By Fr. John Puntino, SDB
(Richmond, CA — April 12) — From Friday, March 31 through Palm Sunday, April 2, the SUO Province held its Salesian Youth Leadership Conference (SYLC). Spirit Team members gathered at St. Joseph Salesian Youth Retreat Center in Rosemead for a workshop on how to lead activities and presentation skills. Novices Pascal Mukuye and John Taylor and I formed part of the adult leaders team. The event ended with Palm Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord Mass in the retreat center chapel.
The SYLC is sponsored each year by the SUO Province. In some ways similar to the SUE Province's Salesian Leadership Retreats (SLR), the SYLC lasts seven days and gathers young people from Salesian schools, parishes, youth centers, and from other apostolates not specifically Salesian.
An important feature of SYLC is the spirit team component. Spirit team members are those who have participated in SYLC and who now form part of the team along with adult leaders.