Madrid International Congress: YM and Family - Day 4

By Fr. Joel Camaya, SDB

Madrid, Spain, 1 December 2017 -- After the opening prayer, the Congress proceeded with the highlight of the day, the plenary talk of Fr. Rossano Sala, SDB. Fr. Sala is a Doctor in Fundamental Theology and Editor of the magazine “Note di pastorale giovanile” and lecturer at the Salesian Pontifical University (Rome). He is Special Secretary for the Synod on Youth in 2018.

Fr. Sala developed the theme "THE FAMILY IN SALESIAN PASTORAL CONTEXT: AN EDUCATIVE AND EVANGELIZING PERSPECTIVE." To introduce his discourse, he gave reference to the "double Synod" (2014-2015) on the family which culminated in the post-synodal Exhortation Amoris Laetitia and the upcoming Synod in October 2018 dealing with "Young people, the faith and vocational discernment." His presentation was developed in three parts are are connected and interdependent: the Salesian Family Spirit, the family as the object of explicit pastoral care in the Salesian charism, and the family as a subject in its own right within the Salesian youth ministry. He concluded by asking three questions that would be the topic of the Regional Meetings in the afternoon:

1. A charism of the family. Rediscovering family spirit is essential if we are to reclaim the pastoral atmosphere of our founding charism. In our salesian realities, how do we make “family spirit”, which is the necessary context for our style of education, a lived reality?
2. Salesian youth ministry for the family. What commitments are we making to build a genuine “vocational youth ministry” that involves all the young who come to our houses, including the necessary accompaniment to their families of origin?
3. The family as co-responsible for the salesian mission. How and in what areas of our work are we recognizing the specific contribution that families can bring so that our Salesian mission may become more effective at the local and provincial levels? What formative itineraries have we undertaken to better prepare ourselves to do this?

After the break, there were held as in the past days the parallel panels that dealt with good practices. Today, the following were presented:

1. Helping young couples towards a mature relationship.
2. Pastorale Giovanile e Famiglia.
3. Famiglie animatrici della dimensione affettiva nei Gruppi Apostolici.
4. Mamas Catequistas Salesianas: mamas salesianas educando en la fe.
5. Grupo di padres.
6. Parents of Students: the First Educators, the First Youth Ministers
7. You are part of my family - An experience of Youth and Family Ministry
8. Padres Exploradores.

In the afternoon, as in the past two days, the Congress participants divided into their Regional Groups to discuss the questions that were proposed in the morning by Fr. Sala. Later, the mini courses also continued.

The Holy Eucharist in the evening was celebrated in the Portuguese language (unlike the past two days where they were celebrated in Spanish). Towards the end of the Mass, those who presented best practices were given a token, from the hands of no less than the Rector Major, Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime.

After dinner, some participants came to listen to Fr. Rossano Sala for a short presentation of a preview of the upcoming Synod on Youth in 2018 where he entertained questions.

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