(ANS – Rome) – One of the actions the 26th General Chapter 26 asked the Rector major and his Council to see to was “a deeper understanding the relationship between evangelisation and education in order to put the Preventive System into practice, and adapt the frame of reference for youth ministry to changing cultural circumstances (cf. GC26, no. 45). From 2008 until today a journey of reflection and study has been undertaken, involving various groups in the Congregation; it is a journey that is not yet complete.

Taking up the Chapter's mandate, the Youth Ministry Department has been active in the process of involvement and reflection aimed at revising and updating the “Basic Frame of Reference for Salesian Youth Ministry”. This process, divided into stages and running on parallel lines, has involved theologians, pastoral workers and people in charge of pastoral and study centres in the Congregation reflecting on theory; while at the level of practical experience there has been much listening to and debate with Provinces and Salesian Regions.

The process develops
the first stage, which took place in summer 2009, saw the Rector Major and his Council calling the first team of experts together with the task of drawing up a working grid for initiating the rethinking process. The group which was made up of 13 Salesians, drew up the first “Reflection grid regarding Salesian Youth Ministry. Five core topics for reflecting on pastoral practice”. This working document, presented to the Rector Major and the General Council, was approved in January 2010.

Over the months that followed, Study Centres, National Youth Ministry Centres and various Salesians were invited to offer their contributions. These were collected by the Youth Ministry Department, and brought together in a summary on a regional basis. From 3-6 February 2011, at the Generalate, there was a seminar involving 30 Salesians from the 8 Regions who discussed this summary and synthesis and prepared the key points for drawing up an 'instrumentum laboris' to be sent out to the Provinces.

The second stage, developed throughout 2012, thanks to this working tool drawn up in February 2011, encouraged reflection at community and province level and asked Provincial Councils to sum up the suggestions coming from the various communities. These contributions were then studied by the Youth Ministry Department, and finally brought together in a synthesis which outlined the challenges and opportunities typical for each Region in view of an updated “Basic Frame of Reference”.

At the same time an International Salesian Theological and Pastoral Team was established which, since 2012 and 2013 has been meeting to reflect on the major directions which the Salesian educative and pastoral proposal takes, keeping in mind the direction taken by the Church in recent years regarding new evangelisation, and the Salesian Charism. This will be a major contribution for understanding the new “Basic Frame of Reference”.

The third stage, only just under way with the recent meeting of the Youth Ministry Advisory Council which took place in Rome from 5-8 February, will aim at integrating the theological synthesis offered by the International Salesian Theological and Pastoral Team with other directions and suggestions which have come from Provinces and Regions.

The “Basic Frame of Reference” is to be approved in its new edition by the Rector Major and his Council and then presented to General Chapter 27.

A further stage will follow, that of study and application of all this in Provinces and Regions and Salesian works; but this has yet to be given an outline.

Published 11/02/2013