(ANS – Hong Kong) – The first session of the 13-month course on Don Bosco’s Preventive System was held in Hong Kong, the 13 September 2013. The aim of this course is to raise knowledge of the Preventive System, expressing it in modern terms, so as to enhance our mission of serving the young.

This course is planned to be held every other year, so that it can achieve the goal of promoting Salesian pedagogy and Salesian spirituality. This course is not only beneficial to parishes and schools, it will also contribute to the education of Hong Kong society.

There will be 13 sessions with different guest speakers who are specialized in a specific aspect of the Preventive System. The themes of the course are very comprehensive. Different practical perspectives of the Preventive System will be presented, whether from the angle of social science, modern trends, humanism, family spirit, creativity, religion, optimism, accompaniment, etc.

Cardinal Joseph Zen was the first speaker of the course. The social background of Don Bosco influenced his pedagogy, which catered for the urgent needs of the young in his time. He also studied and collected what others were doing for the young in order to develop his own pedagogy. The Oratory was not invented by Don Bosco but he initiated the hostel for boarders alongside the oratory. Don Bosco appears in a good number of photos which was quite unusual for his time. He wanted to promote his work but not himself. These reflected that Don Bosco was very sensitive to the situation of his time when he was serving the young as the mission of his life.

There will be one session each month. Upon finishing the whole course with 85% attendance and completing the case study, a graduation certificate will be presented to the participants.

Published 18/09/2013