Rome (Italy). On 3 and 4 May 2024, in Rome, at the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS), the XIV edition of the Salesian Days of Social Communication (GSCS) will be held, an annual event that involves young people in initial formation of the Salesians of Don Bosco, of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, and other Religious Congregations, to encourage formation in communication.
The two days of reflection are organized by the Dicasteries for Social Communication and Formation of the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Sectors for Communication and Formation of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the Faculty of Social Communication Sciences of the UPS, and the Pontifical Faculty of Education Sciences «Auxilium» of Rome.
This year’s Days, entitled Charism and Mission. Faithful to their roots and innovative to incarnate in them today’s time, they conclude a three-year cycle that began in 2022 with the theme Being Christians in a changing world, and followed in 2023 with Read and interpret to proclaim.
The event, inspired as usual by the Holy Father’s Message for World Social Communications Day (GMCS) 2024 Artificial Intelligence and Wisdom of heart: for fully human communication, expects about a hundred people.
The question from which the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians started is, how to live as Christians in a changing world, in a cultural context in which God does not seem to be essential to give meaning to life. The predominant values in society – power, wealth, success, competition, prestige, status, fame, physical well-being, beauty, etc. – are in fact values strongly in contrast with those Christians who express the primacy of God through a relationship with others of listening, welcome, service, gift, gratuitousness, generosity, forgiveness, mercy, sharing, communion, …
How to read and analyze, therefore, contemporary events? The pandemic, the ongoing conflicts, the cataclysms such as the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, but also the growing suicides among young people, the tragedy of those who lose their jobs, of those who remain homeless, make us confront life situations that refuse ready-made answers. They test humanity profoundly. Thus, the team questioned itself on what it means to proclaim Christ to the contemporary world and how to do it.
This year, SDB and FMA decided to focus on the Charism. In a rapidly changing world, as daughters and sons of two great Saints of the education of young people, it is necessary to question the aspects, values, and qualities of their respective Charisms, to be preserved and developed so that there may be fidelity and continuity with the origins and with the Founders.
“Video pills” in preparation
In addition to the reflections on the theme of fidelity to the Charism and innovation, which will be proposed in the afternoon of 3 May, “video pills” will be offered weekly in preparation for the meeting. Every week, starting from 18 March, two videos will be published of a few minutes, in which FMA and SDB propose a significant charismatic aspect, concluding with some questions addressed to the participants.
To participate in the formation days, it is necessary to fill in the registration form sent to the recipients through the formators, and the Provinces/ Preprovinces of reference, by 25 March.
