austraLasia #3433
China: Spiritual camp equips staff
HONG KONG: 15 May 2014 -- How to receive and how to pass on a spiritual heritage.
This was what principals and leaders from Salesian schools in China Province tackled recently at a 'spiritual camp', involving Salesians and lay people, with special emphasis on training the laity to pass on the Salesian inheritance.
At the end of a 2 day spiritual camp for Salesian Schools’ supervisors and principals, they have equipped themselves with better understanding of Don Bosco’s spiritual experience and with what they could pass on to their teachers and students.
Through different activities, they discovered that the inheritance was not an easy task. Focusing on how to receive the experience and how to pass on the experience accurately and appropriately involved concentration, listening and considerations. Being leaders of Salesian schools, they need to have better understanding of Don Bosco’s spiritual experience, to assess what will be the best way to pass it on to the teachers and students, and to consider how much they can absorb and which parts are useful to them.
“I come so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). Jesus came not only to give life but to give more abundant life. This is the same for all the supervisors and principals, how do they give life and more abundant life to the teachers and students in their schools? As principals of the schools, they have to lead the school by certain religious values and by giving Jesus to the students. This is the spirituality of Don Bosco and his love for the young especially those who are poor and needy. The principals have to be the lay Salesians and to play the role of the Salesian confreres in the school setting.
One of the principals said that although she came alone, she would not feel lonely as there was a Salesian family. The members shared the same mission which was a grace from God instead of a job. She felt so at home to be there. Another principal shared that he nearly forgot his happiness of being related to Jesus. He would remind himself and pass on this experience to his colleagues in school. That would be a true transmission of Salesian spiritual experience. Another principal said that one of the priests reminded him that the schools would rely on lay principals as the Salesian confreres were getting old. Moreover, there were other responsibilities that Salesians needed to take up. Then he understood that this was the spiritual inheritance, the Salesian mission in the schools was handed on from Salesians to lay cooperators.
China: Spiritual camp equips staff
This was what principals and leaders from Salesian schools in China Province tackled recently at a 'spiritual camp', involving Salesians and lay people, with special emphasis on training the laity to pass on the Salesian inheritance.
At the end of a 2 day spiritual camp for Salesian Schools’ supervisors and principals, they have equipped themselves with better understanding of Don Bosco’s spiritual experience and with what they could pass on to their teachers and students.
Through different activities, they discovered that the inheritance was not an easy task. Focusing on how to receive the experience and how to pass on the experience accurately and appropriately involved concentration, listening and considerations. Being leaders of Salesian schools, they need to have better understanding of Don Bosco’s spiritual experience, to assess what will be the best way to pass it on to the teachers and students, and to consider how much they can absorb and which parts are useful to them.
“I come so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). Jesus came not only to give life but to give more abundant life. This is the same for all the supervisors and principals, how do they give life and more abundant life to the teachers and students in their schools? As principals of the schools, they have to lead the school by certain religious values and by giving Jesus to the students. This is the spirituality of Don Bosco and his love for the young especially those who are poor and needy. The principals have to be the lay Salesians and to play the role of the Salesian confreres in the school setting.
One of the principals said that although she came alone, she would not feel lonely as there was a Salesian family. The members shared the same mission which was a grace from God instead of a job. She felt so at home to be there. Another principal shared that he nearly forgot his happiness of being related to Jesus. He would remind himself and pass on this experience to his colleagues in school. That would be a true transmission of Salesian spiritual experience. Another principal said that one of the priests reminded him that the schools would rely on lay principals as the Salesian confreres were getting old. Moreover, there were other responsibilities that Salesians needed to take up. Then he understood that this was the spiritual inheritance, the Salesian mission in the schools was handed on from Salesians to lay cooperators.
