An Encouraging SLM Discernment Weekend

By Julia St. Clair, Province Communications Director

(New Rochelle, NY – March 8) – The Salesian Lay Missioners’ (SLM) discernment weekend took place from Friday, February 24, through Sunday, February 26. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the SLM discernment weekends have taken place virtually.

"It’s been really helpful, especially for people out on the West Coast," SLM Program Director Adam Rudin shared. "We did everything typical in a discernment weekend, just virtually."

The SLM discernment weekend began on Friday evening. There was great representation from the six attendees. They were diverse in geography (having hailed from California, Oregon, Michigan, Florida, Maine, and Vermont) and age (from soon-to-be graduates to recent retirees).

One of the highlights of this discernment weekend was the panel of returning lay missioners on Saturday evening. Four returning SLMs—two who served at an orphanage in Bolivia, one who was stationed in Sierra Leone, and a current SLM who called in from Mexico—led the latest panel.

"It’s a great time for returning SLMs to share their experiences and connect with audiences that really want to hear about them," Adam exclaimed. "It’s also good for candidates to hear different perspectives about working in the missions."

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend that united prospective SLMs with diverse experiences and led to great questions and discussions. It has also brought hope for the future of the SLM program and the Salesian mission.

"I was encouraged to see an uptick in interested candidates and to have so many qualified candidates interested in serving," Adam reflected. "We’re praying for more people to be inspired and led by the Holy Spirit to check us out."

To learn more and apply to be an SLM, please visit www.salesianlaymissioners.org/.