East Asia. On 18 February 2023, the Youth Pastoral Sector of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians animated the online meeting of the Youth Pastoral Coordinators of the Interprovincial Conference of East Asia (CIAO).
The meeting began with a prayer led by Sr. Lolia Pfozhumai, entitled “Celebrating the goodness of the Lord”, followed by sharing among the participants. It was a time of mutual enrichment, inspiration, and learning in which each Province shared its journey in the light of the commitment assumed by the FMA Institute in the XXIV General Chapter, of a concrete and continuous journey of conversion to integral ecology, assuming online the seven objectives of Laudato Si’ in the spirit of the Preventive System.
Each FMA Province is doing its best to live and implement the spirit of Laudato Si’ in daily life, in collaboration with the young people, the Educating Communities, and other interested parties. Sr. Monica Kim, from Morning Star Province (KOR), shared a concrete example of how the Laudato Si’ Platform is being implemented in her province.
After the sharing of the participants, Sr. Runita Borja, Councilor for Youth Pastoral of the FMA Institute, spoke on the theme: “A SYNODAL Youth Pastoral for the Life of all”.
Sr. Runita congratulated the Sisters for the creative ways of animation and the initiatives carried out with passion and commitment in their respective Countries and Provinces, for their participation in the paths promoted by the Church in contemporaneity, in harmony with the Salesian charism, for attention to the 7 Laudato Si’ Goals and the 7 Commitments of the Global Education Pact.
She focused her reflection on the three great concerns of Youth Pastoral: synodality, discernment and being at the service of life, keeping hope alive. She underlined that networking and promoting initiatives and values (advocacy) are effective tools for reaching people and stimulating public opinion.
She specified that, if we want to have greater impact and visibility, it is necessary to network with other institutions and groups, as networking strengthens the synergy between the different dimensions and expressions of Youth Pastoral. Furthermore, it is important to work in collaboration with other Sectors, Commissions, and coordination structures at the interprovincial and global level.
She then encouraged a style of missionary synodality, which urges us to look for young people where they are, to listen to them, and involve them, to let ourselves be involved by them.
The meeting concluded with a prayer to ask the Triune God to teach humanity to live a more ‘sacred’ lifestyle, with simplicity of heart, moderation, and solidarity with those who have less.
