austraLasia

Accompaniment of the young - common journey

Castelgandolfo, Italy, 24 July 2017 -- Summer annual meeting of SDB and FMA General Councils was held at FMA summer council venue in Castelgandolfo in the afternoon of July 24, 2017, Already for the second time the main focus was on the incoming 15th Synod of Bishops (October 2018) 'Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment'. Main goal of this encounter was to discern some essential for a joint journey towards the 2018 Synod: 'Youth, Faith and Vocation Discernment'.

Presided by the Rector Major Fr. Angel F. Artime and Mother General Sr. Yvonne Reungoat, two complete councils (30 participants) spend 5 hours in family spirit of joint prayer, mutual sharing and meal. After the Vespers the Rector Major shared his Good Night Talk on the leadership crisis in the world and in the Church, that can be overcome in the style of Pope Francis - with honest attitude and credible life witness backing the leader words.

Since last January meeting there was indeed a significant progress on the journey. Mother Yvonne published her Circular letter to the FMA Sisters 'Towards the Synod with the young' (n. 970, May 24, 2017) and Fr. Angel published his letter to the Salesians (July 24,2017) about the "Lineamenta (Preparatory document) of the Synod as the compass along our journey". Both SDB and FMA are invited to listen to the young as requested by Pope Francis indications for this Synod (both letters are available on the Boscolink).

During the rich exchange, sharing in four smaller groups and assembly emerged some meaningful good practices and inspiration that might be helpful for the Salesians SDB and FMA at the local and provincial level:

2018 Synod journey is a unique chance for the whole Salesian Family to breath with the Universal church and share our charism within the local Churches
Only when we listen with compassion to the young, in turn they will listen to us
Salesian deficit in accompaniment of the young might be caused by our own personal lack of accompaniment received
Pope Francis invitation to listen to the young people is a call for our concrete conversion, to give our time at any possible occasion to the young, to invest more in the assistance as the heart of the preventive system of Don Bosco
Need of more active presence of SDB and FMA among the young within the Salesian Youth Movement, Missionary Volunteers (both boys and girls) as role models is a sign of our times
Our first necessary credible witness among the young is a joint presence of listenfull SDB and FMA religious. Young people want to see us working together

Just three days before the end of the summer session of both FMA and SDB general council the participants realized more deeply the 2018 Synod journey as very precious occasion and responsibility for the growth of the Salesian charism in the Church.

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