1. Rector Major’s Strenna 2018
An Introduction for Salesian Family Consulta
Discussion and Collaboration

3. Strenna 2018 – Let us Cultivate the Art of Listening and Accompanying
The Strenna within an ecclesial context
The Strenna’s basic teachings
The Strenna and Don Bosco’s educational method
The Strenna and our situation in North America
The Strenna and Suggested SF planning and initiatives

4. Strenna 2018 – Let us Cultivate the Art of Listening and Accompanying
Part One: The Strenna in an ecclesial context
The Strennas of the past two years have to be seen within the context of the Church’s Synod Movement ( )
This movement began in 2007 with the Latin American Bishops’ Pastoral: Aparecida

5. Pope Francis’ Pastoral Initiative
May Aparecida: Pastoral Plan of the Latin American Catholic Bishops
Bishops’ Synod on Evangelization
Evangelii Gaudium by Pope Francis:
Summing up the synod on evangelization
A watershed document for the Catholic Church
Pope Francis’ Pastoral Initiative

6. Pope Francis and the Strennas of 2017-2018
First Application of Evangelii Gaudium:
Family and Marriage:
2014 Bishops’ First Synod on the Family
2015 Bishops’ Second Synod on the Family
2016 Amoris Laetitia by Pope Francis
summing up the synods on the family
2017 Strenna We are Family, Every Home, a School of Life and Love

7. Pope Francis and the Strennas of 2017-2018
Second Application of Evangelii Gaudium: Youth
2017 Pope Francis Calls for a Synod of Catholic Bishops on the young to be held in October 2018
A letter and preparatory document was developed to listen to the young with regard to their lives and faith.
➣ Based upon the belief that young people are called by God to fulfill some purpose within society and the church.
2018 Strenna Let us Cultivate the Art of Listening and Accompaniment

8. Synod of Bishops 2018

9. Part Two: What does the Strenna 2018 say?
We in the Salesian Family have to focus on responding to the challenge of pastoral care and vocational discernment with the young (18-35 years) in Don Bosco’s spirit.
Walk with boys and girls, youth and their families, fathers and mothers
Cultivate a vocational culture (plan of life)
Foster an intense spiritual atmosphere (personal relationship with Christ)
Witness to the joy with which we live.
Part Two: What does the Strenna 2018 say?

10. Strenna 2018 – Connected with the Bishops’ 2018 Synod on Young People
The entire Church invites the young to fill out the questionnaires on the synod (18 to 35 years)
The rest of the church is asked to read and reflect on the Synod preparatory document.
The Salesian Family is invited to study and implement the teachings of the Synod preparatory document.
Strenna 2018 – Connected with the Bishops’ 2018 Synod on Young People

11. Strenna 2018: The Salesian Family Response
The Church’s mandate to engage the young by calling them to faith in Jesus and participation in the Church is vital in our world today.
The young have a vocation from God to holiness of life and making a positive difference in society.
Encounter is the spirit which is effective in helping the young identify their call and discern a vocational response.
Listen, discern, accompany

12. Strenna 2018 calls the SF to encounter the young in three movements:
1. Listening:
2. Discerning:
3. Accompanying:

13. Encounter the young through:
Listening – Personal
Empathy, encouragement, support
Listening
Discerning – Move forward with Holy Spirit in faith and vocation
Recognize, interpret, choose
Discerning
Accompanying – like Jesus
Gaze, be a neighbor, walk side by side
Accompanying
Encounter the young through:

14. Part Three: The Strenna in Don Bosco’s educational method
Salesian Family Spirituality Days: Turin 2018
Don Bosco’s educational method and Strenna 2018
Listening
Discerning
Accompanying
Talks by Sr. Paola Casalis and Fr. Michal Vojtas
Witness talks by young adults in Salesian Family
Panel discussion with RM and young adults
Part Three: The Strenna in Don Bosco’s educational method

15. Listening/Discerning
Listening requires a conversion in our way of acting and interacting with the young.
“She listened to me as if she had nothing else to do.”
“He looked at me as if I was the only one there.”
The listener seeks to identify the inner motivation and/or need of the young person.
The purpose is to help the young person discern God’s will.
The adult avoids giving answers. Helps the young person to come to a decision in his or her life.
The process is based on the conviction that each young person has a call from God.

16. Listening/Discerning in Don Bosco’s vocational development
Mamma Margherita
Dream at age 9
Don Bosco meets Don Calosso (11 years)
Don Bosco’s confessor (uncle of Louis Comollo)
Don Bosco’s mentor and spiritual guide (St. Joseph Cafasso)

17. Listening/Discerning in Don Bosco’s vocational development
Mamma Margherita
Dream at age 9 CHALLENGE
Don Bosco meets Don Calosso (11 years) TRUST
Don Bosco’s confessor (uncle of Louis Comollo) CRISIS
Don Bosco’s mentor and spiritual guide (St. Joseph Cafasso) DECISION/COMMITMENT

18. Accompaniment Don Bosco’s style of accompaniment:
Help to internalize values and experiences in which they live (e.g., service to the poorest)
In addition to personal and systematic dialogue, use short, occasional meetings with other people, members of the Christian community, the faith group or religious communities.

19. Accompaniment (from the biographies of young saints written by Don Bosco)
Welcome: Bartholomew Garelli
Challenge: Mickey Magone
Confidence and Trust: Dominic Savio, Mickey Magone
Environment: Magone, Francesco Besucco
Hidden Curriculum
Crisis: Savio, Magone, Besucco
Decision (Discernment): Magone, Besucco
Cheerful, Study, Piety
Commitment: Savio, Besucco (Sodalities)

20. Listen and Accompany Welcome Challenge Confidence and Trust
Environment
Crisis
Decision (Discernment)
Commitment
Listen and Accompany

21. Part Four: Strenna 2018 and Our Situation in the United States and Canada
Research commissioned by St. Mary’s Press with CARA of Georgetown University in 2015
PEW research (2015) on the religious beliefs and practices of people in the US and Canada
A research team assembled to interpret the findings
Interviews with young adults who had disaffiliated from the Catholic Church
Publication of findings: Going, Going, Gone (Sept. 2017)

22. Catholic Losses…
Pew: Catholicism has experienced the greatest net losses as a result of affiliation changes. 31% of Americans were raised in the Catholic faith, today fewer than 24% describe themselves as Catholic.
PRRI: Catholics have experienced the largest net loss of adherents due to switching, but these losses have
been largely offset by Hispanic immigration to the United States. Notably, 12 percent of Americans today are former Catholics.
Public Religion Research Institute

23. Existing Research
A majority leave before age 21. Many were not raised in practicing households. Disproportionately male.
About ½ become unaffiliated “Nones” and the other ½ begin to identify with a Protestant denomination
36% of young millennials (18-24) are religiously unaffiliated and 34% of older millennials (25 – 33) are religiously unaffiliated. 22.8% of the general population is unaffiliated – about 56 million people (Pew Study).
There are an estimated 5.4 million former Catholics between years old. (CARA)

25. Our Salesian Response:
“How might the dynamics of disaffiliation be affected if our primary pastoral motivation and action were to accompany young people on their spiritual journey, especially as they wrestle with belief through questioning and doubt?” (Going, Going, Gone p. 34)
“In Don Bosco’s style, both the person accompanying and the person accompanied are not limited to meeting each other on the basis of a specific agenda on a set day or time, but daily share environments, recreation spaces, and moments of work, prayer, and joy,” (2018 Strenna)
Our Salesian Response:

26. Part Five: Suggested Salesian Family Planning and Initiatives
Some pastoral initiatives from Strenna 2018
Apply Don Bosco’s educational approach (listen, discern, and accompany) on a daily basis.
Pastoral Plan to gather young adults in encounter settings
Small groups of young adults meeting informally
Family Ministry and Ministry to Married couples
Ministerial Formation for the SF in Don Bosco’s mission and spirit (systematic and comprehensive)

27. Some pastoral initiatives from Strenna 2018 (cont.)
Grow the Salesian Family younger and more diverse
ADMA for Youth and Families
Salesian Cooperators
Past Pupils
Pastoral experiences (mission trips, volunteer service) with listening, accompaniment, and follow-up
Insertion of encounter type experiences for youth in SF gatherings (e.g., Marian Day, Visit of Rector Major, Don Bosco Feast, Salesian Family Spirituality Days)

28. Some pastoral initiatives from Strenna 2018 (cont.)
Broaden the reach of SF spiritual gatherings to include young adults on days of recollection, retreats, pilgrimages, and encounters.
Centering on relationship with Jesus
Focusing on vocational discernment within the Church
Call young adults to membership on leadership teams within the province, local presences, and apostolates.
Encourage them to become protagonists in DB’s mission.
Foster active membership in the Salesian Youth Movement