EAO TEAM VISIT 2017
HUA HIN

           

Day 4: March 10, 2017. Friday. 11:00am. Theme: Formation. Fr. Ivo Coelho

Province Sharing on Formation
Guide Questions:

• It has been suggested that there is a link between vocational fragility and the quality of youth ministry. If you agree, could you say why? What can be done to improve the quality of our youth ministry?
• What do you think of the Salesian mission as a vocational springboard? How could we work out concrete ways of making mission the starting point of vocational discernment?
• Do you think discernment and accompaniment are important in vocation animation and initial formation? How could we ensure good discernment and accompaniment?

FIN PROVINCE
Question 1:

1. For FIN, we understand vocational fragility/stability as the quality of perseverance of the SDBs.
2. When youth ministry is done as a community effort and mission it becomes one of the factors for the perseverance of the SDBs.
3. Quality of Youth Ministry:

• Planned and discerned by community (EPC);
• Support system within the community (EPC);
• Community witness

4. Apart from the quality of youth ministry, there are other factors that affect the vocational fragility/stability of confreres.

Question 2:

• For FIN, we understand Salesian mission as vocational springboard in terms of vocation promotion.
• When Salesian mission is owned and done by the community and concrete vocational proposals are made by the community, Salesian mission becomes an effective springboard of vocational discernment.

Question 3:

• YES.
• To ensure good discernment and accompaniment:
• Group experience provided to the candidates and young confreres.
• Connections with their families.
• Constant and continuing follow-up in terms of spiritual, human and vocational growth.  SDBs and lay partners are ready to accompany candidates in the above areas.

AUL PROVINCE
Question 1:

• Our candidates (aspirants/pre-novices) get good youth ministry experiences
• There is not necessarily a link (in our view) between vocational fragility and the quality of youth ministry experiences

Question 2:

• Volunteer/Immersion experiences have been significant aspects of discernment for some
• Involvement in camp leadership is often a springboard for vocational discernment (Australia)
• Involvement in parish youth groups is a significant point (Samoa)

Question 3:

• Yes, discernment and accompaniment are extremely important
• Formation of Formators in appropriate discernment and accompaniment

MYM on Formation

• A link between vocational fragility and the quality of youth ministry……

YES.
WHY?

• In youth ministry, our charismatic identity shines out.
• In Youth Ministry, one can discern his vocation to the Salesian Religious Life authentically
• To improve youth ministry …….
• Thorough study and assimilation of the Frame of Reference at the provincial and local level
• Salesian mission as a vocational springboard…

Salesian mission is a vocational springboard for it is the place where the young encounter with and be attracted to the Salesian Religious life.

• Concrete ways of making mission the starting point of vocational discernment….
• Create the experience of Salesian Youth Pastoral Ministry in the initial stages of formation
• Discernment and accompaniment are important in vocation animation and initial formation…

Yes. Because we had bitter experience in the past of losing so many young confreres in initial formation.

• To ensure good discernment and accompaniment….
• Formation of formators.
• Regular meeting and assessment done by the formation commission team
• Knowledge of the person of the candidate and his family

THA REFLECTION ON FORMATION
Question 1:
Yes, vocation is the crowning point of our youth ministry. 
Youth ministry is the work of everyone, not only of those in the Commission.  

What can be done to improve the quality of our Youth Ministry?

• The commission on YM will organize and assist all Salesian settings to implement the program of vocation discernment and accompaniment.
• Integrate vocation accompaniment of young people in universities in the vocation program.

Question 2:
How could we work out concrete ways of making mission the starting point of vocational discernment?

• Exposure of our young people and vocation candidates to our mission works in the province, not only to our existing schools.
• Promote volunteer works with formation and follow up among our students and staff in school.

Question 3:
Yes. 1,000%
How could we ensure good discernment and accompaniment?

• Make confreres aware and be committed to the true identity of our mission through constant talks and reminders.
• Send Salesians for formation to equip and prepare them for pastoral works, spiritual guidance, discernment and formation.
• Form and delegate gradually to lay mission partners some administrative works to free Salesians for pastoral works, formation and accompaniment.

 

FIS PROVINCE

 

 

 

GIA  Formation

• 1) vocational fragility and quality of Youth Ministry
• We recognized again importance that…
•   Pastoral for vocation is the top of Youth Ministry.
•   Formandi learn a lot from experience but need always reflect and discern by accompaniment by formatores.
• We shared also about difficulties and challenges like…
•   Balance between pastoral activity and study (lack of intellectual growth because of busy pastoral)
•   Communication and working together between formation staffs and confreres of accepting communities
•   Lack of reflection especially about experience of practical training
• 2) Salesian mission as a vocational springboard　

• Province has continued vocational camp more than 40 years and most of confreres under 50 are from this camp. We also continue to send aspirants and formandi to this camp as staffs as occasion of discernment their vocation.
• Aspirantate challenge : need more not only spiritual and pastoral aspect but also intellectual growth

 

• 3) discernment and accompaniment　

• Need to have more occasions for Youth ministry team to accompany youth (gatherings and personal accompaniment)
• Need to think about other confreres and communities (except formation staff and community) that can accompany youth
• Need to accompany not only youth but also their families
• Very positive for our formands to do international experience in the Philippines and Australia.

 

KOR-Formation

• Answer:
• We think that there is a link between vocational fragility and the quality of youth ministry because our vocation was born for the youth ministry, therefore, the better quality of youth ministry we take, the stronger vocation we have.
• To improve the quality of our Youth Ministry, we can:
• Accept candidates who are really interested in serving the young who are in need,
• Give the initial formandi a good experience of the pastoral works, such as summer camp, and

• Make the Provincial Delegate and his team mentality of planning together and of cooperating in their works.
• To make mission the starting point of vocational discernment, we can:
• Have the vocation camp in our settings where there are poor and disadvantaged young people that the candidates can think and discern well their vocation with them, and
• Keep the weekend apostolate in the formation houses, such as visiting the juvenile reformatory so that the initial formandi more grasp their mission and deepen their vocation.
• We think that discernment and accompaniment are important in vocation animation and initial formation. To ensure good discernment and accompaniment, we can:
• Animate rectors where there are the initial formandi to accompany them well,
• Especially give strong attention to rectors who take care of the practical trainees so that the rectors may accompany them continuously and carefully, and 
• Offer formators well prepared and organized formation for formators.

 

PGS - FORMATION

1. It has been suggested that there is a link between vocational fragility and the quality of youth ministry. If you agree, could you say why? What can be done to improve the quality of our youth ministry?

• We agree.
• Event-centred youth ministry without planned processes and personal accompaniment will not lead to vocation ministry as the crown of youth ministry.
• Constant change in the Delegate for Youth Ministry was not helpful to continuity of programs.

2. What do you think of the Salesian mission as a vocational springboard? How could we work out concrete ways of making mission the starting point of vocational discernment?

• We need to make sacrifices to give priority to the quality of youth ministry, for example, making the Delegate for Youth Ministry a full-time job.
• Apostolic schools and pre-aspirantates can be more encouraged, strengthened and staffed with prepared personnel.

 

3. Do you think discernment and accompaniment are important in vocation animation and initial formation? How could we ensure good discernment and accompaniment?

• Yes, we agree.
• We need to invest in sending Salesians for discernment and accompaniment.

ITM GROUP

Questions:

• It has been suggested that there is a link between vocational fragility and the quality of YM. If you agree, could you say why? What can be done to improve the quality of our YM?

• Yes we are all agree that there is a link between the two…

There is no systematic plan;

• Establish good and systematic plan among: YM, delegate for formation and In-charge of Vocation;

 

Accompaniment…Frequent contact with the young (especially those who are aspiring to be salesian) by motivating them and talking to them about salesian vocation.

 

• What do you think of the Salesian mission as a vocational springboard? How could we work out concrete ways of making mission the starting point of vocational discernment?

• The crown of YM is Salesian vocation;

 

• Joyful witnessing to our Salesian vocation as a concrete way of making mission the starting point of Salesian discernment;

• Do you think discernment and accompaniment are important in vocation animation and initial formation? How could we ensure good discernment and accompaniment?

 

Yes we do…
To ensure good discernment and accompaniment there is a need

• To assign qualified formators to the formation houses;
• To create healthy environment which will enable the salesians to accompany the  young people in vocational discernement;

 

VIE REFLECTION

• Link between vocational fragility and quality of YM. How to improve?

- Situation: Fragility in charismatic identity, in Salesian charismatic mission;  closed mentality [wait and see], not only in young but also in working confreres;
How to improve:
- Doctrine: Salesian Ministry curriculum + courses in combination with Salesianity;

• Practicum:  Weekend ministry + Summer ministry: a comprehensive plan is being studied and worked out and put into experiment this Summer [June-July] by both YMC and FC

• Salesian Mission as vocational springboard?

Reply: Affirmative that it is starting point of vocational discernment and accompaniment;
Close collaboration between YM and Formation Commissions regarding entering candidates; strengthening the motivations in terms of clarification  .
Process: Strategy: From motivation clarification to identity assimilation

• Discernment and accompaniment? How to ensure good discernment and accompaniment?
• Guidance of the FM & YM is followed. Seminars were held for formators and YM Salesians; practical process is being put into process [eg. 4 times/years for college students; one more year before prenovitiate.
• The role of formators is so important: affirmative! They need to be prepared; they need to be updated;
• Learning is a bilateral process: formators learn from experiences in working with candidates to improve their discernment skills and accompaniment.

Formation – CIN

• It has been suggested that there is a link between vocational fragility and the quality of Salesian youth ministry. If you agree, could you say why? What can be done to improve the quality of our Youth Ministry?
• If a vocation has no apostolic exposure, it will be fragile. If an apostolic fire can be lit up, the vocation will be strong
• Young confreres have to be involved in Youth Ministry organized by the province in team work, not just do individual apostolate/ activities
• Young people enjoy staying together, but lack sometimes the formation of leadership in youth ministry
• Create a vocation culture: youth ministry should not be activity based, but includes reflection (accompaniment, spiritual experience, human growth, sharing of experiences in family gatherings, systematic experimental learning, pastoral mentorship etc.)
• youth ministry is closely linked to vocation promotion

 

• What do you think of the Salesian mission as a vocational springboard? How could we work out concrete ways of making mission the starting point of vocational discernment?
• We agree on mission as a vocational springboard, however, it is not enough that we “like” to be with the young. Accompaniment, spiritual guidance is necessary.
• Several vocations were born in the volunteer service (torch movement)

• Do you think discernment and accompaniment are important in vocation animation and initial formation? How could we ensure good discernment and accompaniment?
• Formation of formator is a crucial issue
• Reflection provided by the formator
• The formators should not be detached from the youth ministry; they need personal contact with the young
• The need of spiritual directors