India – South Asia Team Visit, Day 2: “Preferential Option for Poor, Abandoned Youth”

03 March 2023

(ANS – Hyderabad) – The second day of the Team Visit of the Rector Major and the General Council dealt deeply on the topic of youth and youth ministry. Fr Miguel Angel García, General Councillor for Youth Ministry, restated the words of Don Bosco: “Be the signs of the times.” He continued to explain that being signs of the times in the present digital world mean: “scanned,” “read,” “interpreted,” and “assessed.” It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness and it’s our duty to discover what the Lord is saying to us, Salesians. “Don’t settle down for less than what you can achieve” Fr. Miguel Angel García remarked with a broad smile.

Going further, the other speakers Bro Sunny Joseph and Fr Gildasio Mendes, General Councillor for Social Communication, reminded the gathering that poor and abandoned youth and their environment should be centrifugal to our formation manual. “If our option is not for the poor, our mission is dead,” affirmed Fr Gildasio. Bro Jean Paul Muller called on the Salesians of South Asia and the World to be ready to develop plans to ensure sustainability of the mission towards the poor youth. He warned that the time of abundance is over, and the era of disillusionment has begun.

Fr Stefano Martoglio, the Vicar of the Rector Major, reiterated that “In this “time” of ours, dominated by digital media, it is particularly necessary to make the charism “visible,” throw light on the message, transmit the reasons for our hope and the meaning of our choice more directly. This is important in the new frontiers of missions, but also and above all in making the old frontiers ever new, so that they do not lose the meaning that gave rise to them initially.”

Fr Pathiaraj Rayappan and Fr Alfred Maravilla, General Councillor for Missions, enlightened the assembly about the lay dimension that is talked about over the years to make the mission of Don Bosco more relevant and lasting. The general discussions after every presentation helped the participants to understand deeply the commitment needed for today’s youth ministry.

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