(ANS – Hong Kong) – How to receive and how to pass on a spiritual heritage. This was what principals and leaders from Salesian schools in the China Province tackled recently at a 'spiritual camp', involving Salesians and lay people, with special emphasis on training the laity to pass on the Salesian inheritance.

At the end of the 2-day spiritual camp for Salesian Schools’ supervisors and principals, the participants were equipped with a better understanding of Don Bosco’s spiritual experience and how to pass it on to their teachers and students.

Through different activities, they discovered that the inheritancewas not an easy task. The focus on how to receive the experience and how to pass it on accurately and appropriately required concentration, listening and reflection. Being leaders of Salesian schools, they need to have a better understanding of Don Bosco’s spiritual experience, to assess what will be the best way to pass it on to the teachers and students, and to consider how much they can absorb and which parts are useful to them.

“I come so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). Jesus came not only to give life but to give more abundant life. This is the same for all the supervisors and principals.  How do they give life and more abundant life to the teachers and students in their schools? As principals of the schools, they have to lead the school by imparting certain religious values and by giving Jesus to the students. This is the spirituality of Don Bosco and is part of his love for the young, especially those who are poor and needy. Lay principals have to be lay Salesians and to play the role of the Salesian confreres in the school setting.

One of the principals said that although she came alone, she would not feel lonely as there was a Salesian family. The members shared the same mission which was a grace from God instead of a job. She felt at home there. Another principal shared that he had nearly forgotten his happiness in being related to Jesus. He would remind himself of this and pass on this experience to his colleagues in the school. That would be a true transmission of Salesian spiritual experience. Another principal said that one of the priests remindedhim that the schools would rely on layprincipals as the Salesian confreres were getting old. Moreover, there were other responsibilities that Salesiansneeded to take up. Then he understood thatthis was the spiritual inheritance, the Salesian mission in the schools was handed on from Salesians to lay cooperators.

Published 15/05/2014