(ANS - Rome) - Following a successful experiment started in 2012, Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in formation from the whole of Italy will meet this weekend (2-3 May) to participate in study and reflection on the theme of the 48th World Day of Social Communications - Communication in the Service of an Authentic Culture of Encounter. The venue for the meeting will be the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome.

The seminar is being organized by the Department of Social Communication of the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Social Communication sector of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences, Auxilium, and the Faculty of Social Communication of the UPS.  It is intended explicitly for novices and Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in formation in Italy, including the  post-novices from San Tarcisio in Rome, the students of the Institute of Theology at Gerini and the Junior Sisters of Italy.

The seminar aims to provide insight into the rules and attitudes necessary for a successful interpersonal encounter: "how to be a good neighbour, especially in particularly difficult situations; communication strategies to reach the young people with whom we work; Christian presence and witness on the network."  These are some of the issues to be studied by the participants.

The event will begin on the afternoon of Friday 2 May with messages from the Councillors of Social Communication, Fr Filiberto González SDB and Sr. Josephine Teruggi FMA, from Sr Pina Del Core, Dean of Auxilium, and Fr Mauro Mantovani, Dean of the Faculty of Social Communications of the UPS.

After a video produced by Fr Enrico Cassanelli, there will be the central act of the first day, a panel discussion chaired by Fr Donato Lacedonio with contributions from Sister María Spólnik (Teacher at Auxilium); Fr Domenico Ricca (President of the SCS / CNOS Federation and Chaplain of the juvenile prison in Turin); and Fr Paul Benanti (teacher at the Pontifical Gregorian University). This in turn will be followed by group sharing, participants’ reactions, dialogue with the speakers and, after Evening Prayer, the Good Night by Fr Carlo Nanni, SDB, Rector Magnificus of the UPS.

The programme for Saturday 3 May includes nine workshops in which the participants trainees will be invited to enrol on the basis of their interests: communication in music and song; cinema and the culture of encounter; story-telling; theatre; intercultural communication; the Network as a way of meeting; the word of God and communication; listening and learning the art of dialogue; and "when is communication genuine?"  

Mass will be celebrated at the end of the morning and in the afternoon there will be sharing of the work done in the workshops, chaired by Sister Anna Rita Cristaino.

Published 30/04/2014