16. MESSAGE OF THE GC24 TO THE SALESIAN COOPERATORS

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Dear Cooperators,

We are approaching the end of our General Chapter, and it is fitting that we send you our greetings and a word of thanks both for your fraternal prayers and for your message, so rich in Salesian content.

In these days we have renewed our awareness of being in the Church as children of a Father who wanted to unite all forces moved by the desire to do good. He wanted to involve all of them in his plan of life: to go to poor and abandoned youth to show them that God loves them.

You Cooperators, with us SDBs and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, as the central groups of the Salesian Family (cf. Common Identity Card, art.2), have an important responsibility in the common Salesian mission.

Today the mission is facing a greater challenge than ever before: poverty and emargination are becoming ever more widespread in the world and affecting many youngsters. We believe with the Church of Vatican II that this is a time when we must be united to be consistent with our charism, the mission and the signs of the times. While respecting and exploiting every particular vocation, we must close our ranks in unity, provide mutual support to each other, and become integrated and organized in a more fluid relationship and communication.

The Chapter theme has made us want to involve in our spirit and mission the greatest possible number of the laity. We believe that in this you Cooperators have an eminent role to play (cf. SGC 741). The RAL, in fact, presents the Salesian Cooperator as the prototype of the lay person, sharing the educative and pastoral experience of Don Bosco throughout the course of time.

We thank God for what you are and for your original vocation within the Salesian Family, so indispensable for the mission. At the same time we want to remain at your side so that we may grow and proceed together in the animation and formation of lay people who form part of the Salesian Movement.

We want to commit ourselves also to the gaining of a deeper and better knowledge of our mutual identities, so as to promote a reciprocal ongoing formation and carry out together a significant pastoral work for vocations.

The conclusion of the Diocesan Process for the beatification of Mamma Margaret (22 April 1996) makes us think of the radical nature of evangelical life in the first community of Valdocco. The Holy Spirit brought about among those who gave form to the first oratory experience, of which we celebrated the 150th anniversary on 12 April last, a kind of relationship able to lead to holiness. For this reason, as we approach the jubilee of the year 2000 we want to repropose to you Cooperators in particular and to all members of the Salesian Family, the goal of a holiness constructed together so as to give to young people the best possible gift they can expect from us.

May Mary Help of Christians be our support!

Rome, 20 April 1996