Animation visit of Fr. Fabio Attard in Vietnam
K’Long, Vietnam, 27 August 2017 -- The Salesians of Don Bosco and the members of Salesian Family were blessed by the precious presence of Fr. Fabbio Attard, General Councillor for Youth Ministry.
First, Fr. Attard preached one-week retreat to the Provincial Council and rectors and those in charge of newly constituted communities under the theme of mystics, prophets and servants of the poor young. The leaders of the Province of Vietnam were so touched by his talks and stories which are imbued with the inspired Word of God [Lectio Divina] and Salesian sources. Many of them experienced a kind of personal, and communal conversion and self-transformation in these days and wished that many more Salesians would have undergo such an experience.
Then, this experience was prolonged with a three-day workshop on the Frame of Reference: Salesian Youth Ministry, whose masterminds are Fr. Attard himself and those involved in its production. With his lively explanation of each part of the book, inserted with first-hand stories as one who has spent the whole life in youth ministries, spiritual accompaniment, spiritual direction and world-wide vision of youth challenges and expections, the book becomes a guideline for the long-term journey of each participants.
Most if not all of them expressed their opened-eye experiences, as a discovery of a precious treasure that God has given to Don Bosco and his followers and their responsibility to live it and pass it on to those they are sent to. The Preventive System is that found treasure that needs to be lived, implemented and transmitted.
As a specific result, a local rector earnestly requested that all the working confreres in his community to stop all activities to attend the second workshop, offered also by Fr. Attard. His argument is simple: this is the opportunity, once in their life-time, to have the author of the Frame of Reference to lecture on the book. In spite of some hesitation, those confreres who are being so involved in the new scholatic year and cared for hundred boarders, decided to participate.
May those experience be lived concretely by them for the benefit of their own selves, their communities and the young they are serving.
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