3. CONVOKING OF THE LAITY

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Motivations

In the past the various tasks of animation of the CEP were assumed almost exclusively by the Salesian community. Today the latter must call lay people to fill roles of animation and responsibility.

Choice on the part of the SDBs is determined by various motives:

• anthropological: in so far as education is a secular action, shared in also by those who have different religious terms of reference;
• ecclesiological: in so far as all the baptized are called upon to take up the evangelizing mission of the Church;
• charismatic: to the extent that the laity express better the secular dimension of Don Bosco's mission, thus enriching the educative and pastoral plan;
• professional, educative and pastoral: since numerous lay people have qualifications and ability at professional, educative and pastoral level.

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Types and categories

Lay people who come into contact with us and who, for widely differing reasons, become associated with our educative and evangelizing mission, present a varied reality:

• according to the settings in which they work (Oratories and youth centres, Schools, Parishes, Missions, Social works);
• according to the roles they play (animators, catechists, teachers, directive and auxiliary personnel, coaches in sport, parents, volunteers and others);
• according to their degree of attachment, commitment, involvement and responsibility in the same mission.

To foster the process of communion and sharing in Don Bosco's spirit and mission, which happens in very diverse contexts and situations, the GC24 indicates some criteria concerning fundamental aspects for the Salesian mission and the main requirements for those involved in it or who want to become so involved.

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Criteria

The human, social, cultural and religious values for the realization of Don Bosco's programme, "good Christians, upright citizens", must be lived by the lay educators themselves if they are to put them in credible fashion to the young.

These values form the frame of reference of the criteria here indicated.

Basic criteria

The principal basic requisites asked of the lay person coming to the Salesian mission, in line with each one's possibilities, are concerned with an evaluation of his sensitivity and ability to become inserted in the mission. Among the more significant traits we may list:

• personal coherence, so as to become an educative point of reference for the young, especially in the values of their lay life;
• an educative attitude and sensitivity to the youth condition, especially of those who are poor;
• empathy for Don Bosco and for his method of education;
• openness to the transcendent and respect for religious and cultural diversity.
  

Criteria of growth

The progressive involvement and assuming of responsibility call for the gradual growth of the lay educator in the areas indicated by the 'oratorian criterion'.¹³

These concern:

• human maturity: affective balance, educative rapport in family style, ability to live and work with others, strong ethical leanings, sensitivity to social values, readiness for ongoing formation;
• educative competence: positive vocational motivation, adequate professional preparation, cordial openness to other people and especially to the young, pastoral sensitivity, adaptable to our style of animation;
• Salesian identity: priority of attention to needy youth, progressive knowledge and practice of the preventive system, concrete presence in the midst of the young, willingness to live the local project;
• Christian witness: coherence of faith, participation in ecclesial life, respect for the values of other religions and cultures.

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Manner of realization

The diversity of contexts and situations in which SDBs and laity are working demands that it be left to the individual Provinces to adapt these criteria and spell out further their content and manner of application.

In any event it is quite certain that to foster formative processes attention must be given to three points:

• the creation of an environment which:
• • puts the person at the centre, gives due value to his specific qualities, fosters the spirit of sharing, and educates to the ability to work with others;
  • lives and manifests the 'oratorian heart' of Don Bosco;
  • educates to justice and legality, drawing inspiration from the Church's social teaching;
• the making of a plan which:
• • involves in the sharing of Don Bosco's spirit and mission everyone who approaches him. This requires:
  • the nearness and joyful testimony of the Salesian community;
  • the provision of opportunities for participation and the sharing of responsibility;
  • careful selection of educators on the part of the local directive team with, other things being equal, preference for laity belonging to the Salesian Family.
• attention to a follow-up which:
•  
  • helps the subject to deepen and share the vocational motivations of life and work, especially in times of trial;
  • involves him fully in the educative and pastoral community (CEP), through processes of combined formation;
  • makes him an active element for the linkage between the Salesian work and the local area;
  • leads him to a living knowledge of the different vocations in the Salesian Family.¹⁴
    

¹³ cf. C 40

¹⁴ cf. C 47