Salesian Youth Synod

By Mrs. Amy Stockinger, Program Coordinator, Province Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry

(New Rochelle, NY – August 28) – From Sunday, August 11, through Friday, August 16, almost 400 people gathered from 93 countries for the Salesian Youth Synod. It was held first in Valdocco and then at Colle Don Bosco. There were eight youth representatives (including Mr. Elijah Pace and myself), one SDB, and one FMA from Canada and the United States.

The synod focused on preparing a final document that would contain young people’s dreams for themselves, for society and the Church, and for the Salesian Youth Movement. The synod work was broken into several tasks: (1) all participants were asked to review, reflect, and share on the instrumentum laboris in small groups with one person assigned as the notetaker; (2) five language group presenters then summarized the findings of these small groups; (3) these summaries were presented to the assembly with time for questions and interventions; (4) using the interventions, the summaries were rewritten and presented again to the assembly with time for questions and interventions; (5) all youth participants then voted to approve the final text for each language group. All five language group texts were approved.

In addition to the synod work, there was time for prayer, community, formation, and reflection. Participants were able to celebrate Don Bosco’s birthday and the bicentennial of his dream at nine in the very place where he was born and had his dream. They were also able to witness Cardinal Ángel’s very last act as rector major for the Salesian Congregation before continuing his work as cardinal.