GOD'S CALL

[1] Return to Don Bosco
[2] Return to the young
[3] Charismatic identity and apostolic passion

SITUATION

[4] Return to Don Bosco
[5] Return to the young
[6] Charismatic identity and apostolic passion

GUIDELINES FOR ACTION

[7] Processes required for change 

[8] Be committed to loving, studying, imitating, praying to Don Bosco and making him known in order to start afresh from him. 

1. Renewed interest and systematic study of Don Bosco;
2. Read and meditate Constitutions;
3. Renew devotion to Don Bosco to share his passion for God & youth.
   

1. Make reference to Constitutions in daily life, for discernment, for reading & review of life;
2. Practice lectio divina with Salesian sensitivity;
3. Specify occasions within the Community plan for Salesian updating for community and lay collaborators;
4. Update Salesian section in house library.

1. Encourage updating of confreres and laity;
2. Take advantage of proximate preparations for perpetual profession as privileged occasion for deeper understanding of themes of Salesianity;
3. Send some confreres to attend specialist courses in Salesianity at UPS and other centers.

[13] Return to the young, especially the poorest of them, with the heart of Don Bosco.

1. Learn to encounter God through the young;
2. Find time to be present with young as friend, educator, & witness regardless of role in community;
3. When prevented from being present, cooperate in mission by prayer and offering up one’s life.
   

1. Renew understanding of assistance by involving lay people;
2. Plan a formation meeting with focus on study of the youth situation;
3. Welcome young people for sharing life and for meetings reflecting on their situation;
4. Plan initiatives for going out to meet the young where they are.
   

1. Cultivate a constant & focused attention on evolving circumstances of young in dialogue with civil and ecclesial institutions;
2. Study possibility of setting up spirituality centres for young people for spiritual life.

[17] Let each region

1. Encourage collaboration between provinces establishing criteria & norms for behaviours for religious and lay guarding the safety of minors and prevent abuse.
   

[19] Rediscover the significance of the Da mihi animas cetera tolle as a programme of spiritual and pastoral life.

1. Ask God for grace of unity between contemplation & apostolic action avoiding superficiality;
2. Take personal responsibility for spiritual and pastoral formation maturing his vocation;
3. Renew practice of being accompanied by a spiritual director;
4. Be ready to share his own faith journey with confreres, laity, and young.
   

1. Organize daily rhythms of life enabling community participation & presence among the young;
2. Care for the quality of community prayer and liturgical celebrations;
3. Highlight Salesian feasts as occasions for formation and transmission of charism;
4. Value service of the director as first responsible for formation.
   

1. Prepare confreres for roles of spiritual guidance especially for initial formation;
2. Accompany communities in drawing up community project assuring ongoing formation for confreres of every age;
3. Plan formation initiatives to help confreres live resplendent chastity and prevent counter-witness.
   

GOD'S CALL

[23] An evangelised and evangelising community
[24] Centrality of the proposal of Jesus Christ
[25] Evangelisation and Education
[26] Evangelisation in various contexts

SITUATION

[27] An evangelised and evangelising community
[28] The centrality of proposing Jesus Christ
[29] Evangelisation and education
[30] Evangelisation in different contexts

GUIDELINES FOR ACTION

[31] Processes required for change

[32] Put encounter with Christ in the Word and the Eucharist at the centre of our communities, in order to be authentic disciples and credible apostles.

1. make a personal plan of life with necessary time for individual &communal prayer, attention to meditation on God’s Word, make good use of Reconciliation, and give pride of place to daily Eucharist.

1. make a community plan providing initiatives to encourage centrality of the Word of God and Eucharist;
2. Involve elderly confrere in works of evangelization as spiritual directors and confessors.

1. offer good renewal programs, appropriate materials, foster quality of retreats, monthly recollections, and lectio divina;
2. Ensure adequate formation accompaniment for those in practical training & quinquennium.

[36] Propose to the young with courage and joy that they live their lives in the way Jesus Christ lived his.

1. Systematic and spiritual study of the Word to make Jesus the inspiration, criteria and purpose of every educative and pastoral activity;
2. Give witness of his own faith and the effect of the meeting with Christ has in his life;
3. See to personal updating for critical interpretation of our times and for effective ways of proposing the faith.

1. Put into its pastoral and educative plan programs for proclamation, catechesis, and education to the faith appropriate to various audiences and contexts
2. Offer formation for lay and EPC which helps them be educators of faith
3. Educate the young to personal prayer and encourage a style of celebration which communicates an authentic experience of joyful and lively encounter with God
4. Frequently offer Sacraments of Reconciliation on the road to conversion and Eucharist as source and summit of Christian life.

1. Renew the pastoral and educative plan for new evangelization bringing the Gospel into new settings, situations, and challenges;
2. Strengthen the preparation of confreres and laity in pastoral disciplines: youth ministry, catechetics, liturgy, missiology, social communications.
   

[41] See to a more effective integration, in each setting, of education and evangelisation, following the logic of the Preventive System. 

1. Appreciate that a direct and warm relationship with each young person is a privileged form of witness and proclamation

1. Examine its pastoral activity so proclamation is complete and offered gradually and logically;
2. See to renewal of catechesis and be open to new forms of accompaniment of children, older youth, and adults in the process of Christian Initiation;
3. See to the formation of moral conscience and educate the young to social and political involvement following inspirations from Church Social teachings;
4. Encourage reflection on relationship between culture, faith, and religions so the Gospel may resonate as part of the great questions touching all human awareness.

1. Ensure all works carry out real evangelization through educative activity;
2. Prepare personnel and foster formation initiatives which help in making good use of social communication for education and evangelization;
3. Accompany and assess the quality of teaching religion and catechetics.
   

[46] Inculturate the process of evangelisation in order to give a response to challenges in regional contexts.

1. Learn the language of the people to assure inculturated evangelization.

1. Study and plan interventions, methods, and strategies for the evangelization of the young in their own context
2. Form Christian young peole and adults in a multi-religious context to be disciple missionaries while respecting other traditions.

1. Accompany each community in planning specific responses to challenges in their contexts;
2. Offer formation initiatives to confreres and laity on inculturation of the faith;
3. Foster missionary spirit disposing personnel for missio ad gentes and encourage missionary vocations among laity and families;
4. Educate confreres in initial formation to a missionary sensitivity and to dialogue with different cultural and religions traditions.

GOD'S CALL

[52] Witness as the first vocational invitation
[53] Apostolic vocations
[54] Accompaniment of candidates to Salesian consecrated life
[55] The two forms of the Salesian consecrated vocation

SITUATION

[56] Witness as the first vocational invitation
[57] Apostolic vocations
[58] Accompaniment of candidates to Salesian consecrated life
[59] The two forms of the Salesian consecrated vocation 

GUIDELINES FOR ACTION

[60] Processes required for change

[61] Witness with courage and joy to the beauty of a consecrated life dedicated totally to God in the mission to the young.

1. Be aware of the gift of his own vocation with gratitude to God;
2. Be committed to witnessing a joyful life often sharing his own story;
3. Strengthen fidelity to his vocation with recourse to spiritual guidance; in difficulty, let him get help from human sciences;
4. Pray daily for vocations;
5. Transform sufferings of old age or illness into a trusting self-offering for vocations.

1. Open its houses at key moments to the young especially those in discernment;
2. Support confreres in affective maturing helping them in moments of difficulty;
3. Carry out scrutinies each year on its witness of life;
4. Involve young people in occasions of prayer for vocations.

1. Foster among confreres a strong sense of belonging in order to witness the value of living and working together.

1. Be convinced each young person has a God-given mission and accompany that person in discovering it.

1. Draw up proposals for vocation ministry appropriate for context working with EPC and Salesian Family bearing in mind decisions of the local Church and ensuring adequate financial resources; 
2. See to a ministry to families fostering an openness of parents to their children’s vocations; 
3. Avail the apostolic and vocational resources found in groups, voluntary work, and missionary animation; 
4. Make use of opportunities the liturgical year offers for vocation ministry; 
5. Present the idea of the Salesian Cooperator in a convincing way, as an invitation to lay apostolic activity.

1. Draw up a plan for vocation ministry as part of province pastoral educative project;
2. Ensure the right conditions for the Rector Major to carry out his role as the primary animator of vocations and strengthen the role of the pastoral coordinators in each work; 
3. Offer experiences of apostolic service to the young, of belonging to groups & volunteer work;
   
4. Work with Salesian Family groups, the local Church, & other institutes of consecrated  life in the area of vocation ministry; 
5. Encourage updating of Salesians and laity responsible for discernment and accompaniment; Invest adequate financial and personnel resources in vocation promotion.

[69] Make explicit the  invitation to Salesian consecrated life and foster new forms of vocational accompaniment and aspirantate/candidacy.

1. Learn to recognize the signs of a vocation that young people manifest and have at heart inviting them to Salesian consecrated life; 
2. Be available for spiritual accompaniment and see to his preparation for the task.

1. organise vocational groups and gatherings which have a process of discernment and accompaniment;
   
2. invite well-disposed young people to be part of the projects at Province level regarding vocation discernment for Salesian consecrated life;
3. make good use of feast days and regular celebrations of our Saints and anniversaries of professions and ordinations as opportunities for vocation ministry;
4. encourage sharing of experiences on ways to accompany young people along their vocational journey.
   

1. study possibilities for new forms of aspirantate/candidacy in order to have one or more communities where vocational accompaniment of young candidates can take place; encourage reflection and cooperation between youth ministry and formation; 
2. Offer initiatives for vocation ministry at every level of a person’s life paying attention to affective maturity; 
3. Work with consecrated groups in the Salesian Family to offer vocation invitations to young women as well; 
4. Plan for specific vocation ministry to young migrants belonging to Catholic families or ethnic minorities and indigenous young people; 
5. Note the criteria indicated in the Ratio regarding vocation discernement; 
6. Involve young confrere in vocation ministry at local and provincial level.

[74] Encourage the complementarity and specific nature of the two forms of the one Salesian vocation and take up a renewed commitment on behalf of the Salesian Brother vocation.

1. Value and foster the uniqueness of the Salesian consecrated vocation in its complementary forms.

1. Accompany ordained confreres in highlighting their priestly ministry through our educative charism, giving preference to pastoral activities which are aimed directly at the young; 
2. Encourage the presence of Brothers among young people in educative and pastoral roles and not just as organizers and administration; 
3. Make known the Salesian Brother vocation, by presenting the more significant models of this vocation.

1. Make the perpetual profession ceremony an occasion for understanding better and proposing the complemenarity of both forms of the Salesian vocation; 
2. Involve Salesian Brothers where possible, in the various services of province animation, especially in vocation ministry and in provincial formation commission; 
3. Strengthen the specific formation of the Salesian Brothers, something which is happening at regional or inter-regional level.

GOD'S CALL

SITUATION

GUIDELINES FOR ACTION

[86] Give credible and courageous witness to evangelical poverty, lived personally and as a community in the spirit of Da mihi animas cetera tolle.

1. dedicate his whole life to God and the young with inner detachment, recalling what Don Bosco once said: “we need to have poverty in our hearts to practise it”; 
2. express his poverty through tireless self-sacrificing work, fleeing laziness or frenetic activity, also by giving a hand in work and service around the House; 
3. take care of his health and in agreement with the community plan appropriate periods of rest; 
4. live the temperance that Don Bosco wanted of us through a simple lifestyle with regard to food, clothing, journeys, furniture, use of work materials, media and time, maturely accepting any discomfort when something useful or necessary is lacking; 
5. rediscover the requirements of dependency on the superior and the community (cf. C. 75) and the sharing of goods as required by the Constitutions (cf. C. 76) and give an account of what he receives and whatever comes to him from any source.

1. ensure that confrères know and put into practice what is indicated in the Provincial Directory's poverty and administration section, especially in reference to personal use of goods and technological tools; 
2. diligently make the annual scrutinium paupertatis in view of a more credible witness; 
3. prepare the annual budget, present the financial statement, regularly inform confrères of the financial situation and sensitise them to the cost of living; 
4. punctually hand over to the province any monies left over (cf. R. 197).

1. draw up a plan of financial solidarity which guarantees equitable distribution of resources and lays down the criteria to ensure a tenor of life which is common for all communities; 
2. ensure that directions concerning poverty, as proposed to confrères in initial formation are consistent with the effective practice of individuals and communities.

1. express its solidarity with the poor not only through 'charity', but also through choices that have an impact on the tenor of our lives; 
2. educate, in collaboration with the educative and pastoral community, to a culture of solidarity, helping young people to bring a critical spirit to their interpretation of the economic and social phenomena of our time, involving them in initiatives and projects of development, and encouraging their taking part in similarly ordered activities of solidarity;
3. educate to a respect for ethnic and religious difference and encourage a spirit of brotherly concern.

1. plan experiences at the service of the most disadvantaged young people for confrères in formation; 
2. choose areas of greatest poverty when opening new works. 

[94] Manage resources in a responsible, transparent way, consistent with the purposes of the mission, putting the necessary checks and balances in place at local, provincial, world level.

1. periodically assess the objectives and strategies of the work to avoid it being simply a business venture rather than a service of education and evangelisation; 
2. ensure that the financial transactions of all sectors of the work are referred to the administrative office (R. 198), the inventory kept up to date, and that all the necessary information is made available to assist the administrative personnel in carrying out their work; 
3. guarantee good planning and management with regard to personnel we employ, respecting the rights and duties laid down in law and seeing that they are respected; 
4. be responsible for the planning, execution and monitoring of building and maintenance works, in understanding with the Provincial Economer (R. 195); 
5. study its own financial situation to ensure the sustainability of the work and, if dependent on external help, set up a plan for financial self-sufficiency; 
6. give attention to the correct use of funds which come from other bodies or institutions; 
7. respect the intentions of benefactors.  

1. accompany the financial management of individual Houses with the help of competent lay people who are trustworthy and share our spirit, and make the necessary checks; 
2. ensure ethical sensitivity in the management and use of financial means, availing itself of the professional help available in this field; 
3. act in such a way that the buildings in our works are suitable for carrying out the mission, that the structures are adequately used and properly maintained; 
4. take account, in asking for financial support, of the planned elements of the Overall Provincial Plan so as to avoid setting up initiatives or structures which will not be sustainable over time; 
5. rethink initial formation with regard to poverty, helping confrères to make correct use of their time, goods and money; offer essential knowledge of accounting and management; involving them in running the House; 
6. educate communities to being ecologically sensitive, by supporting initiatives in the local area concerning respect for the environment, use of alternative energy and economical use of resources; 
7. study the possibility of common contracts to acquire goods and manage expenditures and propose these to the communities as a way to make savings.

GOD'S CALL

SITUATION

GUIDELINES FOR ACTION

[104] Processes required for change

[105] Put courageous choices into place on behalf of poor young people and those at risk.

1. face up to new forms of poverty experienced by the young in their locality, and keep alive a sensitivity to the most serious kinds; 
2. express predilection for the poor by planning initiatives along with the educative and pastoral community which are explicitly dedicated to the poorest young people in the area; 
3. feel particular solidarity with province works which are dedicated to the poorest; 
4. seek responses to the spiritual forms of poverty of the young, offering them experiences and ways to re-awaken the religious dimension of life and help them discover Jesus as Saviour.

1. guarantee that in its Overall Provincial Plan there are works explicitly dedicated to the young people who are poorest and most at risk and prepare qualified personnel; 
2. ensure that in each work's pastoral and educative project there is a proposal of education to the faith which measures up to the situation of the poorest young people; 
3. take a courageous decision, where necessary, to relocate and re-dimension its works so they may serve poor young people and ordinary folk; 
4. study the possibility of putting projects into place and creating opportunities to offer young people an alternative to physically and morally dangerous kinds of amusements; 
5. promote the defence of the rights of juveniles and other young people and condemn violations of these rights with prophetic courage and educative sensitivity.

[108] Give privileged attention to the family in youth ministry; improve the educative presence in the media world; re-launch the Salesian charism in Europe.

1. involve and form parents in the educative and evangelising activity they carry out for their children;
2. develop curricula for affective education especially during adolescence and accompany young people during their time of engagement for marriage, making good use of the contribution of parents, lay people who share the responsibility and members of the Salesian Family;
3. foster new forms of evangelisation and catechesis of families and by means of families;
4. plan educative projects to help young people to a critical and responsible use of various kinds of media (mass, folk, personal, convergent etc.) and encourage their active involvement in the social communication field and in youthful and popular forms of expression;
5. use the technologies of social communication to give greater visibility to their presence in order to spread the charism.

1. coordinate and sustain the efforts of educative and pastoral communities in the affective education of the young and in accompaniment of engaged couples; 
2. lay down a realistic strategy which favours a more incisive presence in the media world, as well as youthful and popular artistic expression, and prepare qualified personnel in this area;
3. foster family ministry projects together with lay people and the Salesian Family.

[112] Review the management model of works for a more effective educative and evangelising presence.

1. reinforce the consistency in number and quality of the Salesian community and help it to identify what is its main responsibility in animating the work; 
2. identify the interventions needed to set in motion “new presences” or to renew existing ones so they are better oriented towards the mission; 
3. rethink the distribution of responsibilities in individual communities, assess the functioning of the councils at various levels so the Rector can carry out his primary duty; 
4. reflect on the complexity of the works and identify more flexible forms of presence through the Overall Provincial Plan; 
5. ask for and make good use of the contribution of the Salesian Family in view of common planning of its presence in the neighbourhood; 
6. encourage networking with members of the Salesian Family, the Church and society.