Dear friends,
My Salesian journey began almost 25 years ago when I answered the call to mission work. What I thought would be a temporary excursion to satisfy a deep-seated desire soon became my life's passion and the way I express and live out my faith. But why is this? What drives the desire to continually give of oneself? What makes the vast majority of lay missioners who serve with the Salesians want to keep coming back, serving more, and staying connected? The answers to these questions weren’t always clear, but with this month’s papal intention for 'shared mission,' the answer has become much clearer.
Don Bosco was ahead of his time in many ways—whether in his approach to education, youth empowerment, or social justice. He was an innovator. One of his lasting innovations is the collaborative spirit in which the Salesians carry out their ministries. As a lay missioner myself, it wasn’t just the specific ministries that kept me coming back; it was this sense of shared mission. The Salesian spirit is alive in this collaboration, and I am always eager to share its beauty with others!
In Don Bosco
▀ Adam Rudin
Director, Salesian Lay Missioners, New Rochelle, USA
Dialogue is a uniquely human activity and a crucial human characteristic where individuals or groups exchange opinions, thoughts, or points of view, consider different options, and even reflect on their own beliefs, opinions, values, or biases. It presupposes attentive listening, respectful discussions, and polite reminders.
God initiated a dialogue of salvation with humankind out of his goodness and love. Humanity did not merit this dialogue. God loved the world so much that he gave His only begotten Son (Jn 3:16). God’s dialogue with humanity is an appeal of love for all, allowing each person to freely accept or reject it. Dialogue was also at the heart of Jesus’ ministry. In response to God’s love and Jesus’ teachings, we are called to engage in similar dialogue with others without waiting to be invited into it.
Catholics believe that the one Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church. Yet, we also acknowledge that Catholics share responsibility for the existing division in the Body of Christ. It is God’s grace that moves all Christians to foster ecumenical dialogue to overcome past divisions, understand better their shared faith in Jesus, building a new communion of love through prayer and repentance, asking for forgiveness for past and present sins of disunity, and fostering cooperation (LG 8; UR 3, 4).
Although interreligious dialogue is part of the Church’s mission ad gentes, however, it is not a new method of converting to Christianity. In interreligious dialogue, followers of different religions are encouraged to articulate the contents of their beliefs. Inversely, it is also an opportunity for Christians to discover the ray of truth present in these religions (NA 2).
There are four types of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue: dialogue of life (sharing ordinary daily life at home, work and play with those of different faiths); dialogue of action (working together based on shared religious and moral values to foster the common good for the betterment of society); dialogue of theological exchange (discussion among experts to understand what we hold in common and where our religious differences lie); and dialogue of religious experience (sharing the fruits of prayer and spiritual practices in each other’s religious tradition).
Every missionary disciple must be a builder of dialogue. By fully committing to the process of listening, sharing, and reflecting, one becomes a powerful and credible witness of God, who initiated the dialogue of salvation.
▀ Fr. Alfred Maravilla, SDB
General Councillor for the Missions
Dear Rafa, Pope Francis, to whom you are now very close in Rome, emphasises concepts such as synodality, co-responsibility, participation, shared mission. What do these things mean to you personally?
The Salesian mission, in participating in the life of the Church, in every pastoral sphere, is the concrete expression of these concepts. In our pastoral educational communities, we are called to offer programmes aimed at those whose rights are violated, to generate itineraries based on respect for each person, and to accompany young people in discovering their place in the world. To do this we must be merciful, feel the other, think of the other, establish healthy and inclusive relationships that lead us to dynamise the societies in which we live as spaces of human warmth, that is, of social friendship, an expression in which Pope Francis' concepts converge.
What could we, as Salesians, do to improve these attitudes?
We are the children of a practical man who understood that the salvation of young people is not beyond the clouds, but here and now, linked to the skills that give young people access to freedom in a culture accustomed to devouring its individuals. Therefore, thinking in Salesian terms about social friendship leads us to consider first of all the people we meet every day. In the personal encounter we discover that sacred space made up of concrete persons, the starting point for accompanying the strengthening of their personality through the development of their talents.
Some missionaries find it difficult to enter into this pastoral paradigm. Why do you think this is so?
I believe that some Salesians still have a mentality of solitary messengers, activists and without a project. The magisterium of the Congregation, in its various areas, recognises these risks and encourages Salesians to be aware of them and reduce them. Each Salesian is assigned to a Province, in which he becomes part of the ‘Pastoral Project’, the fruit of synodality and participation, to live a shared mission. All Salesians are called to be a sign of God's love, putting into practice the teachings of the Reference Framework for Youth Ministry, which is the missionary reading of our Constitutions.
