Rector

RECTOR

A

MAJOR

s it is well-known that there are 23 groups officially part of the Salesian Family (SF). Others will certainly be approved in this special anniversary year. It is very clear therefore that in addition to being an official organisation the SF is a much more open movement. There are so many individuals and groups who recognise Don Bosco’s spirituality as theirs. I also like to think of those innumerable lay collaborators who are working side by side with the Salesians and share the same educational ideal and apostolic commitment. There are tens of thousands of them. And it is only right to remember the even larger number of benefactors and friends; without

I mention the reasons why a group is recognised as belonging to the SF. Several years ago the Rector Major Fr Egidio Viganò suggested some criteria. Above all “participation” in the Salesian vocation: the group which asks to form part of the SF, is called to share in the “charism”. It needs to show therefore that it is moved by the Holy Spirit to look to Don Bosco as the model and teacher and to want to put into practice his charism. All this is easier if the founder is a Salesian or another member of the SF. A second element is participation in the mission to ordinary young people. This means that the group ought to have the same aims: evangelisation and

A VAST MOVEMENT FOR THE YOUNG

SO MANY OTHER SHOOTS The movements “waiting”.

Don Bosco’s Family becomes the inspiration for an even wider Salesian movement when, in addition to the characteristics proper to the various Groups, it is able to express some dynamic uniting factor which reveals the common apostolic identity. (cid 32) their support it would not be possible catechesis, the all-round development to do what is being done in the poorest of the young, especially the poorest and parts of the world. Many of you too, the abandoned, concern for the working dear readers, are part of this great host classes, for social communication for of people. And the young? I’ll tell you missionary work. about something that happened to me A third aspect is a sharing in the spirit recently in Brazil. Various groups of the and in the educative-pastoral method. SF were explaining to the Rector Major The characteristic elements are pastoral their apostolic and Salesian commitment. charity, the family spirit, optimism, They spoke with pride and enthusiasm simple and lively prayer, appreciation for of their love for Don Bosco and their the sacraments and devotion to Mary. involvement in working with the young. Another important element is the At a certain point, a girl, caught up in evangelical life lived according to the the general enthusiasm, came up to me Salesian spirit. The group proposes looking worried: “But we young people, to its members the ideal of the gospel, can we be part of the Salesian Family?”. which can be expressed with religious I replied at once with joy: “Certainly you vows or with simple promises or some can! You are the purpose and the centre other form of commitment, with Don of our family.” In fact, the SF is the most Bosco as the model. beautiful and complete expression of Don Bosco alive today, who puts himself Each group preserves its own specific at the service of the young in a totally character and autonomy. Being an up-to-date and committed way. active part of the SF, it is committed 

Don bosco march 2009

to creating an active spirit of fraternity in collaboration with the other groups and recognising in the successor of Don Bosco the role of Father and centre of unity in the great Salesian movement. These elements are the basis of a deep communion and apostolic fraternity. Don Bosco had tried to do all that was possible to establish a close union among the groups he founded. Today, actively faithful to his desires, we are continuing to find ways together to strengthen this communion. There are more than a few groups who ask for a closer charismatic link. I shall mention some of them, not without expressing my total affection for those un-named. “The Disciples” founded by Fr G. D’Souza who are working in the field of evangelisation; the “Comunidade Cançao Nova” of Father Jonas Abib dedicated to evangelisation through the media (radio and tv, songs, music); the “Misioneras de Maria Auxiliadora” of Sr A. L. Bimos; the “Community of the Mission of Don Bosco”, composed of lay people who also make a special promise; the Mamma Margaret Association, springing up almost spontaneously in various parts of the world, dedicated to supporting by their prayers their own consecrated sons and daughters. The charism of Don Bosco is alive and fruitful. And today more than ever we feel the need for it. The SF is making it present in a vival and original way. We are happy to represent its presence, its passion for education, its missionary heart and its love for the young who are poor and abandoned.

Pascual Chavez Villanueva sdb

RECTOR

F

MAJOR

or Don Bosco religious instruction was the foundation of any kind of education. Although a little simplistic, perhaps the formula that best expresses his thought is: upright citizens and good Christians. In other words, the values of our holy religion ought to inspire and guide the development of all the potential of the young person until he becomes independent. But in the context of the evolution of modern societies, it is not clear that education and evangelisation should be united and has mutual influence. “Today the tendency is to present the educational situation in prevalently secularist terms,” said Egidio Vigano. It is easy to interpret the ‘professionalism

not so much with the imposition of norms as with rendering freedom more responsible, with developing individual enterprise with reference to his conscience, the authentic quality of his love, and his social dimensions. It is a true process of personalisation to be brought to maturity in each individual.” Education cannot be reduced to simple method. Education is essentially linked to the evolving process of the individual. “It has something in common with fatherhood and motherhood, as though sharing in the process of human generation for fundamental values such as truth, freedom, love, work, justice, solidarity, sharing, dignity of life, etc. And for this very reason it is concerned with

EDUCATING WITH THE HEART OF DON BOSCO

EDUCATING EVANGELISING-2

“Our art as educators is pastoral in character not only in the sense that on the part of the educator it flows from and is explicitly nourished each day by apostolic charity, but also in the sense that the whole educative process with everything it contains and in all its methodology is directed towards the Christian goal of salvation and is permeated by its light and its grace.”

of educators’ by reducing them to the level of simple teachers. “The danger of our cultural task becoming disjointed from our pastoral commitment is a very real one. Educating and evangelising are two activities which in themselves are different, but, the essential unity of the young person requires that they be not separated” Educational activity finds its place in the area of culture and forms part of earthly reality; it refers to the process of the assimilation and the combination of human values that are evolving, with a specific goal and its own justification that should not be exploited. Its aim is a person’s human development, in other words for the adolescent to learn the art of being a person. It is a question of a process of growth that is long and gradual. “It is concerned 

the avoidance of whatever is degrading and deviant, the idolatries such as riches, power, sex, and marginalisation, violence, selfishness, etc. Its aim is to bring about the growth of the young person from within, so that he becomes a responsible adult and behave as an upright citizen. Education therefore means sharing with a fatherly and maternal love in the growth of the individual concerned, while fostering collaboration with others to the same end. Educational relationships presuppose, that, a number of different agencies are working together.” “Evangelisation on the other hand is directed, of its nature, to the passing on and the fostering of the Christian faith; it belongs to the order of those salvation events that flow from the presence of God in history; it aims at Don bosco june 2008

making them known, communicating them and making them come alive in the liturgy and testimony.” Having noted this distinction, we would say that in all circumstances we ought to consider as fundamental and indispensable the interdependent relationship between the process of maturing as a human being and growing as a Christian. Education ought to take its inspiration from the Gospel and that evangelisation needs to be adapted to the evolving situation of the one being educated. Our way of evangelising aims at forming a person who is mature from all points of view. Our education aims at opening people to God and to man’s eternal destiny. To be evangelising, education needs to take into consideration some factors: the priority of the individual in respect of other ideological or institutional interests, care of the environment that ought to be rich in human and Christian values, the evangelical quality and the consistency of the cultural proposal that is offered through the programmes and activities; seeking the common good, commitment towards those most in need; the question of the meaning of life, a sense of the transcendent and openness to God, the provision of an education that fosters in the young the desire to progress in their formation and to be involved as Christians in society and on behalf of others. The Christian educator in the Salesian style is someone who takes up the work of education seeing it as a way of collaborating with God in the growth and development of individuals.

Pascual Chavez Villanueva

RECTOR

W

MAJOR

e know the origins of Salesian work. Don Bosco himself described the first boys at the oratory: “As a rule the Oratory boys included stonecutters, bricklayers, stuccoers, road pavers, plasterers, and others who came from distant villages. They were not churchgoers, and had few friends; so they were exposed to the dangers of perversion”. Those aimed at therefore, in Don Bosco’s charism, are the most needy youngsters, sons of the people, from the working class. In his circular letter “He had compassion on them”, Fr J. Vecchi draws attention to the new scenario for the educational work of the Salesians: “Economic, social and cultural

exploitation of minors, child soldiers, etc. This is painting a black picture, but it is an incomplete one. Concern for the “least” is always present in the formulation of our plans, understanding by the least youngsters at risk, living in economic, cultural and religious poverty, the poor in affective moral and spiritual terms, those suffering on account of family problems, the youngsters living on the margins of society and of the Church. The first response is the work of education with these young people. The Salesian charism continues to write glorious pages in history, setting in motion the vast social programmes of prevention and assistance in all the continents: in refugee camps, with

EDUCATING WITH THE HEART OF DON BOSCO

THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SALESIAN EDUCATION

“If I want… to feel the dropouts and the drug addicts, those without work and without hope as brothers, not as a different species; if I want to put Christianity into practice, also in society, and I might say one that is sanctified socialist… if I want to relate not in a way that is paternalistic but fatherly, not authoritarian but authoritative, not repressive but with understanding, not one of communication but of communion… I have perfectly understood that I need to turn to Don Bosco”. factors are bringing about a new configuration of society. Hence the priorities of our mission are also changing, at least to some extent: the subjects to whom we give preference, the gospel messages to be disseminated and the educational programmes to be set in motion.” The old and the new forms of poverty among the young are a constant challenge to the creativity of the charism and make it relevant. Often on the television screen we see images, aspects and the effects of poverty, such as hunger, the exodus of thousands of refugees the victims of ethnic conflicts, religious discrimination, wars about spheres of influence. And again, unstable urbanisation that creates the phenomenon of urban marginalisation, immigration, child labour, the situation of women, the sexual 

street children, in the rehabilitation of childsoldiers and sexually exploited youngsters, in a great variety of projects on behalf of emigrants. The educative worth of the Preventive System shows its effectiveness in putting the wayward youngsters on the right path, and when they have already embarked on the wrong one helping them not to make worse choices. However, we have to avoid a certain “moda pauperistica”, which becomes demagogy and leads us to talk about the poor, without doing anything for the poor. It is not possible to educate to the values of compassion and solidarity from a standpoint of the satisfied and the powerful, nor even of being neutral. In order to educate to solidarity and justice it is necessary to assume the place of the “victims” in society. Don bosco july 2008

The Church has always seen in the poor “a theological place of encounter with God”. Following an interpretation in gospel terms of the situation of the Latin American continent, the Congress in Puebla affirmed “the need for the conversion of the whole Church to a preferential option for the poor in view of their complete liberation.” The accelerating speed of change, the giddy rhythm with which events follow one after another can result in a certain deadening of our sensitivities or those of the young. It is necessary to find “the appropriate pedagogical means” to keep the heart always open to the cry of life in search of survival and dignity. It is here that education has to say something critical as a means of analysing the situation and of removing all that does not appear to be just. In the face of a world that is individualist and not open to the needs of others, education has to work to overcome indifference and reawaken feelings of concern for social issues, help people to become more aware of the world around us V assess it critically and to and to learn how to feel responsible for and active agents in what happens, taking part in drawing up replies that go beyond having recourse to violence. Poverty and marginalisation are a phenomenon that is not just economic, but rather something that concerns the conscience and challenges society’s way of thinking. For this reason, moral education and education in general should be seen as something of real urgency in a society in which the great problems of the human race, and the principles that govern relationships between the people and the state, and the natural environment, require new ethical and moral guidelines rather than technical and scientific solutions.

Pascual Chavez Villanueva sdb

RECTOR

F

MAJOR

undamental for the carrying out of the Salesian Educative Pastoral Plan (EPP) is the Educative/Pastoral Community (EPC): a group which “involves young people and adults, parents and educators… so that it can become an experience of Church and a revelation of God’s plan for us.” From the earliest days, around Don Bosco this family community was being formed, in which the young people themselves played a leading role and shared responsibility. Within it there was an atmosphere imbued with the values of the Preventive System, with well-defined spiritual and pastoral characteristics, clear objectives and a convergence of roles thought out and coordinated with the young people in mind. The complexity of the social, cultural and religious circumstances of

effort at formation on the part of all its members. Unfortunately young people often feel themselves lost and at a loss, noticing that what happens around them on the streets, in the family, at school or in the youth centre doesn’t always coincide, nor do they have the same educational objectives. The EPC is not a new structure but a community of people, in which the same vital values are shared and contribute to forming an identity in which all are happy to participate. It is called educative because at its centre is the concern to promote the all-round development of the young, to bring to maturity their potential in all areas: the physical, psychological, cultural, professional, and

EDUCATING WITH THE HEART OF DON BOSCO

THE EDUCATIVE/PASTORAL COMMUNITY

“The animating nucleus of the EPC [Educative-Pastoral Community] is becoming composed ever more of other subjects (young and lay people, members of the Salesian Family, representatives of the local Church and neighbourhood) who share our spirituality and mission committing themselves to animation. Within it the Salesian community plays the role of the charismatic point of reference from which all take their inspiration.” young people today requires the existence the transcendent. And it is called pastoral and successful functioning of such a because it opens up to evangelisation, it community, so as to make educational walks beside the young, brings about an activity possible. Education is a social experience of Church, in which the values phenomenon the result of the coming of human and Christian communion are together of individuals, procedures and, to be found. In a secularised and secular competences, according to a shared world, the EPC aims to be an outstanding plan. The Salesian system requires an Christian community, leaven in the locality atmosphere of real involvement and of in which it is possible to present, to live genuine friendly fraternal relationships and to celebrate the faith. In addition to in which the sharing of the values of the Salesian community (the guarantee Salesian spirituality is the foundation of of its identity and of communion), and communication and of participation in the to the young people (we work for them, mission. In this sense, the EPC is not just among them, with them and through the subject but also the object of Pastoral them), the parents belong to it as those Ministry and therefore requires a constant primarily responsible for education. The 

Don bosco SEPTEMBER 2008

family, in fact ought to be considered the fundamental and primary setting for education and evangelisation. In this sense it becomes the object of the educational and pastoral concern of the EPC. Many lay people are involved in the educative community in various capacities especially members of the Salesian Family who are working in the locality. All of them collaborate at different levels in drawing up the educative plan which is the focus of all the various activities: they work together in the educational process itself. Keeping themselves professionally and pedagogically up-to-date and spiritually motivated, is one the main concerns of the EPC and all the members and all the various categories involved in the educational process. The ongoing formation of the educator is a basic requirement. It is necessary to invest time, resources and people in the formation of all those engaged in educative/pastoral work. The EPC is a living organism, the subject and the object of education and of pastoral work, a work-shop where the needs and the challenges of culture, the anxieties and the hopes of the young people converge and where an effort is made to find, create and dream solutions. In the face of so many disappointments, it needs to bear witness to the fact that nowadays education is the best way to transform society, preparing the new generations and persuading them

Pascual Chavez Villanueva sdb

RECTOR

A

MAJOR

t forty years of age, Don Bosco became aware that God was calling him to a mission among the young, and that at the Oratory he would fulfil his life’s purpose. In this way the Oratory entered into the plan of salvation as a response to a divine call, not as a work founded on one person’s good will. But he had to overcome many obstacles: the difficulty of gathering the boys together, lack of economic resources and of a suitable place, the need for a new pastoral strategy and a previously untried training programme as a response to the immigration that saw the population of Turin increase in ten years by 17%. He didn’t consider economic development an evil in itself; he didn’t see the education of the masses

the expression of the planning mentality that needs to guide the implementation of the mission in the various different works, directing the process to incarnate the mission in a specific context, the precise identification of the particular sort of the person one wants to form. At the centre is the individual young person, seen from all points of view (his physical nature, his intelligence, emotions, will) and his relationships (with himself, with others and with God). The SEPP addresses its attention primarily to young people who are the poorest and in difficulty. Before being a document it is a communal mental process of involvement, clarification and identification, aimed at generating practical synergy based on objective

EDUCATING WITH THE HEART OF DON BOSCO

The Educative Project

“The Salesian educative Project is the element of the inculturation of the charism.” “[It] directs and guides an educative process in which multiple interventions and resources interact in the service of the gradual and integral development of the young person.” – a source of apprehension in the more conservative circles – as an evil to be eradicated, but as a resource to be made good use of in the formation of the young. Recognising that “organised” church structures were not coping in the face of social inequalities and cultural changes, he tried new ways, he opened up new avenues on behalf of the young people uprooted from their natural environment and he sought new and more courageous educational horizons, bringing to life ideas and works. So he drew up the “Regulations for the Oratory” to put into practice his own educational method: it is the foundation stone of the “Salesian Educational Pastoral Project,” the SEPP. THE PRACTICAL WAY The SEPP is the practical way for our own day of carrying out the Salesian mission, 

educational criteria and shared courses of action, in this way avoiding a dissipation of energies. The SEPP is the “identity card” of every Salesian work. Society is becoming ever more complex and global; a planetary culture is emerging on a huge scale and pluralistic in character, in which the means of social communication rapidly spread values, languages, criteria, models and styles of life that are often contradictory and ambiguous. Frequently young people find themselves on their own as they look for meaning in life; fearful in the face of an uncertain future, incapable of making clear and long-term decisions. The family, the school and the Church seem to lose the privileged role they used to have as determining factors. In this situation the SEPP should appear as having something worth-while to offer, Don bosco october 2008

as it accepts young people where they are, encourages in them a process that leads to full human maturity and enables them to take a leading role in living their own lives. THE OBJECTIVE OF SEPP Young peoples’ expectations vary. Many are a long way from the faith almost without being aware of it. For others religion has a low priority and they practise only occasionally. In all of them however, it is possible to perceive a need for truth, freedom, human development, and the desire even if only implicit for a deeper knowledge of the mystery of God. Therefore from the point of view of an education that evangelises and an evangelisation that educates, the aim of the SEPP is that every young person should come to a synthesis of faith and culture in his own life: arrive at a mature faith that constitutes a person’s core values and his view of the world, one that is open to all the challenges posed by cultural, committed to putting into practice his own options and values; that stimulates and further encourages the processes of human development according to the gospel model. Indeed the SEPP is the expression for these times of Don Bosco’s Educational System, the practical way for our own day through which Don Bosco wants to show his passion for the salvation of youth and realise his dream of making every young person “an upright citizen and a good Christian”.

Pascual Chavez Villanueva sdb