For 15 days the participants explored the life and work of Don Bosco and had the opportunity to share experiences and reflect on the application of the Salesian charism and the Don Bosco Preventive System in their daily, pastoral and educational work.
The "Salesian Intensive" course summarises the three-year Salesian programme already offered for many years by the CSFPA, becoming a concentrated format to meet a different audience of people. The experience was aimed at strengthening knowledge of the charismatic identity of the laity and providing them with tools to strengthen the educational and pastoral mission in Salesian communities and works.
Based on a historical, critical and experiential methodology, the participants addressed various topics such as the vocation of Don Bosco, the foundation of the Salesian Congregation, devotion to Mary Help of Christians and the fundamental figures that marked the life of the Saint of the Young.
The experience was enriching for the participants, who stressed the opportunity to share experiences and deepen their knowledge of the Salesian charism. José Luis Ponce, from the pastoral team of the STAR Institute in Riobamba, said that "This formation motivates us to develop our pastoral work starting from our situation, so that the young people we accompany receive an integral education, not only from an academic point of view, but also from a human point of view."
Omar Álvarez, of the Educational Unit of the Salesian Technical Institute of Cuenca, said: "You never finish discovering the depth of what Don Bosco has done. This course invites us to explore new ideas to carry forward the educational system and the Salesian charism that it has left us. "
The success of this first edition of the Salesianity Intensive for the laity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Province of Ecuador confirms the commitment of the CSFPA in the integral formation of Salesian collaborators, who play a fundamental role in the dissemination and transmission of the Salesian charism to the new generations.
A summary video of this formation experience is available on the YouTube channel of the Salesian Ongoing Formation Centre for America.
