austraLasia 1064
GC23 revisited or, new wineskins needed, fast!
LOS ANGELES: 4th March 2005 -- The following is less a case of 'news' and more by way of reflection, but its topic and its freshness will be of general interest. The complete article in the its original wording is available from the homepage of Bosconet at www.bosconet.aust.com It is by Fr John Roche, a Salesian much experienced in youth ministry, currently at St John Bosco High, Bellflower Ca. Below is a condensed version.
GC23 referred to discernment of a life vocation as 'the crowning moment in the journey of faith' for a young person. The Salesian accompanying the young is called to be intentional about this journey and point of arrival. But are we intentional and are we accompanying the young on a journey of faith?
HAPPY POSTCARDS
In our contact with the young we may be all too busy (e.g. school) focusing on the moment and the person presently in view, to imagine following up a young person's journey beyond formal connection with us. The 'crowning moment' may be outside our purview, beyond the horizon of our influence and our interests, and if this is the case then we are not accompanying the young along their journey of faith. They may take with them happy postcards of these moments...but rarely are these young people taking Salesianity and the adult spirituality of Francis de Sales into their adult lives.
PIED PIPERS
There was a time when the point of arrival was a program...perhaps even a high school seminary program! Long gone. Single programs, single persons are pied pipers of the past. But what was key then is still key now - relationships. Past pied pipers were successful when a group of youngsters made a move together. They still want to do whatever they do today - together.
So we need to focus upon our authentic relationships with the young, and our relationships need to extend beyond this one phase of a young person's life.
DELIVERY SYSTEMS
A New York (Rochester) youth minister has identified 25 distinct 'delivery systems' for youth ministry in the diocese. These systems are intentional and sequential modes of delivering the Gospel to the young at various stages of life's journey. What is impressive here is the identification of the various stages, the needs of each stage, the end-points, and it goes far beyond high school and formal attachment to parish or school program. Overall the process is impressive too because it recognises and works with separation, struggle and return, the maturing phenomenon for most as they grow into adulthood [an aside: this 'condenser' now writing used put it to parents in another fashion....your son/daughter has not 'left' the Church. They are simply 'on agistment', in another paddock. Keep the grass green back at home, whatever you do!]
FAITH COMMUNITIES
A healthy vocation promotion calls upon various members of the faith community along the way. This is why small faith communities are a pre-requisite for the discernment of a vocation. Goodbye Pied Piper, hello faith communities. and these communities need to model the Church in its real form: lay, religious, young, old, sharing life, questions, prayer.
NEW WINE SKINS
So, what are some new wine skins? (1) Following up past pupils into their 'further study or other' years (2) Virtual communities in high school years (3) an active faith community for intentional discernment in ministry (4) Volunteer communities (5) Mixed communities (6) Social action groups (7) lay vocation directors (8) intentional communities (temporary) (9) clear vocational points of arrival for every program.
______________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. Try also www.bosconet.aust.com and Lexisdb.
