FOREWORD

 

Dear Confrere,

In keeping with the program of the Rector Major and his Council for the coming six years, the Department of Youth Pastoral thought it best to offer a specific formation to the Youth Pastoral Delegates and their teams by giving them a synthesis of the fundamentals of Salesian Youth Ministry in view of better assimilation and implementation of the Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan (SEPP).

This manual is the fruit of the work of the Department of Salesian Youth Ministry. The text has been enriched by the contributions of the General Council and various Provincial Delegates.

This is a summary of the authoritative guidelines of the Congregation on Youth Ministry as a point of reference for all those who are responsible for youth work in the provinces.

The 24th General Chapter (GC 24) proposed a plan of formation of Salesians and the lay people together so that they can together realize the common Salesian educative and pastoral mission (GC 24 #139). This manual can serve as a good guide for such formation.

Therefore this work has been conceived as a guide for reflection for the animators who have to face the day to day problems of youth ministry and help to incarnate these principles in the different cultural contexts. For this reason this document remains open to revision and enrichment brought on by reflection, experience and life itself.

In presenting this manual, I invite you

  • to use this for reflection in the Youth Ministry teams at various levels

  • to circulate this in the communities as a help for pastoral animation ;

  • to enrich this by adapting it to various situations and contexts, especially through the process of making and verifying the functioning of the SEPP

I hope that this text will be of great help to you in your task of pastoral animation. May it also ensure greater convergence of criteria and mentality to further more efficient service to our youth and thus realize better our mission.

 

Rome, 31st January, 1998.

 

Antonio Domenech

Councilor General for Youth Ministry