Province Pastoral Plan 2004-2007
Social Communications

Preamble: The Province’s proclamation of the Christian message is based on the Constitutions and Regulations.

Faithful to the commitments Don Bosco has passed on to us... We are educators of the faith...particularly by means of social communication. (Cons. 6)

As far as local possibilities permit, the Provincial and his council should promote our pastoral presence in the social communication sector. (Reg. 31)

The San Francisco Province sees the role of its Social Communication department as both informational and relational, as expressed in the themes, goals, strategies and tactics below.

Themes

Goals

Strategies

Tactics

Call to Holiness

1. To communicate, to spread the Salesian charism in our province, calling all to holiness.

1. By using the Journal of Salesian Studies, the Salesian Bulletin, InTouch and the province website to spread knowledge of the Salesian charism.

1. The Staff of the Salesian Bulletin will include articles of a formative nature regarding the Salesian charism in each issue.

2. InTouch will consciously include the priority of vocation in each issue by inviting the province vocation office to contribute pertinent material.

3. By publishing at least one issue of the Journal of Salesian Studies each year through 2007.

4. By having more material in InTouch that is reflective of our Salesian charism instead of only news articles.

Fraternal Community

1. To reveal and strengthen the fraternal community of the San Francisco Province.

1. To use the province publications and websites in the various ministries of the province to realize this goal.

1. Include a calendar of events in the Salesian Bulletin so the larger Salesian Family will be informed of events that are to happen, and hence have the opportunity to participate.

2. By asking each ministry of the province to have an individual responsible for forwarding information to those in charge of the various publications and province websites.

Significant Presence with Youth

1. To stress the evangelization of youth in all our publications.

1. By working to see that the province communication tools and the Youth Ministry Team work together to bring the Salesian charism to young people.

1. The delegate for social communication will work closely with the Youth Ministry team to be aware of what is happening so that significant events may be advertised in the publications in advance, and reported on after they happen.

2. By checking that multi-media education to teach Christian values is included in the pastoral plan of each ministry.

Formation

1. To include multi-media education as a requirement for the pastoral plan at all levels of formation for Salesians in training.

1. By developing a planned course with suggested materials for multi-media education at each level of initial formation, stressing values.

1. During 2005 find at least one SDB family member who would be interested and available to develop further skills in the multi-media field, and giving that member the opportunity to study in the field.

Resources: Personnel and Finances

1. To establish a development office, with associated staff, which will coordinate with the Delegate for Social Communication.

1. By surveying the various ministries to see if individuals who are interested in pursuing multi-media work do exist, and assist them to develop their talent and be inserted in the multi-media field.

1. The provincial office will track costs of publications over the past five or so years to be able to prepare the department budget for March 2005.

2. To document the financial costs of the various publications.

1. The provincial office will investigate to find if funds (grants) are available for our current and future social communication projects.