Lay People formation is based on life - faith sharing

By Mr. Meng Dong Sool, ASC

Daejeon, Korea, 7 September 2017 -- As every Center of the Salesian Cooperators also in Daejeon the members come together once a month for their meeting. Living the same Salesian vocation and mission in the secular context, without their life - faith sharing their formation is impossible. During the September meeting all five Salesian Cooperators team in Daejeon met with the SDB extraordinary visitor and some of them share what changed in their life when they embraced the Salesian vocation.

"It’s already 11 years ago when I have made the promise as Salesian Cooperator. Now I’m working in the Dae deok secondary school as principal.

Every month during our regular Cooperators meeting I’m more and more aware that in the context of present repressive system of Korean school education the preventive system of Don Bosco is very much needed in South Korea. I dream that all teachers in our country would learn and follow this style of education. In the same time I’m deeply grateful to get know Don Bosco spirituality and being able to put it in practice. It’s a great joy to practice this education style.

As the school principal in the administration role I’m not directly teaching and meeting the students in the classroom but meeting hundreds of students in the corridors and playground I’m trying to have an eye contact and smile while greeting our students. In this way I can see their faces of joy, depression or concern, call them to talk about what is happening in their life and eventually to share with their home room teachers. I’m trying always to be a kind teacher, who does not scold but always listen to them and treat them with patient reminders. So, I’m liked by our students.

To the class teachers we request always to stay in the morning classroom ahead of the students, greet the one by one, ask about their difficulties and if necessary proceed to some counselling. In this way we can prevent many serious problems of our girl students.

Every year in March there is a two day leadership formation time for our students, this year our students went to the Salesian Youth Center (Chong Lim Dong). It was a great experience for all of them – unlike in other Youth Training Centers the staff was very kind, cared personally about each one of them. In this way many students got for the first time a deep self-esteem. Also our teachers were happy with the Salesian experience and would like to follow also next school year and we booked this human formation time already for March 2018.

This morning one parent knocked at the principal office door. By chance during the diocesan Cursillo movement event realized that I’m a Catholic. Although it was our first encounter we talk a lot about our faith experience. He participated at the parents meeting at the beginning of the school year and listening to the principal he realized that the way of speaking is Catholic faith inspired. And also the feeling of many parents was quite good. Through my talk and attitude the ‘smell of faith’ was proclaimed. Thanks be to God! Kam sa hamnida!"

In Korea at present there are 395 active Salesian Cooperators with promise (+ another 207 non active members) and about 150 aspirants in formation in 25 local centers with 3 new local centers being formed during this year.

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