expression of Salesian Youth Ministry,
it ought to respond to its basic characteristics which should specify all
the aspects and elements which make it up, common themes running
through it which ensure that it is Salesian.
The core of the SEPP is the young person as an individual,
especially if he or she is poor
The principle focus of attention for all the dynamics of Salesian Youth
Ministry is the young person in all of his or her dimensions (the body,
intelligence, feelings, will), relationships (with self, others, the world and
God), from the twofold perspective of the individual who plays
an active role in history (collective promotion of and involvement in
transforming society). It has an eye to the unified nature of the existential
energy which is human growth to the point of encounter with Jesus
Christ, the perfect man, seen as the supreme meaning of our existence
(see Chapter 3).
The SEPP orients and guides an educational process in which the many
interventions, resources and actions are intertwined and organised in
service of the gradual, holistic development of the young person. The
SEPP realises the values and attitudes both of the Christian proposition of
Salesian Youth Spirituality and the methodological principles of Salesian
pedagogy, that is, of the Preventive System: which pays prior attention to
the poorest young people and those in greatest difficulty.
Contact with the real situation of young people needs to be constantly
born in mind: a situation forever in fl ux in an ever-shifting culture. The
SEPP should always view it not in terms of simple end or aim but as a
theological ‘locus’. Such is the common thread running through all
dimensions and aspects of pastoral activity and the SEPP.
Its community nature
The SEPP, before being a text, is a community process which tends
to generate a real confluence of criteria, objectives and common
guidelines in the EPC. Given that it is a process of mind and heart it
avoids scattered activities and instead gathers them up in a synthesis
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and at a point of educational convergence. It creates and strengthens
the awareness of the common mission in the EPC and creates deeper
understanding of the educational and pastoral vocation which needs to
be shared and constantly evaluated. The SEPP, then, is an identifying and
planning aspect of the EPC which in turn centres on educational and
pastoral activity (cf. R. 5).
Planning not only helps to orient and constantly evaluate pastoral
activity so that it can be even more inculturated and conscious of
the challenges; planning also becomes a process of community
identification, an even more urgent task given that we are called to
educate to the faith in the circumstances of the New Evangelisation.
The EPC is asked to reflect on its own identity and its operational
plan. A new scenario implicates it in a particularly challenging task:
proposing pathways appropriate to the specific circumstances in which
young people find themselves.
Openness to the area in which the Salesian
work is located, and its impact on it
We cannot consider the SEPP today merely in reference to what is going
on inside the Salesian work; all institutions, especially educational ones,
are part of a much broader system of relationships they must deal with and
interact with. Consideration needs to be given to the repercussions Salesian
activity has outside the work considered as a centre of aggregation and
an agent of educational transformation.
The need for effective evangelisation challenges the EPC to run smoothly,
following the logic of an educational alliance open to support from
the local area. Focusing on this service of coordination and blending
of activity implies being seriously committed to moving beyond pure
management of our own works and services: it requires a shift from
the simple but careful implementation of activities which have been
developed internally to a communicative, engaging capacity where
typical values of Salesian mission and spirituality are concerned. It means
extending dialogue to other educational, social and religious institutions
at work in the same area, opening up through modern technologies
which can help us build relationships and establish an effective dialogue
with a broad range of spokespersons for thinking that has an impact on
the lives of the young.
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2 2 THE SEPP AS A DYNAMIC AND HOLISTIC PROCESS
A An articulated understanding of Salesian Youth Ministry
The SEPP is the focal point around which the doctrinal and operational strategies
of the Preventive System converge. The Salesian apostolic project in all its
dimensions finds its roots and most accurate description in the Constitutions of
the Society of St Francis of Sales, nos.31-39: “Our pastoral educational service.”
Salesian pastoral and educational activity is a dynamic process that unfolds
in certain fundamental dimensions as integrating and complementary
aspects. It is an anthropological, pedagogical and coherent spiritual frame
of reference for accompanying young people in the delicate process of their
growth as human beings in the faith.
The SEPP, in its organic unity, integrates these different aspects and elements
of Salesian ministry in a unique process aimed at a well-identified goal. This
process has four fundamental aspects to it which are mutually linked
and complementary to one another. We call them “dimensions” (cf.
C. 32-37; R. 6-9). These are the vital and dynamic content of Salesian Youth
Ministry and they point to its end purpose. Each of them has a specific objective
that distinguishes it while being at the same time intimately connected to
the others. They are not stages organised in rigorous succession, but are
integrated in the unified dynamic of a young person’s growth.
There are precise anthropological, educational and theological reference
points underlying this arrangement: growth implies an intertwining of
human maturity and the Christian meaning of life in the logic of the
journey. The dimensions are referred to in every activity, work and
service. This is why we consider them as running through all of the SEPP.
B The meaning of the four dimensions
These dimensions can be understood as inter-communicating vessels
that not only refer to one another ideally but nurture one another.
Although in any description they seem to follow one after the other it is
worth noting that they form a whole, a unity: each lends its own specific
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nature to the whole but also receives direction and certain original features
from the others. They are inseparable and present themselves in reciprocal
manner such that one cannot develop without explicit reference to the
others. The logic behind them is that of system, where the dynamics of
one element provokes adaptation in all the others.
This unity and correlation needs to become explicit through the objectives
and strategies of the SEPP in every work in the Province, with the assurance
that the individual steps and interventions are part of a unifi ed process
of human and Christian development which respond to the question:
what kind of young person should we be promoting for him or her
to become an “adult in the faith”? Keeping in mind cultural and local
diversity which conditions the Christian model and requires important
integrations, the dimensions aim at defining the young person’s Christian
identity in the Church and in contemporary society.
The way the dimensions are spelt out comes from a notion which respects
the complexity of personal development and a plan that looks to the
individual’s salvation in all respects, concerned with the divine and human
dynamics that are in fact intertwined in the history of the world.
This systematic synthesis expressed through the dimensions is what gives
Salesian Youth Ministry its specific character:
the dimension of education to the faith (cf. C. 22, 33, 34, 36; R. 7, 13):
implicitly or explicitly, every pastoral plan sees to guiding young people
towards an encounter with Jesus Christ and transforming their lives in
the light of the Gospel;
the educational and cultural dimension (cf. C. 31, 32; R. 4, 6): we en-
counter young people where they are at, encouraging the development
of all their human resources and opening them up to the meaning of life;
the dimension of group and social experience (cf. C.. 35; R. 8): we make
possible a developing experience of being in a group to the point whe-
re young people discover the Church as the communion of believers in
Christ, so they can develop an intense sense of belonging to the Church;
the vocational dimension (cf. C. 34, 35, 37; R. 9): we accompany the di-
scovery of the individual’s vocation and life plan or project in view of a
commitment to transforming the world according to God’s design.
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These four dimensions taken together constitute the internal dynamics of
Salesian Youth Ministry: they are a framework of specific choices that can
help us to develop appropriate educational proposals with young people
in their concrete circumstances.
These four dimensions, all in balance, allow us to put forward a systematic
variety of proposals and have a broad understanding of youth ministry open
to everyone. Ministry to the adolescent and older youth unfolds in practice
through multiple but holistic interventions (due to the diverse circumstances
of youth, but always aimed at the whole person). When young people are
strongly influenced by their social and cultural circumstances and we are
functioning within educational institutions which have specific ends, we
need to develop approaches that take on board the concrete situations
(young workers, young school students, young people who are marginalised
in some particular way) but always from the point of view that the young
person and his or her experience of life are at the centre.
Having defined the meaning and substance of the SEPP it will be possible
to give broader attention to how it can be developed (see Chapter 8).
23
THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF EACH DIMENSION
AND THE ESSENTIAL CHOICES IT REQUIRES
A The dimension of education to the faith
Its specific nature
Evangelising the young is the first and fundamental purpose of our mission (cf.
R. 7,13). Our project is aimed decisively at young people reaching full maturity
in Christ (cf. C. 31) and their growth in the Church, ensuring that education
of the religious dimension is central to personal development (cf.
GC23, no.160).
Evangelisation brings the Good News of Christ to every level of humankind
so as to renew people from within (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi 18). Right from
the moment of first proclamation of Jesus we aim to accompany young
people so they can pass through the door of faith so that, during their
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life, they may acquire “a more conscious and vigorous adherence to the
Gospel” (Porta Fidei 8) and discover the intrinsic joy of faith.
The development of a mature faith often requires more time today and
a community involvement that goes beyond a strictly catechetical one. To
accompany the Christian journey and adherence to faith, we speak in terms
of initiation.
Don Bosco passed on a passion for salvation of the young through his
constant involvement in simple, essential catechesis adapted to
the circumstances, age and culture of the young and linked with other
educational and recreational offerings by the Oratory. Salesian catechesis
does not happen as the end-point of a preparatory course but is implicitly
at the heart of initial encounters and explicitly part of everything we offer.
Don Bosco did not make a distinction between first proclamation and
catechesis, but when he met a boy he immediately found a convenient
moment to invite him to embark on a journey of Christian life. If catechesis
is not tackled as an integral part of young peoples’ lives it remains foreign
and incomprehensible to them. They put up with it but then abandon it in
the future.
Some specific choices
1 Fostering the development of the people’s religious dimension,
be they Christian or belong to other religions. The aim is to give this
dimension deep roots, purify it and open it up to a desire for a further
journey of faith. We help young people through the various things we
offer them, to experience the typical attitudes of religious experience:
wonder, contemplation, being open to mystery, doing things without
asking for something in return. The fi rst challenge is to instigate the
desire for further research and little by little show the reasonableness of
the act of faith.
Play, dialogue, discussion, encounter are what life, its problems, hopes,
expectations, is grounded in. This is the good soil of experience. Here we
need to be companions on the journey with young people, sharing their
laborious development as they measure the depths of their experience in life.
For them this soil or grounding is necessarily their development, what they
need to do in order to build their identity. They are not lacking in enthusiasm
for this.
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2 Arousing, accompanying and plumbing the experience of faith as
personal attachment to Christ which leads to viewing life through Jesus’
eyes. It is important to develop a systematic approach to education to
faith. Those who understand the process of human development of the
teenager and youth are aware that to integrate faith and life requires
considerable educational attention.
We try to approach young peoples’ experience especially by getting
started on a rethinking of the content of proclamation and catechesis.
Experiential or anthropological catechesis, which features tackling the
range of human problems as its content and dimension, is expressed by
a twofold and complementary idea:
◗ proclaiming faith in a meaningful way, through all the experiential
wealth of the Christian message;
◗ helping faith to mature as an attitude capable of inspiring and
organising the entire process of human development, strengthening
our attachment to the Lord through personal encounter with the
educator and spiritual direction (cf. GC23, nos.173-175).
3 Getting young people to begin participating actively and
consciously in liturgy especially by celebrating the sacraments of
Reconciliation and Eucharist,
◗ helping to prepare them by means of a welcoming environment
and friendship that encourages them to open their hearts;
◗ seeing that celebrations lead to a real personal relationship with
Christ for the beauty and depth they communicate;
◗ fostering personal commitment to living out what has been
celebrated in everyday life;
4 In a world dominated by haste, the seeking of immediate pleasure and
pragmatic efficiency, it is urgent that we create appropriate settings for
the young that encourage an encounter with God through practices
that lead to inwardness: personal and community prayer, being open
to mystery, contemplation and silence, active encounter with the shared
and lived Word. This approach to the Word and formation activity aimed
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at integration through daily community prayer are extremely important.
Young people are always more sensitive to a prayerful reading of the
Word of God in the form of Lectio divina when the biblical text is broken
down into appropriate language strictly connected with their life and by
talking about who God is so that who they are can also be revealed.
5 Offering young people gradual experiences of service and apostolic
involvement that help them to personally bring about an integration of
faith and life for them, so that according to their possibilities they become
witnesses for and evangelisers of their peers. We are talking about a faith
that encourages and examines the processes whereby people and groups
grow and develop in a more human way following the model of Jesus Christ.
The social dimension of charity belongs to the education of individuals to be
socially and politically committed to justice, to building up a more human
and just society by discovering the fully evangelical inspiration for doing so
(cf. C. 32; R. 22). An increasingly mature adherence in faith becomes sincere
service of mankind. Proposing and witnessing to solidarity gives credibility
to Gospel proclamation because it is an expression of human potential; this
is already proclaiming the new life in Christ, and showing that the Gospel
is meant for human beings, that the Church has something crucial to say
about life, dignity, hope and the future of mankind. Don Bosco educated
young people to the moral virtues of the upright citizen.
B The educational and cultural dimension
Its specific nature
The educational and cultural dimension is intimately related to the dimension
of education to the faith. Education is the place and also the means for
offering the Good News of the Gospel, the message which takes flesh
in real culture and calls for gradual processes of absorption which are in
harmony with the young person’s capacity for growth to maturity (cf. C.
31). Education requires that we begin from where young people are really at
and then develop strategies that guide them towards holistic development.
The pastoral outlook is not directed exclusively by the religious question
and relationship with faith and the Church. It is open to all of experience:
it taps into all the hopes and efforts of growth, building our lives together
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with others, fitting into society, work. The invitation to faith, on the other
hand, is linked to human growth to maturity and its purpose, because
that is where it makes sense to believe. The pastoral outlook, therefore, is
overflowi ng with educational focus, with the exercise of an educational
wisdom guided by faith.
Some specific choices
Seeing to the educational and cultural dimension of pastoral activity
means giving pride of place to certain precise practical matters:
1 Helping young people build a strong identity. In a fragmented world
bent on what is immediate, marked by relativism and lack of principle,
we Salesians believe that the Pastoral and Educative Project can help
young people form strong personalities (cf. Mt 7:24-27). We help them to
overcome their difficulties. We need to see that there is a convergence of all
educational activities aimed at forming a unified personality: an operational
choice where all contributions come together to strengthen one another, in
harmony with aspirations and properly ordered educational dimensions.
We see young people through Jesus’ eyes and we help them to:
◗ form a moral conscience and a capacity for ethical discernment so
they can make responsible and properly motivated judgements;
◗ grow in autonomy so they can tackle life in a coherent and
responsible way;
◗ acquire a rich legacy of values/virtues shaped by the Gospel (cf.
C. 32).
◗ look to credible reference models recognisable in educators who
take Jesus the Good Shepherd and Don Bosco as their primary
reference (cf. C. 11, 21). The quality of these real life models has
a strong impact on the journey of adherence to Christ.
2 Accompanying young people in development and growth to maturity
in their emotional and affective world. This is a world that finds
it difficult at times to express itself, despite the fundamental role it
plays. Affections and feelings are criteria and guide for relationships
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and ethical assessment, but often times they run on parallel lines to
reason. One thing for certain is that the emotional and sexual area is
increasingly more relevant in forming personality. We need to help them,
especially teenagers, to manage their emotions, feelings, sexual impulses
and experience of falling in love as a part of growing up. The holistic
education of the individual will lead young people to appreciate genuine
emotional values (respect for themselves and others, personal dignity,
transparent relationships, being faithful to someone else) and sexuality
as crucial values for growth to maturity.
We look after this aspect of things:
◗ by creating settings where there is abundant communication
and displays of affection. Young people are looking for genuine
relationships in their families, with their teachers, friends, workmates:
relationships that can help them feel at ease and calmly proceed
with life;
◗ by helping their families in all the circumstances they find themselves
in, bringing them the support that is proper to our charism:
familiarity, ready availability for dialogue and a sympathetic ear;
◗ by calmly accommodating young peoples’ desires while being
aware of their limitations and by not paying lip-service to the
widespread culture of excess;
◗ accompanying young people along various stages of their life,
facilitating attitudes bound up with service and doing something
without asking for something in return.
3 Promoting a culture inspired by Christian humanism. This rich
legacy offers a different view of the world and mankind. We encourage
the positive development of our culture in unity of faith and life:
◗ by appreciating what is good in culture, careful not to fall into
simplistic and excessively critical assessments of the world of the
young (cf. C. 17);
◗ by fostering a culture of life and resisting the destructive
tendencies of relativism, hedonism and pragmatism;
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◗ by creating a culture of solidarity and involvement which leads
to overcoming difficult situations by struggling against any kind
of injustice;
◗ by fashioning an educational proposition out of the many social
communication programmes, aimed at developing a Gospel mentality.
4 Working for human development and professional competence as
human beings, so that young people can fit into the working world as
well-qualified citizens. Being professional means that a person’s work is
done with greater competence and real satisfaction, while being aware
of limitations and respectful of what others do. It means being aware
of one’s own contribution to social development.
There is also a need to form stable attitudes and structures in young
personalities (self-esteem, socialisation, participation, autonomy, solidarity,
responsibility, willingness), which allow them to act as free individuals with a
leaning to critical understanding of the situation and supportive communion
with others.
5 Helping them reflect on the reasonableness of their faith and on the
contribution Christianity has made to building up the society in which we
live, by nurturing an intelligent interpretation of the Christian message:
◗ an education to attitudes which underpin openness to God (knowing
how to be recollected; greater and better awareness of personal
limitations and possibilities; having a sense of wonder, appreciating
the good, the great and the beautiful that can be found in and
around oneself);
◗ a critical and appropriate religious formation which enlightens
the mind and strengthens the heart;
◗ an attitude of openness, respect and dialogue amongst the various
Christian confessions and for the plurality of religious expression;
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C The social experience dimension
Its specific nature
One of the most important pedagogical insights of Salesian Youth
Ministry is to be found in social experience. Don Bosco saw the group
as an educational presence capable of increasing the range of things we
can do. As a young man he himself had grown up in the Society for a
Good Time while he was attending school at Chieri, and this was a group
experience for him. Sodalities, societies, conferences, each in their own
way and given the interests their members had and what they wanted to
achieve, came into being at the outset of the Oratory and, from 1860-1870
became part of the boarding schools and other residential arrangements.
This dimension is a fundamental feature of Salesian education and
evangelisation (see Chapter 5, 1.3/b).
The Preventive System demands an intense and lively setting of
participation and friendly relationships enlivened by the animating
presence of the educators. It encourages all kinds of constructive and
group activities which are a concrete initiation into community, civic and
ecclesial involvement (cf. C. 35; R. 8).
Some specific choices
The development of this dimension in the circumstances described above
requires certain choices:
1 Building up a family environment by means of appropriate and
strategically planned activities, where there is an experience of a
sympathetic pedagogy, display of relationships and affection: an
atmosphere of confidence in which what is being offered as education
and evangelisation is credible and can be assimilated because of the
intensity of personal relationships and the atmosphere of shared joy.
2 Opting for the group as the privileged setting in which the Salesian
idea of the group can be offered: the variety of groups open to all
young people who are the real key players, and which express the
diversity of pedagogical directions our ministry can take. This criterion
implies further things to focus on:
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◗ creating many possibilities and open and welcoming settings
according to the diversity of interests of the young people and their
different stages in life, beginning from the circumstances in which
we find them, and respecting the rhythm of development possible
for them;
◗ looking particularly to formation groups and groups intent on
Christian commitment. This is the crowning achievement of
group experience;
◗ constantly preparing and forming educators and leaders;
◗ offering strong experiences of shared life and living (retreats, camps,
special days) which confirm and relaunch the idea of coming
together for the Christian and social value of being in a group;
◗ getting the Educative and Pastoral Community to refl ect on
and review the running, educational effectiveness and activities
involved in youth groups.
3 Educating with the heart and style of animation. The style of
animation means:
◗ a way of thinking about the human being that recognises him
or her as being capable because of inner resources of being
committed and responsible for processes which concern the
human individual;
◗ a method that looks at what is positive, at the wealth and
potential every young person carries within, and proposes some
activity to develop that;
◗ a style of journeying with the young that suggests, motivates,
helps them grow in daily life through a relationship which is
liberating and also genuine;
◗ the fi nal and overall aim of ensuring that each one is fully
restored to his or her joie de vivre and the courage to hope.
Animation has a real human face: the animator or leader. This
person has a precise and fundamental role. Although the role varies in
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particular situations according to the type of group, we can spell it out
this way. The animator/leader:
◗ encourages the formation of groups and their ongoing research,
reflection, activities and ideals;
◗ helps the group, through his or her competence and experience,
to overcome crises and develop personal relationships in its
midst;
◗ offers the youngsters a critical point of view and helps them
explore further, enabling them to express their ideas, desires
and what they have discovered;
◗ facilitates communication and connections amongst groups in
the local Educative and Pastoral Community;
◗ accompanies individuals in their process of human and Christian
development.
4 The youth group should lean towards being part of society and
the Church according to each one’s vocational choice. Seen this way
Salesian group experience should foster:
◗ preparation and accompaniment that helps a young person
take part in social life assuming moral, professional and social
responsibilities, and cooperating with whoever is working to
build a society more worthy of the human being;
◗ being an active part of civil life by promoting the various associations
which are at the service of the common good in society;
◗ playing an active part in the church community by helping
young people to have a sincere love for it as a communion of all
believers in Christ and the universal sacrament of salvation.
Local groups take their bearings from the Salesian Youth Movement
(SYM): individuals, youth groups and associations who retain their
autonomy but see themselves as part of Salesian spirituality and
pedagogy, either implicitly or explicitly make up the SYM (see Chapter
6, 2.5).
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5 Creating a community of young adults which allows them to look after
their Christian life and sharing. They are places in which life is shared,
God’s will is discerned in listening to the Word, where they celebrate,
pray and take on pastoral involvement in the various ecclesial contexts
that the members are part of.
Youth communities are a special place for vocational discernment and
offer young adults a valuable aid for discovering, day by day, the faith
they have professed, celebrated, lived and prayed (cf. Porta Fidei 9).
D The vocational dimension
Its specific nature
Inviting young people to consider their vocation should be part of the entire
process of education and evangelisation. The three earlier dimensions
converge on this one, the ultimate horizon, reference point for our
ministry. The aim is to accompany each young person as they go about
discovering their vocation, which is the place where the individual responds
to the free and unconditional love that God has for him or her. The vocational
dimension shapes the first and ultimate objective of Salesian Youth Ministry.
Some specific choices
1 Generating attitudes of availability and generosity, that prepare young
people to hear God’s voice, and accompanying them as they formulate
their plan of life. Taking care of vocations means a true and proper journey
of accompaniment as they make fundamental choices in life, helping them
to deal with their own story as a gift and to accept that there is a vocational
perspective to life.
2 Building up a community of believers where the experience of
faith is visible and credible: communities that are warm, sympathetic,
profound, committed and open to all young people who are seeking their
destiny in life. The Christian life journey requires a community context
(ecclesial) which is lively, attractive, able to support the choice of faith and
help interpret it in relationship to daily life: an educational setting then,
involving significant witnesses who live their lives as vocation.
3 Opting for personal accompaniment which allows for the mature
growth of young peoples’ vocational choices in a personalised way, and
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tries to reach out to individuals
in a differentiated way, relevant
to their inner experience, their
situation and the community’s
just requirements. Therefore it is
essential for the EPC and SEPP to
have concrete proposals of place
and time for accompaniment,
encounter and personal dialogue
with groups and families to
bring about internalisation and
personalisation (recollections,
retreats etc.) and for systematic
spiritual direction (see Chapter 5,
1.3/c).
“All ministry, and especially youth ministry,
is radically vocational in nature: the
vocational dimension is what naturally
inspires it and is its natural outcome.
Therefore we need to abandon the
reductive notion of vocational ministry
which is only concerned with looking for
candidates for religious or priestly life.
On the contrary, as said before, vocation
ministry should create appropriate
circumstances for every young person to
discover, take up ad responsibly follow
4 Finally, there is a strong need
for the invitation to consider
vocation to be part of the
overall process of education
to faith, as the point of
convergence for all educational
and evangelising efforts. Our
ministry can be revitalised to
the extent that it makes the
vocational dimension explicit:
where life is rediscovered as gift,
his or her vocation. The first condition,
following Don Bosco’s example, consists
in creating an environment which
experiences and passes on a true “culture
of vocation”, that is, a way of conceiving
of and tackling life as a freely received
gift; a gift to be shared in the service of the
fullness of life for everyone, overcoming an
individualistic, consumeristic, relativist
mentality and a culture of self-fulfilment”
(FR PASCUAL CHÁVEZ, AGC 409, “COME AND SEE”)
a “being for” in a liberating and
fascinating perspective when
viewed against the surprising and magnificent designs God has for us.
This process supposes:
◗ a vocational discernment offered every young person according
to age and circumstance, that helps them discover God’s gift,
their personal resources and exploit these God-given gifts as
part of the generous response to the call;
◗ exploring vocation as an issue through the various stages along
the journey of education to the faith, especially in teenage
and early adulthood years while at the same time offering
experiences of freely given service to the needy;
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◗ a clear and explicit invitation via meetings, testimonies, experiences,
information on the various vocations in so many areas of life
(engagement, marriage, ministerial priesthood, consecrated life);
◗ a deep spiritual formation through initiation to prayer, listening
to God’s Word, frequenting the sacraments, liturgy, devotion to
Our Lady; active participation in the life of the ecclesial community
through apostolic groups and movements considered as special
places for growth in vocation and as a Christian; the possibility of
direct contact with some religious communities and experiences of
explicit vocational discernment.
◗ the personal invitation to follow a vocation, providing a well-
focused and gradual discernment; looking after vocations to the
Salesian charism in a special way, in its many forms through
discernment, and cultivating the seeds of a Salesian vocation to
consecrated or lay life that are found in the young.
Let us sum up the four dimensions of Salesian Youth Ministry in the
following scheme:
education to faith (1) not possible unless it becomes an educational and
cultural process (2) involving the relational and social dimensions of the
individual (3) who only at this moment can discover and orient his life
towards its fulfilment (4);
the educational process (2) will not come to maturity, meaning it will
be without a true anthropological point of reference, unless inspired by
a notion of man enlightened by evangelisation (1); nor will it achieve its
proper objective unless the individual is involved, taking account of all
his or her relationships (3) and the aim of fulfilling one’s life through a
precise plan which gives it direction (4);
the personal and group relationships in which we live (3) are mere
physical contiguity unless incorporated into full personal and cultural
development (2), or unless they are part of a plan of life and seen as
essential to self-fulfilment, (4) or unless they are loving relationships as
defined in evangelisation(1);
the vocational dimension that guides the whole process (4) is incom-
prehensible without reference to Christ (1), unless it impacts on the re-
lationships in each one’s life (3) and unless it becomes the meaning and
end of our cultural and educational formation (2).
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24
CHOICES CUTTING ACROSS ALL OF SALESIAN
YOUTH MINISTRY
The SEPP fosters development of an active faith through educational and
pastoral tasks that are found throughout and are anchored in our charism:
A Animating apostolic vocations
In continuity with issues indicated in the vocational dimension, vocational
animation finds its undeniable place in accompaniment of the choice of
apostolic vocation.
Educational guidelines help in discovering one’s identity, and facili-
tate the decisional process through a plan of life based and built
upon Gospel values.
Living in a culture of vocation
The continuity of the process of animating apostolic vocations is accomplished
through a specific vocational programme. Within this we focus on listening,
discernment, real world evaluation
of personal suitability for a possible
call to special consecration.
The differentiated approaches we
take in guiding someone in his or
her vocation should be done on the
basis of the vocational signs that
seem to be showing up as part
of the person’s development.
When a young person begins to
identify what his personal vocation
is, this should not be understood
as a point of arrival but as a
point of departure for ongoing
development in this vocational
choice. The value of a vocational
culture is that it understands
“The contents of a vocational culture
concern three areas: anthropological,
educational and pastoral. The first
refers to the way of conceiving of and
presenting the human being as vocation;
the second looks to facilitating how
we offer values that are conducive
to vocation; the third focuses on the
relationship between vocation and
objective culture and draws conclusions
from it for our vocation work! “
(FR PASCUAL CHÁVEZ, AGC 409, “COME AND SEE”)
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vocation in its broad sense as a call to life, dignified work, various services
and involvement: it is a culture that then leads some people to reflect on
the possibilities of opting for the priestly or consecrated state of life.
Called to life and faith
“Vocation” begins with a call to life, continues through a call to faith, and
arrives, through various responses, at a call to consecrated life. In this sense,
we accompany those who, in a good process of development to maturity in
their individual vocational dimension, consider the possibility of God calling
them to a life of special consecration. We give particular attention to the
nature of the call: a spiritual journey configured as a gradual growth
in awareness of the demands of a vocation that requires conversion
and gift of oneself in a life of loving dedication to God.
The EPC, accompanying all young people in their human, Christian and
Salesian development, also offers occasions and appropriate forms of
serious reflection on the possibility of one giving one’s life over totally to
the service of God.
The spiritual guide who is needed for any vocational process, helps apostolic
vocations particularly to discern their motivations and the requirements
of this vocation. This process allows a young person to make a calm,
personal, free and well-motivated decision while having experience
in a community where he is formed according to the charism to which he
is called, growing in understanding and gradual conformation to it.
Vocational animation is at the heart of the SEPP
The SEPP should be decisive in offering pastoral activity which is able
to give rise to and identify apostolic vocations to special consecration.
Every SEPP should respond appropriately to young people who
are seriously asking themselves about the possibility of a Salesian
apostolic vocation.
In inviting people to discernment, those who animate apostolic vocations
are careful to see that aims and methods are approached gradually.
The pre-adolescent and adolescent stages are a preparation for decision-
making at an older stage. These are opportunities for building identity as
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a human being and a Christian and
they prepare people for discovering
and holding to their vocation. It is
a good opportunity for youngsters
to discover how they can play an
active role through some specifi c
calling in the Church, Congregation
or world: a discovery that can
come about through an explicit
invitation.
“Fostering consecrated vocations demands
certain fundamental choices: constant
prayer, explicit proclamation, a courageous
invitation, careful discernment,
personalised accompaniment. We should
be committed to daily prayer in our
communities and should and involve
This gradual approach allows them
to tackle life as a call and then
translate that into a personal plan
of life. By going back over insights
and vocational aspirations hidden
in earlier stages of life they can
shift from a general availability to
a more specific one where they are
ready to give of themselves.
young people, families, lay people, Salesian
Family Groups. Proclamation entails
making good use of the many opportunities
which present themselves over the liturgical
year. Inviting and discerning require
a warm closeness which gives rise to
confidence and allows us to recognise the
signs of a vocation which a young person
can show. Accompaniment requires us to
help the young intensify their spiritual life,
In these various processes – to
making more mature decisions
in life, guidance in spiritual life
and discernment of a vocation –
we need to guarantee the inner
freedom that assists people in their
take part in suitable forms of apostolate,
have an experience of community, get
to know the Congregation, assess their
motives and take the necessary steps which
lead to a decision”
(GC26, NO.54)
growth to a fully mature vocational
decision. Attention ought to be
given to freeing them from all the likely cultural, emotional, social factors
which might condition them so they can genuinely accept responsibility
for a radical life commitment.
B Mission animation and various
kinds of volunteer activity
The dimension of education to the faith finds continuity in mission animation
and various kinds of voluntary activity, and should be maintained and
developed. An openness to a missionary vocation and charitable
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“At Don Bosco’s Oratory the young
social involvement through the
volunteer movement are mature
expressions of education to faith
and evangelisation of the young.
people and adult collaborators had an
experience of living and working together
with him for the education and salvation
of youth. This charismatic and community
lived experience, the nucleus of Salesian
spirituality, throws light on the project of
Salesian Voluntary service”
(THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT
IN THE SALESIAN MISSION, NO.33)
Mission animation does not
happen as an isolated factor, but in
continuity with the identity of every
Christian and community, as their
natural ‘flourishing’. On the other
hand, it is presented as a radical
and clear expression of an identity
which is capable of motivating
the community towards apostolic
activity. Common characteristic
and significant event are two things to highlight: missionary animation that
strengthens faith, and faith that leads to missionary commitment towards
everyone especially those in most need. This is why we need to think of
missionary animation as an element that enriches the various dimensions in
the SEPP: human and personal development, mature faith development, the
process of deciding on a vocation.
Don Bosco’s missionary heart
Don Bosco understood the enormous spiritual energy and extraordinary
apostolic impetus that the missionary ideal gave rise to in his boys. He
understood this and employed it zealously and intelligently. He spoke to
his boys about the mission and missionaries, kept them informed about
their various activities, their needs, got them to pray for them, encouraged
them to play their part in his dream for the missions.
Mission animation and voluntary service today encourage the missionary
to share and the volunteer to adopt a vocational view of life: as a gift
freely received, to be shared as service to all.
Mission culture becomes a lived reality when fundamental attitudes and
values of the Salesian charism are acquired. They are values that Don
Bosco inculcated in his boys and his Salesians: a preferential love for very
poor young people, the desire to participate in Christ’s redeeming mission
and renewal of the world.
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Ours is a missionary Congregation
The encyclical Redemptoris Missio in general presents three kinds of
evangelising activity: “specific missionary activity” amongst people who do
not yet know Christ; “pastoral care” of the Christian faithful; and “offering
the Gospel once again” in countries with an ancient Christian tradition by
which have become secularised.
The boundaries between these three are not clearly defi nable; certainly
these activities are not exactly the same, but nor do they mutually exclude
one another. On the contrary they are intercommunicating; and specifically
missionary activity (ad gentes) also means the first and specific expression
of all evangelisation: “Without [the mission ad gentes], the Church’s very
missionary dimension would be deprived of its essential meaning and of
the very activity that exemplifies it” (Redemptoris Missio 33-34).
The missionary commitment ad gentes is an integral part of the
Salesian charism. Vocations to the missions have been cultivated in the
Congregation from the very beginning, as the keenest and most generous
expressions of the Salesian vocation. Today too, mission animation and
the Salesian missionary volunteer are expressions of a missionary spirit and
the spirituality of the Salesian Congregation.
The Salesian missionary and volunteer are involved in a project of life based
on Gospel values, serving people in difficulty: they promote proclamation
of the Gospel, human rights, solidarity, justice and peace.
The values that mission animation and voluntary service defend and promote
are values that are part of the Salesian spirit: disinterested service; community
spirit and oratorian style; interculturality; solidarity, and a clear and preferential
option for the least, especially the poor and those on the fringes of society;
critical and responsible involvement in society in order to build up the Kingdom.
Zeal for the missions comes from the mystery of God
For the mission and volunteer service it is essential to cultivate a
spiritually solid interior life. This allows us to discover God’s presence
and action in ourselves and others, and proclaim it: a spiritual life that
strengthens awareness of our responsibility to evangelise, and is involved
in activity for the good of others. Spiritual life generates attitudes of
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service and freely giving of oneself, and it gives us the courage to dream,
and strongly desire the good of others.
The Church’s missionary dimension is rooted in God’s Trinitarian existence: the
Word sent by the Father, through the mystery of his Death and Resurrection,
gives us the fullness of life as a gift of the Holy Spirit. Sharing this message
of fullness, this good news, this euanghèlion, with all peoples is the Church’s
mission.
Mission animation and voluntary service offer people the possibility of
involvement and work for the coming of God’s Kingdom in the various
contexts of the Salesian mission.
Missionary activity is not primarily based on human abilities, even though their
role is important. The Holy Spirit is the active agent in the Church’s mission:
He calls, enlightens, guides, gives value and effectiveness. The missionary and
volunteer live out their vocation when they are obedient to the action of the
Spirit.
Voluntary service and missionary activity
The Salesian missionary volunteer movement proposes Gospel values
through the witness of disinterested and supportive service in education
and socio-political involvement that reaches out to family, work, culture.
Salesian voluntary service emerges from daily experience substantially
embracing important areas: culture, social welfare, free time, development
cooperation, group leadership, education to faith, formation of catechists and
pastoral agents.
Voluntary service in its various forms, more than being an act of spontaneous
and passing generosity, is a mindset that accepts the significance of testimony
that has the highest moral and social value. It is specified by certain critical
elements: apostolic interiority which features the spirit of the da mihi animas;
the central role of Christ the Good Shepherd, who demands that the
missionary volunteer have a pedagogical and pastoral attitude in relating to
those to whom he or she is sent; a commitment to education, a characteristic
feature of our Salesian charism; a sense of belonging to the Church; joyful
work; the Marian dimension which sees missionary and voluntary activity as
participation in the ecclesial motherhood of Mary Help of Christians.
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Finally, it is important to recognise the manifold initiatives and diversity
of experiences which identify with or make reference to the missionary
spirit of the Salesian Family: direct contact and meeting up with missionaries;
information concerning the numerous missionary activities (news, publications,
audiovisuals, opportunities to finance small projects); mission animation
material prepared with pedagogical intent and didactic criteria; mission
groups; formation topics for various groups and Christian communities;
knowledge and study of Church documents relating to the missions; taking
part of the Church’s various mission days.
C Social Communication
Social communication flows through all Salesian presences
Social communication fills the world and determines the way human
beings coexist. It is therefore of close interest to the vocation of the Salesian
educator working in promotion and evangelisation. and it is, therefore, a
specific dimension of the Salesian charism (cf. C. 43). It was something
essential for Don Bosco; his appeal to every educator, and something
fundamental to the Church and world today.
Don Bosco made his tireless activity in social communication a constitutive
element of what it means to be an educator and apostle of the young and of
all people. We have learned from Salesian tradition that social communication
is not simply a collection of tools or material means to use; instead it is part
and parcel of any Salesian presence involved in educating and evangelising
be it through specific activities or through the various kinds of activity that
influence popular culture and promotion of appropriate social forms. And
harking back to Don Bosco:
I ask and beseech you then not to neglect this most important
(CIRCULAR LETTER ON SPREADING GOOD BOOKS,
part of our mission
19 MARCH 1885).
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Communicators by vocation and mission
As Salesian educators today we should, in all of our multifaceted
apostolic and educational activity, express our firm resolve to be genuine
communicators. Communicators, then, by intimate vocation and by our
mission as educators.
Our quality as educators and evangelisers demands that we
be qualified communicators. Communication fosters charismatic
communion and mobilisation of the mission. We are especially interested
in interpersonal communication between adult and young person, laity
and religious, those well endowed with experience and those who are
taking their fi rst steps in life, and amongst all those who have gifts to
share. The Preventive System entrusts the effectiveness of our education
principally to direct face-to-face encounter: encounter in confidence,
friendship, lending an attentive and interested ear. So we need to cultivate
the ability to manage relational dynamics: the quality of interactions can
negatively or positively condition the formation of personality; educational
attitudes and styles have an influence on emotional states and very often
determine behaviour.
The Congregation’s reflection reveals a consolidation of beliefs concerning
communication as it is understood in broad terms and opens up to a new
and more systematic praxis in the field of social communication
(cf. The Salesian Social Communication System). From this view of
communication we can understand its primary purpose: communion and
progress of human society (cf. Fr Egidio Viganò, AGC 302, “The challenge
of the media”).
We are passing through a phase, a period of profound technological and
cultural revolution; information and our way of making use of it is being
digitalised. Everything is now happening on the Web and the younger
generations (“digital natives”, “cyberkids”, “click generation”) have
gained a high capacity to access technology and to use it competently.
Technology is a liberating tool, one of empowerment for young people;
but it poses a question for education: the approach to technology is an
important step in the growth process and for affirming one’s identity. The
media infl uence the development of young peoples’ personalities, their
choice of basic values, their attitudes to God and man. They invite us to
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reflect on what is aesthetically and morally excellent in forming the young
and on the impact media have on education.
Social communication in the SEPP and at the service of evangelisation
Promotion of communication occurs also through projects aimed at
creating communicative processes which are part of the SEPP. We avoid
focusing only on activities and isolated works. We need practical guidelines
in our Pastoral and Educative Projects and communication planning on
how to act in this sector:
◗ formation to the critical and educational use of Social
Communication media (cf. GC24, no.129) and new
technologies. Educators and young people need to understand
the changes that are taking place, how media and cultural
industries function. Critical sense, strategic spirit, self-control,
secure and effective use, sense of where the limits lie, and
respect, civic sense, autonomy and problem solving abilities
are not necessarily abilities that teenagers or older youth have
simply because they were born and grew up amidst monitors
and keyboards or by the fact that they know how to use them.
It takes serious competence to know how to use media in the
“digital continent”: offering clear objectives for appreciating
creativity; acquiring an emancipated and critical attitude
to messages, and being aware of their influence, to then be
able to express themselves through them by a command over
the languages and technologies. The signifi cance of media
communication goes directly back to what media express in
words and images, to the question of why we use them and
the aims of transmitters and receivers involved in the process of
communication. There is a need then for a critical exploration of
the conceptual elements contained in the signs that media use;
◗ involvement in production of messages and content
aimed specifically at the young, using all the means avail-
able to us. Social Communication is increasingly an educational
presence, shaping ways of thinking and creating culture. The
challenge for the future will be educating to new media, but
also carrying out educational and pastoral activity by means of
new media especially where new generations are concerned. Its
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sharp effectiveness and ever more massive presence make So-
cial Communication a true and authentic alternative school for
very large sectors of the world’s population, especially youth and
ordinary people (cf. GC21, no.148). The relationship between
Social Communication and evangelisation or, more practically,
between the use of languages and Social Communication me-
dia for the Gospel and our apostolic style of “evangelising by
educating”, has a profound impact on Salesian activity. It means
not only educating to media, that is to a critical interpretation of
media messages, but also evangelising through media. Thus we
open up a vast field of initiatives for our teaching, educational
and cultural activities, for Christian animation of youth groups,
for catechesis, for prayer;
◗ appreciation of social communication as a new vital setting for
young people to come together (cf. GC25, no.47). Technologies
of communication alter our sense of belonging and the way we
come together inasmuch as they create more communities that
users are part of, using devices that are ever more connected to the
lives of young people. The activities offered and requested are those
of listening, recognising, responding, being with and acting with,
in a situation that points to the possibility of experiences (maybe
new or different ones) that offer mutual trust as an antidote to
improvisation by the consumer. These new ‘vital settings’ like social
networks encourage focus on the stories of young peoples’ lives
which we find in their own accounts of themselves and in the way
they rework their experiences, with the possibility of helping them
to orient themselves and make choices;
◗ promotion and appreciation of all forms and expressions
of communication (cf. GC24, no.129), like music, theatre,
cinema, television, photography, comics, multimedia and other
artistic expressions with clear educational and evangelising
scope. We need to provide leadership in these situations of
communication so that they are not just ever broader settings
for free expression and creativity, but also encourage a taste for
beauty in all expressions (visual arts, music, poetry, literature,
dance, theatre). Educating to beauty means involving the entire
sphere of sensitivity and emotion, imagination and creativity,
ability to express one’s sensations and feelings and understand
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how others express them: we put in place a gradual enrichment
of our own legacy in this regard and in the emotional area.
Education to beauty also means forming to the understanding
and use of various languages like icon, music and poetry.
2 5 THE SALESIAN YOUTH MOVEMENT
Movements are made up of those who, in the great and unique
“movement” of the Church, live out their Christian, ecclesial, missionary
experience ... by taking part in a particular charism. Young people from
the SYM live their ecclesial vocation and mission according to the charism
of Don Bosco. In fact since 2004, the SYM has been included in the List of
International Associations of the faithful (Pontifical Council for the laity).
The SYM is not an association but is made up of young people who belong
to various associations or groups animated by Salesian Youth Ministry. Not
being an association its doors are open to everyone, since its service is directed
to the Church and all young people. This does not stop us from witnessing
to Christ, sharing the Mystery with other young people who share the same
faith, a joyfully proclaiming it to whoever has not yet heard it. The SYM shares
in the Salesian charism and is an expression of it amongst young lay people.
Social activity, group activity, the community-based activity of Sodalities were
an almost spontaneous experience in Don Bosco’s life, given his natural
leanings as a very social being and to friendship. Don Bosco, guided by
his insight into the soul of the young person, discovered the great opportunity
that groups and associations offered: so adapting himself to the various needs
of his boys he created a whole range of social opportunities for them.
Group activity for the young was essential to Don Bosco’s preventive
and popular approach. It was an absolutely important opportunity for
education and ministry and for young people to be active in their own
right. Groups and associations of various kinds, then, are “what young
people can do”, though backed by adults who encourage the young
group members to come to the fore and take up responsibility for how
things are run.
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Through all the many kinds of group and youth associations there are, we
aim to ensure a quality educational presence in new areas where young
people band together and lead them in the direction of a significant
experience of ecclesial life.
A The identity and nature of the SYM
The SYM is identifi ed by two elements in particular: on the one hand,
reference to Salesian Youth Spirituality and Salesian pedagogy; on
the other, the links between groups and associations so that they
can mutually cooperate in the task of formation according to what is laid
down by the Salesian educational and pastoral approach:
◗ the SYM unites young people from very different groups,
associations and sectors animated by Salesian Youth Spirituality,
following Don Bosco’s proposition regarding education and
evangelisation: it is a youth movement inspired by Don Bosco,
conceived of not just as an “organisation”, but as a kind of
spiritual energy with a common nucleus of Gospel values that
gives rise to apostolic initiative and enthusiasm for life. Therefore
the identity of the SYM is Salesian Youth Spirituality (see Chapter
4), invitation to holiness in ordinary daily life. This is the kind of
holiness achieved by Dominic Savio, Laura Vicuña and so many
others in the Salesian Family;
◗ groups are the primary element of the SYM, where young people
meet and help on another as they grow. We should bring already
existing groups together in a Provincial network and include new
ones coming into being. So the first focus is not on the kind of
group it is. The SYM sees the value of any kind of group: from
sports groups to artistic ones; from those that are simply about
coming together to those that prefer some specific activity; from
service groups to prayer groups or those that take up an explicit
response to the Church and the Christian message; from those
focused on things that are of most interest to teenagers to those
ready to tackle the demands of faith; from those who are on
the fringes of the Christian community to those whose sense of
belonging to the Church is very much stronger. Since they com-
municate with one another, they are a network where they all
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share a common educational value. This bond between groups
comes into play in the sharing of Salesian values and where there
is some coordination of common initiatives, significant occasions
for dialogue, discussion, Christian formation and youthful expres-
sion (cf. GC23, nos.275-277). So we are talking about a reference
Movement where each group retains its own specific character
but is united with the others by a range of common elements.
The SYM is a youthful, educational world movement:
youthful, because young people are the true leaders in the educational
development of the movement, accompanied by their educators, in their
own responsibility as part of the unique pastoral plan for the local area;
educational because it is offered to all young people so they can play
their distinctive part in their human and Christian growth, with a missio-
nary outlook which also looks far afield, with a willingness to make an
impact in their local area and in society and be part of and supportive of
the local Church;
world because, beyond each individual group, it can be found all around
the world in very different cultural contexts.
So the reference point for the SYM is all young people active in or living
in places where there is a Salesian presence, at a whole range of levels
of involvement. The “heart” of the movement is undoubtedly the young
leaders, the youth leaders who have clearly and decisively accepted
the Salesian educational and evangelising invitation and whose life is a
witness to other young people. The task of animation has been presented
in this chapter (point 2.3. “The dimension of social experience”). The
young SYM leaders are the focus of special attention by the SDB, FMA,
the Cooperators and other adult members of the Salesian Family who
guide and accompany them.
B Preferential fields of activity for the SYM
The SYM activities are all based on the young person and has a preference
for the following fields of activity:
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◗ education and evangelisation, accompanying young people to
the fullness of Christian life through positive and supportive
settings (concrete alternative models of Christian living), which
breathe confidence and familiarity;
◗ social and ecclesial life, encouraging young people to become
actively involved in the Church’s life;
◗ personal and/or community apostolic involvement, voluntary
service to others and offering a Salesian interpretation of daily
life in the light of the Gospel;
◗ socio-political involvement, especially in civil institutions that
promote youth initiatives;
◗ communication and sharing processes (information, news,
experiences) and also common gatherings at various levels, as
possibilities exist.
C The visibility of the SYM and how it is run
Although the range of groups is so different, the following are essential
issues for animation:
◗ the SYM is made visible through the various local, provincial,
national and intercontinental (depending on the level and
degree of development and make-up of networks) coordination
teams; through community participation in various Church
gatherings be they diocesan, national or world, such as World
Youth Day for example; through meaningful representation in
civil institutions which draw up policies affecting the young.
this is why it is important to set up an information and linking
network amongst the various groups and associations in the
SYM and also between them and other groups or associations
in the Church and the local area;
◗ besides the meetings and other activities of individual groups in
the MGS, the Movement sees that certain other opportunities
are powerful moments for young people to come together:
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provincial, national, international and world meetings, liturgical
opportunities and celebrating Salesian feasts, leadership
formation. Youth gatherings are characteristic feature of the
SYM, as signifi cant occasions for communication between
groups and for spreading messages and values regarding
Salesian Youth Spirituality.
◗ though levels differ and each one has its own specific character,
SYM members identify in a special way with Don Bosco and
Mother Mazzarello. Therefore there is a need to plan a Salesian
invitation to formation which can be offered the various groups
and associations as a point of reference for their own formation
plan, and within the overall context of the Salesian Family;
◗ the Province, in coordination with other Salesian Family
presences in its area, will see the Movement is considered within
the general context of the SEPP, in which the Youth Ministry
Delegate and team are seen as the promoters of the SYM as a
youthful expression of the Province’s ministry.
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PART
THREE
For Salesian Youth Ministry to happen a wide variety of things are
needed: personnel, structures, activities, material resources and
programmes which need to take their direction from the objectives,
content and strategies of the Educative and Pastoral Plan. By the
conclusion of this document we attempt to show the concrete way
of structuring and organising the different components of educative
and pastoral praxis in order to guarantee its identity and consistency
with the aims and systematic nature of the plan. This third part is the
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ACTIVITIES AND WORKS
OF SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
CHAPTER
VII
“I have chosen you …
that you may bear
fruit”
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We carry out our mission chiefly in such works and
activities as make possible the human and Christian
education of the young, such as oratories and youth
centres, schools and technical institutes, boarding
establishments and houses for young people in difficulties.
In parishes and mission residences we contribute to the
spreading of the Gospel and to the advancement of the
people. We collaborate in the pastoral programme of
the particular Church out of the riches of our specific
vocation. In specialized centres we make available our
pedagogical and catechetical expertise in the service of
the young. In retreat houses we provide for the Christian
formation of groups, especially of young people. We
dedicate ourselves also to every other kind of work which
has as its scope the salvation of the young”
(C. 42)
On that evening as I ran my eyes over the crowd
of children playing, I thought of the rich harvest
awaiting my priestly ministry. With no one to help
me, my energy gone, my health undermined, with
no idea where I could gather my boys in the future, I
was very disturbed. I withdrew to one side, and as I
walked alone I began to cry perhaps for the first time.
As I walked I looked up to heaven and cried out, ‘My
God, why don’t you show me where you want me to
gather these children? Oh, let me know! Oh, show me
what I must do!’”
(Memoirs of the Oratory, second decade 1835-1845, no.23)
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We propose some reflections on the most
important features of the works and services in which one
carries out the Salesian Youth Ministry outlined in the Edu-
cative and Pastoral Project. First of all there are the most
organised and traditional works: the Oratory-Youth Cen-
tre, School and Vocational Training Centre, the Salesian
presence in Higher Education, the parish and sanctuary
entrusted to the Salesians, and the works and the social
services for youth-at-risk. Then there are other works and
services through which we reach out to young people and
respond to the new challenges they pose. Many of these
new educational and pastoral presences among young pe-
ople can be carried out also in the traditional services; it
would be a sign of the effort at their renewal and pastoral
advancement.
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1 An ordered and systematic
ministry: unity in diversity
The various activities and interventions in youth ministry are carried out
with a single purpose: the all-round development of the young and
promotion of their world, overcoming a fragmented youth ministry
project. This is achieved by converging around the over-all purpose,
the criteria for action and the preferential choices made in pastoral
work to create unity and interrelation among them.
Such a convergence is demanded by the young person to whom the various
proposals are directed; by the Educative and Pastoral Community, which
must share the ultimate goals and the lines of action, and by the need for
complementarity between the multiplicity of activities, experiences and
pastoral models.
This ordered and systematic unity of Salesian Youth Ministry is accomplished
through:
◗ the Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan, which at various
levels defi nes the criteria, objectives and processes that
orient and foster convergence in the Educative and Pastoral
Community and unity in practice of the multiplicity of activities,
interventions and persons;
◗ an organisation of animation and pastoral governance
of the province and works that guarantees communication
and coordination of all aspects of Salesian life focused on the
objectives of education and of evangelisation of the young (cf.
GC23, nos.240-242).
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2 The various sectors and
activities
We use the term sector to indicate the educational and pastoral structures
in which the Salesian mission is carried out following a specific educative
and pastoral proposal (cf. Glossary: Pastoral or Activity Sector). Each of them
creates its specific atmosphere and relationship style within the Educative and
Pastoral Community. A Salesian apostolate may include multiple sectors which
complement each other for a better manifestation of the Salesian mission.
2 1 THE ORATORY-YOUTH CENTRE
2 1 1 The original nature of the Salesian Oratory
The Oratory of St Francis of Sales at Valdocco was the first established
apostolate, the one that inspired all the others. The educational
environment initiated by Don Bosco in the Oratory was a pastoral response
to the needs of adolescents and older youth especially the neediest, in the
city of Turin. It offered them healthy recreation, together with catechism,
elementary education and employable skills for life. Don Bosco knew how to
provide Christian formation to young people who were faced with pressing
educational challenges.
Don Bosco’s personal touch initiated at the Oratory originated an effective
praxis which was to be the lasting criteria for prevention applied
down through the years:
◗ from a basic catechism lesson to a presence and participation
in the life of the young with special attention to their needs,
problems and opportunities;
◗ from a part-time festive (weekend) oratory to a full-time home
extending throughout the week through personal contacts and
other complementary activities;
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◗ from the teaching of catechetical content to a systematic
educative and pastoral programme, the Preventive System;
◗ from services thought out for the young to a family style presence
of educators in the midst of the young in their recreational and
religious activities;
◗ from a referential institution for adults to community living with
young people, youthful involvement, a community open to all;
◗ from the primacy of the program to the primacy of the person
and of interpersonal relationships;
◗ from a parish focused on worship and devotion to the missionary
impulse of a youthful community open to young people who
neither know nor find any reference in that parish.
This enthusiasm of the Preventive System aroused in young people
the desire to grow and mature, passing from the immediate needs of
entertainment and education to more systematic and deep commitment
to human and Christian formation. They learned from their involvement
in activities how to take a leading role in activities, be animators in an
educational environment at the service of their companions.
Don Bosco’s Oratory is at the very origin of all the Salesian work and
constitutes its prototype. It inspires all the different evangelising projects
and services of the Salesian mission (cf. C. 40).
The historical development and spread of Don Bosco’s work has not
changed the basic principles nor the characteristics of the Salesian Oratory.
However, new socio-educational scenarios and the phenomena
that mark the situations of youth, necessitate renewal. There is a
new concept of leisure, a much-valued reality in our society as a space
open to all sorts of social and cultural experiences which enhance social
relationships and develop personal skills. New educational environments
and stake-holders have emerged which are open to youth empowerment.
In a situation where free time for the young is filled with many activities
and often also by civil institutions with substantial resources, the Oratory
welcomes requests for activities with an oratorian heart, in style and in quality,
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convinced that in time and with the cooperation of families, our educational
aims will be successful. The Salesian Oratories have been able to adapt to
new situations, in different ways, also assuming different names. In some
contexts, the term “Oratory” means a programme, weekday or weekend,
designed especially for children and pre-adolescents, but also open to a
broader group, promoting various forms of leisure and religious gatherings.
A “Youth Centre” means a structure, especially for adolescents and older
youth, open to all, with specific aims of growth to full maturity, pursuing
group dynamics for a human and Christian formation. By “Oratory-Youth
Centre” we should understood not just an oratory but also a commitment
to more mature young people (cf. C. 28; R. 5, 7, 11-12, 24; GC21, no.122).
Many works of the Congregation are currently Oratory-Youth Centres which
carry out various educational projects with a greater number of beneficiaries,
capable of involving and arousing interest in the young. They take on many
forms and characteristics depending on the diverse geographical,
religious and cultural sets of circumstances. There are, for example,
evening oratories, mobile presences for youth-at-risk, area or neighbourhood
oratories well connected with each other, oratories that offer unemployed and
marginalised young people the opportunity to gain basic education and thus
prepare themselves for some work; there are yet others that try to rehabilitate
young people faced with serious social dangers.
2 1 2 The Educative and Pastoral Community
of the Oratory-Youth Centre
A The importance of the EPC of the Oratory-Youth Centre
Wherever it exists, the Oratory-Youth Centre is organised as an EPC made
up of the young, their leaders, families, co-workers and the Salesian
community. Everyone feels called to active participation and shared
responsibility, according to each one’s role. Like Don Bosco with his
youth and his collaborators at Valdocco, it calls for making every Oratory-
Youth Centre a real home with a well-defined family atmosphere, a shared
SEPP and an adequate accompaniment of groups and individuals.
The Oratory-Youth Centre is a welcoming space open to a wide variety
of children, adolescents and older young people, especially those most in
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need. It has a social influence and impact in the area. At the same time, it
is an educative and pastoral space specially adapted to welcome and care
for persons, beyond purely functional relationships. The Salesian educator,
from the fi rst meeting, knows how to engage in a personal dialogue
with the young to motivate and involve them more and more, gradually
challenging them to share responsibility in all activities and in the group
processes they take part in. Youth empowerment has been a characteristic
in the EPC of the Salesian Oratory-Youth Centre since Don Bosco’s time.
The EPC in the Oratory-Youth Centre experiences the life of young people; it
shares their worries, their problems and expectations, and opens up spaces
where it can be with them and engage itself in their world. Managed in a
flexible and creative way, it is able to adapt to the diversity and spontaneity
typical of an oratorian education. It is certainly an educational presence and
significant pastoral reference in the world of the young.
B Membership of the EPC of the Oratory-Youth Centre
Young people are at the heart of the Salesian Oratory-Youth Centre EPC.
They are at the centre of its choices and its future plans. This means that young
people should be accompanied to be able to judge and decide on matters that
affect them. They are made aware of the opportunities offered them for this
purpose and that they have access to the necessary resources. They are part of
the overall organisation of the Oratory-Youth Centre, in consonance with the
educational aim, while respecting the levels of decision-making bodies.
The Salesian Oratory-Youth Centre EPC is a work-in-progress and needs
people who will animate its project, help align its educational initiatives.
Youth leaders imbued with the Salesian charism take up the educational
proposal of the Oratory-Youth Centre and actively put it into practice.
Animators/leaders are educators who walk with the young, dialogue with
them and know how to fi rmly and enthusiastically propose new goals
of personal maturity. They have themselves experienced an animating
educational process, a process that responds to a vocation and plan of
life that makes them grow as individuals. They are conscious, whether
inside or outside of the Oratory-Youth Centre, that they are animators
and leaders and therefore lives by the values they are proposing. They are
aware that the life of the Oratory-Youth Centre depends largely on them:
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for their guiding and organising role and for the fact that they are called
to be a dynamic force in the life of the oratory. Therefore, they must be
the object of special attention, support and care by those in charge of the
Oratory-Youth Centre.
The service of animation is developed in the style of a free and voluntary
service. Given the circumstances of the locality, there may also be a need
to formalise roles so the Oratory-Youth Centre functions better and with
a greater focus on its young people.
The Oratory-Youth Centre and its project are addressed not only to the
young, but also to the Salesians who actively represent but at the same
time benefit from their pastoral service. For this reason, all the Salesians
of the house and not only those in charge have a specifi c function of
animation in the Oratory-Youth Centre. This puts the Salesians in a position
to establish the same relationship that Don Bosco had with the young
through witness of fraternal communion and openness of heart. The
religious community also offers experiences of faith and prayer shared with
the young: initiatives to experience processes of lifelong learning together,
active participation in the development and regular evaluation of the local
SEPP. Reference to the Province SEPP should always be guaranteed for
presences and works of the oratory which are managed by lay people.
Typical of oratory ministry is the guidance given to responsibility we share
with adults who share an environment of friendship with the young, and
educational experience of life and the experience of family and community.
Their constant presence is an element of stability and an important
witness of maturity in the multifaceted life of the Oratory-Youth Centre.
The most important amongst the adults are those with specific functions
of animation, such as parents and family representatives or members
of the Salesian Family.
2 1 3 The educative and pastoral proposal of the Oratory-Youth Centre
The proposal of the Oratory-Youth Centre becomes a reality through
formation programmes related to the interests of young people. Every
young person, choosing from the possibilities of participation that are
offered, can progress in the most appropriate way according to his or her
own situation and level of maturity.
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Greater attention should be paid to the ever present risk of focusing
the dynamics of the Oratory-Youth Centre almost exclusively on
recreational and cultural activities which are part of the Salesian
educational ministry. It demands that we rethink the identity of the
Oratory-Youth Centre and recreate the original educative and
pastoral methodology.
A A process of evangelisation
The Oratory-Youth Centre proposes a Christian view of life and
has the young person as its objective. Ours is a Christian proposal of
education with Salesian Youth Spirituality as its throbbing heart.
Our faith in Jesus Christ opens us to a Christian outlook on life, speaks
to us of the way of life that is to animate the Oratory-Youth Centre. In
this pastoral sector the young can gradually discover an environment
rich in evangelical values which guides them to the experience of faith
in the practice of everyday life. They are offered different possibilities
depending on the age of the recipient, gradual and personalised
educational and faith programs, celebrations of faith, the sacraments.
They are educated to getting involved as Christians where they live
according to their vocation and how their life project in the Church and
in society has developed.
The Oratory-Youth Centre is a work of mediation between the
Church, urban society and youth which provides research and contact
with young people. As a ministry on the frontier between the religious
and the civil fi eld, between the secular world and the church, it offers
educational and evangelical responses to pressing needs and challenges,
especially those affecting the least in society. It is a Salesian environment,
favouring the group experience of the young with a Christian identity, into
which everyone is welcome.
The Oratory-Youth Centre is a privileged place for the animators.
This is where they live their faith personally and in community, with an
attitude of openness to serve those most in need. The same opportunity
is given to the children and to older youth: by their example and witness
they challenge families and other young people who have distanced
themselves from the life of the Church.
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B A Salesian style of education
In the Salesian educative environment of the Oratory-Youth Centre the
constant reference point is the Valdocco Oratory. It reminds us of the
profound unity of our educational and evangelising project and it
encourages us to practise those most fundamental attitudes that give it
life: educational sensitivity and passion for evangelisation.
The preventive criterion promotes positive experiences, motivates and tries
to respond to the aspirations and the deepest interests of young people.
The following elements, therefore, are to be highlighted:
◗ the Oratory-youth centre is open to all young people, especially
the poorest and those at risk, who are often not able to integrate
themselves in other structures or educational initiative;
◗ personal accompaniment sensitive to their deepest desires:
reason, affectivity and the search for God;
◗ an atmosphere of joy and celebration which favours optimism
and a positive outlook on life;
◗ animation as an educational option which is realised through
the active presence of educators among the young, in openness
to everyone and to every youngster in particular, in the liberating
power of love and education, trusting in the individual and in
the positive energies inherent in oneself;
◗ creativity and the spirit of innovation which transcends routine,
indifference or conformism;
◗ the sense of duty and responsibility concretised in personal
commitment and service to others. The Oratory-Youth Centre
explores new avenues and pastoral methods to respond to the
pressing needs of the numerous young people without, however,
forgetting deeper formation processes for those who are open to
a more engaging commitment.
There is consolidation of the unique experience of Don Bosco’s pedagogy
in the educational field. It offers varied well-thought out invitations
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to groups and associations to serve the interests of the young
people around whom it is organised: spontaneous groups, led
by born leaders and inspired by their immediate interests; associated
groups, with specific training programmes of various kinds: sports,
culture, socio-political engagement, ecology, social communications,
deeper religious formation, missionary experiences, internal animation,
volunteering.
C An education integrated within society to transform it
The Oratory-Youth Centre EPC is part of and open to the local Church and
the social milieu. It is a living cell of society and the Church, a community of
faith and life. Through our dedicated work of education and the involvement
of youth in these processes we collaborate mainly for the renewal of society,
beginning from local contexts and extending to other environments
and structures.
Therefore, in imparting education we pay special attention to:
◗ sensitivity to everything around us, overcoming the negative
impact of conformism and indifference;
◗ the ability to analyse the situation and re-awaken attitudes
of service and solidarity by taking up initiatives that help
us discover the unhealthy social impact of the area on the
young;
◗ the value of the family and the contribution that young people
can offer;
◗ “open door” opportunities and availability of the structures
(in consonance with the aims and objectives of the centre) for
useful activities that benefit the local area;
◗ ever-widening involvement in the neighbourhood, city or the
state and country, an active and critical engagement regarding
the social conditions in which we live. The oratory community
knows how to dialogue and network with existing institutions
in its relationship with the neighbourhood.
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The Oratory-Youth Centre, being a presence of the Church, calls for
an effective shared responsibility in the various structures of participation
(the parish pastoral council and/or region council) and adapts the SEPP in
keeping with the diocesan pastoral plan. Since the Oratory-Youth Centre is
a Salesian pastoral presence in the world of the young, all its educative and
pastoral programmes are particularly significant: it brings the Church closer
to young people and promotes their evangelisation within a shared pastoral
mission (see this Chapter 7, 2.4.4/b).
D An experience of vocational maturity
Certain dynamics come into play in the wonderful aspect of individual
formation which the pedagogy of education and accompaniment in the
Oratory-Youth Centre should encourage. The local Oratory-Youth Centre
SEPP envisages the service of accompaniment for all young people.
Spiritual direction cultivated through prayer, the pedagogy of the personal
project of life, gradually matures one’s discernment for the choices to be
made: stable commitment to others, the role parents play, conscious exercise
of one’s profession, other ministries and apostolic services of the Church.
Accompaniment of past Oratory-Youth Centre members is also important in
view of their integration into social life and the life of the Church.
The Oratory-Youth Centre promotes a culture of vocations through
volunteer experiences: holidays, mission camps, classes for children and
older youth, support and solidarity in the neighbourhood community,
caring for the environment and other similar proposals.
2 1 4 Systematic pastoral animation of the Oratory-Youth Centre
A Main interventions of the proposal
1 The Salesian Oratory-Youth Centre is a home open to every teenager
and young person in the area: a physical point of reference. The
educational environment is the result of a series of significant contacts,
real names of real people and their histories, and of the quality of
human relationships. “The oratory environment” is not only the result
of an open-door policy for the young or that they have everything at
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their disposal. The value of the Salesian Oratory-Youth Centre is that
is educates through personal accompaniment of the individual who
undergoes processes of growth and is the target of educational and
pastoral initiatives.
2 Salesian assistance is the genuine closeness, affection and effectiveness of
the educators for young people in places where they come alive, including
outside the Oratory-Youth Centre: it is the Salesian way of encouragement
and pedagogy as we carry out our mission. The active and animating
presence of the Salesians and their lay collaborators among the young is an
excellent form of education and evangelisation (GC24, no.131).
3 The many proposals, activities and experiences that characterise
Salesian ministry in the Oratory require a coordinated and unified
animation. Some of the fundamental criteria for this are aimed at
promoting various activities, formation groups according to their age
and interests, and youth groups as part of the Salesian Youth Movement.
The oratory is a manifold and varied offering (sports, recreational, cultural,
social, and ecological) which responds to the most significant aspects for
the developmental process of the young and where they most come alive.
So among the more specific activities of the Oratory-Youth Centre there
will be games and sports, be spontaneous or organised, and everything
that concerns culture, music, theatre and social communication, in
their varied expressions; hikes and tourism for youth, camps, field trips,
activities of solidarity and of a missionary character.
It is important to involve young people in the planning, implementation
and evaluation of activities through various groups and committees.
It is good that all the activities be well-articulated and coordinated so
they can develop their inherent educational possibilities in the young.
Everything must be consistent with the objectives envisaged in the
Oratory-Youth Centre SEPP.
It is necessary to coordinate times, resources and educational approaches
at the Oratory-Youth Centre together with those of other sectors of the
Salesian presence.
4 The quality of systematic formation comes from dedication and
continuous effort at educational qualification, both Christian and
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Salesian, of individuals and resources. Only under these conditions
can young leaders assume responsibility. Formation programmes
for leaders, leaders’ camps, courses, retreats, gatherings and other
formative activities on such themes as education, culture, Salesian,
must be connected with daily life experiences.
B Structures of participation and responsibility
Everyone shares responsibility for animation but some specifi c roles can
be highlighted.
Local animation
The local Oratory-Youth Centre Coordinator ought not minimise
involvement and shared responsibility of other members of the Centre but
rather encourage them, opening channels for their own development.
The Coordinator will be a Salesian or a lay person with a vocation to work
competently among the young, someone who is sympathetic towards
them. The Coordinator will demonstrate apostolic spirit, an ability for
personal and deep relationships with others in the team, a stimulating
presence among the young, creativity and a determination to renew
proposals and infuse enthusiasm. The Coordinator will keep the team
working together and will show interest in their growth in faith.
In line with the Salesian community, the Coordinator promotes the SEP
which is developed, implemented and evaluated with the EPC, animates
educators working in the Oratory-Youth Centre and the various groups
and commissions, promotes collaboration with other like-minded players
of the locality and the Church, guarantees the insertion of the Oratory-
Youth Centre in the local parish community.
The leadership group, an integral part of the EPC, is a point of reference
for young people. Educators at the Oratory-Youth Centre include group
leaders, sports coaches and workshop instructors. As educators they work
closely with each other and continue their own formation.
Animation processes are also coordinated through other formation
bodies. Among these is the Oratory-Youth Centre Council or EPC Council
(cf. GC24, no.161). Its composition and functioning respond to dynamic
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criteria which ensure continuity and are in line with the directives of the
Provincial and his Council (cf. GC24, no.171).
Its main responsibilities are to evaluate and promote the annual
pastoral project on the basis of the main demands of the youth and the
guidelines of the local SEPP; to coordinate the various educational aims
and objectives of associations and groups, and ensure coordination and
integration between the different pastoral initiatives; to promote Salesian
associations, the sharing of information and coordination among various
groups and associations; to maintain a close relationship with the locality
and with all those who work for the education of the young, encouraging
appropriate and adequate response to situations of marginalisation and
risk. Commissions in the Council and under its control, may be set up,
with specific responsibilities for sectors of activity.
The Oratory-Youth Centre plan should encourage participation
arrangements for families. Therefore, according to local need for
coordination, the families of those frequenting the oratory also share
responsibility. Leadership roles for young people are always to be
encouraged.
Along with the SEPP, there are elements of local organisation to be found in
practical statutes and/or rules/regulations. These specify on whom the
institution depends and the Centre’s legal representation; the individual in
charge, appointed by the above-mentioned institution; other membership
bodies and their competence, both of the individuals and collectively; the
relationship between these bodies and leadership by the Salesian work, as
well as relationship with families and civil and Church bodies.
Provincial / national animation
The Provincial Commission which accompanies the Oratory-Youth
Centre is part of the Youth Ministry leadership in the Province. The
Coordinator and members of this Commission ensure the development,
implementation and evaluation of the Provincial Educative and Pastoral
Plan of Oratory-Youth Centres in accordance with the provincial SEPP.
For a good overall animation network there is need for teamwork
among the various Provincial commissions: Oratory-Youth Centres,
Schools, Parishes, Salesian Youth Movements (SYM), Vocation Ministry,
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Mission Animation and Volunteer Services, Social Communication. The
Provincial Formation Commission ensures that young Salesians involved in
running and animating the Oratory-Youth Centre as their apostolate are
also accompanied.
It is particularly important to have a Planning and Development Office in
the Province involved in animation and coordination of this sphere of the
Salesian mission of the province, in order to ensure sustainability of the
project in collaboration with the Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry.
At the national level, where there are two or more Provincial
commissions for the Oratory-Youth Centre, they should coordinate and
operate according to a shared project and be part of broader networks.
The Oratory and Youth Centre apostolate is not confi ned to one or
other neighbourhood around town. Networking calls for an extensive
coordination involving settings where decisions affecting youth policy are
taken or discussed: the public forum, the work scene, child and other
youth organisation (those which foster education, social activity, training
and promotion of volunteer services, socio-cultural animation, leisure
experiences).
22
THE SALESIAN SCHOOL AND VOCATIONAL
TRAINING CENTRE (VTC)
2 2 1 The original nature of the Salesian school and VTC
The Salesian Vocational Training Centre and the school came into existence
in Valdocco to meet specifi c needs of youth and integrate them within
an overall project of education and evangelisation of the young,
especially those most in need. Motivated by a desire to ensure their
dignity and their future, Don Bosco set up trade workshops, at the same
time, helping his youngsters fi nd work and entering into contracts for
them with a view to preventing exploitation. The Salesian Brother vocation
enriched and enhanced this service.
This is the matrix of the current VTC which is concerned with promoting
the human, Christian and professional formation of the young. This
proposal responds to the predispositions, abilities and perspectives of
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“It was Don Bosco who sent his sons to
the state universities with possibilities
to learn secular subjects. Don Bosco
had very clear ideas on the unity of the
human person and, consequently, the
need for an integral education. He knew,
in fact, that a pastoral action, at the
many of them who at the end of
their basic training, wish to get
a job. Vocational training is an
effective tool for holistic human
development and an effective
preventive measure for youth
problems, as well as promoting
Christian leadership in society
and development in the business
world.
same time, formed honest citizens and
good Christians. In this sense, he saw
the school as a providential moment of
formation”
(CG20, NO.234)
Ever attentive to the needs of the
young, Don Bosco extended his
commitment by developing the
Salesian school. He sensed that
the school was an essential
tool for education, a meeting
point between culture and faith.
We consider the school as a privileged cultural mediation in education;
an institution for the formation of personality which we cannot do
without because it conveys a concept of the world, the human person
and of history (cf. The Catholic School, no.8). The school environment
has developed considerably in the Congregation in response to the
needs of the young people themselves, of society and of the Church.
It has become a movement of educators firmly established in the
school area.
There are also Pre-Vocational Training Centres with a special set-
up and varied proposals: career guidance, education and training,
updating, upgrading, integration and social and work reintegration,
promotion of social-minded enterprise. They contribute to the personal
success of each individual and cater to a wide range of target groups:
young people in their compulsory schooling stage, young people and
adults seeking employment; young people in problematic situations
or school drop-outs; migrants or apprentices. These include a highly
personalised opportunity to facilitate re-entry into formal schooling or
to be initiated into work. In fact, this pre-vocational training includes a
series of provisions designed to make individuals aware of the working
environment and prepare them to better confront their subsequent entry
into the new occupation.
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Some provinces offer the service of a boarding school for boys
attending schools/VTC. The boarding schools have a residential
facility that allows the students to stay through. It is a conducive
environment for study in a climate of peaceful coexistence. The boys
are constantly accompanied by a team of educators. The figure of
the educator is of great importance in such institutions: assisting and
counselling students during the hours of study and recreation; sharing
meals with them and accompanying them during the day. In some
cases, the educator takes care of the human and cultural formation
which sustains their daily study. The daily programme is well-planned
to ensure school attendance, study, recreation, wholesome sports
and spiritual activities.
2 2 2 The Educative and Pastoral Community
of the Salesian school/VTC
A The importance of the EPC of the Salesian school/VTC
In the decades between the end of the twentieth and early twenty-fi rst
century there was a shift from an institutional educational model to a
community educational model, from a model where education was
delegated to certain consecrated people (religious, teachers) to a model of
active participation by everyone involved in the educational process. The
EPC is the new body with responsibility for education and the new
educational environment. Unity of purpose and conviction on the part
of all members makes the working of the SEPP easier and more effective
in Salesian schools and VTCs.
We recognise the value of the vocational training centre and the school
as areas where the Gospel enlightens culture and allows itself to be
challenged by it. It creates a successful integration between the educational
process and the process of evangelisation. This integration provides an
important educational alternative in the face of the cultural, ethical and
religious pluralism of society. The socio-political and cultural reality, the new
guidelines for renewal of schools in different countries and likewise within
the schools themselves, present new challenges and complex difficulties.
Concrete well-developed criteria and strategies are needed to help
the SEPP develop so that it can deal with such complexity.
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B Membership of the Salesian school/VTC EPC
The students are the primary players in the formation process:
They participate in a creative way to develop and implement it at through
its various stages; they grow in relational skills through their schooling
and formation. By responding to the explicit need for young people to
receive a serious cultural and vocational preparation, the Salesian school/
VTC urges them to think about the meaning of life. The Salesian school/
VTC sets forth the roadmap, the activities and initiatives which respond
effectively to that concern.
In the words of Don Bosco, educators create a “family” together with
the young, a youthful community wherein the interests and experiences of
young people are the basis of everything that comes under the heading of
education. The teachers not only teach, but “assist”, work, study and pray
together with the pupils. They are willing to be with the young, capable
of empathising with them and their problems: “Teachers in the classroom
and brothers in the courtyard” (Don Bosco).
Among the educators, we include the teaching staff, Salesians and lay
who are fully involved in an educational and pastoral role, according to
the Salesian project and according to their professional competence:
◗ the choice of the laity is the manifestation of a careful and
thoughtful decision that demands balance, seriousness and
integrity of life: lay people who assume their educational
commitment joyfully, and are open to the pedagogical aims of
the Salesian school or VTC. They have professional competence,
are interested in systematic updating, and take an active part
in planning, implementation and evaluation processes. Their
professional touch enhances interpersonal relationships and is
characterised by a fundamental ethical dimension, understood
as a personal testimony that helps students imbibe values. Lay
teachers contribute their experience of lay Christian life which
they express culturally and professionally in their life choices,
knowledge and activities, including various parallel and extra-
curricular activities;
◗ in turn, religious teachers testify to their experiences as
consecrated individuals, stimulating new ways of confronting
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culture and education according to a Christian outlook on life,
humanity and history.
The administrative and ancillary staffs contribute to education through
the care they exercise for the school or VTC, their style of relationships and
the proper functioning of logistic and organisational detail.
Parents, directly responsible as they are for their children’s growth,
dialogue with their educators; they play a personal part, through various
opportunities for dialogue with the school/VTC in planning and evaluation,
and planning leisure activities.
Don Bosco’s Preventive System is inspired by the family and is practised in a
family atmosphere. It is part of our schools and our VTCs, serving as model
of relationship and growth for parents in their dialogue with their children.
2 2 3 The educative and pastoral project
of the Salesian school/VTC
The Salesian school/VTC are two related structures of systematic
formation with their own characteristics. There is no true Salesian
school that does not aim at preparing the young for work. Nor is there
a true Salesian VTC which does not take into account the systematic
development of culture. The educator’s task is the art of thinking about
the contents of his/her teaching from the point of view of the holistic
development of the young and their personal growth.
It is appropriate here to briefl y recall some essential features of the
educative and pastoral practices that make the Salesian school/VTC an
excellent means of formation, a valuable factor in development of the
people and a setting for effective evangelisation.
A Inspiration from Gospel values and an invitation to faith
The urgency of evangelisation in our educational institutions is to be
underlined. We are part of the VTC and Catholic school scene with the
pedagogical legacy we have inherited from St John Bosco, enriched by its
successive development (cf. GC21, no.130).
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It is necessary for every educational institution offering an educational
service to remain open to shared values in the contexts where it is
present. This fosters openness and a deeper appreciation of religious and
transcendent experiences. It re-considers the Gospel message as it comes
into contact with the variety of languages and the questions arising out of
the local cultures. Therefore:
• all the activities are enlightened by the Christian conception of life
of which Christ is the centre (cf. The Catholic School, no.33);
• it directs cultural content and the whole educational enterprise
according to a vision of humanity, the world and its history inspired
by the Gospel (cf. The Catholic School, no.34);
• it fosters the sharing of pastoral and educational values expres-
sed especially through the SEPP (cf. The Catholic School, no.66);
• it fosters Catholic identity through the testimony of teachers and
the presence of a community of believers giving life to the process
of evangelisation (cf. The Catholic School, no.53).
B An efficient and quality education
Among the many ways through which evangelisation takes
place, we Salesians give preference to those processes in which
the educational experience is acknowledged, where its well-defined
processes are assured. In a very general sense, education is “planned”
(specifi c aims, defi ned roles, adequate experience) and a team effort
(EPC). With this in mind, Salesian schools/VTCs offer an educational and
cultural proposal of quality in which:
◗ the dynamics of teaching and learning are based on a solid
educational base;
◗ continuous critical attention is given to the phenomena of
culture, work and social communication;
◗ it offers a well-ordered pedagogical and methodological approach
that fosters in the young the discovery of their project of life;
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◗ it has a developed human and Gospel outlook on work, which
is not understood as merely something to be done as part of
social organisation, but as a privileged form of communication,
self-expression, self-fulfi lment, of ever new interpersonal and
social relationships, and a personal contribution to the good of
the world in which one lives and works;
◗ it guarantees a continuous updating of the vocational
qualification and of the Salesian identity of all members of the
EPC through systematic processes of ongoing formation;
◗ it encourages an appropriate pedagogy and a planned
educational activity by ensuring a close relationship between
educational, teaching, and pastoral goals.
It is a duty to ensure formation to a professional mind-set, where
young people are involved in an overall process of education in
which, in addition to work-related skills, they also learn the rights
and responsibilities of active citizenship; where they experience
social behaviour inspired by cooperation, individual responsibility and
solidarity; where they increase their knowledge of culture; where they
mature in their sense of identity so they can integrate themselves into
the social and civil fabric.
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C Salesian pedagogy
The Salesian school/VTC reaches its goals through Don Bosco’s style
and approach to education (GC21, no.131). The following elements in
practice provide the typical features of our educational centres:
◗ animating, guiding and co-ordinating things in an oratorian
way, thus making the institution a family where the young feel
“at home” (C. 40);
◗ emphasising personal relationships in education based on trust,
dialogue and the presence (assistance) of the educators among
the young;
◗ taking on board the integrity of life of the young, where
educators share their interests and promote leisure activities like
theatre, sports, music and art;
◗ preparing them to responsibly assume active citizenship in
family life, civil society and the Church community.
D Social function and care for those most in need
The educational programmes are open to joint ventures with other partners
or agencies and can be coordinated by the school/VTC. Educators accompany
the integration of young people into whatever situation they face,
in collaboration with like-minded educational and formative agencies. The
full inclusion of young into their locality and their taking up responsibility
represent a goal in their journey of receiving an all-rounded education in the
Salesian school/VTC. Our schools/VTCs aim to contribute to building up a
more just society worthy of the human being. For this to happen:
◗ they seek to establish themselves in the more working-class
localities and preference is given to the young who are most needy;
◗ they reject all discrimination or exclusion;
◗ they give priority to accompaniment for all rather than selection
of the best, as a criterion;
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◗ they promote systematic
social formation of their
members;
◗ they endorse the idea
of a just inclusion of
young people into the
working world and
seeing them receive
educational support
while maintaining a
systematic contact with
the world of business;
”A Salesian school should be for poorer
people: this should be reflected in its sitting,
its culture, its curriculum and its choice
of students. Services to meet local needs
should be provided, such as courses for
cultural and professional training, literacy
and remedial programmes, scholarships
and other initiatives”
(R. 14)
◗ they become centres
of animation and
cultural and educational services for the betterment of the
environment, with special emphasis on curricula, specialisations
and programmes which meet the needs of youth in the locality
(cf. GC21, nos.129, 131);
◗ they show empathy and solidarity, making people and local
structures available, offering development services open to
all, and they collaborate with other educational and social
institutions;
◗ they encourage our past pupils to have a significant presence
in the world, where they are active and purposefully involved
in cultural, educational and professional dialogue locally and in
the local Church.
2 2 4 Systematic pastoral animation of the Salesian school/VTC
A Main interventions of the proposal
1 In the Salesian tradition people, time, space, relationships, teaching,
study, work and all other activities interact in a climate of peace, joy and
commitment: this is the educational environment.
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Educational relationships need to be based on reasonable demands,
the value of daily life and on educational accompaniment. In addition
to the attention given to study, research and work, it is important in
educational terms to respect and look after tools, equipment and the
facilities where scholastic and professional life unfolds. This is part of
the sense of belonging.
The playground is an inescapable and central factor for the Salesian
school/VTC. It is not just a place for activities and initiatives, but also
a time for building personal relationships through animation,
games and sports. Every Salesian school/VTC is called to safeguard
times and places where students can meet. The EPC guarantees
assistance of young people in the spirit of Don Bosco.
2 The organised content of various disciplines is offered as knowledge
to be acquired, truth to be discovered, techniques to be mastered,
answers to deep-seated questions, values to be acquired. This is aided
by how clearly know-how is presented, the teaching approach, and
above all the underlying cultural ideas being presented.
This means that, on the one hand, we give importance to human
experience underlying the different disciplines, helping young people
to grasp, appreciate and assimilate the values inherent in the facts
presented and explored, and on the other, that interest is shown in
universal culture, through expressions of the different peoples and the
heritage of values shared by all humanity.
We need to be absolutely careful that we avoid the risk of a scientific-
technological shift playing down or even excluding reference to the
fundamental values which are the foundation stone of knowledge.
Values education, ideals and research are some of the educational
aspects that form the backbone of an all-round education.
The central problem of the school is its cultural setting or approach: its
holistic reflection of the human person. In the daily life of the classroom
or the laboratory, it offers a complete anthropological vision inspired by
Christian humanism.
Teachers of the various disciplines introduce the students to a lively
and vital encounter with their cultural and professional patrimony in
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dialogue with Christian humanism. In this context, particular attention
is given to choice of textbooks and other teaching materials.
Educators in the Salesian school/VTC set up formative programmes
imbued with the contribution of Christian and Salesian humanism
and issues central to the overall growth of the young: the formation
of conscience, education to affectivity and socio-political education
and specifically, religious formation. We believe that the religious
dimension should be presented in the overall context of the
knowledge which forms the basis of the formation of children and
the young.
In fact the teaching of the Catholic religion considered as an essential
element of education, is part of the school curricula of many nations.
With awareness of issues relating to the Christian formation of young
people, there are processes for periodic planning and evaluation to
improve the teaching of religion, an important opportunity for cultural
education. The teaching of religion in schools must aim at proposing
what is for believers the object of faith. Its ultimate aim is to form
people in a habitual religious way of thinking, that is, on events that
punctuate the human being’s religious experience. The school offers
a systematic and critical understanding of religious facts, as it does
with all other cultural facts, through educational discussion aimed at
a systematic and critical understanding of religious affairs in human
experience. It is a teaching that helps young people to discover the
religious dimension of our humanity and seek the ultimate meaning
of life. It offers guidance towards a choice that is conscious and free
for a challenging and coherent life. It offers an open and positive view
of Christian teaching and its explicit proclamation. It fosters critical
and positive dialogue with other areas of knowledge and with other
religions. It reawakens the desire for ongoing education to the faith in
the Christian community.
3 As a teaching method we choose a personalised approach to what
we offer by way of education, and mutual collaboration. Hence,
active teaching which develops a capacity for discovery in students
and develops habits of creativity and autonomous cultural growth;
an interdisciplinary approach whereby the different subject areas are
complementary; evaluation of students’ development processes, their
capacity to learn and do research, not just look to final results.
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4 Holistic education means rounding off school and training curricula
with other complementary, freely chosen activities which
support them. The Salesian school/VTC provides ample room for
leisure activities (artistic, recreational, sports, cultural), leaning in
the direction of a school which also occupies out-of-school hours.
The Salesian school/VTC makes room for, promotes and accompanies
different groups (study-research, cultural, recreational, artistic,
community service, volunteer services, Christian growth, vocational
guidance, Christian commitment), recognising that they are a special
form of education and evangelisation. Some schools/VTCs provide
opportunity for informal meetings, dining rooms, music rooms etc.
Yearly planning should set aside specific times for taking part in such
activities.
It is very much part of the Salesian tradition to maintain contact with
our past pupils, young people who have attended our schools/VTCs.
We need to find the best ways for them to be involved as individuals
are as a group.
One of the pillars of the identity of the Salesian school/VTC is a clear
and comprehensive spelling out of explicitly evangelising
occasions. The educative and pastoral proposal is translated into
experiences and activities which are dear to the Salesian tradition:
◗ short daily encounters for everyone or for groups (the “Good
morning”, words of welcome) inspired by the “Goodnight”
practised by Don Bosco with his boys at Valdocco. The “Good
morning” is a time for prayer and a wise interpretation of life
which gradually encourages them to look at things from a
Christian point of view;
◗ over the school year both staff and students are offered
formative and spiritual experiences. These are preferably linked
to the important seasons of the liturgical year and became
favourable opportunities for growth in faith and evaluating
one’s life in relation to the Christian message;
◗ faithful to what Don Bosco did with his boys at Valdocco,
each school/VTC should plan specific moments of prayer
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and celebration. Pupils belonging to other Christian
denominations and other religions may also take part
as opportunities for cultural integration and to become
familiar with religious traditions of the country in which
they live. The Eucharist and celebrations of the liturgical
time or of local practices and traditions are an integral part
of the educative and pastoral invitation. Special attention
ought to be paid to times for celebrating the sacrament
of Reconciliation, which should find a place in the annual
programme;
◗ time should be allotted during the school year for celebrations
and coming together: opportunities for gratitude, education
to shared responsibility and also a sign of belonging. On
such occasions, the families and other components of the
EPC should be actively involved. Special emphasis ought to
be given to celebration of Salesian feasts, opportunities for
growth in family spirit and a sense of gratitude.
5 Young people who attend the Salesian school/VTC often find the
family atmosphere there attractive. It is important, in animating the
EPC, for educators to be always available for personal encounter
with students. Taking into account the different developmental
stages of the students, let educators in any sector offer quality time
and space for personal encounter with the students, for review the
progress each has made and to look ahead.
All the educators should be available for a personal chat, but some of
this group should be especially dedicated to this service to the young.
Psychological guidance is an important service.
6 Formation and updating of teachers are great opportunities for
every educational institution and for those who work there. There
is always a need for formation and updating our teachers in a way
that links faith, knowledge and life, other than in method and their
disciplines. It is this which marks out the Salesian school as being
professionally competent. Therefore, the formation of teachers
should see to good professional pedagogy and Salesian educational
style, Christian spirituality in practice, teachers who stand out for
their human and welcoming quality. Greater attention should be
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given in their formation to education as a ministry within the specific
dynamic of the school.
Initiatives at local as well as provincial level should be regularly
planned, in the context of a Provincial formation plan for teachers
which address their needs, paying particular attention to the
formation of newly inducted teachers. These courses, days of
reflection and formation, where the teachers of the Salesian school/
VTC are expected to participate, will involve them in a process
which includes an understanding of Don Bosco and the Preventive
System. There should also be sharing concerning practical aspects
of method and teaching in the Salesian tradition.
7 All the components and interventions that make up the school/VTC
SEPP should be part of the broader and overarching Educational
Project, in line with government legislation. SEPP pastoral
planning expresses and defines the identity of the school,
explaining the Gospel values which inspire it, translating them
into practical and precise terms. The SEPP is the criterion for all
choices and interventions (school programme, choice of teachers
and textbooks, lessons plan, criteria and evaluation procedures).
It highlights the pastoral intent animating the entire EPC, which is
decisive in all the elements and articulation of the school/VTC.
As educational institutions, our Salesian centres are part of an
historical context and defined by national laws which define
the system of organisation and teaching, ordinarily recognising
and endorsing our aims and objectives for the school/VTC, our
principles and the values that characterise them. The SEPP is our
“identity card”. It is here that the charism inspiring our educational
service is presented (the original motivation must continue to
enlighten our work today): the concept of holistic education;
the EPC as our model of the educative community; our values of
reference; our educational method and preferred options in any
given circumstance.
The identity of our Salesian school as written up in the local SEPP
will constitute a common programme for all the students of the
school and each individual class. The SEPP, which lays out explicitly
evangelising activity in pastoral planning is fully consistent with
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the culture of the educational curriculum (educational choices
and teaching in general); it is also consistent with the wider extra-
curricular and organisational offerings, together with management
proposals (formation programmes, activities, educative initiatives,
organisation and management of structures, personnel and school
resources). Pastoral activity is not isolated but permeates the entire
work of education.
B Structures of participation and responsibility
Local animation
Structures of participation and shared responsibility are designed to create
ideal conditions for ever greater communion, sharing and collaboration
among the different components of the EPC. The aim is to implement the
Educative and Pastoral Project and see to growth in collaboration between
teachers, pupils and parents. These structures vary according to the
country and its school legislation. This is why every province should define
concrete and appropriate organisation procedures, internal functioning
and responsibilities in its schools/VTCs, keeping in mind the following
elements:
◗ first, the EPC Council for the School/VTC, in accordance
with the provisions of each province, is a body which animates
and directs all Salesian activities through refl ection, dialogue,
planning and review of all educational and pastoral apostolates
(GC24, nos.160-161, 171);
◗ secondly, the teaching body is responsible for planning
education guidelines in terms of proposal, discussion, decision
and evaluation in accordance with the Educative and Pastoral
Project. Every school/VTC also ensures the teaching body has
certain structures: commissions (or teams or working groups)
and departments (or different disciplines) with a view to
planning, programming, and implementation of educational
initiatives;
◗ finally, the Pastoral Team, directed by the pastoral coordinator,
provides leadership for evangelising activities, keeping in mind
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their effective integration into the educational process. The
criteria for the composition of the Team are agreed upon at the
local level. Some students are also members of the team.
Provincial / national animation
The organisational structures envisaged for Salesian schools/VTCs exist
at provincial, national and international levels. They can be civilly
recognised legal entities. This network of cooperation at different
levels constitutes an active presence in the school and vocational
training system, interacting with the production sector, and public and
private entities for research and development in vocational training,
other social partners and trade unions, as well as with other national
and international bodies interested in educational processes and work
policies.
2 3 SALESIAN PRESENCE IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION FIELD
2 3 1 The original nature of Salesian presence
in Higher Education
Salesian presence in the Higher Education field is relatively recent.
Although the fi rst higher education institute goes back to 1934 (St
Anthony’s College, Shillong, India), an awareness of the importance of this
level of education and the development of the Salesian presence in it was
realised only during the final decades of the last century, with substantial
numbers of people from the middle and lower classes worldwide getting
access to higher education.
The Salesian Higher Education presence has grown in number and quality
due to the process of reflection and networking of our universities which
the Rector Major, Fr Juan Edmundo Vecchi, initiated in 1997 as a service
of the Generalate for the Provinces and the institutions themselves (cf.
Fr Juan Vecchi, AGC 362, “Documents and news: A service for Salesian
Universities”). This service is provided by IUS and its general coordination,
representing the willingness of the Salesian Congregation to guide and
improve development of this new type of presence among the young. As
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a result of the process carried out the Salesian Congregation amended
Article 13 of the Regulations, recognising that presence in higher
education is part of its mission:
The school, vocational training centres and institutions
of higher education promote the integral development of
the young through the assimilation and critical revision
of the culture and education of the faith in the Christian
(R. 13; CF. GC26, NO.122).
transformation of society
Salesian presence in this field today is quite vast and diverse. We
operate through management and promotion of academic centres
– under the direct responsibility of the Salesian Congregation or in
shared responsibility with other church institutions – management and
animation of colleges and hostels for university students, and the presence
of many Salesians with managerial, teaching, research responsibilities or
who provide leadership in chaplaincy or similar ministry in institutions of
higher education, be they Salesian, Church or Civil.
Reflection on and guidelines for the Salesian Congregation’s presence in
higher education affects the institutes, colleges and university residences
under its responsibility in a particular way, since these are structures that
allow the development of a more systematic educational and pastoral
proposal with the Salesian charism at its core.
2 3 2 Salesian Higher Education Institutes
Under the title of Salesian Institutes for Higher Education (IUS) we have
a range of higher level study and tertiary sector centres of which
the Salesian Congregation is title-holder and is responsible, directly or
indirectly. The different social conditions and education systems of the
countries where they are ensure that the centres present great diversity
not only in management procedures but also from the point of view of
academic degrees conferred and the types of courses offered: university,
university study-centres, polytechnics, colleges, faculties, institutes,
colleges or specialisation centres.
There are several reasons for IUS coming into being: the concern
to offer and guarantee higher education for Salesian religious;
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transition to higher education as a natural result of the growth and
evolution of middle and senior high schools known for their academic
excellence and education; the need to continue to accompany young
people at a time in life when they are making fundamental decisions
about their future, and providing university access for young working
class people (cf. Identity of Salesian Institutions of Higher Education,
nos.3, 19). Taken together, they reflect the belief that we are able
to offer society something of quality through our higher education
centres enriching it with mature individuals, competent professional
and active citizens.
The nature and purpose of this type of Salesian presence has
been defined by these institutions themselves through the already
mentioned process of reflection and networking. This made it possible
for a series of documents to be developed and then receive approval
from the Rector Major and his Council. These now constitute the
framework of the IUS: Identity of the Salesian Institutions of Higher
Education (Rome, 2003) and Policies for the Salesian Presence in
Higher Education 2012-2016 (Rome, 2012). While the former defines
the identity and nature of this type of presence, the latter lays down
concrete operating guidelines for the development of institutes in a
given period.
IUS institutes are defined as “institutions of higher learning that
have a Christian inspiration, and a markedly Salesian Catholic
character” (Identity of the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education,
no.14). Assuming the scientific tradition and the academic structure of
the university, they offer educational values according to the Salesian
charism at this level, thus they are higher education institutes with a
specific identity, both within the Church and society.
IUS seeks to be “a Christian presence in the university world confronting
the great problems of society and culture” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae 13) as
part of the Church, given that the Salesian Congregation’s presence
is “characterised by their preferential option in favour of young
people from the lower classes, by the clear Salesian identity of their
academic communities, by the Christian and Salesian orientation of
their institutional project, and by their educative and pastoral goals”
(Identity of the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education, no.18).
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IUS — as is every Salesian
presence — is under the
responsibility of the Province,
which promotes supports and
gives these institutes a specific
function within its OPP. Each IUS
institute is a significant presence
of the Province in the service
of the mission and of the other
types of Salesian presences in its
region.
A The Academic Community in
Salesian Institutes of Higher
Education
“Every IUS, as an institution for higher
education, is an academic community
composed of teachers, students, and
administrators. In a systematic, critical,
and proactive way, it promotes the
development of the human person and of
the cultural heritage of society, through
research, teaching, higher and ongoing
education, and diverse services offered
to local, national and international
communities”
(IDENTITY OF THE SALESIAN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION, NO.15)
Importance of the Academic
Community
As such it has its own institutional academic and management autonomy
in accordance with the mission and purpose assigned to it by the Church
and the Salesian Congregation (cf. Ex Corde Ecclesiae 12; Identity of the
Salesian Institutions of Higher Education, no.21), as well as the specific
scope assigned by the Province and shaped by its statutory acts and
regulations.
The IUS academic community is a party in the Salesian mission, just
as the EPC is in other Salesian settings and works. Its members share
responsibility for developing of a comprehensive educational program for
young people and act responsibly to meet the needs and expectations of
the society they are part of.
The community is configured according to the values of Christian
humanism and the Salesian charism set out in the Institutional Project.
As noted by “Ex Corde Ecclesiae”, “the source of its unity springs from
a common dedication to truth, a common vision of human dignity and,
ultimately, from the person and message of Christ” (no.21).
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Members of the Academic Community
As indicated by the reference documents, the academic community is
made up of various members, Salesians and lay people, who cooperate
and share responsibility for the achievement of institutional objectives.
To achieve its goal, the academic community requires of each of its
members:
• identification with the charism and the Salesian educational me-
thod, shown especially in the Preventive System of Don Bosco;
• focus on the circumstances of young people and an ability to rela-
te to young university students;
• identification with and commitment to the Institutional Project.
This presupposes and requires ethical, professional consistency on
the part of every member of the academic community. This consi-
stency is both theoretical and practical, with the values and princi-
ples contained therein;
• the skills needed to perform one’s duties in the university;
• compliance with the respective functions and roles assigned to
each member of the community (students, teachers, management,
administrative and ancillary staff);
• care for and promotion of an environment in which the human
individual is central, and in which dialogue and cooperation are the
basis of the educational method.
Educators and all members of the academic community employ their
personal qualities and skills in order to achieve the educational and
pastoral goal (cf. Identity of the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education,
no.31): each individual employs his or her respective skills in the specific
assigned task within the academic community. The academic community
needs:
◗ lecturers furnished with the professional, pedagogical and
social skills, whose academic work, be it research or teaching, is
consistent with the values of the Gospel;
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◗ students ready to learn and develop as human beings, who are
committed to and share responsibility for the cultural, scientific
and social values promoted by the Institutional Project;
◗ administrative and ancillary staff who a vital support to the
institution through their work offer and thereby contribute to
the formation of the young university students;
◗ the Management, Salesians and lay people, who are able to
articulate the challenges and responsibilities of the university
and lead the community in developing and carrying out the
Institutional Project.
In order to achieve its mission and obtain quality results, according to the
aims and objectives of the university’s Catholic and Salesian identity, each
IUS institute should ensure the management and development of
its staff, especially its teaching and managerial staff. This implies careful
selection, training and support to ensure identification with and commitment
to the Institutional Project (cf. Identity of the Salesian Institutions of Higher
Education, no.29).
B The Institutional Project
As an institution of higher education, each IUS institute should carry out
research, coordinate teaching,
and disseminate knowledge and
culture. Each one, however, does it
“through an appropriate institutional
project — cultural and scientific,
educative and pastoral, organisational
and normative — which addresses
the needs of the local situation, and
thus applies and gives shape to the
identity described above” (Identity
of the Salesian Institutions of Higher
Education, no.26).
The Institutional Project specifi es
“Religious Orders and Congregations
bring a specific presence to the
Universities. By the wealth and diversity of
their charism - especially their educational
charism – they contribute to the Christian
formation of teachers and students”
(PRESENCE OF THE CHURCH IN THE UNIVERSITY AND IN
THE UNIVERSITY CULTURE, II, NO.1)
the way in which the institution
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contextualises the Salesian charism in response to the needs of the national
higher education system and the circumstances in its neighbourhood. The
mission and local context of each IUS institute gives it its own particular
character, accordingly, amidst the institutes of higher education in the
same local area.
In addition to clearly defining the nature, mission and institutional goals,
the Project sets out the options and criteria for research, selecting disciplines
and training areas and methods of transmitting knowledge and culture.
In line with the Overall Provincial Plan (OPP), it evaluates the choices to
be preferred locally, sectors and social areas to encourage in consonance
with the Salesian mission and the needs of the local Church of which it is
a significant presence in the university field. The Institutional Project is a
true constitutional charter that guides the life of the whole institute.
Development and practical application of the Institutional Project are
realised progressively through a series of tools and procedures. These
ensure that orientation, direction, management and operation are in
accordance with the specifi c identity of the institute (cf. Identity of the
Salesian Institutions of Higher Education, no.28). First, the Strategic Plan
and the Operational Plan that accompany the gradual realisation of the
Institutional Project. These define strategic objectives, goals, action plans
and identifi ed resources; institutional evaluation and accreditation, such
as orderly procedures to ensure continuous improvement of the institute
and actual achievement of objectives and purposes as indicated in the
Educative and Pastoral Plan. Finally, the Institutional Project determines the
organisational structure and the body of laws (statutes and regulations)
that characterise university life and institutional culture.
C The educative and pastoral proposal
As has already been stated, “the Institutional Project of each IUS
is guided by a clear educative and pastoral purpose, according
to the characteristics of Salesian pedagogy and spirituality” (Identity of
the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education, no.24). This goal becomes
an educational and pastoral proposal addressed to all members of the
academic community, particularly the students, in the desire to have an
educational and cultural impact in society and the Church (cf. Identity of
the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education, nos.24, 31).
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The educative and pastoral proposal is at the heart of the Institutional Project
and is to be developed through the different processes and actions through
which the institute carries out its functions of research, teaching and service
to society. It is based on the Christian concept of the person and oriented
according to Salesian values and pedagogy (cf. Ex Corde Ecclesiae 49; Identity
of the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education, no.22). In agreement with
these principles, the educational and pastoral proposal promotes:
◗ a Gospel-inspired concept of the human being, putting the
individual and his/her dignity at the centre of things;
◗ a constant quest for truth in the light of the Gospel, which
puts knowledge at the service of the individual and society
development;
◗ a vision of education that prepares people capable of critical
judgement, with a comprehensive understanding of reality, the
result of interdisciplinary knowledge and its integration;
◗ an understanding of professional life guided by an ethical
conscience and open to responsibility and service to society;
◗ a dialogue between culture, science, and faith that can enlighten life
in a Christian way thus promoting the inculturation of the Gospel.
The purpose of the educative and pastoral proposal is also manifested in the
desire to have an educational and cultural impact on society and in the
Church. It is achieved through a commitment to understanding society and
its transformation, especially in those aspects that affect the situation of
young people (cf. Policies of the Salesian Presence in Higher Education from
2012 to 2016, no.41). The social context is a constant reference point for the
life and activities of the institute and is the testing ground for its educational
proposals. It is a constant challenge for its relevance and significance.
This service is developed through scientifi c research, the study of
contemporary social and human problems, critical analysis of culture,
the promotion of the common good and social justice according to the
principles of the Church’s social teaching. It is also promoted through
formation of men and women capable of assuming responsibility and
commitment to service in the Church and in society.
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D Systematic pastoral animation of Salesian Institutes
of Higher Education
The educative and pastoral proposal is put into practice and implemented
in the various areas of the life and activities of the institute. It is
particularly evident in its educational climate, its holistic approach to
student formation, in the attention and pastoral care it offers members
of the community.
1 A key element of Salesian pedagogy is the educational climate. This
is an abundance of stimuli and quality personal relationships that give
currency to a set of values which make educative and pastoral activity
possible. In Salesian educative praxis this demands:
◗ family spirit characterised by a welcoming attitude and
availability for personal encounter;
◗ fraternal relationships where mutual respect, friendliness, and
readiness for dialogue are evident;
◗ that the life of individuals and organisation of the institute
refl ect, in practice, the values proposed (solidarity, justice,
freedom, equality, etc.);
◗ an environment rich in educational experience and initiative,
which encourages growth in individuals;
◗ promotion and accompaniment of groups and involvement
through representative bodies;
◗ readiness to make room and physical structures available for
encounter, communication and relationships between people.
2 The proposal of holistic formation is expressed through academic
activity and the complementary initiatives that make up university
life. To the extent that research, teaching and professional practice
are carried out uniformly, a contribution is made to the creation of a
structure of thought and development of policies, attitudes and skills
that provide an all-rounded education for students. The wholeness and
integrity of this proposal offers students the necessary personal growth
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and cultural, scientifi c and professional preparation to ensure they
achieve fullness of personality and a place in society.
The complete nature of the Institutional Project therefore requires
special attention to the following components:
◗ development of an educational model integrating the values and
principles of the Christian and Salesian humanistic vision, learning
theories and methods, and the necessary teaching methods and
resources;
◗ a curricular model that helps develop criteria and basic
human attitudes, knowledge and skills relating to professional
development and the range of skills that prepare individuals for
life, professional work and their inclusion in society;
◗ a rigorous and scientific research model, curricula and contents
of teaching, open to a transcendent vision of the human person
and of life;
◗ interdisciplinary dialogue between different academic subjects
including those of an ethical, religious and theological nature,
to help students gain a comprehensive view of reality;
◗ the offer of a range of specific subjects of an ethical and religious
nature in the curriculum at a scientifi c and pedagogical level,
of equal academic value
with other disciplines in
the curriculum.
3 Complete human development
offered by way of formation
requires that each individual
receive pastoral attention
and accompaniment.
This complete approach means
integrating the different
dimensions of the person with
transcendence and openness
“Pastoral ministry is that activity of the
University which offers the members of the
university community an opportunity to
integrate religious and moral principles
with their academic study and non-
academic activities, thus integrating faith
with life”
(EX CORDE ECCLESIAE 38)
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to God. This implies developing a model of formation and ministry
that:
◗ ensures the orientation and accompaniment of the individual
in integrating the different dimensions of human, Christian,
professional and social development;
◗ explicitly proclaims Jesus Christ and his Gospel, while
accompanying those who freely wish to follow a path of Christian
growth and maturity, through programmes of education in faith,
liturgical and sacramental celebrations, and by helping them be
part of and experiencing a community of faith;
◗ create the possibilities for dialogue and spiritual direction as
a means of accompaniment for members of the community
in their journey of faith and the deepening of their Christian
calling;
◗ propose opportunities for reflection on the circumstances
of youth today and on social, intercultural and inter-religious
situations;
◗ offer formation proposals, services and tools which focus on
young people in response to the situations and challenges
posed by their status as university students;
◗ encourage experiences of Christian commitment and solidarity
through community or volunteer services for the poor and
needy;
◗ make places and structures available for coming together and
growing as Christians: places which are welcoming, open to
everyone for fellowship, reflection and prayer.
Pastoral ministry is something that runs across all processes and areas of
activity in Salesian Institutes of Higher Education, guiding and reinforcing
them. Proper organisation is needed to animate this, and means appointing
people to carry out it such responsibility, develop appropriate activities,
and see that services of individual pastoral accompaniment are managed
efficiently.
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2 3 3 University residences
The expansion of higher education systems in different countries,
considered necessary for economic and social development as well as
for consolidation of democracy, has meant significant access to higher
education for young people from middle and lower classes. This has led
to an increase not only in the number and types of higher education
institutes, but also in service facilities and hospitality which are
essential to guarantee access to young people living away from
study centres.
The growing need to ensure that these young people receive hospitality,
and, above all, a positive human, Christian and professional experience,
has encouraged Salesian communities to create a variety of facilities for
young college students away from home. In accordance with the higher
education systems and the socio-economic circumstances of each country
or region, they have developed university or college residences, either as
separate structures close to the centres of studies, or integrated within
the campus of Salesian institutes of higher education or within institutes
run by others.
University colleges, unlike traditional boarding schools which are mainly
residential, are centres outside
the university structure that
welcome students and offer them
a formation programme. Many
such colleges are the result of
a restructuring of the Salesian
mission and openness to the new
needs of young people, especially
in cities known for their great and
traditional university structures.
In these cases there has been a
shift from the initial offer of board
and lodging, made possible by
renovation of existing buildings,
to the development of proper
environments that offer a complete
human, Christian, academic and
“Structures are often lacking for
welcoming and supporting them and
for community life. Many of them,
transplanted far from their family to a
strange town, suffer from loneliness. In
addition, contact with the professors
is often limited, and the students find
themselves without guidance in face of
problems of adjustment which they are
unable to solve”
(PRESENCE OF THE CHURCH IN THE UNIVERSITY AND IN
UNIVERSITY CULTURE, I, NO.1)
professional experience.
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University colleges, as separate structures from the university campus, are
generally associated with a Salesian work which also involves other sectors
(Oratory-Youth Centre, School, Parish, etc.) all of which are integrated
under the guidance of the Salesian community responsible for the work. Its
management is generally entrusted to a Salesian or layperson, accompanied
by other staff.
University residences which take in students, are structures belonging to an
institute of higher education. They are generally found within the campus and
as well as offering accommodation and a supportive setting where students
can live and study, allow them to engage in experiences on-campus, enjoying a
whole range of academic services (library, areas of study and consultation) and
formation opportunities (activities and programs of a cultural, sporting, religious
and social nature) provided by the institution.
In addition to extracurricular activities carried out within the university, the
residences offer students their own formation programmes – personal growth,
spiritual, social and cultural development – integrating the value of the
experience of living and sharing a project together with the services already
offered on campus.
A The Educative and Pastoral Community
for university residences
The importance of the EPC for university residences
Inasmuch as these are Salesian educational presences, colleges and university
residences are called on to promote a community which offers a formation
programme and provides an educative and pastoral type of accompaniment.
In this kind of presence the EPC is made up of all stakeholders: Salesians
and laity, managers, and young college students involved at various levels
in animating the life of the community and in achieving its objectives.
Members of the EPC in university residences
The organisation of the various services and achievement of the residence’s
educational objectives require involvement and shared responsibility of
different members:
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◗ the Rector and the Salesian community are responsible
for the management and animation of the whole work or
university institute as well as the residence that accommodates
the students;
◗ the one immediately in charge, Salesian or lay person, who
ensures guidance and management of the college or residence
in the name of the community, and accompanies the formation
programme;
◗ tutors or educators who in various ways are part of the
community experience at the college or residence (counsellors,
psychologists, administrators, chaplains, etc.);
◗ students who play an active part in their growth and formation,
taking on specifi c roles and tasks in the life of the college or
residence, according to their specific capacities and possibilities.
Building up such a community requires its members to engage in
opportunities for communication and formation. It is particularly essential
to promote student involvement in the life and animation of the college
or residence through groups, advisory bodies or assemblies.
The Salesian community in particular is called upon to ensure a constant
presence in the environment and life of the college or residence, providing
young people with its testimony and the opportunity to experience that
family spirit which Don Bosco so desired in all his houses.
B The educative and pastoral proposal in colleges and
university residences
College residences not only offer students a welcoming place where they
can live and study, but also an offer of formation that allows them
to grow as individuals, professionals and citizens. These structures
fi nd direction through the SEPP, where objectives, reference personnel,
contents, method and timing are defined.
The SEPP is the tool that brings together the various elements of this
experience, the community and formation aspects that colleges and
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“In response to the demands of
university culture, many local
Churches have taken appropriate
action in various ways… Stimulus
for a university pastoral action
that is not limited to a general and
undifferentiated ‘pastoral action for
youth’, but which takes as its starting-
point the fact that many young people
are deeply influenced by the ‘university
environment’. It is there, to a great
extent, that they have their encounter
with Christ and bear their witness
as Christians. The aim is therefore
to educate and accompany the young
people, enabling them to live in faith
the concrete reality of their milieu and
their own activities and commitments”
(PRESENCE OF THE CHURCH IN THE UNIVERSITY AND IN
UNIVERSITY CULTURE, II, NO.3)
university residences offer to
the young. As such it is a single
proposal which integrates
responses to their needs, demands
arising from the experience of
studying at the university, and
values of Salesian spirituality and
pedagogy.
Drawing up such a SEPP
requires deep knowledge of the
circumstances of young people
and the peculiar dynamics that
characterise university studies and
subsequent employment. Special
attention needs to be given to the
transition from family life to the
university environment and the
need to develop new relationships
and learn to live with other people.
The same attention is given to
adapting to the needs and the
methods of university study, and
the ability to integrate scientific
and professional training with
one’s life and faith beliefs.
The educative and pastoral proposal contained in the SEPP provides
a path of growth aimed at full human development, the formation
of a Christian vision of life and a professional life open to solidarity.
It brings together different dimensions needed to ensure a holistic
educational experience for young people, among them being the
following:
◗ human growth oriented towards full maturity, involving the
ability to handle life in an autonomous and responsible way;
◗ the value of interpersonal relationships, living together and of
service to others;
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◗ growth in personal responsibility for study and formation;
◗ growing ability to refl ect, discuss and be committed to the
pursuit of truth;
◗ development of a notion of professionalism open to solidarity in
the service of the most needy;
◗ spiritual growth through gradual awareness and experience of a
personally and communally lived faith;
◗ discovering one’s vocation and drawing up a project of life at
the service of God in the Church and in society according to
Gospel values.
C Systematic pastoral animation in college and university
residences
Opportunities and experiences need to be offered students so they can
put their educative and pastoral experience into practice. Of particular
relevance are the following dimensions:
1 a life-inspiring environment in an atmosphere of acceptance and
family spirit that encourages serious commitment to study from
the perspective of an all-rounded individual formation. To this end
many colleges and residences offer a variety of settings in addition
to accommodation, to support study and personal growth: chapel,
study rooms and computer facilities, TV rooms, recreation rooms,
meeting rooms, dining room, sports grounds, etc.;
2 times and places for communal sharing, in which they learn to live
together and share an experience of community;
3 personal accompaniment and guidance (vocational, professional,
work-related) that helps young students to live and integrate their
different learning experiences;
4 shared formation programme for the year, which encourages
personal, social and cultural development. Cultural experiences and
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contact with social situations are also offered to help with ethical
awareness, responsibility and solidarity, especially towards the most
needy in society. These experiences lean towards volunteer services
as a life choice which reinforces growth as human beings and good
Christians;
5 a faith formation programme based on the values of Salesian Youth
Spirituality, through spiritual direction and prayer occasions, reflection
on the Word of God and celebration of the Sacraments.
Where it is possible, the educative and pastoral proposal of the college or
university residence should be in tune with campus ministry initiatives of
the local Church offered through its various offices and agencies.
24
PARISHES AND SHRINES ENTRUSTED TO THE
SALESIANS
2 4 1 The original nature of the Salesian parish and shrine
Don Bosco’s apostolic zeal for the poorest youth of Turin led him to create a
parish for young people without a parish. During his time, Don Bosco
accepted seven parishes. In 1887 he wrote a regulation on the proper
functioning of the parish. He touched on issues that most concerned him:
the priority of attention to the young especially the poor, and the identity
of the Salesian parish priest who served in communion with the bishop
and the diocesan clergy:
The sick, the poor and the children are the subjects of
(RESOLUTIONS OF THE
special concern (of the parish priests)
FOURTH GENERAL CHAPTER, 1886).
Many years later, GC19 stated that the parish is the place for “an exempla-
ry care of the youth community” (GC19, IX, no.3), and GC20 stated that
“we find in the parish ministry vast possibilities and favourable conditions
to fulfil the true purpose of our mission and, in particular, for the “educa-
tion of poor and abandoned youth” (GC20, no.401). GC21 saw the par-
ish as a work that allows us to position ourselves among young people in
view of evangelisation in the style of the SEPP (cf. GC21, no.135). GC21
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ACTIVITIES AND WORKS OF SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
confirmed the priority of youth ministry and defined the characteristics of
the Salesian parish (cf. GC21 nos.136-141).
In 1984, with the final approval of the renewed Constitutions and
Regulations of the Society of St Francis of Sales, the parish was explicitly
recognised as one of the sectors in which we fulfil our mission: “We
carry out our mission also in the parishes; in this way we respond to
the pastoral needs of the particular Churches in those areas which
offer us adequate scope for service to the young and to the poor” (R.
25; cf. C. 42).
The option for young people in the parish entrusted to the
Salesians is not exclusive or discriminatory, but a preferential
option. This option is a precious gift for the mission in the whole
ecclesial community.
2 4 2 The Educative and Pastoral
Community of Salesian
parishes and shrines
A The importance of the EPC
of the parish and shrine
entrusted to the Salesians
The parish is the first communal
instance in which the Church carries
out the mission entrusted by Jesus
in a well-defined socio-cultural
context. It is a large community of
baptised believers, “portion” of
the universal Church, within the
dynamics of diocesan ministry. The
Christian community is the place
where communion is experienced;
the believer finds a home there.
Being a community of
communities, the parish creates a
“The parish is, without doubt, the
most important locus in which the
Christian community is formed and
expressed. This is called to be a
fraternal and welcoming family where
Christians become aware of being
the people of God. In the parish, all
human differences melt away and
are absorbed into the universality of
the Church. The parish is also the
usual place in which the faith is born
and in which it grows. It constitutes,
therefore, a very adequate community
space for the realization of the ministry
of the word at once as teaching,
education and life experience”
(GENERAL DIRECTORY FOR CATECHESIS 257)
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broad weave of human relationships that fosters communion and fraternity –
a “spirituality of communion” (cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte 43-45).
B The members of the EPC of the parish and shrine entrusted
to the Salesians
The EPC of the parish entrusted to the Salesians takes up a common
mission involving responsibility shared by the largest possible number of
people (cf. GC24, no.18) focused around a pastoral plan. It is a community
of believers which by promoting membership in a family atmosphere,
welcomes a conscious, clear and shared participation of various vocations,
charisms and ministries, mutually complementary in diversity.
The parish is entrusted to the Salesian religious community, which
accepts the pastoral guidelines of the diocese, offering the wealth of
its pastoral charism, creating a team of leaders around the parish priest
with a view to ministry. It promotes the development and implementation
of the SEPP in the parish and is
responsible, in collaboration with
the parish priest and his team, for
formation and spiritual animation
of the faithful. It accompanies the
“When the Salesians are called by the
Bishop to the pastoral care of an area
or sector of God’s people, they assume,
members of the Salesian Family
who are the fi rst collaborators in
development of the project.
before the Church, the ‘stimulating work
to build — in full shared responsibility
with the laity — a community of brothers,
gathered in charity, for the ‘listening to
the Word, the celebration of the Lord’s
Supper and for the ‘announcement of the
message of salvation”
(GC20, NO.416)
“The responsible agent of the Salesian
parish, that which gives it life, is the
religious community”
(GC21, NO.138)
The religious community (cf. R.
26; GC21, no.138) is part of the
animating nucleus of the Salesian
parish and assumes a clear role (cf.
GC24, no.159). It bears witness
to the primacy of God, visibly
manifested in its fraternal life
and practice of the evangelical
counsels through moments of
prayer, meetings, social gatherings
and sharing the testimony with the
laity of the parish community. It is a
portion of the pastoral project that
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gives space to the different skills of
the confreres, participates in the
life of the parish, taking an interest
in the stories of people, especially
young people.
“The Educative and Pastoral Project is
a rich synthesis of content and methods;
The Rector of the Salesian
community has a special
responsibility in the parish as
spiritual leader of the religious
a process of human development and
also of evangelical proclaiming and of
deepening of the Christian life”
(GC21, NO.80)
community and the one primarily
responsible for the apostolic
activities of the community. He looks after unity and the Salesian identity of
the entire work and encourages the confreres as they carry out the parish
pastoral plan (cf. R. 29). He is a member of the Parish Pastoral Council.
The parish priest, pastor of the community, is responsible for the
immediate parish mission entrusted to the Salesian Congregation by the
Bishop. For the Christian community he is the representative of the Bishop
but also of the Salesian Congregation. True to the educative and pastoral
mission, he holds Don Bosco to be his model in the evangelisation of
young people and the people of God.
The Salesian parish priest is called to welcome, listen, accompany and form
the parish community. He presides over the parish community, taking on
responsibility for implementing the pastoral plan in communion with the
Rector, the Salesian community and the Pastoral Council.
The parish community promotes and accompanies the diversity of
vocations, encouraging the laity to take a significant role in the
evangelising mission. The parish community is strengthened through the
experience of assemblies, associations, small communities and movements
who exercise greater commitment on behalf of all. The Salesian parish
animates the various ecclesial groups, with special attention to proposals
by the Salesian Family and the Salesian Youth Movement.
The parish community considers the young people to be members of
the EPC in their own right. This charismatic presence ensures attention
to adolescents and older youth, with a positive interest in their world,
their concerns, experiences and expectations. Our preference for youth
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
characterises the shape of parish pastoral ministry, which is dynamic,
enthusiastic and offers evangelical ideals.
2 4 3 The educative and pastoral proposal of the parish entrusted
to the Salesian community
The parish is immersed in a world which is undergoing profound and rapid
change. Its mission is a unified though complex reality and hence requires
an Educative and Pastoral Plan (cf. GC21, no.140).
A A centre of evangelisation and education in the faith
The Acts of the Apostles is one book of the New Testament which helps us
understand more than the others that life in the early Christian communities
was not easy. The sharing and spreading of the truth about Jesus Christ
took root in them and was consolidated. In Chapter 2, verses 42-46 we read
a passage that can really accompany the life of every parish community:
They remained faithful to the
teaching of the Apostles.
They lived together as brothers.
They went as a body to the
Temple every day
They met in their houses for the
breaking of the bread.
Evangelisation and
Catechesis
Testimony of charity
Prayer
Liturgy
The parish entrusted to the Salesian community offers everyone a systematic
proposal of evangelisation and education in the faith (cf. GC23, nos.116-
157). It promotes first proclamation to those who are far away, and offers
ongoing programmes and gradual education in the faith especially for
families. The parish is a community where one can experience the values
most characteristic of Salesian spirituality: the joy of daily Christian life,
the hope that sees the positive in people and situations, and promotion
of communion.
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The parish community cultivates human relationships, ensuring that people
and groups feel recognised, accepted, included. Our ecclesial communities
represent the appropriate place for daily Christian experience.
The community commits itself, then, to everyone, and in particular, to
the weak and needy so they may grow in faith and maturity. It not only
welcomes everyone seeking religious meaning in their lives, but also
offers compassion and support to those who are tempted to distance
themselves. Aware of this, the parish is positively challenged by those who
consider themselves as indifferent or non-believers.
It is a missionary and evangelising community. The Word of God and the
liturgy sustain the faith life of its members. It promotes communication of
the Christian experience. The parish community puts the Eucharist at the
centre of community life, and celebrates the sacraments of Christian life in
a meaningful way, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The parish entrusted to the Salesians nourishes devotion to Mary Help
of Christians. Don Bosco’s Madonna is to be considered as a very active
presence encouraging us to follow Jesus better: “Do whatever he tells
you” is our Mother’s invitation. Devotion to Mary Help of Christians unites
us within the universal communion of the Church.
B A Church presence which is open and fully part of its locality
The parish is the face of the Church. It is the point of reference in its
locality which makes the Church visible in everyday life. It is where
Christians experience and live out
faith, hope and charity nourished
by the Word of God and the
celebration of the sacraments. The
parish is “the Church living in the
midst of the homes of her sons and
daughters” (Christifideles Laici 26).
“In parishes and mission residences we
contribute to the spreading of the Gospel
and to the advancement of the people. We
The parish community is the
significant focus for the various
ecclesial communities and groups
that exist within it. It is an open
collaborate in the pastoral programme of
the particular Church out of the riches of
our specific vocation”
(C. 42)
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community collaborating with other parishes and communities and with other
social and educational agencies in the area which provide for the human and
spiritual growth of its citizens.
Engaged in a dialogue with the various cultural environments, the parish
helps everyone to develop values, criteria and patterns of life according to
the Gospel, through a presence based on trust (given and received).
The parish carries out its mission in communion with the local Church and
the Bishop, with the other parishes and diocesan pastoral organisations.
C A Community with a missionary outlook
In fidelity to Jesus, the parish believes that the Kingdom of God has the
poor as its benefi ciaries and privileged target. Therefore, its pastoral,
evangelical nature should reflect the preferential option for the poor
and needy. This implies, fi rst of all, the appreciation of the faith and
wisdom the poor show, and it implies their accompaniment.
The parish entrusted to the Salesians assumes as its fundamental choice and
criterion the existential unity of Evangelisation, human development
and Christian culture. We proclaim the Gospel and the person of Jesus in
intimate relationship with the history of the people, their problems and their
possibilities. In the desire to heal less than human situations we are guided
by the value of human fullness the individual finds in God. Development of
evangelisation in the parish calls for spreading of the Gospel and developing the
people (cf. C. 42). If we consider pastoral activity in its entirety as diffusion of the
Gospel, this idea cannot be confined to mere administration of the sacraments.
The parish is encouraged to be a welcoming place, one of hope for everyone,
especially for the tired, disinherited, marginalised, sick and suffering. Thus, in
close dialogue and cooperation with institutions within parish boundaries, it
strongly promotes the protection and promotion of their human rights and
shares their concerns and aspirations.
D Clear option for the young and for working class people
Youth ministry should be considered the dimension that most characterises
parish life. This is the particular contribution the Salesians offer as an enrichment
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ACTIVITIES AND WORKS OF SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
to the mission of the particular
Church (cf. C. 48; R. 26). Our
preferential choice of a youthful
dynamic in evangelisation is,
therefore, the special attention
we give to young people.
“The parish entrusted to the Salesians
ought to reproduce today this charismatic
The preferential option for the young,
experience of Valdocco and make it an
especially the poorest, immerses the
enriching contribution to the pastoral
entire parish in a particular kind of ac-
service of the local Church. For this reason
tivity and a particular educational ap-
it has certain charismatic features which
proach. We encourage experiences
are the foundation of its own life and
that make young people evangelisers
mission”
of other young people. The priority of
youth also involves the duty of creat-
ing awareness in the diocesan com-
(FR ANTONIO DOMENECH, AGC 396, “GUIDELINES AND
DIRECTIVES: THE IDENTITY OF THE PARISH ENTRUSTED TO
THE SALESIANS”)
munity of the problems and needs of
youth ministry. The Salesian parish can help provide examples of educational
approaches for parish contact with young people.
The parish is a community that accompanies the faithful in their vocational
choices, especially the young. Accompaniment of young people requires
considerable effort. This service helps them personalise faith, listen more
profoundly to God and mature in their Christian life understood as vocation.
The parish guides and accompanies various vocations in the Church. It
offers young people a specific invitation to religious life, priesthood or a
committed lay vocation. Prayer for vocations is continuously fostered in
the parish community and its various groups and movements.
The Salesian parish is of a broadly accepting popular nature. The evangelisation
of popular culture requires constant attention to the many ways this manifests
itself. Evangelisation is contextualised and integrated into the life of the people,
through consideration of their history, tradition and culture, customs and roots.
2 4 4 Systematic pastoral animation in the parish
A Main interventions of the pastoral proposal
The parish is an evangelising community: it brings first proclamation to those
who are estranged from it and catechises them, taking them as they are as
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the starting point. It would seem appropriate to recover certain principles
inspired by the Christian catechumenate (RCIA) as a pedagogical
element and basis for education in the faith. The catechumenate seeks to
evangelise in the four main areas of growth in faith found in the Church’s
experience (cf. General Directory for Catechesis 147): the personal dimension,
the community dimension, the liturgical and celebrative dimension, and
total commitment to evangelisation. These four dimensions can assist in
proper programming of interventions with young people, ensuring the
completeness and integrity of the Christian experience.
1 The parish creates and offers gradual and diversified programmes
in faith education, particularly for young people and families,
without reducing catechesis to simple preparation for the sacraments
(cf. GC23, nos.116-157). These processes help start families off in the
faith education they offer their children, set up processes for baptismal
catechesis, and education in faith programmes for engaged couples
that might later give rise to family group programmes.
Catechesis in all its forms should transmit an adequate and relevant
summary of the Christian message and, above all, integrate personal
experience in the process of maturity and growth. It seeks to encourage
and accompany gradual commitment to Christian life.
Christian initiation is based on experience, community relationships and
on the testimony of life. Therefore, the parish entrusted to the Salesians
offers many lively and creative pastoral processes and initiatives,
processes which allow for personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It is
urgent for Christian communities to offer meaningful experiences and
accompany people in search of faith at its various stages: understanding
and listening to the Word of God (introductory courses on Sacred
Scripture, preaching, Lectio Divina), the experience of personal and
shared prayer (schools of prayer), participation in liturgical celebration
of the Eucharist and the sacraments, further exploration of the faith,
appreciation of the wealth of popular piety, and missionary-oriented
youth ministry experiences in rural and urban areas. All this should be
accompanied by reflection, good communication as well as silence and
contemplation.
2 Another parish activity is to encourage membership of groups in the
Church. For this purpose the parish fosters group movements, youth
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communities and Salesian Family Groups, among others. There
is also a need to co-ordinate these groups with the Salesian Youth
Movement and the invitation to Salesian Youth Spirituality. Group
experiences should be able to lead to open and integrated Christian
communities.
3 The parish is a community that practises liturgy and the
sacraments: celebrating them with dignity and beauty. Care is
to be taken that liturgy is in close contact with life, trying to use a
language that is understandable and accessible, expressed in a simple
way through songs, gestures, stories, testimonies and symbols. For a
celebration to be alive it is important to get everyone to be actively
involved its preparation and implementation.
4 By fostering growth of an active faith the parish educates to the
social dimension of charity, building a culture of solidarity. Thus,
it recognises and encourages the commitment of members of the
parish community to being involved in social and charitable activity,
and in civil and political life. It supports the promotion, formation and
accompaniment of voluntary services and missionary work.
A Church community working with other organisations on behalf of
the poor needs to exhibit concrete and visible gestures of a modest
lifestyle and one which is open to generosity and solidarity through
actions which manifest the values of the Kingdom. Preference is to be
given to acts of solidarity of a more lasting kind.
5 The parish community is to become a formation centre for lay people
who are dynamic and committed, above all for pastoral leaders of
young people. A priority that keeps the future of the Church community
in mind is the development of appropriate formation courses
for a variety of categories, in particular those with responsibility
for education: catechists, adults (or mature older youth) who are
prepared to lead groups. A creative and dynamic approach cannot be
truly fruitful unless practised by catechists who have themselves been
well formed.
All this calls for the parish community, Salesians and lay people, to offer
space and time for analysis and reflection on pastoral activity for youth
and adolescents.
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B Structures of participation and responsibility
Leadership in the local parish community
The parish assembly and groups are instruments both of communion
and lay involvement in the life of the community. They are opportunities
for shared responsibility. Their identity is strengthened through the
preparation and implementation of a Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan
for the parish.
Parish ministry is given a unifi ed and articulated shape in the Educative
and Pastoral Plan. This plan helps the parish forge effective collaboration
in its pastoral mission to teach, sanctify and guide everyone. Parish
structures strengthen communion, convergence and complementarity
amongst people, activities and other things focused around the Educative
and Pastoral Plan.
The parish council is an advisory, operational pastoral team by nature
(cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 536). It includes representatives of the
various sectors and groups in the parish. In accordance with the Code of
Canon Law and the guidelines of the Church, the parish council fulfils the
functions that GC24 presents for the EPC (cf. GC24, nos.160, 171). This
pastoral team is essential for animation of the parish. It is presided over by
the parish priest, led and accompanied by him along with other Salesians
in the community; the team is made up of priests assigned to the parish,
representatives of the various sectors of parish life, and other members
whom the parish priest is free to appoint.
Its functions are defi ned in the statutes and these are: to analyse the
situation of the parish and its members, offering an evangelical response
to the challenges encountered; to offer the SEPP to the parish assembly,
implementing it, and evaluating it periodically; to study and approve the
regular parish budget; to ensure the formation of the pastoral workers in
the parish.
The committees and working groups are teams that, in accordance
with the SEPP, provide leadership in various areas of activity. Among these
the youth ministry commission or leadership team is particularly important.
It is coordinated by the assistant parish priest, or by a Salesian/lay person
responsible for the Oratory-Youth Centre (cf. GC20, no.432).
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A Finance Council is also mandated for the parish. The criteria for its
composition include competence and administrative efficiency. Its
members should be experts in finance and of upright conduct. Its juridical
role is purely advisory: advising the parish priest in the administration of
the goods of the parish. The chairman of the finance council is the parish
priest, as its “proper pastor” (cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 515, 519). The
parish priest is responsible not only for sacraments, liturgy, catechetics
and charitable requirements, but also for administration. He is the legal
representative (cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 532) and sole administrator
(cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 1279).
The Finance Committee has its own statutes which define the nature,
characteristics, objectives, composition, powers, functions of the members,
work patterns, relationship with the Parish Council and the duration of its
tasks.
When a parish is one of a number of other sectors in a given area (Oratory-
Youth Centre, School, Social work, Boarding house, Hostel), through
dialogue it fosters along with them a special collaboration for unified
pastoral ministry within a single mission. For the Oratory-Youth Centre
the parish is a reminder that there is a converging pastoral plan involving
the local area and the local Church, based on the different responsibilities
of the two sectors. Unified pastoral activity is spelt out through mutual
relationships and the fact that they are different projects help us provide
a better response to quite a few special situations in the Congregation:
Oratory-Youth Centre in a Salesian parish; Oratory-Youth Centre in diocesan
parishes; Oratory-Youth Centre in presences with multiple sectors.
The Oratory-Youth Centre Council, in its entirety or through well-chosen
membership, has representation within the parish pastoral council to
guarantee the unity of evangelising activity. In quite a number of provinces
it has been laid down that the director of the Oratory-Youth Centre is the
associate pastor for youth ministry.
Provincial / national animation
The parish priest is appointed by the Provincial and presented to the local
Ordinary to be of service to the local Church, in communion with the
Bishop, the presbyterium and the other parishes. He seeks coordination
with other parishes in the Province and the Youth Ministry delegation in
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the Province. The guidelines of GC19 and GC20 (cf. GC20, no.441) require
co-ordination of the parishes to be fostered in all our Provinces.
The parishes depend on the dioceses in which they are located but are
entrusted to the Salesian Congregation to respond to the pastoral needs
of particular Churches (R. 25). Because of its membership in the local
church, the Salesian parish incorporates the pastoral guidelines of the
diocese and those of the Provincial SEPP in its own SEPP.
A Provincial Commission headed by a co-ordinator ensures Provincial
accompaniment and support for parish communities in their implementation
of the parish SEPP. Both the coordinator and the Commission are part of
provincial Youth Ministry bodies.
The Coordinator and members of the Commission have the following
functions:
◗ raising awareness of Salesian communities so that they pay
more attention to the parish where they are located;
◗ promoting refl ection on and improved understanding of the
identity of the Salesian parish in relation to the ecclesial and
social situation around them;
◗ responding to the pastoral challenges of the Church in local
churches and shrines where the mission of the Province is
carried out;
◗ ensuring the development, implementation and evaluation of
the SEPP in parishes and shrines, offering parish communities
guidelines that can help them live out their Salesian identity;
◗ fostering communication and collaboration amongst the
different parishes of the Province;
◗ supporting ongoing formation of Salesians and laity who share
responsibility for parish ministry, through meetings and courses;
◗ convening regular meetings of parish priests, pastoral councils,
catechists, diaconal teams, health apostolate and youth ministry.
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There needs to be teamwork with other Provincial commissions:
Oratory-Youth Centre, Salesian Youth Movement, Vocation ministry,
Mission animation, Social Communication. The Provincial Formation
Commission ensures formative accompaniment for students of theology,
especially deacons, in the exercise of their ministry. They are part of the
actual running of parish ministry.
The dynamics and work of provincial coordination are supported by
national leadership and coordination, according to circumstances
and contexts. Its function is primarily to promote refl ection and deeper
understanding of the Salesian identity of the parish through development
and updating of the educative and pastoral proposal. It seeks to facilitate
communication among provinces to share experiences and challenges.
A common practice in different situations around the Congregation
is to promote updating and training of parish priests through national
organisation (formation, retreats, and courses of specialisation). Moreover,
along similar lines, it is possible to convene meetings for refl ection on
a national level, conscious of the fact that there is a variety of groups
involved in our parishes (catechists, pastoral councils, youth leaders,
committees, groups).
2 5 WORKS AND SOCIAL SERVICES FOR YOUTH-AT-RISK
2 5 1 The original nature of works and services for youth-at-risk
As he went through Turin’s streets, Don Bosco saw the dangers faced by
needy youth and responded to their diffi culties and poverty by opening
new types of pastoral services. As soon as he entered the Convitto, Fr
Cafasso entrusted him with the task of visiting the prisons where, for the
first time, he encountered and witnessed the alarming and the unfortunate
conditions of many young prisoners. His encounter with these young
prisoners had a deep impact on him – it touched him, disturbed him and
moved him to reflect on what needed to be done.
He considered himself sent by God to respond to the cries of the
poor and the young. His insight told him that it was important to give
an immediate response to their problems and above all to prevent the
causes through a holistic educational approach. This is why he first of
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“With Don Bosco we affirm our
preference for the young who are
all sought to take upon himself the
care of orphaned and abandoned
youth who came to Turin in search
of work, their parents being unable,
or uninterested in caring for them.
poor, abandoned and in danger, those
who have greater need of love and
evangelization, and we work especially in
areas of greatest poverty”
(C. 26)
We too encounter children, teenagers
and older youth living in conditions of
social exclusion, and we do so with
Don Bosco’s zeal. Social exclusion
is to be understood in the broader
sense which goes beyond the mere
economic meaning usually intended by the traditional concept of poverty.
It also refers to limited access to education, culture, housing, work, lack of
recognition and achievement of human dignity and the fact that they are often
disbarred from exercising real citizenship. We believe that the most effective
form of response to this difficulty would be preventive action in its many forms.
The option for poor youth and those abandoned and at risk, has been at
the heart of the Salesian Family and its life from the time of Don Bosco
till today. A great variety of projects, services and facilities for poor
youth, with the choice of education as inspired by the Salesian preventive
criteria, has sprung from this.
Urged on by our awareness that social exclusion is on the increase, we
acknowledge the need to ensure that Don Bosco’s system of education is
practised, so that young people can overcome difficulties and marginalisation,
imbibe an ethical understanding of education and personal development and
be socially and politically involved as active citizens. We want to see young
people educated and the rights of the minors defended in the struggle against
injustice and for building up peace.
Poverty and exclusion are on the rise day by day even to the extent
of tragic dimensions. It is a poverty that harms the individual and the
community and especially the young to the point where it becomes a
structural reality and global way of life. Our model is the Good Samaritan,
“the heart that sees” and saves.
Situations of poverty and social exclusion have a strong social impact and,
unfortunately, they tend to persist. We cannot remain indifferent in the face
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of all this. It urges us to put immediate short and medium term responses in
place (cf. GC21, no.158; GC22, nos.6, 72; GC23, nos.203-214), so that by
overcoming injustice and social inequality, we will be able to give the young
opportunities to build their life in a positive way and be able to fit themselves
responsibly into society.
Many of these works and services offer a new pedagogical and Salesian
model and, therefore, require professional competence, specialised
programmes and collaboration with civil and religious institutions. An over-
view of these works is offered here:
◗ works for street children: school-home, day care centres, family homes.
Along with these are residential resources for young homeless people.
There are reception centres for refugees and displaced persons, young
drifters living on the streets, on city outskirts, youngsters who have
“no one”, abandoned or orphaned;
◗ services for young people with special needs: minors under protection
orders or in the penal system; prisoners; child soldiers; children
exploited by sex tourism and abuse; young people who need special
education due to physical and mental disabilities;
◗ attention to immigrants: literacy; psycho-pedagogical support at
school; legal advice to regularise their situation; contributions to social
and professional skills; participation and integration in context;
◗ reception and accompaniment for recovery and rehabilitation: drug
addicts, kids with behavioural problems, HIV-AIDS;
◗ alternative educational services for coping with the problem of school
failures: socio-educational projects; professional training workshops
for pre-employment; additional classes for scholastic reinforcement;
socio-professional workshops; courses for training the unemployed;
educational support programs;
◗ integration in poor neighbourhoods and cultural activities in fringe
areas; activities which take in and accompany victims of violence, war
and religious fanaticism;
◗ centres which give attention and support to education by the
family; services addressed to young people who suffer because
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they come from dysfunctional families, families without a home
or in non-standard accommodation;
◗ specifi c services for promotion of women: literacy, responsible
parenthood, health education and hygiene.
Taking up our charismatic and preferential option for the poor and needy is
something that runs through the entire systematic animation of the
Salesian Family. The Provincial Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plans should
guarantee this commitment in all our works and presences. Our main work is
to prevent and address possible situations and needs of young people in any
situation or context, especially through works and services which give specific
attention to poverty and social exclusion. This is a typical feature of Salesian
Youth Ministry.
2 5 2 The Educative and Pastoral Community in youth-at-risk
presences
A The importance of the EPC in youth-at-risk presences
Don Bosco offered abandoned youngsters a true family in the Oratory
where they could grow and prepare for life; therefore he considers the
community experience as very important.
In works and services which respond to youth problems the EPC takes its own
particular shape and our understanding of this has grown. The Congregation
has accumulated criteria over recent years which need to be considered if
we wish to consolidate this institutional commitment. This well-ordered and
complete educational service is a real missionary option of acceptance and
family presence among young people at risk. Attentive to the individual, it
accompanies them as they try to be part of the community by supporting their
rights and helping them be committed to justice and the renewal of society. It
promotes a culture of solidarity according to values inspired by Church’s social
teaching (cf. C. 33).
B Members of the EPC in youth-at-risk presences
The educators share a close and friendly relationship with the young,
through familiarity and loving Salesian presence (loving-kindness). The
educator not only works for poor youth but in communion and solidarity
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with them. This is expressed through strict but flexible interdependency an
educational ‘agreement’ based on mutual consent.
The team of educators is chiefly responsible for drawing up, implementing
and evaluating the local SEPP. The joint responsibility of educators and young
people in this project is an essential feature and one which is characteristic
of Salesian pedagogy. This community experience becomes a school of
experience for the young people themselves. They see themselves as
helping to educate their peers, with whom they share the same development
processes. It prepares them gradually for future roles of service as educators
in the work itself, in their families and in society.
Insight, personal experience and personal good will are not enough to
carry out a pastoral and educative activity of a certain quality. The people
involved need to be ready to:
◗ ensure strategies and interventions in the SEPP that continuously
strengthen the motivations and values guiding institutional
choices and those of every educator;
◗ have the necessary preparation for carrying out a project which
is professionally competent and of quality, faced with the
complexity of the situation;
◗ ensure professionalism based on seeing this as a vocation, even
more so in the case of educators dedicated to this service, who
need to be experts in education and in humanity;
◗ cultivate a profound understanding of the youth situation
and the cultural processes generated by social exclusion and
marginalisation;
◗ further their study of the Preventive System in relation to everyday
life, through ongoing formation in the social dimension of charity;
◗ adopt the viewpoint of the Church’s social teaching and Human
Rights;
◗ manage lengthy educational and recovery processes in an
efficient way, at the same time seeing to good organisation and
management, as well as seeking and managing resources.
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The enterprising involvement of educators and young people on a daily
basis requires cooperation from professionals: sociologists, psychologists,
doctors, lawyers, pedagogues, social educators. These kinds of works are
developing the very best kinds of volunteer service experiences. Equally
important are connections and regular dealings with family members
and other institutions or groups in the area working in the same field.
Living with young people in such a precarious and fragile situation requires
a personal as well as an institutional conversion on the part of the Salesians
and the lay people with them. Situations of need, the many faces of
suffering, vulnerability, hardship and exploitation are a challenge for the
Salesian educator and can question his or her ordinary activities, the profound
sense of gestures which are usually taken for granted. These faces and stories
urge us to be concrete and immediate, and bring to bear all our expertise and
passion, creativity, spirituality and hope and without seeking recompense.
The Salesians, on the one hand, offer an austere witness of solid presence
and education among the young people, who feel accompanied and
sustained by such a profound faith in God the Father who wants everyone
“to have life and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10), while at the same time
they acquire ever deeper understanding of their surrounding circumstances
and its mechanisms. Lay educators, on the other hand, represent a
model of life for the young people, centred around the nuclear family
lived in a responsible manner. They are professional in their educational
interventions and are witnesses to a life inspired by the Gospel of Christ.
2 5 3 The educative and pastoral proposal for youth-at-risk presences
The specific educative and pastoral project for these presences and social
services on behalf of young people at risk determines the identity of
the proposal and serves as a guide to the service offered by the
educators, which responds to the requirements and need for professional
quality and the awareness they have that theirs is a vocation as spelt out
in the Salesian pedagogical model.
A The evangelising inspiration
All our educational commitment is inspired by the Gospel and is oriented
to open the young people to Christ, the one who “spent his life doing
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good” (Acts 10:38). In these works and services, at times our intervention
needs to be an immediate response to basic survival needs (food, water,
medical care, shelter in a family environment) so the young can grow in an
independent manner, overcoming the constraints of dependence. Having
achieved this first goal, the intervention then tends to assure them of all the
other resources they need to live in a dignified and secure way. Don Bosco’s
formula, “upright citizens and good Christians” means responding to all
the needs of “abandoned” youth from an ordinary human perspective.
The witness of the educators and the EPC, the environment of acceptance
and family, the safeguarding and promotion of personal dignity and its
values are a fi rst form of proclamation of Christ and fulfilment of
salvation in Him: liberation and fullness of life.
It is an educational activity that offers young people an invitation to interior
growth by paying special attention to the religious dimension of the
individual. This is a fundamental factor in prevention and becoming more
human. It is also a solid support which offers hope to young people who
are suffering the dramatic consequences of poverty and social exclusion.
For us, evangelisation means being close to them, sharing with
them, helping them be more human, offering them an invitation. It
is a process, and even when it does not become a Christian invitation of the
same intensity for everyone, it is nevertheless a first and authentic form of
evangelisation. Jesus became one
of us to make us more human and
he calls everyone to follow him.
Therefore, the SEPP of every
educational community should
offer young people experiences
and programmes that awaken the
spiritual dimension of life in them and
help them discover Jesus Christ as
their Saviour (cf. GC26, nos.105-106).
This proposal of evangelisation
should be fully integrated into
the educational process through
a simple, personalised pedagogy,
one which is strictly and gradually
connected with daily life.
“The source of our inspiration is always
the pastoral charity diffused by the
Spirit in baptism and in the call to the
Salesian life: but the seeking out, contact
with and the sharing of the life of the
poor youngsters are the ‘providential
circumstances’, the indispensable
mediation in the beginning and practical
development of our mission”
(FR JUAN VECCHI, AGC 359, “NEW POVERTY, SALESIAN
MISSION AND SIGNIFICANCE”)
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We need to protect and develop this religious awakening in the young
through patience and perseverance, helping them discover the goodness in
them, be aware of their dignity and their desire to change themselves. The
specific forms of support and action that we share with the young are the
following: helping them deal with the question of the meaning of life (what
is the meaning of my life? what kind of person do I want to be?); being
with them at celebrations and for important events in their family, social, and
religious life; offering them values that will guide their religious search and
promote the freedom of faith, thus presenting the Christian humanism of the
Gospel of Jesus as Good News. We also invite them to experience acceptance
within the Christian community and by its members. We propose simple but
meaningful religious experiences and gradual acceptance of commitments
and responsibilities.
B A holistic and systematic educative proposal
It is very important to help them restructure and unify their interior world
through process of identification. We live at a time of fragmentation, and
interior unity can only be achieved through vital contact with individuals
and institutions with a strong sense of identity, but also respectful
of diversity and freedom. Therefore we educate through conviction and
motivation in personalised relationships expressed by a welcoming attitude and
dialogue, respect and unconditional
acceptance. Every educator is a
positive role model to be identified
with and a point of reference in
the personal growth process of
“Poverty and emargination are not a
phenomenon which is purely economic
in nature, but a reality which touches
the young. In short, our presence
“among” the young should awaken
interest and identification in them.
individual consciences and challenges
the mentality of society. Education is
therefore a fundamental element for their
prevention and suppression, and is also
a more specific and original contribution
which we, as Salesians, can provide”
(FR JUAN VECCHI, AGC 359, “NEW POVERTY, SALESIAN
MISSION AND SIGNIFICANCE”)
This situation necessarily requires an
animation which is both communal
and family-like. Its nucleus, the
Salesians and every lay educator, carry
out this important task. Young people
at risk, the majority of whom come
from a far from ideal environment,
need to discover a family atmosphere
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which offers them favourable conditions for adequately restructuring and re-
orienting their lives. Above all, offering them a family environment where
there is a chance to relate with positive adult reference points, breaks the barrier
of distrust and awakens a true desire for education.
The essential element is the development of a critical attitude to self
and one’s environment with renewed criteria for such analysis. Cultural
and technical skills and above all acquisition of good work habits open up
the way for young people to be incorporated into a family environment,
work and social life.
This complete formation, which covers all their experiences and dimensions of
life, places emphasis on all their resources in a continuous and systematic way.
It facilitates their sense of responsibility. It is a proposal aimed at every young
person, called as he or she is to develop every aspect of their life – personal,
family, socio-cultural, environmental, socio-political, ethical and religious.
C The choice of the preventive criterion
Prevention is an educational
approach that surmounts problems
by preventing their negative
effects. It is also a systematic
social form of intervention
that is not reduced to short-lived
assistance. It remedies exclusion
by working on its causes. It is not
only about direct education of the
individual but also creating a new
“The educational power of the Preventive
System is also shown in its ability
to salvage lost youngsters who have
maintained points accessible to good”
(GC22, NO.72)
social mentality at a cultural and
political level for the common good and on behalf of human rights.
Our educative proposal, even though it is often a response to an
emergency, always includes assistance and social protection. The
preventive criterion ensures the pedagogical conditions for rebuilding a
dignified life, and avoids things becoming worse. One basic element in
all this is pedagogical accompaniment of the young as they grow up.
It aims at making them autonomous, able to take up responsibility for
themselves.
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Sometimes the personal circumstances they are in require re-education and
improvement. Don Bosco offers a system which is more than satisfactory
in helping to re-educate young people trapped in delinquency or who
have been excluded from society. Pedagogy today recognises “resilience”
as an individual’s or group’s ability to make progress, to move on in life
from destabilising events or difficult and traumatic life circumstances.
The Salesian project offers group pedagogy as an experience which can
help young people relate spontaneously and freely with one another.
These youngsters, who tend to be “gregarious” and easily led, fi nd the
group to be a determining factor in their education and as they develop
their personalities.
D The social and political perspective
The Salesian response to youth exclusion is also necessarily a social and
political one. These works and services should promote a culture of the
‘other’, of moderation, peace, justice understood as respecting the right
that everyone has to live a dignified life.
“What is wanted is a work of ‘social
animation’ which will give rise to changes
of vision and criteria through gestures
and actions… It is a matter of promoting
a culture of one’s neighbour, of sobriety
of life… of availability and free sharing,
of justice understood as attention to
everyone’s right to a dignified life and,
more directly, to the involvement of
persons and institutions in a work of
broad intervention, and of acceptance and
support for those who have need of it”
(FR JUAN VECCHI, ACG 359, “NEW POVERTY, SALESIAN
MISSION AND SIGNIFICANCE“)
Educational activity in these works
and services helps young people
to prepare themselves to engage
in this fi eld. At the same time, it
fosters a new way of thinking
which helps to transform the
social situation. We need to
understand the struggle against
poverty and social exclusion as
a structural challenge. Ongoing
refl tieocn on poverty and
exclusion, and the influence it has
on the young, especially in the
family, implies that there has to be
systematic collaboration among
the various educational institutions
working in this area. Our charism
invites us to take a careful look
at the cultural categories of the
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young, of poverty, minority groups, so we can contribute to building a
new human world order, even from the fringes of history.
This requires ongoing analysis of local situation, identifying the precise
challenges to the SEPP and hence the relevant processes and specifi c
interventions needed. There is growing awareness of our need to network
with other institutions in drawing up policies which tackle education,
family, youth, urban living etc, so they can help prevent and overcome
structural problems. It is urgent for Provinces to strengthen their presence
in competent civil platforms so they can follow up youth-related policies
and offer reflections and make interventions in legislative processes.
Every EPC is carried out within the Church and in the social setting we are
in. We are striving to foster a culture of solidarity according to the
Gospel of Jesus. The pastoral care of children, teenagers and any young
people at risk requires real participation and commitment for it to deliver
justice and peace (cf. C. 33). By involving everyone responsible, we become
a prophetic voice for building a society worthy of the human being.
2 5 4 Systematic pastoral animation in social work
A Principal interventions of the proposal
1 New forms of poverty among the young should find a response
in all our works and services in the Province. Co-operation and
complementarity of the various Salesian works in a given territory
and our unifi ed service in promoting and educating the young,
strengthen and multiply forces and improve the effectiveness of each
sector. Hence we need to focus on provincial and local projects dealing
with youth crises and various forms of poverty and social exclusion,
ensuring they have clear objectives, goals and educational approaches
which are capable of preventing and overcoming these problems. It is
high time for us to set up a network of information on various topics,
presences, programmes and activities.
2 The SEPP of a presence explicitly dedicated to social service for
young people at risk plans policies and strategies which offer gradual
approaches to attention and accompaniment:
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veallui easiu;tino ad assimilare personalmente valori educativi, religiosi
ed evangelici;
•taip•lneohadnqaettuielfu,pairtotnitranhuaprgelsedirttrliihasinDneogseimnocsaaosnnldpeediin,rslilcpcratoeaohnpzveeefiriieorrdnapelatirnvesnieat,pdisfiaev,edlirtcxiudamrpic,eaeiecaolrnrotsieiegtnoaanugrneceedec;coolotanhlnedefipicdrtGieoeoosnnndedzs’niiszafziollaoeorn;vapiimnepgreosrrpoeurnvenaoslcle,eonpleca-e-
••sltaavrotirnagreosuut wpiicthcoslmi imalpl ceogmnimpeitrmaernritvsarseoathlleeymcaagngmioorvi ereosnpotonsgare--
abteilritàre. sLpaosntseibssilaitipeasr.tWechiepnazyioounnegdpeei ogpiolevagneitniengvolilvaettdi iennceivlilce ecveelen-ts
abnrdazcieolneibcriavtiiloi ndselotrerhraitvoerigor,ocuopn eexsppeerriieennczeesdoi fgsroulpidpaoreitys,otlhidisalgi,rlai-
dcuoanlldyulceeadgsratdhueamlmtoenmteoraedsitmabpleegcnoimpimù istmtabeinlit..
3 Prevention, as we have seen, is not only a method of healing problems and
preventing their consequences, but also of creating the conditions that
ensure each young person can develop to full potential. It is important to
offer open areas with a wide range of possibilities and initiatives,
especially social activities like music, theatre, sports, art, outings, ITC
(information technology and communication), and where individuals
are valued for their innate qualities. These are significant approaches to
recovery and preventive action and in the context of an overall project,
they encourage personal accompaniment of every young person.
4 The struggle to overcome social exclusion implies planned,
mutually supportive teamwork, helping a variety of social agents
to converge on the issue: the neighbourhood or surrounding area,
institutions, entities or groups and wherever there is acknowledgement
that situations of exclusion or crisis exist. The aim is to create a new
mentality, a culture of solidarity in society where all the actors involved
work together on education, family, youth policies that have an impact
on the life and conditions of the young.
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B Structures of participation and responsibility
Local animation
To tackle the speed of fundamental change in our society, the entire EPC
needs to commit to searching for an effective response to situations of
youth poverty around us and creatively implement rapid processes of
coordination so particular projects can be carried out.
In every community of the Province and its works, attention to young
people in diffi culty needs to be developed via an analysis of the culture
and mentality proposed in its SEPP. The local community should
include pointers to this need in developing its SEPP: openness to the
local situation and the young; reinforcing a systematic planning mentality
which includes the criteria and requirements of educative and pastoral
work for those most in need; attention to dynamics and approaches in
the work that can avoid exclusion; group and activities which get young
people involved; quality process in education and other programs, taking
into consideration the circumstances of those intended to benefi t from
them.
Specific works aimed at educating young people at risk have acquired a
large number of criteria and interventions specific to their management.
As for every Salesian work, it requires an educative and pastoral presence
with proper management and administration of financial resources.
The project needs to be sustainable in terms of human, administrative,
pedagogical and fi nancial resources. It is important for all sectors to
seek legal advice through appropriate channels. This latter point needs
greater study involving all the works and services of the Province and in
collaboration with other institutions in the area.
Young people play an active part in these structures and leadership bodies
too – they play an active part in their own formation in view of their
inclusion within family and society.
Provincial / national animation
There is increased awareness and sensitivity in Provinces, as well as
reflection on and commitment to young people on the fringes of
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society. It is no longer an isolated sector identified with just one or
two works or individual initiatives. Our focus on the very poor is
becoming an institutional sensitivity expressed in the provincial
SEPP on the basis of which each EPC encourages particular attention
to poverty and exclusion while gearing its specific services towards
work for young people at risk. The SEPP, consistent with its choices,
policies and strategies in favour of the poor, should see that its work
leans towards systematic animation and networking, collaborating at
all levels with the Salesian Family and other Church and civil bodies.
The basic principles guiding Provincial leadership and animation should
emphasise formation and systematic pastoral animation:
◗ the social and political formation of Salesian educators, religious
and lay, and of the EPC as a body, so they can all appreciate the
complex reality of poverty and exclusion in which the young
fi nd themselves. This helps them draw up approaches and
programmes appropriate for the young and for the educators
(consecrated/lay, reference people/family members);
◗ only through reflection and systematic evaluation can the work
be consolidated; planning, evaluation and renewed planning of
processes leads to better quality.
The Provincial Coordinator of works and services for young people
at risk should be a member of the Provincial Youth Ministry team. In
some countries or provinces there is a provincial/national commission
accompanying the development of Salesian works in this area as a
preferred charismatic option for the entire mission. In other places
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this coordination is taken up by one of the Salesian civil organisations (an
association, federation or other) that plans and implements activity on
behalf of the young, especially fringe youth, those at risk and/or socially
excluded.
For animation and coordination of this sector special emphasis and
particular importance should be given to the Provincial Planning
and Developmental Office (PDO). This office helps the Province in its
strategic planning as it seeks to finance these projects. It is very important
that this be a joint effort with the Provincial Youth Ministry Delegate so
that these projects are seen to be part of the Provincial SEPP and at the
same time encouraging systematic planning and evaluation of objectives
of the local SEPP.
26
OTHER WORKS AND SERVICES IN A VARIETY OF
SETTINGS
New situations and new opportunities for youth to come together
have come to light for the Salesian world. These are educational
activities, services or works responding to new needs and requirements
of the young and they offer appropriate responses to questions about
education and education to faith. Among these we can list: vocation
ministry programmes (aspirantates, live-in community experiences,
vocational discernment centres). There are also specialised programmes
for Christian and spiritual formation (retreat houses, youth ministry and
catechetics centres), leisure time groups and services like the Italian
Tempo Libero ed Animazione Socioculturale [leisure time and socio-
cultural animation] schools, sports, tourism, musicals and theatrical
performances. There are other media-based activities, and mission
animation groups, all led by the respective Social Communication and
Missions Departments.
These new presences take the form of a project rather than a structure.
They respond and adapt to changing needs with a certain freedom
of action and inventiveness. They employ the kind of communication
which is part of the natural setting for young people today, independent
of fixed structures. This approach makes it relatively easier to involve
young people who are aware that things are in their hands. These
are an expression of a new kind of presence in the world of the
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young and can be effective tools for responding to education
and evangelisation needs. They are experiences offering a pastoral
opportunity which we can work at along with other groups of the
Salesian Family.
These new spaces and formats are exposed to dangers that potentially
reduce their effectiveness for education and evangelisation: individualism
in the way they are dealt with, weak identity that lacks clarity, they
can be both temporary and precarious and make it difficult to achieve
continuity for educational purposes. So it would be appropriate to
identify some conditions and criteria that need to be fit in with our
traditional presences within the overall Province plan. Here are some
examples:
• openness to the basic principle of discernment and renewal:
every activity and work of ours is “a home that welcomes, a parish
that evangelises, a school that prepares them for life and a play-
ground where friends could meet and enjoy themselves” (C. 40);
• being clear as to our educative and pastoral aim (cf. C. 41);
• keeping a community dimension; the EPC is always the subject of
the mission (cf. C. 44);
• integration within the Provincial project involving constant inte-
raction and collaboration among the various educative and pastoral
works and services of the Province (cf. C. 58).
A Experiences or services of animation and vocational
guidance
In an effort to find new approaches to vocation ministry, new experiences
and services of animation and vocational guidance have come into
use (welcoming communities, live-in community experiences,
vocational discernment centres). These offer the young opportunities
for a concrete experience of the Salesian life and mission for a fixed period
of time, where they receive accompaniment and care as they explore their
calling in a more systematic way.
It is important that these activities guarantee:
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◗ a Salesian community which is open and welcoming and that
offers significant vocational witness to the young;
◗ experience of fraternal life and Salesian mission;
◗ systematic accompaniment for each individual’s process of
vocational maturity;
◗ close contact and collaboration with other communities in the
Province and with those responsible for vocation ministry as laid
down by the Province Plan;
◗ collaboration with other vocation ministry centres in the local
Church and with other religious institutes.
B Specialised services in Christian formation and spiritual
animation
Over the last ten years, various initiatives and services for Christian formation
and education in spirituality have come into being: retreat experiences,
schools of prayer, retreat houses, ministry and catechetics centres.
These services are a new form of Salesian presence among the young, and
today are seen as necessary and even urgent.
Retreat and spirituality houses or specialised centres for pastoral formation
and catechetic are based on the following criteria:
◗ a team of SDBs and other members of the Salesian Family,
organising and working in these houses not simply as a place
of hospitality but as a community or a team of individuals who
welcome, accompany and share a spiritual experience with the
young;
◗ a precise programme of spiritual pedagogy, with different
proposal and levels according to the various needs of the
groups, this way overcoming a simple and sporadic experience
by presenting a precise programme of initiation and spiritual
depth;
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◗ special importance given to the pedagogy of prayer and
listening to the Word of God and participating in the
sacraments according to the values of Salesian Youth
Spirituality; above all taking care of the aspect of initiation
and accompaniment to help the young have a truly spiritual
and personal experience;
◗ offering every young person the possibility of a personal talk
with a Salesian or other leader during their stay or even having
follow-up accompaniment;
◗ a vocational theme to help young people orient their life towards
the Lord and His plan of salvation for them.
There are other pastoral services offered outside the Salesian presences,
be they in the local church (such as the services of an SDB working for
diocesan vocation ministry; an SDB working in Youth Movements in
places where there are no Salesians) or in other places (such as teacher
formation). These pastoral services should take on in agreement with
the Provincial and in accordance with the Province SEPP.
C Leisure time services
Various activities during leisure time: sport, tourism, culture, music,
dance and theatre, are concrete places where the young meet to satisfy
their own interests. These are present in all our works. These educative
experiences today have considerable social and preventive relevance. It is
a new way of recreating the same oratory environment that Don Bosco
started at Valdocco, where the playground was a privileged place in all his
educative and pastoral activity.
The Salesian world has a great variety of groups and associations with
different initiatives. They are ways of implementing the Salesian educative
and pastoral proposal with a huge variety of approaches, organisational
forms and number of participants.
We can point to some common elements in these which are a feature of
their identity, such as the group and associative experience being a privileged
educational opportunity and one which is essential for full human maturity.
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There is our active presence in the
local area by offering something
that is free from consumer
overtones, and then there is the
approach which is typically that of
Don Bosco: animation, involvement
and the active role that young
people themselves play.
“The Church esteems highly and seeks
to penetrate and ennoble with her own
spirit also other aids which belong to
the general heritage of man and which
are of great influence in forming souls
and molding men, such as the media
Salesian sport –
its educational value
of communication, various groups
for mental and physical development,
youth associations, and, in particular,
Active encouragement of sporting
activities in Salesian houses is
schools”
(GRAVISSIMUM EDUCATIONIS 4; CF. GAUDIUM ET SPES 61)
a known fact and takes place
in a variety of ways. Sport is
recognised as a value in the Salesian education system; an activity
for every age and context.
A careful interpretation of Salesian sport and its value for education allows
us to present certain common elements amongst all the variety of ways
we offer it:
◗ sport is for ordinary people, it is not only for the elite; everyone
has the right and opportunity to play sport;
◗ sport makes us more human, increases potential for growth in a
young person so long as it promotes ‘clean play’ and interpersonal
relationships and respect for each other; sport brings young people
and adults together and creates a more spontaneous rapport than
a other occasions for education like the classroom or workshop;
◗ sport is preventive in that it promotes a healthy way of life. We
are especially careful to see that we offer sport to children and
young people at risk because of their age or where they live, or
their family situation, or their low academic standard;
◗ sport has a clear playful dimension: without lowering the
competitive side of things, in the right measure competition
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helps balance out success and failure; it welcomes and brings
together all the members of the group, including the less gifted,
with the same aim;
◗ sport as an integral part of the SEPP, bringing together a wide
variety of people with common objectives; for this to happen
we need to form and accompany sport leaders;
◗ structured and organised sport, considered as part of the SEPP
with the help of youth members: sports leaders, parents and
others.
Various forms of artistic expression (music, song, dance, theatre)
Right from the outset the Salesian oratory included music and
theatre as values belonging to the way young people express
themselves. As was the case for Don Bosco today too the Salesians
continue these activities, offering theatre and music as art forms
accessible to the young and as a means of communicating positive
messages.
Recognising the strong educational values involved here, Salesian works
promote these forms of expression while taking the following aspects into
consideration:
◗ they have their own unique way of being near to the young
and their situation, interpreting it through language, symbol,
expressions of beauty; they result in ideas, feelings and emotions;
they highlight fundamental aspects of human experience that
are difficult to understand through any other form;
◗ they are a unique contribution to development of intellectual,
creative and expressive skills, facilitating concentration, discipline
and constancy in young people;
◗ they offer a privileged space for interpersonal relationships: their
various expressions give rise to socialising and collaboration …
besides being very amusing;
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◗ they are one of the privileged means for evangelisation,
proclamation and expression of the Good News: music and art
make room for celebration and festivity, and our concern for it;
◗ they have an aesthetic and ethical value: they lead the spectator
to contemplation, admiration, critical ability and fl exibility of
judgement. This is why Salesian pedagogy is always attentive to
these initiatives, fully aware that in many places our educational
goals can only be achieved through non-formal activities.
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
ANIMATION STRUCTURES
CHAPTER
VIII
“I am among you as
one who serves”
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The apostolic mandate which the Church
entrusts to us is taken up and put into effect in the
first place by the provincial and local communities.
The members have complementary functions and
each one of their tasks is important. They are aware
that pastoral objectives are achieved through unity
and joint brotherly responsibility. The provincial and
the rector as promoters of dialogue and teamwork,
guide the community in pastoral discernment, so
that it may accomplish its apostolic plan in unity and
fidelity”
(C. 44)
This little Rule brought this notable advantage:
Everybody knew what was expected of him, and since I
used to let each one be responsible for his own charge,
each took care to know and to perform his appointed
duties”
(Memoirs of the Oratory, third decade 1846-185, no.6)
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The animation and coordination of pa-
storal work are carried out on different levels: local, provin-
cial, interprovincial and international. In drawing up the pa-
storal plan which gives details of its intended commitments,
the EPC needs to select the necessary means and determine
the concrete steps to be taken to avoid going ahead without
due, thoughtful consideration. We are suggesting a practical
method for drawing up the SEPP.
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1 A structured and well-
organised youth ministry
Pastoral activity is the Church at work and is carried out as an act of
communion: “the apostolic mandate which the Church entrusts to us is
taken up and put into effect in the first place by the provincial and local
communities” (C. 44). It is through the Province that, in a given area, the
Congregation organises and animates the life of communion and the carrying
out of the mission. It is through the Province community that the union of
the local communities among themselves, with other Provinces, with
the world community and with the Church is achieved.
The pastoral activity of each local community has its origin in this arrangement,
and is organised in the context of the life and apostolic project of the
Province (cf. C. 157). The pastoral activity of each local community is related
to a threefold concrete reality: the life and action of the local Church, the
circumstances and options of the Province and the situation of the young and
people in general in the area in which it is located.
Any guidelines and pastoral decisions resulting from a careful assessment of
the concrete situation are the means chosen to respond with ardent love and
pastoral intelligence to the challenges and expectations of the young.
1 1 PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUTH MINISTRY
A Province level structures for government and animation
With due regard to what is laid down in the Constitutions of the Society of Saint
Francis of Sales concerning the organisation of the Provinces and the functions
assigned to the Provincial and his Council (cf. C. 161-169), each Province
makes its own arrangements for its mission in a given territory.
The ever-increasing complexity of situations in which people are living, and the
great variety of areas in which we are asked to offer our contribution make
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us aware of the need to be ever more attentive to God’s specific call in
these various different situations. The province community, together with
the communities, individual confreres and lay collaborators, are called on to
face up to the situation of the young people to whom God is sending us. As
we accompany them in pastoral and educational ways, our reflection and
discernment will lead us to identify some key challenges; these will force us
to concentrate on some fundamental options and encourage us to plan our
pastoral activity.
As we shall see later, the choices and guidelines depending on the
circumstances and development of the Province are determined and
indicated in the first place in the Overall Province Plan (OPP), the fixed
point of reference for the government and animation of the Province.
Other things which concern, for example, the life and activity of the people
involved in pastoral work are matters regarding the formation of the
Salesians and lay people who collaborate in the mission. Local communities
need to take the OPP into account in organising their life and the carrying
out their mission.
Reference to the choices made by the Province as expressed in the Salesian
Educative-Pastoral Plan of the Province (Province SEPP) is fundamental
for carrying out pastoral work. The SEPP indicates the major choices and
provides guidelines for carrying out youth ministry in all the centres of
the Province, irrespective of the sector and pastoral animation setting (cf.
Glossary: Pastoral Animation Setting) being animated.
The Provincial with his Council has the prime responsibility for the animation
and the pastoral government of the Province (cf. C. 161). On him and his
Council rests the fundamental task of governing the life and pastoral activity
of the Province as defined in the SEPP: indicating according to the situation,
the objectives to be attained, the priorities to be pursued, the strategies to
be adopted and the available resources. Therefore, the Provincial Council
is a body engaged in reflection and pastoral decision making. The Youth
Ministry Delegate, through his involvement with the Provincial Council, has
a more specific role entrusted to him in so far as he is directly engaged as
animator and promoter of province decisions and guidelines.
The choices and guidelines of the Province are directed towards the
development and organisation of a series of structures for animation and
service which support and accompany the activity of the local communities.
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These structures for animation and service provide a focus and means of
support for the ordinary pastoral activity of the communities and local
works, as well as for their constant updating. Continual pastoral reflection is
necessary in all sectors and pastoral animation settings.
B Salesian communities and works at local level
At local level communities and works ought to respond to two major
challenges: in the first place, the increasing multiplicity of situations and
needs which we are being called upon to address; secondly, the complexity
of procedures, which requires a better prepared and essential educational
and pastoral focus on individuals. Both of these situations can produce a
tendency in communities and works towards breaking things down into
sectors and a lack of an ordered structure. In the face of these dangers,
a change of mentality and way of working in pastoral activities is
needed in the Salesian communities and in members of the local EPC.
Just like the Province community, the local community is called upon to
live and act with a clear planning mentality, a mentality that leads it to
identifying the priority areas it should pay attention to and making the
fundamental choices that should guide peoples’ lives and activities in
various sectors of the work.
Pastoral work finds its principal point of reference in the local SEPP. The
SEPP indicates the guidelines for carrying out youth ministry in all the
sectors and areas of the work. The SEPP provides for the cohesion and
the articulation of the four dimensions which characterise the Salesian
educative and pastoral project (see Chapter 6). The Rector and his Council
have primary responsibility for the government and pastoral animation
of the work. In their hands lies the fundamental responsibility for the
coordination and organisation of youth ministry. They should foster
procedures leading to involving people, identifying priorities, allocating
resources and initiating reflection.
It is the primary responsibility of the Rector and his Council to organise
reflection and pastoral praxis. The local coordinator is the first and direct
animator, which involves coordinating youth ministry as he promotes
its systematic nature and formulation through local structures and
organisation.
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12
A SPECIAL WAY OF CARRYING OUT APOSTOLIC ACTIVITY:
PASTORAL ANIMATION
A particular feature of Salesian Youth Ministry is animation, in the deepest
sense of the word: “giving a spirit, a soul” to things. Salesian animation,
therefore, is not only something technical and functional: it is spiritual,
apostolic, pedagogical and finds its source in pastoral charity. Animating
is more than managing, running and organising works and sectors. The
necessary human abilities and skills for the task are not neglected but
are preconditions. However it is important that pastoral sensitivity comes
before the efficiency of the organisation in the order of priorities.
Animation is a form of contemplating, thinking, feeling and acting which
is characteristic of someone who has taken on a particular responsibility
for government, and who, independently of that role, is involved in
pastoral activity on behalf of the young.
A Characteristics of Salesian animation
This special way of undertaking pastoral work has been handed down to
us by Don Bosco. It is a particular way of being present and accompanying
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the young and his closest helpers that he had practised as he lived out
the mission entrusted to him by God. This particular style is practised and
developed as it is applied in various contexts and settings.
Animation in Salesian Youth Ministry implies first of all the involvement
of people, relationships and procedures. This presupposes:
• involvement of as many people as possible, of Salesians in the
first instance but also of everyone involved in pastoral and educa-
tive activities;
• motivation and a deeper sense of identification with the values,
criteria and objectives of the Salesian pastoral project;
• continuous accompaniment, so as to achieve the uninterrupted
and overall unity of the Salesian pastoral project;
• planning and implementation of processes which have an in-
fluence on the lives and development of the young;
• unity and communion in a shared project;
• taking care to foster exchange of information and communication,
promotion of collaboration, creativity and a sense of belonging;
• the urgent need for constant reflection on the situation of the
young, and on pastoral praxis so that it corresponds to their ex-
pectations.
B Principles and criteria for animating procedures and structures
Links with Province governing and coordinating bodies
In order to foster close collaboration among the different works and
services in view of unity, it is necessary to:
◗ ensure that there is convergence and clear expression in the OPP of
choices made regarding animation and government in the Province;
◗ maintain clarity of vision regarding the all-permeating nature of
Salesian pastoral activity in the SEPP, through its four dimensions
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articulated in the different sectors which are mutually integrated
and complementary;
◗ ensure coordination and collaboration among the various sectors
of the Province animation process (Formation, Salesian Family,
Economy, the various sectors of Youth Ministry, Communication)
to guarantee unity in pastoral activity according to the objectives
of the SEPP;
◗ implement a process of systematic reflection and consideration
of the differences between the real situation and the determined
objectives: a continuous process of study, reflection, decision
making, planning and assessment;
◗ give support to the activities of the Salesian religious communities
and the EPC rather than to be directly involved in organising
matters. This encourages wide-ranging participation and shared
responsibility (a sense of community, team work, appropriate
and sufficient provision of information).
Involving communities, confreres and the EPC
The purpose of animation is to promote and maintain active shared
responsibility. All confreres, together with lay people in the EPC, are
involved in studying and drawing up criteria and making pastoral
decisions, as well as implementing them. This is why, rather than
undertaking a large number of activities, priority needs to be given to
the guidelines, proposals and information provided for the benefi t of
communities in carrying out their responsibilities. The following become
strategic factors:
◗ ensuring consistency of local communities in number and
quality (cf. GC24, nos.173-174);
◗ accompanying communities and those responsible for the
different pastoral areas at first hand and systematically, above all
where they find greater difficulty in their mission of animation;
◗ giving due attention to communication and sharing between
communities and pastoral operators;
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◗ promoting a sense of belonging, the assimilation of common
criteria and objectives, collaboration and mutual improvement;
◗ following up especially significant opportunities in pastoral
animation with particular care, such as the process of drawing
up and evaluating the local SEPP, specifying pastoral roles and
responsibilities in educational and pastoral animation teams,
planning training sessions for pastoral workers, etc.
Formation for the mission
The response to God’s call in the service of the young implies fidelity to the
process of formation in order to strengthen the mentality and pastoral approach
in the light of the Salesian charism. Pastoral formation requires Salesians and
lay people to be accompanied in order to give greater depth to their
educational vocation and to update them in their practical skills. For
this reason, as well as the study of the model of Salesian Youth Ministry as
presented in the Frame of Reference for Salesian Youth Ministry, it is necessary
to offer procedures for pastoral reflection and pastoral mentoring.
The current situation demands that there be common formative experiences:
for Salesians, lay people, young co-workers and members of the
Salesian Family (cf. GC24, nos.138-146). Here are some important areas::
◗ there needs to be a systematic and sound formative project in the
initial stages of Salesian formation through a systematic and gradual
study of the model of Salesian Youth Ministry, as well as guidance
in practical pastoral experiences which help young confreres to
adopt the mindset of a unified ministry and style of animation and
planning methodology. It is necessary to ensure a gradual initiation
into Salesian Youth Ministry “on the ground”, with good practices,
and with a sound accompaniment. Formation ought help combine
reflection with pastoral activity and avoid improvisation, superficiality,
compartmentalisation and a generic approach;
◗ specific formation should be offered to teachers, leaders, coaches,
social assistants and catechists to qualify them as educators and
pastors; specific preparation should be provided for personnel
engaged in the various sectors of Salesian Youth Ministry (a
provincial formation plan for personnel as envisaged in the OPP);
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special care should be given to the area of pastoral and educational
studies with theoretical, practical and experiential specialisation;
◗ attention should be given to spiritual accompaniment, an
increasingly vital issue for the young. This recognised need
requires from us that we ensure the provision of formation
courses that will prepare Salesians and lay co-workers to become
pastors and educators capable of discernment and guidance;
◗ processes of ongoing formation should be re-enforced, making
good use of the cultural and pastoral talents of Salesians and
lay people in a renewed commitment to culture, study and a
professional approach, studying Salesian Youth Spirituality in depth,
in order to live it, present it and share it (GC24, nos.239-241; 257);
taking advantage of moments of community life which constitute
the ordinary way for its ongoing formation on a daily basis.
2 Local animation and
coordination
21
A SALESIAN COMMUNITY AS THE ANIMATING NUCLEUS
OF A SALESIAN WORK
The effective role the Salesians play varies according to the number of
confreres and their functions. It is up to the Provincial and his Council to
decide which precise model of the EPC should be implemented (cf. GC24,
no.169). The following are some of the essential forms of animation:
A The SDB community
The religious community (SDB) which lives, safeguards, reflects on and
constantly develops the charism of Don Bosco, performs a specifi c
animating role with regard to the EPC. The spiritual heritage of the
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religious community, its pedagogical practice, its fraternal relationships
and spirit of shared responsibility in every situation represent the guiding
model for the pastoral identity of the animating nucleus (cf. C. 47; R. 5).
Therefore the Salesian community is called upon:
◗ to provide the witness of religious life, demonstrating: the primacy
of God in life; total dedication to the mission of education and
evangelisation; the joyful testimony of one’s life and attention
given to developing the Salesian vocation in young people and co-
workers; the apostolic contribution of so many young Salesians,
since being “closer to the rising generations, they can provide
inspiration and enthusiasm; they are ready to try new solutions”
(C. 46). The life of someone who has reached an elderly age
becomes, through his living fidelity to God, a gift and revelation of
the more mature aspects of a vocation. The elderly or sick Salesian
is always more conscious of still having a future role to play, not
yet having fully completed his missionary task. He continues to
bear witness to the fact that without Christ nothing has value nor
gives joy to a person’s life nor to living with others;
◗ to safeguard the Salesian charismatic identity through a close and
significant presence among the young, and a readiness to make
personal contacts; taking care of the genuine nature of the SEPP in
all its activities; providing the overall view of the Salesian presence,
promoting inter-personal relationships and collaboration between
the various works involved in it;
“The type we are dealing with here which
ought to lead to the implementation
of provincial plans for re-location
and re-dimensioning is one in which
the Salesian community is present in
sufficient numbers and in quality to
animate, together with some lay people,
an educative community and project”
(FR JUAN VECCHI, AGC 363, “EXPERTS, WITNESSES AND
CRAFTSMEN OF COMMUNION”)
◗ to be a centre of communion
and participation which brings lay
people together to share the spirit
and the mission of Don Bosco, and
collaborate with the different groups
already in existence in a faithful
manner;
◗ to take the primary responsibility
for spiritual, Salesian and vocational
formation (cf. GC24, no.159), ac-
tively participating in the processes
of formation.
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Taking on this task of animation means that the Salesian community has to
give further consideration to its own position, and its role as a religious
community within the EPC and to the educative-pastoral process. In
the past, the Salesian community assumed responsibility almost exclusively
for the educational work and the surrounding environment, helped by lay
people when they were needed; today it is called upon to invite lay people to
join in, share responsibility with the community, and carry out its specific role
within the EPC.
The cultural background of people (lay and youth), their sensitivities,
their way of thinking and approach to life, provide the vital potential and
essential approach for a new interpretation of the Gospel.
The Salesian community, becoming more and more aware of this new
working model, assumes its own specific responsibility as a significant part
of the animating nucleus of the EPC.
B The SDB Rector
Responsibility for the pastoral animation of works and activities through
which the Salesian mission is carried out in any given place is particularly
that of the local Salesian community and primarily that of the Rector and
the local Council.
As the one responsible in the fi rst place for the EPC the SDB Rector
animates the animators and safeguards the over-all unity of the project:
◗ in agreement with the Provincial and in harmony with the province plan
he cultivates the charismatic
identity of the SEPP;
◗ he promotes formation
programmes;
◗ he sees to it that the integrity
and unity of Salesian pastoral
ministry are assured in all the
activities and works;
“The Christian lay person is therefore
a member of the Church in the heart of
the world and a member of the world
community in the heart of the Church”
(PUEBLA CONFERENCE, NO.103)
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◗ he implements the criteria for bringing together and training the lay
people, involving them and especially the Council of the EPC and/or
of the work, helping them to share responsibility; he maintains links
between the Salesian community and the EPC (cf. GC24, no.172).
C The local community Council
The House Council assists and collaborates with the SDB Rector
in his responsibilities as the one primarily responsible for the EPC. In
clarifying the necessary link between the House Council and the other
bodies playing their part in the EPC, it would be well to follow certain
particular criteria, in addition to those provided by the Constitutions and
Regulations of the Society of St Francis of Sales:
◗ taking part as members of the Council of the EPC, collaborating
directly and actively in the processes of reflection and decision
making;
◗ following up the decisions regarding things that directly concern
Salesian identity, the formation and bringing together of lay people;
◗ always encouraging the appropriate sharing of ideas between
the community and the various bodies of the EPC; discussion
and respect for the exercise of responsibility of the members.
D The Council of the EPC and/or of the work
The Council of the EPC and/or of the work is the body which animates
and coordinates the Salesian work through reflection, discussion,
planning and reviewing educative and pastoral activities (cf. GC24,
nos.160-161, 171). Its function is to foster coordination in the service
of unity of the Salesian project where there is a Salesian work, or where
the EPC of the various sectors operate in more complex works. If there is
just a single EPC there will be just one EPC Council which coincides with
the Council of the work. If, on the other hand, there are as many EPCs
as there are sectors of the work, each one will have its own Council, and
the Council of the work will be made up of representatives of the EPC
Councils. The EPC Council does not take the place of the various bodies
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of the EPC nor over-rule them with decisions in matters for which it is not
competent, but rather it should help them to:
◗ ensure the integrity of the project as the practical expression of
the planning process and of the activities of the various sectors;
◗ feel a shared sense of responsibility for its being drawn up,
implemented and assessed;
◗ have a clear desire for communion and service of common needs;
◗ be attentive to the needs and overall demands of the youth
scene;
◗ foster links and mutual collaboration, especially in the more
wide-ranging services such as formation of educators;
◗ maintain communion and collaboration with the various groups
of the Salesian Family working in the same territory.
It is for the Provincial and his Council to determine the criteria for the EPC’s
composition and set out its competencies, levels of responsibility and links
with the Council of the local Salesian community (cf. GC24, no.171).
E The local Youth Ministry coordinator and team
It is possible, where it is seen to be necessary, to have a Coordinator of
Salesian Youth Ministry with a team, for local pastoral animation, as well
as individuals responsible for the different sectors and pastoral animation
settings which make up the work. It is also possible, where the complexity
of the work requires it, to have a Pastoral Coordinator for each sector and
setting of the work.
The local coordinator with his team, plans, organises and coordinates
the pastoral activity of the work, according to the objectives set out
by the local SEPP and the guidelines and criteria of the Council of the
EPC and/or of the work, always working closely with the Rector. This role
demands ability in human relationships and in coordination. In practice it
involves the following tasks:
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◗ collaborating with the EPC Council in order that the fundamental
features of Salesian Youth Ministry form part of the local SEPP,
are put into practice and evaluated;
◗ he coordinates the implementation of the local SEPP through
practical planning for the different sectors of the pastoral activity
of the work for which he is responsible;
◗ he takes care of the coordination and integration of the
different educative and pastoral activities, ensuring that they are
complementary and are directed towards education to the faith;
◗ he promotes initiatives for the formation of those engaged in the
pastoral work according to the guidelines of the province plan;
◗ he ensures good relationships and the collaboration of the
Salesian work with the pastoral work of the local Church and
with other educational bodies in the locality.
It is for the Provincial or the Rector, according the practice of the Province, to
appoint the local coordinator, Salesian or lay person, and in the case of the
latter, to determine the nature of the relationship with the Salesian community.
F Other bodies and roles of animation and government in the EPC
Participation and shared responsibility require various bodies for animation,
government and coordination in the EPC: teams that are set up in conformity
with the SEPP and available resources. In defining their profile it is necessary
that on the part of the Salesians and people the following are ensured:
◗ the complementary nature of different roles and functions in the
EPC;
◗ their relationship with the SEPP, whose human and religious
perspectives they need to adopt, together with their educational
view of the situation, the style of their presence in working
with the young, the objectives, methods and strategies needed
to attain all this; the advice for their development as Salesian
educators (human maturity, educational competence, Salesian
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identity, the witness that inspires them in Christian values) through
an ongoing process of personal and communitarian formation;
◗ an active presence among the young to help them to form
a group, accompanying them in the process of human and
Christian development, and fostering an openness to the
educational, cultural and ecclesial context.
In agreement with the Provincial and his Council, the areas entrusted to
the responsibility of lay people in each work should be specified; so too
the areas of their competence in taking decisions, the relationships of the
various bodies and the forms of shared responsibility with the Salesian
community and with the Province (GC24, nos.125; 169).
22
OTHER ANIMATION MODELS FOR THE EPC
IN SALESIAN WORKS
A Salesian works managed by lay people with a community
presence
In those works in which the main responsibilities are undertaken by lay people,
the Salesian community, when it is greatly reduced in numbers, ensures the
Salesian identity and coordination within the Province with the assistance
of the Province itself (GC26, no.120); a Salesian can be involved in roles of
pastoral animation, formation and accompaniment of the staff; bringing
together and providing for the training of lay co-workers according to the
criteria proposed by GC24, no.164, as far as possible involving members of
the Salesian Family.
B Works managed by lay people as part of the Salesian
Province Plan
For an activity or a work managed by lay people to be considered as
forming part of the project of a Province two essential conditions need
to be fulfilled: criteria of identity, communion and significance of Salesian
activity need to achieved, and it needs to be accompanied by the Provincial
and his Council (GC24, no.180; GC26, no.120).
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Therefore, in carrying out its responsibility, the Province offers animation
and government opportunities to these works and their EPC, similar to
those for the EPC in which a Salesian community is present:
◗ a Provincial visitation;
◗ an evaluation of the local project (SEPP);
◗ contact between the lay Director of the work and the Provincial;
◗ a delegate of the Provincial takes part from time to time in the
EPC Council;
◗ an EPC Council is set up;
◗ a serious process of formation in Salesian identity is organised,
involving the lay people concerned;
◗ assistance is given to lay people who have roles of animation
and responsibility in the EPC;
◗ stable links with a neighbouring Salesian community or with the
Province animation centre, especially with regard to charismatic
and pastoral service (cf. GC24, no.181).
3 Animation and coordination
at province level
3 1 THE PROVINCIAL AND HIS COUNCIL
Three distinct but inseparable levels of responsibility can be identifi ed in
the Province service of pastoral animation:
• the level of government: the Provincial with his Council takes the
fundamental decisions as the one primarily responsible for animation
and for the pastoral government of the Province (cf. C. 161);
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• the level of pastoral unity and guidance: the Provincial Delega-
te with his team cultivates the organic unity of pastoral activity in
the Province and its direction according to the Province SEPP (cf.
GC23, no.244);
• the level of practical coordination: Commissions, Provincial
Offices and Consultative Committees see to the coordination of
pastoral activities in the various sectors and pastoral animation
settings, according to the different dimensions of the SEPP (cf.
GC26, no.113).
There is interaction between these three levels, which complement each
other. Ensured in a special way in the second level, the Salesian identity of
pastoral activity is determined and coordinated in the other two.
32
THE PROVINCE YOUTH MINISTRY DELEGATE
AND TEAM
A The Youth Ministry Delegate
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” (GC23, no.244).
He is the Provincial’s delegate and works in agreement with
him and with the Provincial Council. His first contacts are the
confreres, the Salesian communities and the EPC. He is not the one in
charge of the initiatives nor of a single area, but the one who ensures
a structured pastoral operation in the Province and pays attention
to all aspects. Normally he dedicates himself full-time to Province
pastoral animation. It is convenient for him to be a member of the
Provincial Council, where he normally represents pastoral issues and
concerns. In his role:
◗ he helps the Provincial and his Council in the formulation of the
SEPP and of common pastoral directives and guidelines;
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◗ he coordinates the functioning of the Provincial youth ministry
team in collaborative fashion and helps each member to carry
out his task;
◗ he supports the local communities in their pastoral planning,
implementation and assessment, attending to the development
of the four dimensions of the SEPP in their various sectors;
◗ he keeps in contact with the those who have roles of responsibility
for guiding their activities according to the unified plan of the SEPP;
◗ he directs the joint community projects proposed in the SEPP;
◗ he sees to the realisation of a structured educative and pastoral
formation plan for confreres, lay collaborators and young leaders;
◗ he keeps in close contact with members of the Salesian Family
who are working in the Province, with the local church, and
with the Salesian Youth Ministry Department.
B The Province Youth Ministry Team
The Provincial Youth Ministry Team collaborates directly with the delegate as he
carries out his tasks. It is important that those in the Province responsible
for the various sectors, and eventually pastoral animation settings,
are in the team, so that together they can ensure that the various pastoral
programmes and procedures in the Province and communities are animated
in a well-balanced and united manner. It is important that those responsible in
the Province for Vocations, the Missions and Social Communication also play
their part in the team. Among its tasks are:
◗ to collaborate with the Delegate in his responsibilities;
◗ to foster the presence and interconnection of the dimensions of
the SEPP in the different works, sectors and pastoral animation
settings of the Province;
◗ to lead communities towards an interdisciplinary view of pastoral
problems and a combined effort to resolve them.
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This requires that team members have specific theoretical and practical
training, time for reflection and discussion, competence in making contacts
and coordination, with the ability to motivate and a specific plan of work based
on the SEPP, following the priorities laid down by the Provincial and his Council.
C Those responsible at Province level for sectors and pastoral
animation settings and their teams
For the guidance and animation of the different sectors and settings of
Youth Ministry in the Province the Provincial appoints a representative
usually assisted by a group.
It is the responsibility of those responsible for a sector:
◗ to help the EPC of these sectors and pastoral animation settings
to customize the Province guidelines for youth ministry in line
with the SEPP and the working plan of the Youth Ministry
Delegate and his team,
◗ to study and reflect on their educational and pastoral aims, on
the real situation, problems and forward planning.
It is important that those responsible for the different sectors and
pastoral animation settings of the Province work together systematically
in collaboration with the Provincial Youth Ministry Delegate; that the
members of his team in order to have a shared vision undertake a
coordinated implementation of the SEPP and of Province Planning; that
they ensure structured unity in the Youth Ministry of the whole Province.
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4 Inter-Province animation
and coordination
There are organisations for contacts and for coordination at the
service of the pastoral planning and animation of a group of Provinces:
interprovincial teams for Youth Ministry, national or regional Youth Ministry
delegations, national centres for Youth Ministry. These organisations or
teams are set up and directed by the respective Provincials in a group of
Provinces or a region, counting on the close collaboration of the Youth
Ministry Department.
The actual situations vary but the following should be considered common
criteria:
◗ to offer a form of coordination at this level that responds to the
problem areas of a youth situation which is becoming much
more extensive and complex;
◗ to develop a more open and commonly held mentality in the
Provinces, fostering solidarity and an exchange of gifts in the context
of Youth Ministry, facilitating the circulation of pastoral experiences
and models;
◗ being a service of support, animation and subsidiary coordination,
it should not take on tasks which others in the planning process
can and should undertake;
◗ the priority of education to the faith expressed through
educational programmes and activities is also refl ected in the
organisation of structures of animation (cf. GC23, no.245);
◗ all coordinating bodies should be structured in a convergent,
integrated and organic manner, avoiding both undue focus on
sectors and bureaucratic centralisation.
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The Provincial Youth Ministry Delegates of the various Provinces
in a Region or group of Provinces (National or Regional Delegation,
interprovince team for Youth Ministry) should meet regularly so as:
◗ to refl ect together on the youth situation and the challenges
present in the context of the provinces with a view to formulating
joint criteria and guidelines for the pastoral animation of the
nation or region;
◗ to coordinate joint collaboration between the Provinces on
common issues such as the formation of educators and animators;
◗ to foster the sharing of experiences, materials, initiatives and
projects;
◗ to provide a type of combined and unified presence and action
in the Church and in the national and regional territory.
National or Regional Centres for Youth Ministry are to be found
alongside National or Regional Delegations or interprovincial Youth
Ministry teams, that is, bodies for refl ection and animation created by
a provincial conference or group of provinces at the service of Youth
Ministry in the Region or Nation in order to:
◗ foster and develop studies and research on current Youth
Ministry problems;
◗ collect and compare the more important Salesian and Church
experiences in the area of Youth Ministry;
◗ make known and disseminate these reflections and experiences;
◗ put itself at the service of the provinces and the local church to
animate the process of planning and programming, especially
for the training of Youth Ministry practitioners;
◗ to operate according to the priorities of the Congregation and
the Youth Ministry Department, of the Provincials’ Conference
and the Province Delegates.
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5 Animation and coordination
at world level
Services, activities, initiatives and works aimed at the education and
evangelisation of youth find a unifying focal point in the Youth Ministry
Department, with the General Councillor for Youth Ministry and his
team.
According to the Constitutions of the Society of St Francis of Sales (C.
136), his role is to animate and give direction to educational activity and
to assist the Provinces. In practice:
• he offers encouragement in taking things forward, provides
motivation, presents an overall view, pays attention to cultural
awareness and spiritual depth, fosters an educational dimension
in the aims and programmes and technical support, promotes
reflection on the criteria and pressing issues, and an exchange
of experiences;
• he also tries to encourage Salesian Youth Ministry to be involved
in the Church, following up its proposals and directives and offe-
ring our specific contribution;
• within the General Council he provides a pastoral and youth
viewpoint, following up and specifying the orientation of the gene-
ral programming of the Rector Major and his Council: maintaining
working relationships of support and cooperation with other sec-
tors especially Formation, the Missions, Social Communications
and the Salesian Family;
• he collaborates with the Regionals in unifying and organising ac-
tivities in the different Provinces according to their situations and
needs.
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His animating role is addressed to the
following individuals or groups as a
priority:
◗ Provincials and their
Councils;
◗ Provincial Delegates
for Youth Ministry,
their teams and
those responsible for
particular sectors;
◗ other animation groups
at regional level.
6 Pastoral Planning
61
THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL
PLANNING
Pastoral planning involves different practical levels with a variety of
procedures and documents. Ours is meant to be a methodological
proposal offering means for the planning process of youth ministry.
They are means which result from the reasoned choices made.
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CONTEXTS
Youth Ministry Frame
of Reference
Other guidelines
and needs of the
Congregation and
the Church
Overall Provincial
Plan (OPP)
[long or short term]
Other Provincial projects,
plans, programmes
(formation, laity,
vocations and others)
Provincial
animation plan
[yearly]
Provincial Salesian Educative and
Pastoral Project (Provincial SEPP)
[long or short term]
Other local
projects, plans,
programmes
General plan
of work
[yearly]
Salesian Educative and
Pastoral Project (SEPP)
in every work or local sector
[long or short term]
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The various documents indicate some theoretical and practical differences,
even though they can be employed in an overlapping way. They are not simply
alternatives, but constantly influence and support each other in practical ways.
The Salesian Youth Ministry Frame of Reference, with other
documents of the Congregation and of the Church, indicates the collection
of directives, guidelines and the wide-ranging basic background according
to which pastoral activity of the Salesians and the Church operates.
They are texts which provide inspiration for the whole Congregation,
propose points of reference for a very varied range of pastoral action in
different times and places.
Provincial plans such as the Overall Province Plan and the Province Salesian
Educative and Pastoral Plan, and those at local level such as the local Salesian
Educative and Pastoral Plan are more practical and contextualised, even
though they are still concerned with general principles. These documents
point out the guidelines of the Congregation and Church, giving them
a more practical aspect. It is up to the Planning Programme to draw up
detailed and more specific practical applications.
It seems appropriate to draw attention to the simplicity of the projects and
planning procedures: texts which are simple, clearly expressed and practical
in their application. It is to be hoped that they contain few pages and have
a practical tone, and that they correspond to real priorities. We need to be
careful that these documents do not become a “rag-bag” collection of copious
reflections or voluminous references. Clarity of expression means that the
structure of the document is immediately understood.
Quality in planning is not a response to demands that are solely
organisational and project-related. Quality in planning is an expression
of discernment and shows that one is listening, observing and examining
the signs of the times through God’s eyes. In fact we are convinced that
pastoral planning is not thought up in a theoretical situation but is nurtured
by a profound and serious discernment process in the Spirit who is the
soul and inspirational source of every mission in the Church. Therefore
these two processes of discerning and planning need to be kept in mind.
There are different ways of carrying out personal and community discernment,
(“see, judge, act”, “God’s call, situations and action plans”, “review of life”),
which require well-prepared conditions and attitudes. These are some of
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the procedures that help in seeing and interpreting the pastoral situation in
the light of the Word of God. The way they are used should be evaluated
according to circumstances and contexts.
62
SUGGESTIONS FOR DETERMINING THE TYPES
OF DOCUMENTS TO BE PREPARED
A The Salesian Youth Ministry Frame of Reference
This is a systematic synthesis of Salesian Youth Ministry: a guide-
book for reflection, planning, programming and evaluating Salesian Youth
Ministry. It provides an overall view of all the characteristics which identify
the Congregation’s Salesian pastoral activity. It points out the direction to be
followed in carrying out the Salesian mission. It answers the questions: Who are
we? What do we want? Where do we want to get to? What do we propose?
The Frame of Reference sets out, for Church and society, the essential
features of the Congregation’s pastoral activity.
Known and shared in the EPC, it is a basic point of reference that establishes
the nature of belonging, determines the common commitment, draws
out the best from people by providing appropriate formation, promotes
an atmosphere of collaboration and co-responsibility.
B The Overall Provincial Plan
This is a strategic plan of animation and government which regulates
development and continuity of the decisions of the Province (cf. GC25,
no.82). It is a practical means with the scope of coordinating and directing
the educational and pastoral resources in the Province towards a given end.
It is not presented as a rigid scheme. The OPP is concerned with fundamental
aspects: a careful observation of the situation in which one is called to act; the
central options that ought guide the development of the Province; the priority
fields of work over the next few years; the operating criteria that ought guide
the different projects; the general lines to be followed in the preparation of
personnel and for economic and structural development.
GC25 indicated who are responsible for the production of the OPP: “In the
next three years the provincial community, through its various organisms will
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study, draw up and evaluate the Organic Provincial Plan” (GC25, no.82). The
Provincial and his Council with the help of a working party (GC25, no.84), will
guide and direct a process of study, of drawing up and of evaluation of the
OPP, involving the communities and in a special way the Rectors. In the light
of C. 1, 2, 171, and of R. 3, 167, it would be appropriate for the directives
and the fundamental choices of the OPP to be studied and approved by the
Provincial Chapter.
These official elements (long or medium term) ought to take practical shape
in the various plans or projects, according to the important sectors in the life
of the Province: the formation project; the lay project; the annual financial
budget and income and expenditure accounts; local community plans.
Among these projects, the one needing the greatest development
from the point of view of the mission is the SEPP, in connection with
the sector for educative and pastoral activity. The afore-mentioned
projects are not procedures added to the SEPP but contribute to and carry out
important aspects of it.
On account of their nature, the functions of the OPP and of the Province
SEPP are distinct from every other document, in particular from the Province
Directory, a normative text entrusted to the Provincial Chapter (cf. C. 171).
This set of regulations contains special norms as required in issues at Province
level. The OPP and the Province SEPP in their nature, purpose and contents
are distinct from the Province Directory. They are concerned with planning
and programming: they are independent documents and do not form part of
the Province Directory.
Overall Provincial Plan: strategic plan of animation and government guiding development
and continuity of Provincial decision-marking
analysis of
the situation
central
options
priority
fields of
action
operating
criteria
general
guidelines in
two distinct
areas
bearing in
mind the
educational
and socio-
cultural
context
for guiding
development
of the
Province
long or
short term
for guiding
various plans
and projects
preparation
of personal
and financial
and structural
development
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C The Salesian Educative and Pastoral Project
This is a the general action plan which guides the carrying out of
the educative and pastoral process in a specific province and local
context and directs each initiative and resource towards evangelisation
(cf. R. 4; cf. GC26, no.39). It is a response to the question: What needs to
be done and how do we arrive at the proposed objective?
A SEPP, being more concrete than the Frame of Reference, is operative
for a fi xed period of time, “long or medium term” with regard to the
situation in which the Province or the Salesian work fi nds itself. The
goals or purposes proposed, the areas of activity indicated, the working
guidelines it selects, indicate the practical process to be pursued.
The Constitutions of the Society of Saint Francis of Sales refer to this apostolic
project in broad terms (cf. C. 31; 44), to which also various articles of the
Regulations refer (cf. R. 4-10; 184). Therefore there is a correlation between
the Provincial SEPP and the SEPP of a particular work:
◗ the Provincial SEPP sets out the Province’s programme for
3–5 years. It indicates the objectives, strategies and common
practical educative and pastoral aims that will guide the pastoral
activities of all the communities and works. It serves as a point
of reference for their planning and as an educative and pastoral
yardstick during this period. It is the starting point for the
drawing up of the SEPP for every local work or sector;
◗ the SEPP of every local work or sector applies the guidelines of
the Provincial SEPP to the local situation. It is the project that is
directly put into operation in each work (with just one sector)
and in every sector (in a complex work). In this latter case the
SEPP of the Salesian work which has two or more different
sectors is an important element for bringing together and
unifying the objectives and shared practical guidelines in the
work. It responds to two fundamental factors:
- the coordination of all the sectors and, eventually, pastoral
animation settings of the work with the corresponding series of
criteria, methodological options, organisational and structural
arrangements;
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- the summoning, the constitution, the formation and the
functioning of the EPC of the different sectors.
All the structural elements (facilities, educational and pastoral programmes,
time tables, calendar) and the personnel (individual or collective groups) are
organised so as to achieve the objectives, for a period of about three years. Joint
responsibility for this task is taken on by all the members of each of the EPC (cf.
GC23, no.243), but is especially followed up by its Council.
GC23 proposed that in its revision of the Provincial SEPP, among other things,
every Province should translate the faith journey into a practical process
suited to those for whom we are working and the contexts in which
we are operating (cf. GC23, no.230): faith journeys, educational, vocational
and Christian initiation projects for the young. The practical process is a well-
ordered series of stages or educational steps (each with its own style and
time-scale, with methods to be employed and people or groups to be directly
involved) through which the objectives set out in the SEPP are achieved.
The practical process means that the project becomes operative in a given
period of time, and that it is adapted to the different individuals to whom
it is addressed. In this process the objectives become progressive steps, the
means adopted being a well-ordered series of opportunities and experiences
(see Chapter 4, 3.2).
D The different practical expressions of the SEPP
We are called to translate and develop the SEPP into practical processes,
plans and programmes. Among these we can mention: the Province
animation plan and the General plan of the work. Some Provinces use
these terms or others to express the same things.
The Provincial animation plan is the annual application of the
Overall Provincial Plan (OPP) and the Provincial SEPP, according to
the following scheme (in general terms):
◗ the general objective for the year, as the basic framework within which
the animation programme of the Provincial Council is developed;
◗ the specifi c objectives for each pastoral sector and provincial
animation setting: these represent the application of the general
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objective as aims, targets to be reached, arrival points on which
all efforts during the year should be focused;
◗ procedures and activities for the animation and the coordination
of the pastoral sectors and provincial animation settings, specifying
those involved, their specific tasks and a time scale:
- Community and Formation,
- Educative and Pastoral Mission,
- Salesian Family,
- Social Communication,
- Economy,
- Others;
◗ an evaluation scheme for an effective assessment of the real
achievement of the aims proposed;
◗ organisational chart of the Province, meaning the graphic
representation of the general organisational structure of the Province;
◗ Provincial calendar with all the Province engagements for the year.
A gradual process is proposed through these annual planning arrangements
which put the OPP and the Provincial SEPP into effect, with a systematic
Provincial animation plan: yearly application of the Overall Provincial
Plan (OPP) and the Provincial SEPP
general
objective for
the year
specific
targets
processes and
interventions
– evaluation
procedures
general
organisational
chart of the
Province
Provincial
calendar
according to
the Provincial
Council
animation
plan
to be given
special
attention
during the
year
detailing
personnel,
specific tasks
and times
graphic
representation
of general
organizational
structure
all province
events
throughout
the year
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assessment carried out by the EPC of each of the works. The programme
is drawn up each year. It is used in all the works of the Province as a point
of reference in the drawing up of the General Programme for each work.
The General plan of the work is the annual application of the SEPP
of the work (or in some cases the individual SEPP of the different
sectors and pastoral animation settings within the work). In general
terms it follows this pattern:
◗ general objective for the year, as the basic framework within
which the animation programme of the Provincial operates;
◗ specifi c objectives for each sector and, eventually, pastoral
animation setting of the work: these represent the application
of the general objective as aims, targets to be reached, arrival
points on which all efforts during the year should be focused;
◗ procedures and activities of the EPC of the various sectors
and, eventually, pastoral animation settings according to the
dimensions of the SEPP, specifying those involved, their specific
tasks and a time scale;
◗ an evaluation method for an effective assessment of the real
achievement of the aims proposed;
◗ organisational chart of the work, that is the graphic representation
of the various bodies of animation and government, with some
indication of the services, time scale and functioning:
- common to the whole work,
- specifi c for each sector and, eventually, pastoral animation
setting;
- calendar with all the engagements for the year.
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General plan of the work: yearly application of the local SEPP
(with local sector SEPPs of the work)
general
objective for
the year
specific
targets for
each sector
of the work
processes
and
interventions
– evaluation
procedures
general
organisational
chart of the
Salesian work
Calendar
according to
the Provincial
animation
plan and the
local SEPP
to be given
special
attention
during the
year
detailing
personnel,
specific tasks
and times
showing
services,
schedules and
how things
work
all events
throughout
the year
63
GUIDELINES FOR DRAWING UP AND ASSESSING
THE SEPP
A Stages in drawing up the SEPP: a dynamic proposal
It is a project aimed at being realistic and effective, with a continuous process.
Starting from an initial situation it moves towards the aim it sets itself through
objectives to be attained. It should be drawn up in a gradual way. The SEPP
lays down a process in three stages which are successively reconsidered,
developed and improved. The possibility remains for adapting the educational
plans to the changing situations in which the work is taking place.
In the process of drawing up the plan the EPC should constantly refer to
the Frame of Reference, both for an enlightened analysis of the situation
and for discerning the main challenges. It does so especially to identify the
objectives which ought to guide pastoral activities in the direction of the
aims indicated in the Frame of Reference.
Analysis stage
1 Careful observation and knowledge of the situation in the locality and
of the “type” of young people living there: people, situations, resources,
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problems, tendencies, possibilities. This cannot be done on a once for
all basis. It requires the ability to use previous as well as newly acquired
information. It is necessary to employ communication, acquired
experience, educational networks, a sense of shared responsibility.
2 Educative and pastoral interpretation of the situation: trying to understand
the reality on a deeper level, with the desire to bring about improvements.
The situation needs to be seen for what it is, while avoiding making
hasty judgements either positive or, more often, negative ones. The
interpretation takes place in the light of the fundamental elements of the
Salesian mission and the Preventive System.
3 Identifying a vision for the future with precise options (four or five at
the most); in the case of the Provincial SEPP, the options apply to all the
works and to all the sectors; in the case of the local SEPP, to the local
sectors. In both cases it is important that these specific options arise
from the analysis of the situation and its educative-pastoral needs.
The planning stage
1 Translation of the precise options into general objectives that are
considered the most important, urgent and possible. These objectives
lead on to clear proposals taking into account the people in the EPC
and the innate effectiveness of the four dimensions of youth ministry.
2 Proposal of some procedures through which the general objectives can
be put into practice and become operative.
3 Setting out practical courses of action, that is activities that are precise,
gradual and verifi able. In these the following are clarifi ed: the group
aimed at (for whom?); the responsibilities of the different individuals or
teams (by whom?); the employment of the resources available and the
time scale (how and when?).
Assessment of the project and any change of plan
Assessment of the project makes it possible to objectively measure its
impact on the real situation. It evaluates the results in the light of the
proposed objectives. It uncovers new possibilities or the needs that emerge
and determines the new steps to be taken.
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For an overall assessment of the SEPP, there are some aspects not to be
overlooked:
◗ involvement of the various interested parties - individuals, groups
and teams. Those making the assessment of the Province SEPP
are the Provincial Chapter, the Provincial with his Council and
the Provincial Youth Ministry team;
◗ the creation of a real educative and pastoral process. It should not
be limited to examining the results, but rather to reawakening
the individual and community maturing processes, encouraging,
improving and providing motivation for better results;
◗ the use of precise and measurable indicators in the light of which
it will be possible to assess the results obtained and see how they
have been achieved. Trial and error are part of the process: it
is possible to learn from the examination of a mistake but an
unexamined error can lead to discouragement and lack of
progress;
◗ the carrying out of an analysis of the causes – personal, structural,
organisational – that have helped or hindered the process, and the
adaptation of the objectives to new situations and possibilities.
B Fundamental Criteria in the drawing up or revising the SEPP
As has already been pointed out, the purpose of formulating a SEPP is not
the production of a new document to put into the hands of workers so
that they may know it and put it into practice, but rather to help the EPC
to operate with a shared mindset and clarity of vision regarding objectives
and criteria: a planning mentality of shared responsibility.
Rather than being a document, the SEPP is a community thinking process
which concerns involvement, clarification and identification: it is aimed
at creating a working consensus in the EPC, in this way avoiding fragmentation
of activities.
Of fundamental importance is the progress made together and the
methodology behind it. Three criteria need to be pointed out:
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Analysis of the situation
Careful observation and awareness
of context/young people living there
Educative and pastoral
interpretation
Deciding
on preferred options
Practical planning
General objectives bearing in mind personnel in the EPC
and the four dimensions, which are valid for every sector
and, eventually, pastoral animation settings.
Process and interventions indicating recipients,
responsibilities, tasks, actual resources
and proposed schedules
Evaluation of the project and renewed planning
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a) A constant process of discernment with a genuine and
courageous prophetic quality. Pastoral planning is not a merely
technical undertaking, nor is it a simple spiritual activity, but
mediation. Those who are drawing up, implementing and assessing
a SEPP need to do so in a constant attitude of discernment and
listening to God’s plan. It is the Lord who indicates the path to be
followed and provides us with points of reference: focus on the
practical reality of the times and of history (avoiding proposals that
are abstract or unrelated to the situation); the centrality of the young
person; close attention to the universal outreach of the Salesian
educative and pastoral project (understood in terms of the four
dimensions) the ever present aspects of our educative and pastoral
praxis – the Preventive System and Salesian Youth Spirituality.
Therefore in the face of educative and pastoral challenges it is
necessary to avoid two attitudes which could jeopardise the Salesian
mission: first, becoming constrained by a plan that is static, rigid
and anonymous and second, treating the youth ministry project as
though it were like commercial, economic or political projects and
thereby betraying the educative and pastoral spirit of the SEPP and
its evangelical nature in offering salvation to the young in Christ.
b) Collegiality i.e. the combined involvement of all the members of
the EPC engaged in the project. The motivations, objectives and
process should be clearly expressed. An open, ongoing discussion
should be encouraged in examining the problems and the situations.
The contribution made by each one should always be given due
consideration. A real working team is thus created which is able to
provide animation for lengthy and complex procedures.
Every true Educative and Pastoral Project is a communitarian effort,
the result of collaboration. The Provincial SEPP involves all the
communities and works of the Province. The local SEPP engages
the EPC in carrying out the construction, implementation and
assessment.
It is necessary to involve in special way the members of the Salesian
Family who are working in the same territory (cf. GC24, no.125):
at Province level by means of meetings of the Provincial bodies
(Provincial Youth Ministry team and/or the Provincial Council) with
representatives of the various groups of the Salesian Family in the
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Province; at local level through dialogue among the local consultative
committee of the Salesian Family, the SDB community and the EPC
Council.
To create the interest and involvement of all the EPC in this process
it is useful to set up an animating group which challenges and
motivates, and helps to overcome difficulties. It also points out the
methodological procedures which foster the participation of all the
groups and organisations of the EPC according to their responsibilities
and possibilities. It offers the opportunity and the materials needed
for reflection and study. It comes to and formulates conclusions to
be presented to the group. At Province level, this group could be
the Provincial Youth Ministry team – expanded with extra skilled and
qualified members; at local level it could be the EPC Council or the
pastoral team.
c) Communication; through the sharing in the planned procedures
on the part of those engaged in the youth project as both providers
and recipients. Together with this open attitude, there is an urgent
need right from the start to be clear about the various levels of
participation (discussion, decision-making, and implementation) and
those with the responsibility for them. In this process the SDBs and
the laity have an experience of communion and sharing in the spirit
of Don Bosco in his mission. All those taking part in the EPC follow
a process of discernment taking an active part in the search for the
objectives and the procedures of the SEPP (GC24 nos.119-120).
The complexity of the organisation should not overshadow the educative and
pastoral spirit which underpins it. Every activity is a part contributing to making
the whole clear and evident: the education of the young for life and for an
encounter with the God of life.
Setting to work to produce a plan, implementing it and being capable of revising
and changing it is not a sign of superficiality nor of complicating matters. Rather
it is a sign of maturity in educational affairs, of a specialised service constantly
ready to change in order to promote life in a constantly changing society. It
shows a capacity for being realistic, for love and respect for the young. It is
being consistent with the educational decisions taken and which they expect
and deserve. It is the successful achievement of a process of educational
cooperation which is the result of a pedagogical journey, in the long
run the most fruitful of all human endeavours.
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EPILOGUE

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The Salesian spirit finds its model and source
in the very heart of Christ, apostle of the Father.
Reading the Gospel we become more aware of
certain aspects of the figure of the Lord: gratitude
to the Father for the gift of a divine vocation offered
to all men; predilection for the little ones and the
poor; zeal in preaching, healing and saving because
of the urgency of the coming of the Kingdom; the
preoccupation of the Good Shepherd who wins hearts
by gentleness and self-giving; the desire to gather his
disciples into the unity of brotherly communion”
(Constitutions of the Society of St Francis of Sales 11)
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PRAYER TO DON BOSCO
Father and Teacher of Youth,
Saint John Bosco,
obedient to the gifts of the Spirit and open to the circumstances
of your time
you were for the young, especially the smallest and the poor,
a sign of God’s love and predilection.
Be our guide on our journey of friendship with the Lord Jesus,
so we may discover in Him and in His Gospel
the meaning of our lives
and source of true happiness.
Help us to respond generously
to the vocation we have received from God,
to be in daily life
builders of communion,
cooperating enthusiastically,
in communion with the entire Church,
building up the civilisation of love.
Obtain for us the grace of perseverance
in living a high measure of Christian life,
according to the spirit of the Beatitudes;
and guided by Mary Help of Christians,
may we one day be together with you
in the great family in Heaven. Amen.
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COMMENT ON ILLUSTRATIONS
ICON 1
The scene of Jesus with the Apostles is followed by the scene of
Jesus with the crowd: life is made up of these encounters. The
Lord presents himself to us as a shepherd. Here we see a young
person in the Salesian mission. This sheep has found someone
who does not despise him. There is an invitation: stay with
Jesus and draw on him for God’s love and compassion. This
is a beautiful thought, like a miracle, a central idea. What it
offers people firstly is compassion. His gaze picks up the tiredness,
lost moments, the struggles of his sheep (below). His life is given for the
good of his sheep, his words are spoken to accompany them with. The
person comes first for him, the state of health of the heart, deep down.
The first thing the disciples learn from Jesus is to be moved by his divine
action. Deep heart-felt emotion: a divine and deeply Salesian feeling! This
emotion is a correct response, one which does not go away, like the four
seasons (the four trees below). We inhabit the life and culture of the
young in order not to deprive them of our compassion.
ICON 2
Jesus prayed for his disciples and for everyone who believed in
him, in any age or place (sky filled with stars). So he prayed for
people in our own age, including for our young people. People
in the desert, tired after walking under the sun, not knowing
where they are going, their races lined with the effort, sorrow,
tiredness ... People who search him out because they want to
listen to him. Young people looking for real repose, needing
words of salvation, eternal words, words that last ... are walking
towards the Lord (the chalice, between heaven and earth). God’s hands
are wide open to gather and hold his lost children. It is up to support their
hopes, helping them to experience God’s providential action. He is a wind
of communion that pushes us towards one another.
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ICON 3
Jesus crosses Samaritan territory, a stranger amidst a people of
a different tradition and religion. His very freedom in doing so
arouses thirst and it is he himself who offers a jug of water. Jesus
reaches out to the woman’s deep thirst offering something
more by way of beauty, goodness, life, a new springtime: “The
water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside, welling up.”
To be truthful God has been the inexhaustible source of new life
since the beginning of time, since earthly species were created (deer),
sea (fish) sky (bird). Jesus’ gift to the Samaritan woman is that she can rejoin
the true source and herself become a source. This is a beautiful image. The
woman from Samaria with clear eyes, happy, calm, filled with goodness.
She does not appease her thirst by drinking her fill but by quenching others’
thirst. She brightens up by brightening up the lives of others; receives joy
through giving it. Becoming a spring of water is a beautiful life project for
any evangeliser: welling up and spreading hope, acceptance, love.
ICON 4
There is no other word like ‘life’ in any language for powerfully
summing up what the human being most aspires to. ‘Life’
is the sum of all good desires and is at the same time what
makes them possible, acquirable, and lasting. Is not the story
of young people marked by the search for something or
someone able to ensure life for them? But what kind of life?
God’s life “in abundance”, which surpasses all aspirations that
can arise in a human heart, just as sunset lights up the fields. Life
is a place in God’s hands, like sparrows who nest is in the leafy branches
of the trees. New life radiates out on every area of young people’s human
experience: family, school, work, daily activities and leisure time. It begins
to fl ourish here and now. Pastoral charity is a sign of its presence and
growth. A large crowd of Salesian educators spend themselves every day
generously, creatively and competently to foster life amongst the new
generations.
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ICON 5
Jesus joins the two disconsolate disciples from Emmaus on
their journey. He recognises his own anywhere in the world.
He accompanies them, “walks by their side”… The Lord
comes to us in our daily wanders. He changes hearts, eyes
and everyone’s journey. Don Bosco is in the background: how
many there were who tasted the wonders of an encounter
with him that turned their lives around! The Lord also asks that
we Salesian educators have the courage to get out on the road, be
companions on the journey, not just the outer one (walking with them),
but also the inner one (listening to them). Every Salesian presence crosses
path of the young people in the world, dreams of making the Salesian
house a family for them. So it takes an Educative and Pastoral Community
to call each one by name, and it is measured by the quality of human
relationships established.
ICON 6
Christ has taken on our clothes: the joys and sorrows of the
human being, his or her hunger, thirst, tiredness, hopes,
disappointments, all our anxieties, including death. And he has
given us his ‘clothes’ too, the gift of his new being: “put on
the new self, created in God”. Prior to being our decision, our
becoming a new self is God’s work. But it takes planning and
commitment to hand on a living faith. The Educative and Pastoral
Project is but a tool of ministry and responds to two great objectives
(educating young people as human beings and in faith) through the four
dimensions which integrate and enrich the whole person. It enables the
individual to be reborn from within, like the corolla with its petals forms
into a unique flower. Each young person (of any age or circumstance) has
within a treasure of light, an inner sun, the image and likeness of God
which is within us. Salesian Youth Ministry is none other than the joy (a
child’s smile is so beautiful!) of freeing up all the light of the Risen Lord.
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ICONA 7
“I have chosen you”. This call is precisely what guarantees our
apostolic effectiveness, the fruitfulness of our service. We are
patient, trusting farmers, but we must examine where and
how we bear fruit. God takes care of things like no other
in this sown fi eld, this little garden of our works: he works,
prunes, we feel his hands at work each day. He looks to
fruitfulness; not giving life means already dying. The tree of our
apostolic works is renewed, life is multiplied. The seed goes where
the wind blows, far from clamour and noise, and is planted in the furrows
of history and of peoples. New educational and pastoral presences are
born so that the Salesian mission can have much more energy than might
seem, much more light and many more divine seeds. It is a volcano of life:
the bud becomes a flower, the flower fruit, and the fruit gives seed.
ICON 8
“Like one who serves”. Serve: a nice but demanding word. In these
words we see a genuine, real and concrete image of animation
and coordination of pastoral activity. Shared responsibility gives
concrete shape to communion, involves exercising spiritual
discernment, listening to one another, sharing, mutual witness
until, given each one’s responsibility, a coordinated and
systematic proposal matures.. Educative and pastoral activity is
not made up of disconnected efforts, but everything is part of a
shared plan, appropriate choices and formation processes. Salesian
youth Ministry brings all its energies into play and with its particular
dynamics accompanies the ways of animating.
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GLOSSARY
ANIMATING CORE: a group of individuals who identify with the Salesian
mission, educational system and spirituality and jointly take on the task of
calling together, motivating, involving everyone concerned with a work,
making up the educative community together with them and carrying out a
project of evangelisation and education of the young. The religious community,
as the point of charismatic reference (cf. GC25, nos.78-81) is not the complete
animating core in itself but one of its integral parts; indeed it needs to be
capable of an expanding dynamic which finds various ways and means of
involving everyone who wishes to contribute to the Salesian work. There is only
one animating core for the entire work, since it is not a “governing structure”
in itself. It can coincide with the Council of the Work and/or the EPC Council,
depending on the complexity of the work and the various sectors.
COUNCIL OF THE WORK: this brings together the religious community (or
at least its governing representatives: rector and local council) and the individuals
principally sharing responsibility for sectors of activity. Animated by the same
charism and being part of the same mission they take charge of ensuring that
the gift and service of the Salesian charism in all its significance is offered in a
particular neighbourhood or area. They jointly share the various responsibilities
that arise from managing all the sectors of a work, and they meet not only to
organise, decide, and govern but also to be formed and create opportunities
for reflection.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL or LOCAL COUNCIL or HOUSE COUNCIL
(cf. C. 178): made up of confreres from the community and has the task of
collaborating in animation and government with the rector who calls it together
and presides at it. It is up to the Provincial with the consent of his Council,
and after listening to the opinion of the local community, to determine which
sectors of community activity should be represented in the Council.
DEPARTMENT (cf. C. 133; R. 107): the Departments are the collection of
services of animation in each of the Sectors into which the administration of the
Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco is divided. Each Department comes under
the responsibility of a Councillor who functions as Department head.
EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL COMMUNITY (EPC) (cf. C. 47; GC24,
nos.149-179): the Salesian way of animating, showing leadership in every
educational circumstance intended to realise Don Bosco’s mission. It is not a
new structure added to other kinds of management and involvement in works
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or pastoral sectors, nor is it just organisational management or a technique
for getting people involved. It is a set of individuals (young people and adults,
parents and teachers or educators, religious and lay, representatives from other
church and civic institutions and can also include representatives of other
religions, men and women of good will) all working together to educate and
evangelise young people, especially the poorest of them, in Don Bosco’s style.
This set of individuals is one of concentric circles, depending on the degree of
shared responsibility individuals have for the mission.
EPC COUNCIL (cf. GC24, nos.160-161; 171-172): the body which animates
and coordinates the implementation of the Educative and Pastoral Plan or
Project. Its function is to foster coordination and shared responsibility amongst
everybody concerned, as a service of unity for pastoral planning within a
Salesian work or the EPCs of the various sectors of more complex works. If
there is only one EPC then there will be a single EPC Council which is also then
the Council of the Work. If there are as many EPCs as there are sectors then
each has its own council, and there will then be a Council of the Work made up
of representatives of EPC Councils.
GENERAL PLAN OF THE WORK: annual application of the SEPP of the
work (or possibly of individual SEPPs for the various sectors and settings of a
work). The Council of the Work draws this up with collaboration from the EPC
Councils of the various pastoral sectors.
OVERALL PROVINCIAL PROJECT (OPP): This has a range of other
names in English, such as Provincial Strategic Plan (PSP) and it is in fact a
strategic plan of animation and government which controls the development
and continuity of decisions made by the Province (cf. GC25, nos.82-84). It is a
practical tool aimed at coordinating educational and pastoral resources in the
Province towards a particular end. It is also a point of reference for all projects
and plans of communities and works.
PASTORAL SECTOR: refers to the educational and pastoral structures in
which the Salesian mission is carried out, according to a specific educational
and pastoral proposal. Each of these sectors in its own way creates a climate
and employs a style of relationships as part of the Educative and Pastoral
Community. The sectors are as follows: The Oratory-Youth Centre; the school
and Professional Formation Centre, (what we would often term, in English, the
Vocational Training Centre and could include the pre-vocational training centre
and hostel accommodation); higher institutes of education (possibly academic
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SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY
centres, colleges – in the North American understanding of this term – and
university student residences); parishes and shrines entrusted to the Salesians
(may include public churches); various social service works for young people
at risk. A Salesian work may well comprise further sectors working together to
better express the Salesian mission.
PASTORAL ANIMATION SETTING: refers to the multiple activities or
educative and pastoral arrangements to be found across all our works and the
more traditional sectors indicated above. By way of summary we can indicate:
animating vocation ministry, especially for apostolic vocations; animating
missionary and various kinds of voluntary work; youth ministry recommendations
with regard to Social Communication. The Salesian mission is also carried out
through certain other significant settings like the Salesian Youth Movement
and various fields of specialised activity at local or provincial level, as we find in
Chapter 6: services of Christian formation and spiritual animation, or groups
and leadership services in the leisure time area.
PROVINCIAL ANIMATION PLAN: the yearly application of the Provincial
SEPP drawn up each year by the Provincial Council, with collaboration from
the works. Serves as a provincial point of reference for drawing up the annual
general plan for the works.
PROVINCIAL ANIMATION SETTINGS: field or area of activity in a province
or work. The fundamental settings for provinces are as follows: Youth Ministry,
Formation, Salesian Family, Economy and Social Communication. We can add
to these the variety of areas in which each of the above is expressed.
PROVINCIAL DIRECTORY (cf. C. 171): a prescriptive text which the
Provincial Chapter draws up and revises. The principal scope of the directory
and its detailed set of norms is to promote and guarantee the charism and
Salesianity of each work in the provincial community.
SALESIAN EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL PROJECT (SEPP) (cf. GC24,
nos.5, 42): general action plan guiding educative and pastoral processes in a
determined provincial and local context. It directs each initiative and resources
to achieving the Salesian mission. It has a “long or short term” lifespan (3–5
years), in reference to the circumstances of the Province or Work. The objective
of the SEPP, then, is not only that of defining content regarding the various
sectors or settings at provincial and local level, but also that of defining the
dimensions of sectors which make up the various SEPPS. The drawing up of
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EPILOGUE
the SEPP, and thus of the SEPPs for sectors, firstly has the objective of being a
support in planning the mission of the entire provincial or local EPC.
SALESIAN EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL PROJECT FOR EACH
WORK OR LOCAL SECTOR: applies the guidelines of the Provincial SEPP
to the local situation. It is the immediate working plan for each work (with
just one sector) and for each sector (in a complex work). In this latter case
the SEPP for Salesian works with two or more sectors becomes an important
tool for convergence and unity of objectives and common action guidelines
for the work. It responds to two basic aspects: (1) coordinating all sectors and
pastoral animation settings of the work and the consequent set of criteria,
methodological choices, organisational and structural guidelines and (2)
summoning, constituting, forming and getting the EPC of the work and its
sectors to function.
SALESIAN YOUTH MOVEMENT (SYM): made up of groups and
associations who recognise themselves in and are raised in Don Bosco’s and
Mother Mazzarello’s Salesian spirituality and pedagogy. While maintaining
their individual organisational structure in practice, together they ensure an
educational presence of quality, especially in new areas where young people
socialise. The SYM is a movement of “youth for youth”, defined by reference
to a common spirituality and communication between groups which ensures
that messages and values are shared. It brings together young people who can
be very different from one another in spiritual terms – from those for whom
spirituality is a seed yet to sprout to those who consciously and explicitly accept
the invitation to Salesian apostolic involvement.
SALESIAN PROVINCIAL EDUCATIVE AND PASTORAL PROJECT
(Provincial SEPP): defines procedures in the Province and indicates
objectives, strategies and common educative and pastoral action guidelines
which align the pastoral activity of all works, sectors and pastoral animation
settings. It serves as a point of reference for their planning and as an educative
and pastoral evaluation tool over this period.
SALESIAN YOUTH MINISTRY FRAME OF REFERENCE: is a tool
(set of basic inspirations and action guidelines) offered by the Youth Ministry
Department to enlighten and guide the pastoral process for each Provincial and
local EPC. It guides the pastoral activity of each Provincial and local Youth Ministry
Delegate and their teams. And it contributes to the formation of everyone –
Salesians, educators – who share responsibility for the Salesian mission.
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