Salesians working to promote vocations in South Asia began a meeting in Chennai on Nov. 23 discussing difficulties they face and ways to overcome them.

“We need to be present to the young if we are to invite them,” was the opening message of Father Dominic Sequeira, Vocation Ministry Delegate, from Rome.

More than being administers and carrying out the roles assigned, a Salesain should be personally present among the young, he told some 20 Salesians, mainly from provinces across India.

In nations like the US, the first contact with the young is through websites, Father Sequeira said. He also suggested some methods to foster vocations in Asian context and said: “Every Salesian is a vocation promoter.”

Father Joe Andrew, vice-provincial of Chennai, quoted from Salesain documents such as their General Council 26 to speak about the identity of a Salesian.

“More than a crisis of identity, what we are experiencing today is a crisis of credibility,” he quoted from the letter of their Rector Major Father Pascual Chavez Villanueva.

He also spoke about the “culture of vocations” in which a priest has to live before inviting others to it. “We need to demand certain fundamental choices from ourselves if we are to foster consecrated vocations, which would mean constant prayer, explicit proclamation, courageous invitation, accurate discernment, and personalized accompaniment.”

Participants shared concerns, strategies, challenges and the efforts put in to accompany young people discern their vocation.

Source: Vocation-our Vocaiton (donboscoindia.com)

Related posts:

1. Competition in vocation promotion worries CRI
2. Salesians ‘must respond’ to new needs
3. Government joins Salesians to train poor
4. Follow radical life: Salesian superior
5. Salesian bishops’ meet inspires Indian prelate