Italy – From Personal God-Experience to Accompanying Others’ God-Experience

26 April 2022
Italy – From Personal God-Experience to Accompanying Others’ God-Experience

(ANS – Castelnuovo Don Bosco) – The School of Salesian Spiritual Accompaniment now in progress at Colle Don Bosco has completed its third week of the programme.  After the first week of tracing the spiritual history of Don Bosco at and around Valdocco, the group of 20 Salesians moved to Colle Don Bosco, where they began their Spiritual Retreat. The individually guided retreat was in total silence, consisting of one session of meeting with the guide every day with only the Eucharistic celebration as a common programme. Even the meals were taken in silence, though in common.

For most participants, this was the first total silent retreat in their Salesian life, which turned out to be a deep contemplative experience. The spatial context of Colle Don Bosco and the temporal context of the Holy Week provided the ample space for a deep God-experience for almost all. The meeting sessions with the guides provided excellent model of real spiritual accompaniment that is distinct from rendiconto, confession, or counselling.

The third week of the programme began on Easter Monday. This week consisted of inputs delivered at original locations reflecting on the role of spiritual guides in the life of young John Bosco. His first spiritual guide was, of course, Mama Margaret. While Johnny had to be at the Moglia farm (1827-1827) due to his difficulties back at Becchi, he sought out Fr Francesco Cottino at Moncucco.

After his return to Becchi, within a few days providentially he meets Don Calosso on the way from Buttigliera to Morialdo, which, later in his life provides the model of his own meetings with Bartolomeo Garelli, Dominic Savio, Michael Magone, Francis Besucco and others. Don Calosso who finds himself at Morialdo on account of a misunderstanding in his own life becomes the God-sent benefactor in the life of John Bosco that takes him a big step forward towards the fulfilment of the dream at the age of 9. Finally, at Chieri, John Bosco is back to school and seminary formation supported by so many others, materially, intellectually, and spiritually.

The emerging wisdom of the week for most participants was that our own story corresponds with the story of John Bosco. It is also an invitation to provide support for young people under our care.

Currently, the participants at the School of Salesian Spiritual Accompaniment are being trained in helper skills. During the last week of the programme, the participants will have the opportunity to have supervised practice sessions in spiritual accompaniment.

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https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/15216-italy-from-personal-god-experience-to-accompanying-others-god-experience#sigProId8ba19ccae5

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