By Mr. Mitsuhiro Tateishi
Don Bosco Past Pupil

Tokyo, Japan, November 29, 2015 - One of the most important fruits of the Don Bosco Bicentenary in Japan is the launching of the Japan Salesian Youth Movement (=SYM) on November 23 in the St. Mary Cathedral in Tokyo during the conclusions of the Jubilee Year.

What it’s about? All religious groups of the Salesian Family (SDB, FMA and Caritas of Jesus Congregations) trust today more in the potential of the young people to become not only good sheep but also to be transformed in the Shepherd (cf. Don Bosco’s Dream of 1844).

The SYM of Japan at the moment is composed of the following groups: Salesian Parish Youth Groups (Tokyo - Chofu, Shimoigusa and Himonya; Yokohama – Yamato and Saginuma, Hamamatsu), Don Bosco Volunteer Group (DBVG), VIDES Japan (FMA) and Bo-yo-an group of Kyoto.

During the ‘Symposium – Listen to the Youth Voices’ (November 23), six SYM young leaders have shared the wishes for the SYM future development:

• ‘More chance and space for dialogue among the Salesian Family Groups, that put in practice the spirituality of Don Bosco’


• Want to become a school teacher, be present among the young people, spend time with them


• Would like to live with God always at the center of any action and respecting each person


• As last university year student I will take Don Bosco as the topic of my thesis, deepen the Don Bosco perspective, see the world with God’s eyes


• Assistance and accompaniment is very important - Viva Don Bosco!’

The newly born SYM Japan also would like to link to the other SYM of Asia. There are some interesting opportunities, like the Asian Youth Day (2017, Jakarta – Indonesia) and the possible World Youth Day (Seoul Archdiocese candidates for 2019). We tried to search on the Facebook pages and found many possible partners of SYM-Asia and we found some Facebook EAO – SYM pages:

• Australian Salesian Youth Mentors (ASYM) or Sym Australia (AUL),
• 慈幼青年運動(中華會省) Salesian Youth Movement (China Province-CIN)
• Laf Fis (FIS), Salesian Youth Movement – FIS (FIS)
• SYM-Philippines (FIN-FIS)
• SYM Japan 2015 (GIA)
• SYM KOREA (KOR)
• SYM Thailand – เยาวชนซาเลเซียน (THA)

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