By The Formation Sector

RMG, 20 October 2019 -- In various Salesian cultures and languages young Salesians, during their period of 2-3 years of practical training, are known as 'Assistants', 'Practical trainees', 'Tirocinanti' or 'Regency'. But the reality is the same - one of the most exciting, important and also most challenging period of the whole Salesian life - for the first time, complete exposure to presence among young people, to the dynamics of apostolic communities and lay mission partners. Fr Ivo Coelho, General Councillor for the Missions, recently sent out an important letter - guidelines to all 90 Salesian provinces:

"I'm writing this letter a few steps from the room where Don Bosco wrote his letter of 10 May 1884, giving us his heart and mind about his pedagogy and spirituality, and telling us what kind of Salesians he wanted us to be for the young people of every age'. I would like to reflect with you on what the Constitutions( art. 115), Regulations (art. 86 and 96) and the Ratio (nos 428-429) say, keeping in mind also the finding of the research on Salesian Personal Accompaniment (78% of all 544 practical trainees contributed to this in 2016) with the 'Orientations and Guidelines, 169-170)..."

During the extraordinary missionary month is an appropriate time to get closer to and listen to our practical trainees, the front-line missionaries of the young people. Around the 23 countries of our Region we find about 100 of them in Timor Leste (16), in Vietnam (16), the Philippines (20), Indonesia (5), Korea (7), Thailand 1), Papua New Guinea (4), China province (4), Japan (2), Myanmar (7) Cambodia (3), Mongolia (2) or in Pakistan (1).

While we give thanks for the gift of many Salesian vocations in our Region, we are called to make their accompaniment more closer and effective, especially in this important stage of vocation growth.

The full text of the General Councilor for Formation:

Related articles:

• AustraLasia 5044: What helps you to grow in vocation during practical training? (CIN-FIS-FIN-INA-TLS: 2019)
• AustraLasia 4782 (I) Cambodia practical trainees formation meeting 2018
• AustraLasia 5218 (I) FIN-FIS: practical trainees formation gathering 2019

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