"This is already the second time we have held a joint meeting with the Delegates for Youth Ministry, after the meeting held in Seoul in 2015. In this joint meeting, we discussed the new Handbook for Salesian Missionary Volunteering that has been prepared over the past 5 years. We also shared thoughts on the Youth Synod 2018, especially the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis Christus Vivit. The talk and the discourse were really enlightening and inspiring. We hope that the fruits of our meeting will be applied to the different provinces and communities in our EAO region," said Fr Arvin Abatayo, Coordinator for Mission Animation in the EAO region.
The Provincial MA Delegates discussed clear-cut guidelines for animation, so that it would be easy for the Salesians of the various Provinces to accept and apply them in every community. The objective, in fact, is not only to increase volunteers in the Provinces, but also their impact on the formation of young people, vocations culture, and help the community who receives the volunteers.
Various resolutions were discerned; below, a partial list.
At the provincial level: to improve local fundraising for MA; to collaborate closely with the Provincial and his Council; foster the missionary groups in the Salesian Youth Movement; include the Standard Operation Plan of Volunteering as part of the Salesian Educational-Pastoral Project.
At the regional level: guarantee a basic English course to each new MA Delegate; produce MA workshops and seminars for deeper learning; issue an EAO Statement on Salesian Missionary Volunteering; develop formation modules to Salesian volunteer receiving communities; create a regional network and database of missionary volunteers; provide animating questions for readers of Cagliero 11 for fruitful reflection and action.
At the congregation levell: work on the formation of Salesian Missionary Volunteering, as well as sharing the Mission between SDB and Lay people; foster preparation of the Manual for Salesian Parishes.
Finally, among other suggestions: conduct meetings between MA and Formation Commissions; foster interaction and animation with various specific groups of the Salesian Family; provide for visits to formation houses during the annual regional meeting of MA Delegates.
"At the end of the meeting, we can say that we are still far from the ideal, but we are hopeful because we are moving forward and into a direction that we hope to bring great fruits to our missionary Provinces, Congregation and the Church," concluded Fr Abatayo.
