Jeffrey Gladstone sdb
CHENNAI, AUGUST 24, 2009: The think-tank of the Youth Pastoral Ministry of the Chennai Province, i.e., the Province Youth Pastoral Team (PYPT) comprising of the Delegate, Commission Heads and Sector Heads along with some special invitees gathered at their provincial house on August 15 and 16, 2009, in order to be animated at depth on the four dimensions relating to the Salesian Youth Ministry.
The DBYA-South Asia team from Delhi was present in its full strength to carry forward the all-important task of rekindling and renewing the hearts and minds of the Chennai PYPT. Fr. Stanislaus Swamikannu, the Provincial welcomed the resource persons and
spelt out the reasons for arranging such a meeting. Fr. Maria Charles, the South Asian Delegate for the Youth Ministry set the tone for the programme by enunciating the various nuances enshrined in the Salesian Youth Ministry Model. It was followed by a free and frank review of the Youth Pastoral Plan in the province which was indeed a moment of confronting the brutal facts with an open mind as paraphrased by Fr. Joe Arimpoor, the National Delegate for Groups and Movements. The first day came to a close with a Thanksgiving Benediction service conducted by Fr. Brian Moras, the National Delegate for Vocation Animation and Guidance.
The second day unfurled itself with the Holy Eucharist presided over by Fr. Joe Andrew, the Vice-Provincial of Chennai Province. During the day, a lot of time was spent in trying to understand the various dimensions of the Salesian Youth Ministry. Fr. Arimpoor threw open the challenges involved in forming Bosco Youth Groups as a South Asian Venture. Fr. Jeyapalan, the National Delegate for Evangelization and Catechesis shared with us the paradigm shift that emerged during the National Salesian Catechetical Coordinators Meet held at Kolkata in July 2009. Fr. Brian Moras, with his well prepared power-point programme, presented the challenges faced in Vocation animation and Guidance, especially in the area of Vocation Recruitment and Promotion to Salesian life. Education, being the basic stratum of Salesian Youth Ministry, Fr. Maria Charles took the house, through a powerful presentation, for a daring Re-look at Education Vision 2020. It, of course, served as an Examination of Conscience of our Educational Ministry.
At the end of the presentation of all the dimensions, the entire Assembly engaged itself in an active sharing of the challenges and plans in the Youth Ministry in different sectors of our mission in the Province. That exercise helped all those present to sharpen the focus of the mission in various sectors and to redouble the efforts to Encounter the YOUNG PERSON in his/her totality.
The two days of animation of PYPT came to an end with the clarion call from the Vice Provincial to make the effects of this animation programme trickle down to the individual commissions, communities and confreres.
CHENNAI, AUGUST 24, 2009: The think-tank of the Youth Pastoral Ministry of the Chennai Province, i.e., the Province Youth Pastoral Team (PYPT) comprising of the Delegate, Commission Heads and Sector Heads along with some special invitees gathered at their provincial house on August 15 and 16, 2009, in order to be animated at depth on the four dimensions relating to the Salesian Youth Ministry.
The DBYA-South Asia team from Delhi was present in its full strength to carry forward the all-important task of rekindling and renewing the hearts and minds of the Chennai PYPT. Fr. Stanislaus Swamikannu, the Provincial welcomed the resource persons and
spelt out the reasons for arranging such a meeting. Fr. Maria Charles, the South Asian Delegate for the Youth Ministry set the tone for the programme by enunciating the various nuances enshrined in the Salesian Youth Ministry Model. It was followed by a free and frank review of the Youth Pastoral Plan in the province which was indeed a moment of confronting the brutal facts with an open mind as paraphrased by Fr. Joe Arimpoor, the National Delegate for Groups and Movements. The first day came to a close with a Thanksgiving Benediction service conducted by Fr. Brian Moras, the National Delegate for Vocation Animation and Guidance.The second day unfurled itself with the Holy Eucharist presided over by Fr. Joe Andrew, the Vice-Provincial of Chennai Province. During the day, a lot of time was spent in trying to understand the various dimensions of the Salesian Youth Ministry. Fr. Arimpoor threw open the challenges involved in forming Bosco Youth Groups as a South Asian Venture. Fr. Jeyapalan, the National Delegate for Evangelization and Catechesis shared with us the paradigm shift that emerged during the National Salesian Catechetical Coordinators Meet held at Kolkata in July 2009. Fr. Brian Moras, with his well prepared power-point programme, presented the challenges faced in Vocation animation and Guidance, especially in the area of Vocation Recruitment and Promotion to Salesian life. Education, being the basic stratum of Salesian Youth Ministry, Fr. Maria Charles took the house, through a powerful presentation, for a daring Re-look at Education Vision 2020. It, of course, served as an Examination of Conscience of our Educational Ministry.
At the end of the presentation of all the dimensions, the entire Assembly engaged itself in an active sharing of the challenges and plans in the Youth Ministry in different sectors of our mission in the Province. That exercise helped all those present to sharpen the focus of the mission in various sectors and to redouble the efforts to Encounter the YOUNG PERSON in his/her totality.
The two days of animation of PYPT came to an end with the clarion call from the Vice Provincial to make the effects of this animation programme trickle down to the individual commissions, communities and confreres.