(ANS – Daejeon) – On the weekend  17 to 19 February about 300 young people gathered at the at the Salesian Youth Centre in Daejeon  to take part in Korea Salesian Youth Day.
This event was the result of cooperation between Salesians (SDB) and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), especially those who are involved directly in the youth ministry field and the formation of the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) helping them to know Jesus and Don Bosco better. The title of the gathering was “Ecce Homo, Ecce Don Bosco!”.

During the three days they were able to listen to the story of Don Bosco, experiencing his love for the young, and had the time to explore  God's plan for each of them. In particular, listening to the some of the Salesians' vocation story, they leaned something of what God’s call might mean for them - that each of us has his or her own call that needs to be realised by the following the Lord.

During his homily at the closing Mass Fr Stephanus Nam, Provincial of South  Korea told the young people: “Being young, in other words, means having dreams. Like Don Bosco, each one of you has your dream and needs to put in the effort to realise it. We Salesians are going to always accompany you on your journey to make it come true”. He encouraged young people to strengthen the SYM and be more active in a society in these uncertain times, so they can help many other young people who can often be found without any dream of their own.

One young person at the event said "I would like to offer this fantastic experience to my friends around me. Over the three days and two nights of SYD, I  was certainly able to discover the extent of Don Bosco’s love, a love that continues until today through the Salesians. I have decided to take up an apostle’s role amongst my friends, as Don Bosco asked young people to do in his own time.”

The SYM in South Korea began in 2008, on the occasion of the World Youth Day in Sydney. The young people taking part call themselves “Bosconians” and receive formation and spiritual guidance in the various local communities. They are continuing to grow in numbers. Before the WYD in Madrid there were about a hundred  but in Daejeon they represented the majority of the 300 taking part.  

Following a request from the young people, the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians are now planning to make Salesian Youth Day an annual  event for the SYM in Korea.

Published 22/02/2012