Dear Friends!
Let us begin this year, 2021, together, sharing our hopes, planning and working in the Salesian spirit for the good of our young people!
Designing, planning and carrying out activities that involve other people always demands that we have a great sense of collaboration and shared responsibility.
Above all, in times of crisis such as we have been experiencing as the consequences of Covid -19, it is very important for us to combine our dreams and strengths to work together flexibly, collaboratively and creatively.
The Congregation’s Communications Sector has a very rich and meaningful set of plans for 2021.
These plans are the result of the involvement of many Salesian Communication Delegates, Lay people and Youth who believe that communication is a priority for our educational mission among young people in the entire world.
The Salesian Communications Department has the institutional responsibility for accompanying, animating, supporting and collaborating in the implementation and verification of the processes and procedures of our goals and projects.
During the second half of 2020 we held a good number of meetings with Communications Delegates, Salesian Bulletin editors, heads of Salesian Radio and Publishing Houses involving practically all the provinces of the Congregation.
During these meetings, coordinated by Regional level coordinators, and in the light of the 8 priorities of the Rector Major’s six-year Road Map and the guidelines of the Communications Department for the six-year period, together with the Communications Delegates, the first steps for the communication planning of the Region were elaborated, where the priorities, objectives, steps and actions of the Communication Sector in the Regions for the next two years were defined.
At the level of the Department we are taking up, as one of the priorities, the formation and accompaniment of Delegates and their communications teams.
In addition, we want to find creative and innovative ways to develop, spread and engage people in our work with the SB, Radios, Publishers and our websites and social networks.
In August 2021 we will be beginning the School of Formation for Communications Delegates and Coordinators of the Salesian Bulletin, Radios and Publishing Houses. The first meeting will be carried out online.
This year, we will hold our meetings of Provincial Delegates for Communication in the Regions together with Provincial Delegates for the Missions.
These meetings will allow us to share experiences of communication and evangelisation, to deepen dialogue on evangelising in the context of social networks, and to strengthen our shared responsibility for the Salesian mission as a Salesian Congregation.
Another important initiative we are taking up together in 2021 is the updating of our document known as the Salesian Social Communication System, along with a multidisciplinary study team involving Salesians, lay people and youth from all of our regions.
Beginning with the development and study of a Communications Working Document drawn up during meetings of Communications Delegates, and SB, Radio and Publishing teams in 2020 online, we would like to continue the exploration, practice and sharing of our communication vision and actions in the Provinces.
In this regard, we will be experiencing and and spreading information on the Centenary of the death of Fr Paul Albera. We have already asked all Salesian Bulletin editors to disseminate articles, interviews and events regarding this significant celebration.
Available on the Congregation’s website sdb.org are the Strenna 2021, as well as GC28 documents, the Rector Major’s Road Map and Planning done by the various Sectors of the Congregation.
ANS, the Salesian News Agency disseminates news of the Congregation on a daily basis. So let us accompany, share in and disseminate these news items throughout the entire Salesian Family.
Let us journey together in a family spirit and fraternal communion since we believe that communication is very important for carrying out our educational mission for those to whom we are sent.
I wish you all joy and hope as we celebrate the Feast of Don Bosco.
Fr Gildásio Mendes dos Santos – SDB
General Councillor for Social Communication
Rome, 24 January 2021
