by Cl. Nevelle Coutinho sdb
NASHIK-MAHARASHTRA, MARCH 10, 2014: A two day workshop on ‘Salesian Youth Spirituality’ was conducted by Don Bosco Youth Services–Matunga from March 6-7, 2014, for the Bachelor 
Mr. Menezes, presented a Model Lesson Plan on ‘Uprooting the seeds of Violence’, by the We Abhor Violence Everywhere (WAVE) Campaign. Twenty Three young Salesians took part in this session. Mr. Menezes animated a lively session on various issues concerning violence, through a PowerPoint presentation, followed by a series of case studies. He enriched it with his own personal experiences. The young Salesians found it very practical, insightful and highly motivating.
In the afternoon, Fr. Glenn Lowe spoke about: ‘Salesian Youth Ministry: Revisiting the Four Dimensions’. Fr. Cleophas animated the participants during the ‘Group Work and Sharing’ session. The students enlisted many creative ways in which they could nourish the young in the dimensions of body-mind-heart-soul.
In the evening, the young Salesians were invited to look at the Youth Ministry as a Process and not merely as a set of isolated events. During the sessions, Fr. Glenn presented the Six C’s of a Youth Ministry Process: Compass (Vision), Concern (Mission), Context (The Setting), Content (The Nourishment), Capacity Building (The Networking) and the Clock (Checks and Balances). Fr. Cleophas enabled the brothers to get into a planning mentality, through a very practical session, asking them to prepare a simple Educative Pastoral Plan (EPP) for their holiday apostolate.
The next day’s session began with the presentation on the EPP by each group. Each presentation was then critically evaluated and corrected. After the discussion, the Second Year Brothers of the course for the Bachelors of Philosophy joined in. Fr. Glenn summed up the whole topic of Salesian Youth Ministry and then invited them to get down to practical ways of planning an entire months schedule, keeping in mind the Six C’s and the Elements of our Spirituality. Fr. Cleophas then helped them to focus on the importance of preparing a ‘Flow Chart’ for an entire day. The brothers then expressed their sincere thanks for the innovative insights imparted by the Youth Ministry Team from DBYS, Matunga.
To bring the two-day programme to an end, the community gathered together to brain storm ideas for the bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth. A wonderful video on the Centenary Year and a Press Conference recently given by the Rector Major set the tone for the meeting. The evening was beautifully spent in reflection and creative thought. In the end, these two-days were worth attending and it has ignited the minds of these young brothers with a planning mentality and a desire to live out their Salesian life in its true spirit.