austraLasia #2133

Salesians and Salesian Sisters plan to work even more closely in Korea

SEOUL: 25th April 2008 -- Korea has both an SDB and an FMA province, both of which have been reported on by austraLasia on several occasions.  One of the features of these two core elements of the Salesian Family in Korea is the degree to which they already work together and are planning to do for the future.  The issue was recently taken up at a joint council meeting and has been given new horizons by the fact that both groups have appointed a new provincial in recent months. 
    SDB and FMA are already working together in one parish, a technical boarding school, two youth centres and one media centre.  The recent joint meeting of the two provincial councils, which also had a flying visit from the newly appointed SDB Missions Councillor (Fr Klement) and former provincial of Korea, was designed to a more concrete level of collaboration and teamwork.
    Salesians sdb and Salesian Sisters fma will be standing together at the 4th National Youth Exhibition in Kwangju this coming May 29th - 1st June.  'Standing together' means, in practical terms, common preparation with budget and joint teams.  But they are also looking ahead to the coming summer season and the youth camps.  There are some 6 camp sites open every summer, and thousands of young people go through them. The figure is calculated at around 20,000!  This is a powerful opportunity of contact, and the two groups are now looking at joint action in the field.  This and other ventures means a common understanding of a basic Youth Ministry framework. Currently it cannot be said that the SDB Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) model squares exactly with that of the Sisters.  There are other areas of possible difference too - is the SDB Educative and Pastoral Community (EPC) the same thing exactly as the FMA educating Community?
    A further possible are of collaboration would be some joint meetings of superiors of communities (One can hardly say a joint Rectors meeting!). On the SDB side, the Salesians have invited the FMA to join the new Don Bosco Academy where youth ministry training for lay people, religious has recently begun in the new Provincial House complex (This was reported in a recent austraLasia). The International Youth Volunteer Movement running out of the Korea SDB Province is also open to FMA involvement.
    It is interesting, too, to see that the immigrant ministry (quite developed in Korea at Diocesan level, with immigrants coming from the North but also from Vietnam and other nearby countries) has been asking for at least two Vietnamese SDB and likewise FMA, especially since so many of those arriving in the country are young women.
    All in all, then, a fairly booming picture of cooperation both current and planned.
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Title: australasia 2133
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces KOR, Salesian Family FMA
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2133