austraLasia #3322
Promising future for KOR Cooperators
DAEJEON: 2 December 2013 -- Advent is a time of promise. What better day, then, than the first Sunday in Advent for 39 new Salesian Cooperators to make their Promise after a solid three-year preparation.
“As a professor at the Catholic university, after joining the Salesian Cooperators I have been helped so much by the spirit of Don Bosco in my educational activity. I now look at the students individually with the heart of Don Bosco, and can love and help them. Only one thing I regret, and that is that if I had known Don Bosco’s love for the young earlier when our children were younger it would have benn much better for my home education." Song Kyeongyae (Annunciata is her Christian name) who made her Promise today.
"Because most of my employees are young people, Don Bosco’s love for youth has a good effect on the way we manage our company. Previously I considered them merely to be part of the employer-employee relationship. But belonging to the formation process for the SCs, and learning about Don Bosco’s spirit, the idea of family became prominent for me, so like him I am trying to help them so they can live a better life. The atmosphere of the work place has improved, become more familiar and naturally this has consequences in terms of better productivity for the company.” These were the words of Na Jeongseop (Joseph) who also made his Promise today after a three-year preparation. Joseph and Annunciata are a couple and both of them are members of the Information-Culture Centre’s team at the Don Bosco Youth Centre in Seoul.
The Salesian Cooperators in Korea are in a phase of vigorous growth. There are now 514 members in 38 Centres across the country, and are increasing at a rate of somewhere between 2~30 new promises per year in each Centre. The 39 who have just made their Promise represent the largest group that have done so.
It has not just been about numbers, though. The Province introduced a 'Cooperator’s formation school’ two years ago — a monthly special conference by sdbs in Seoul and Gwangju, in order to strengthen the spiritual life of the Promised as well as for those intending to make their Promise.
In particular, at the beginning of the liturgical year, on the first Sunday of Advent there is a ceremony for mena dn women making their new Promise, followed by a two-day retreat for all Cooperators. This year, about 170 members gathered at Daejeon, Salesian Youth Centre from all over the country, making their reflection on the past year and preparing a more reasonable attitude for society as Cooperators in Don Bosco’s spirit. Fr Stephen Yang, the national delegate, emphasised, in an address with the title ‘Don Bosco’s spirituality’, how society nowadays desperately needs Don Bosco’s spiritual experience. He spoje of the difficulties especially in exercising preventive activity in the digital field where the educator is inevitably an ‘immigrant’. The President of the National Council, Mr Henry Wee also gave testimony to his experience as a Cooperator in school. He has just retired after 40 years teaching. he spoke of ‘practising Don Bosco’s spirituality’.
“Today we have heard the word ‘Wake up and wait’ in the proclamation of the Gospel. You are now members of the ‘Salesian Family’ by the Promise you have just made before the cross. To the Salesian, ‘wake up and wait’ means none other than living a life faithful to the ‘Da mihi animas cetera tolle’ for the salvation of souls in Don Bosco’s spirit. Starting from your family and then the world around you, give more attention to the poor, care of the young in need, and in a variety of ways accompany their journey of growth” the Provincial, Fr Stephen Nam stressed in his homily. He once again emphasised that it is God's special blessing on the Salesian Family in Korea by giving a large number of new SC members. He asked all present to pray and be active in encouraging new vocations for all Salesian Family Groups, specially those of Consecrated life.
Promising future for KOR Cooperators
DAEJEON: 2 December 2013 -- Advent is a time of promise. What better day, then, than the first Sunday in Advent for 39 new Salesian Cooperators to make their Promise after a solid three-year preparation.
“As a professor at the Catholic university, after joining the Salesian Cooperators I have been helped so much by the spirit of Don Bosco in my educational activity. I now look at the students individually with the heart of Don Bosco, and can love and help them. Only one thing I regret, and that is that if I had known Don Bosco’s love for the young earlier when our children were younger it would have benn much better for my home education." Song Kyeongyae (Annunciata is her Christian name) who made her Promise today.
"Because most of my employees are young people, Don Bosco’s love for youth has a good effect on the way we manage our company. Previously I considered them merely to be part of the employer-employee relationship. But belonging to the formation process for the SCs, and learning about Don Bosco’s spirit, the idea of family became prominent for me, so like him I am trying to help them so they can live a better life. The atmosphere of the work place has improved, become more familiar and naturally this has consequences in terms of better productivity for the company.” These were the words of Na Jeongseop (Joseph) who also made his Promise today after a three-year preparation. Joseph and Annunciata are a couple and both of them are members of the Information-Culture Centre’s team at the Don Bosco Youth Centre in Seoul.
The Salesian Cooperators in Korea are in a phase of vigorous growth. There are now 514 members in 38 Centres across the country, and are increasing at a rate of somewhere between 2~30 new promises per year in each Centre. The 39 who have just made their Promise represent the largest group that have done so.
It has not just been about numbers, though. The Province introduced a 'Cooperator’s formation school’ two years ago — a monthly special conference by sdbs in Seoul and Gwangju, in order to strengthen the spiritual life of the Promised as well as for those intending to make their Promise.
In particular, at the beginning of the liturgical year, on the first Sunday of Advent there is a ceremony for mena dn women making their new Promise, followed by a two-day retreat for all Cooperators. This year, about 170 members gathered at Daejeon, Salesian Youth Centre from all over the country, making their reflection on the past year and preparing a more reasonable attitude for society as Cooperators in Don Bosco’s spirit. Fr Stephen Yang, the national delegate, emphasised, in an address with the title ‘Don Bosco’s spirituality’, how society nowadays desperately needs Don Bosco’s spiritual experience. He spoje of the difficulties especially in exercising preventive activity in the digital field where the educator is inevitably an ‘immigrant’. The President of the National Council, Mr Henry Wee also gave testimony to his experience as a Cooperator in school. He has just retired after 40 years teaching. he spoke of ‘practising Don Bosco’s spirituality’.
“Today we have heard the word ‘Wake up and wait’ in the proclamation of the Gospel. You are now members of the ‘Salesian Family’ by the Promise you have just made before the cross. To the Salesian, ‘wake up and wait’ means none other than living a life faithful to the ‘Da mihi animas cetera tolle’ for the salvation of souls in Don Bosco’s spirit. Starting from your family and then the world around you, give more attention to the poor, care of the young in need, and in a variety of ways accompany their journey of growth” the Provincial, Fr Stephen Nam stressed in his homily. He once again emphasised that it is God's special blessing on the Salesian Family in Korea by giving a large number of new SC members. He asked all present to pray and be active in encouraging new vocations for all Salesian Family Groups, specially those of Consecrated life.
