Lay Mission Partners in Korean

By Our Own Correspondent

Dae Jeon, Korea, 30 August 2017 -- The Salesian Youth Center in Dae Jeon (150 km south from Seoul) was founded exactly 25 years ago. Over the years the profile of our mission changed few times. There was a SDB novitiate (1992-2010), our community offered the education and pastoral service to the youth at risk in juvenile prison (1992-2010) but until now there is a group home for the youth in need (Don Bosco House, 13 children) and Salesio Youth Center (SYC: Youth retreat center and human formation training center with 11.000 youth and adults participating every year).

As in most of our communities, there are 6 Salesians (Rector Fr. Pedro Kim, KOR Youth Ministry Delegate and Director of the SYC) - 5 Salesian priests and one practical trainee and 15 Mission Partners. Remarkable is the daily joint collaboration in the mission with 3 FMA Sisters, resident in this large compound at green setting at the outskirts of the city. Over the years many benefactors, Don Bosco Friends, Volunteers, Salesian Cooperators and Don Bosco Past Pupils did contribute to the Salesian mission in Dae Jeon.

Years ago we called them 'Staff' or 'Employee' - but now we call and related to them as our Mission Partners. Indeed in Dae Jeon House they 200% than the consecrated Salesians. Hand in hand with the SDB and FMA Sisters the education team (4 young men and women), through the logistics (4 - maintenance, kitchen and cleaning) up to the educators and social workers of the Don Bosco House (5 'uncles and aunties') the whole EPC (educative and pastoral community) is moving with a family spirit.

Over the years there are more Lay Mission Partners and good number of them have quite important responsibilities and are more stable than the Salesian Fathers, Brothers and FMA Sisters. You can find among them former Salesians, present and future Salesian Cooperators. The key to our mission is their formation. Beyond the two province level formation days every year there is Salesian Bulletin, readings about Don Bosco and his Preventive System. But above all else the life witness of SDB and FMA is the main inspiration and model. Lay and Religious - we are still learning the right way of working together as partners, each side has something to contribute and learn from the others.

Five teams of Salesian Cooperators in Dae Jeon are probably the most stable and continous 'Salesian presence' in the city and local Church, accompanied by their SDB and FMA Delegates. Their formation way and know-how is probably the best pointer to the formation and Salesian growth of all our Lay Mission Partners.

We pray, that with the diminishing numbers of Salesian religous, the formation and involvement of more lay people in the Salesian mission will grow.

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