Salesian Youth Spirituality At the very outset, if you are in search of a proper definition of ‘Spirituality’, forget about it. Search engines on the internet will give you over five million hits to define ‘Spirituality’ and over eleven million entries for a ‘Definition of Spirituality’. I don’t intend to give you another one. Like each one’s fingerprints, each one does possess a unique ‘spirituality’ expressed and lived out in the daily bustle of life.

Pope John Paul II rightly acknowledged Don Bosco as a ‘Master of Youth Spirituality’. As Salesians journeying with the young, we cannot but be proponents of Salesian Youth

Spirituality (SYS), a style of educative holiness which prompts every young person each day to grow in Christ, the perfect man, by developing his interior dynamic forces towards maturity of faith. Salesian Youth Spirituality can best be understood in the following perspective: The adjective ‘Salesian’ distinguishes the project from other proposals offered within the Church. The adjective ‘youth’ underlines the fact that this proposal refers to young people and has the characteristics of youthfulness even when it is lived out by adults, as is the case for the Salesians and the Sisters. The noun ‘spirituality’ attempts to reclaim a serious and challenging commitment based on the tradition of discipleship. Finally we are saying that we want the ‘Salesian’ and ‘youth’ aspects of our spirituality to encourage us to live that gospel radicality that has been the mark of so many Christians before us. (RM, AGC 334) Don Bosco’s educative system is holistic to the core. The Preventive System stands on four pillars: Presence (Home: physical dimension), Reason (School: Intellectual dimension), Religion (Church: Spiritual dimension) and Loving Kindness (Heart: Social Dimension).

AUGUST 2013 VOL. 01 ISSUE 001

To enable our youth to mature into GodTo enable our youth to mature into GodTo enable our youth to mature into God---fearing people and responsible citizens, fearing people and responsible citizens, fearing people and responsible citizens,

we cannot but propose our Salesian Youth Spirituality.we cannot but propose our Salesian Youth Spirituality.we cannot but propose our Salesian Youth Spirituality.

---Fr. Glenford Lowe sdbFr. Glenford Lowe sdbFr. Glenford Lowe sdb

Fr. Glenford Lowe sdb

Youth Director

The Salesian Youth Movement (SYM)

The Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) was founded in

1988 - the centenary of the death of St. John Bosco, the

founder and father of the Salesian Family. The SYM

became a meeting place for developing friendship, and a

fertile ground for encouraging the commitment and

activism of young people. Don Bosco created different

forms of youth associations which he wanted to be the

“work of the young people themselves."

The SYM comprises of groups and associations which

accept the Salesian spirituality. While remaining

autonomous in organization and operation, they

guarantee a significant educational presence in the new

forms of youth groups, animating them to have a

meaningful experience of Church life. The SYM gathers

young people from every kind of background: from those

who keep their distance from the Church and spirituality,

to those who consciously and explicitly take upon

themselves the Salesian proposal and apostolic

commitment.

One particular purpose of the movement is to form good

Christians and honest citizens, according to the possibilities

of each individual, following the intentions of Don Bosco.

The SYM has the minimum basic structure to guarantee and

coordinate the circulation of the values of Salesian Youth

Spirituality. It comprises of groups and associations which

accept the Salesian Youth Spirituality. The SYM is present

in every country in which there are activities of the Salesian

Family and lay persons who have been educated by them.

At DBYS our mission is:

to share in the mission of the Church and of the

Salesian Congregation.

to serve the young, and more specifically, to empower

those who serve the young in the personal, intellectual,

cultural, emotional, psychological and spiritual

spheres of life.

to provide animation programs to cater to the all-

round development of youth.

to provide healthy and wholesome recreation and

leisure activities during the holiday seasons.

to empower and equip youth through various training

programs and life skills.

to offer possibility of counselling and career guidance

and reflection on life and its various experiences.

to educate young adults to understand the meaning of

love and responsible parenthood.

to provide spiritual programs for personal renewal and

deepening of one’s faith.

to educate young adults to understand the meaning of

love and responsible parenthood.

Our Vision at DBYS: Nurturing Lives Significantly through the SYM Our Vision at DBYS: Nurturing Lives Significantly through the SYM Our Vision at DBYS: Nurturing Lives Significantly through the SYM

and by living the Salesian Youth Spirituality (SYS).and by living the Salesian Youth Spirituality (SYS).and by living the Salesian Youth Spirituality (SYS).

Fr. Cleophas Braganza sdb

Asst. Youth Director

The Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) is

coordinated at the national level by Don Bosco Youth Animation - South Asia (DBYA-SA). This body has as its mission to reach out to youngsters, particularly the poor and the abandoned, enabling them to create empowered and vibrant youth and youth groups. It focuses on providing animators with a spiritual, social and interpersonal orientation, so that they may enable other youth to develop a sense of belonging to the Church and to civil society

The youth animation programs organised

within the Salesian provinces in India have been regional youth conventions, youth fests, altar servers’ rallies, advent and Lenten retreats, youth Pasch, Christmas preparations, carol singing, youth Eucharist, Taizé prayer experience, faith formation, cultural programs, formative sessions, evangelization through media, musicals, vocational guidance, career fair, talent discovery, outreach activities, recreational and educational activities and outings.

The Youth Pastoral Council and Board of

DBYA-SA met from 31st October to 5th November

2012 at Don Bosco Institute - Guwahati, to evaluate the present situation of the SYM in India. The priority and focus of the SYM, its basis (Salesian Youth Spirituality [SYS] & Salesian Pedagogy), situation and context (impact of globalization, stratification of ages, situation of youth in urban and rural India), and prospects for future development were discussed. On the sidelines of this meeting, Fr. Edwin Colaco from the Mumbai province who is the national coordinator for groups and movements organised a forum for the province coordinators to share and discuss about the youth groups within each province. At this forum it was decided that a draft of a youth manual would be prepared.

The initiatives which have already been

implemented are the preparation of a DBYA website: donboscoyouthindia.org, the preparation of an SYM India logo, the composition of an anthem for SYM India, with the audio and video tracks available on YouTube, and the publication of an SYM India e-Letter. Handbooks for Don Bosco Youth Groups and for SYM Animators are being compiled, while special SYM resources are being emailed monthly and the SYM India Cloud Resource bank is already online.

Goals to be reached till 2015 are the formation

of Youth Animating Teams (YAT) in each province, the formation of 500 Don Bosco youth groups at the national level, the organisation of a pan-India Salesian Youth Day, the launching of online counselling and online retreats, training programmes in SYS, Salesian pedagogy, formation of youth groups, mobilisation of youth in the areas of socio-political commitment and eco-spirituality, and the use of modern technologies for communication and coordination.

DBYA-SA Groups and Movements will be

organizing a mega event: the SYM Day – to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco in 2015. Its aim is to bring Salesian youth from around the country together, to help them meet and share the rich diversity of SYM groups, and to enable them to take the SYS and Salesian pedagogy to heart.

Looking forward to SYM Day Looking forward to SYM Day Looking forward to SYM Day ––– 2015…2015…2015… Its aim is to bring Salesian youth from around the country together Its aim is to bring Salesian youth from around the country together Its aim is to bring Salesian youth from around the country together

to help them take the SYS and Salesian pedagogy to heart.to help them take the SYS and Salesian pedagogy to heart.to help them take the SYS and Salesian pedagogy to heart.

SALESIAN YOUTH MOVEMENT – INDIA

Fr. Edwin Colaco sdb

Delegate for Groups and Movements—South Asia

Pope Francis was known as Cardinal Jorge

Mario Bergoglio before his election.

He was the archbishop of Buenos Aires - Argentina,

and was already a prominent figure throughout Latin

America; yet he remained a simple pastor deeply

loved by his diocese.

Facts you didn’t know about Pope Francis:

He is the first pope born outside of Europe in

more than 1,000 years and is also the first Jesuit

pope.

He chose the name Francis in honour of St.

Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century monk known for

his charity and kindness.

Pope Francis elected not to live in the official

Papal residence, but to remain in the Vatican

guest house.

Bergoglio has been a supporter of the San Lorenzo de

Almagro football club since his childhood.

The only known health crisis of his youth was that, at

the age of 21 he suffered from life-threatening

pneumonia and three cysts and had part of a lung

removed shortly afterwards.

As a sixth-grade pupil, Bergoglio attended Wilfrid

Barón de los Santos Ángeles, a school of the

Salesians of Don Bosco.

Once he even washed the feet of newborn children

and pregnant women. It is recorded that in 2001, he

washed the feet of 12 patients with AIDS at an

Argentine hospice.

He cooks his own meals and is trained as a chemist.

He shows compassion and refuses to condemn gay

persons. Yet he was critical of Argentina's decision to

legalize same-sex marriage, calling it destructive

attack on God's plan. He also opposes adoption of

children by gay couples.

After being elected pope, he remained standing on the

same level as the cardinal-electors rather than sitting

on a throne.

-Angel Abraham

“Young people came to see the popular Pope John Paul II. “Young people came to see the popular Pope John Paul II. “Young people came to see the popular Pope John Paul II.

Young people came to hear the intelligent Pope Benedict XVI. Young people came to hear the intelligent Pope Benedict XVI. Young people came to hear the intelligent Pope Benedict XVI.

Today young people flock to live like the simple Pope Francis.” Today young people flock to live like the simple Pope Francis.” Today young people flock to live like the simple Pope Francis.”

POPE FRANCIS POPE FRANCIS

The World Youth Day (WYD) is an event for young

people organized by the Catholic Church. It was

initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1985. For the first

celebration of WYD in 1986, bishops all over the

world were invited to schedule an annual youth

event to be held every Palm Sunday in their

dioceses. The WYD is celebrated at the diocesan

level annually, and at the international level every

two to three years at different locations. The

Church designated Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and

Blessed Pope John Paul II as the patron saints of

the event.

The most emphasized and well known traditional

theme of WYD is the unity and presence of

numerous different cultures. Flags and other

national declarations are displayed amongst

people to show their attendance at the events and

proclaim their own themes of Catholicism. This is

usually done through chants and singing of other songs

involving a Catholic theme.

Over the course of the major events taking place,

national objects are traded between pilgrims. A flag,

shirts, crosses and other Catholic icons are carried ,

which are later traded as souvenirs with other youth

from different countries of the world. Other widely-

recognized traditions include the Pope's public

appearance, commencing with his arrival around the

city in the "Popemobile" and a Pontifical Mass held at the

event.

World Youth Day 2013, stylized WYDRio2013, is the

14th International World Youth Day. The theme is “Go

and make disciples of all peoples" (Matthew 28:19). Rio

de Janeiro- Brazil, as announced by Pope Benedict XVI

is the host city of World Youth Day 2013.

WYDRio2013 is the second World Youth Day to be held

in South America; the second to be held in Latin

America and the third to be held in the Southern

Hemisphere. Additionally, WYD 2013 will be the first

World Youth Day to be held in a country whose primary

language is Portuguese, and the first World Youth Day

for Pope Francis.

-Francis D’souza

Go and make Disciples of all peoples...(Matthew 28:19)Go and make Disciples of all peoples...(Matthew 28:19)Go and make Disciples of all peoples...(Matthew 28:19) ---Theme of WYD Rio 2013Theme of WYD Rio 2013Theme of WYD Rio 2013

WORLD YOUTH DAY

The Archdiocesan

Youth Commission

(AYC) organized the

”Diocesan World Youth

Day Celebration” at St.

Andrew’s College, Bandra on 14th July, 2013 to

commemorate the World Youth Day (WYD). The WYD,

which is the largest youth event in the

world, is being held this year from

23rd to 28th July in Brazil.

Youth from Catholic parishes,

institutions and groups from all over

Mumbai were present.

The program began with the Mulund Youth choir

presenting the WYD theme song “Go and make Disciples

of all nations.” An opening march with flags of the

thirteen Bombay deaneries as well as the national flags of

the previous WYDs set the day in motion. The students of

Sophia College invoked God’s blessings with a beautiful

prayer service. Fr. Aniceto Pereira, the rector of St.

Andrew’s warmly welcomed the youth, followed by the

felicitation of Bishop John Rodrigues.

The members of Jesus Youth presented the history of the

WYD. ‘Capoeira’ - a Brazilian dance form thrilled and

entertained the audience. The Focolare enacted the life of

Chiara Luce through a musical. A Koli cultural dance by

the Marathi-speaking youth and an action-packed

performance was delivered by the Tamil-speaking youth.

The AICUF organised a talk show to share experiences of

three youth who participated in previous WYDs.

The WYD Cross was brought in procession by the Diocesan

Youth Council, with children performing a prayer dance as

Archbishop Oswald Cardinal Gracias entered. After the

Archbishop was felicitated, he addressed the youth and

answered questions raised by them.

The Konkani Charismatic youth group

Rupantar danced gracefully to a medley of

Konkani songs, while the hosts St. Andrew’s

College put up a reflective skit called

“Amazing Grace”. The Gospel band “By

Grace” held the crowd spellbound with their

music.

The youth from Don Bosco Youth Services (DBYS) played a

very significant role in organising the WYD. They presented

a documentary on the life of Pope Francis, followed by a

touching skit entitled “Coming Home”. They also provided

ushers for the event. The celebration concluded with the

Commitment statement

read by DBYS

representatives as the

newly elected deanery

leaders brought in the

deanery and WYD flags. Bishop Agnelo Gracias gave an

encouraging message to the youth bringing to a close this

wonderful event.

- Evelyn D’Souza

DIOCESAN WORLD YOUTH DAY CELEBRATION

The Salesian Youth Leaders' Meeting - a gathering of committed youth leaders of the various Don Bosco institutions of the Mumbai and Vasai dioceses was held on 30th June 2013 at Our Lady of Dolours Parish, Wadala. It was organized by the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) attached to Don Bosco Youth Services to present the youth events to be held during the year 2013-14. 105 youth leaders along with their youth directors coming from Don Bosco - Borivli, Domnic Savio - Wadala, Our Lady of Dolours - Wadala, Resurrection Church and Jyoti Mata - Virar, Mary Help of Christians - Naigaon and Don Bosco Youth Services - Matunga were present for the event. The evening began by invoking the Lord's blessings with a beautiful prayer service. Fr. Godfrey D’Sa, the parish priest of Our Lady of Dolours, welcomed and addressed the youth encouraging them to be leaders who envision a brighter and better tomorrow. Games were then conducted to get the youth acquainted with one another. The SYM theme song with choreographed actions was presented by the DBYS youth, and within no time the others picked it up too. Each of the participating youth groups then presented their activity reports. Fr. Ajoy Fernandes, the vice-provincial, presented the Salesian Youth Spirituality (SYS) which is at the

core of the SYM. He made the youth aware that a truly Salesian group always touched four essential dimensions of growth: physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Fr. Glenford Lowe, the Director of DBYS presented the DBYS-SYM brochure for the pastoral year 2013-14. The evening ended on a lighter note, with a lively dance session and dinner.

- Carissa Gudino

Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony,

go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask.

Become the Word in body as well as spirit.Become the Word in body as well as spirit.Become the Word in body as well as spirit.

---Pope Francis Pope Francis Pope Francis

SALESIAN YOUTH LEADERS' MEETING

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before 20th August 2013

for our next edition

on the theme of Freedom.

‘Monsoon Madness’

A creative way of

celebrating

Independence Day.

A day for

spiritual renewal,

togetherness,

group building and

strengthening bonds

in the midst of fun.

Registration fee:

Rs. 250/- (per head)

For registration

please contact

the DBYS office

(Joyce/Francis)

between

11:00 am and 6:00 pm

UPCOMING EVENTS

SYMple Times is a newsletter for private circulation only.SYMple Times is a newsletter for private circulation only.SYMple Times is a newsletter for private circulation only. Published by Fr. Glenford Lowe for Don Bosco Youth Services, Mumbai.Published by Fr. Glenford Lowe for Don Bosco Youth Services, Mumbai.Published by Fr. Glenford Lowe for Don Bosco Youth Services, Mumbai.

Content Editor: Carissa Gudino Content Editor: Carissa Gudino Content Editor: Carissa Gudino Layout Editor: Angel Abraham Layout Editor: Angel Abraham Layout Editor: Angel Abraham tel: 022tel: 022tel: 022–––65291129 email: sympletimes@gmail.com65291129 email: sympletimes@gmail.com65291129 email: sympletimes@gmail.com