From: "jbfox" <jbfox@is.com.fj>

To: <jbfox@is.com.fj>

Subject: austraLasia #406

Date: Sunday, 13 August 2000 1:32 PM

FORUM SYM 2000

Press Release n°7

“The Salesian Youth Movement is not a dream, but a reality”

The presence and the word of Fr. Juan Vecchi, Rector Major of the Salesians,

were the indisputable protagonists of this second to the last day of FORUM

MGS 2000, which took place this week at Colle Don Bosco (Asti, Italy)

After the group work by continents, wherein the youth delegates had to

contribute their reflections for the drafting of the final document of the

FORUM, which shall be announced publicly tomorrow, Fr. Juna Vecchi, eighth

successor of Don Bosco, addressed his words to the participants.

The Rector Major started with a brief review of the history of the SYM from

its beginnings precisely here at Colle Don Bosco, to its actual realization

whose most evident characteristics are a greater awareness of the “Salesian

Youth Spirituality”, the choice of a more frequent and qualified

communication among the groups and the priority of the formation of the

young animators.

Based on this, the Rector Major did not hesitate to affirm:  “The SYM is nor

a dream, but a reality”.

In his frequent visits to the different continents, in fact, Fr. Vecchi very

often met with this fact in its different expressions worldwide.

“The SYM” -  Fr. Vecchi continued  “is a youth movement because if composed

mostly of young people who, however, are not averse to the presence of

adults whether religious or lay, who walk together with them.  It is a

uniquely educative movement with different levels of identifying with it and

with  varying ways of participation and involvement.  All can belong to it:

chilcren, adolescent boys and girls, young men and women and even adults.

Finally, it is a worldwide movement, as is very evident now with your

presence in this FORUM”.

In the second part of his message, the Rector Major entrusted some

perspectives to the young people, almost as indicators of a journey which

the SYM shall undertake in the following years.

“Live deeply the proposal of a Christian life which Don Bosco offers you:

i.e., the Salesian Youth Spirituality.  This first recommendation,

accompanied by a call to convince many young people that Christian faith

lived  in the style of Don Bosco “helps us to live intensely and fully every

aspect of our life and every dimension of our existence”.

“Do not be contented with half-measures”  Fr. Vecchi continued

energetically- “and as a consequence, the second recommendation is that of

living your life as a vocation and as service, particularly in the different

groups of the SalesianFamily.

The third recommendation is a call to the necessiity of a formation capable

of making the young capable of being protagonists in the animation of the

SYM adn making them capable of critical judgment and actualizing with

effective choice and commitment in order to be present with competence in

the different social and cultural realities.

“Consider yourselves protagonists and responsible of the SYM” he added  “and

try to involve many other young people in this experience.  Don  Bosco

desired that the salesian association be not only “for the young” but “of

the young”.

At the conclusion of his message, the Rector Major invited the young of

FORUM MGS 2000 to be promoters and defenders of life in all its forms,

committed to building a society of love based on justice, peace, solidarity

and respect of every person, against every form of discrimination due to

race, language, economic situation, political ideology and religion;  in any

place you find yourself in, proclaim the liberating power of the Gospel.”

Colle Don Bosco, August 12, 2000 (Italy)