SYM National Coordinating Team Meeting

Don Bosco Philippines, South (FIS) Makati, December 02, 2017

The National Coordinating Team of Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) conducted a meeting at St. John Bosco Hall, Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati City (DBTI – Makati). It was participated by the Philippine South Province (FIS), Philippine North Province (FIN) and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA). The meeting aimed to revisit the Salesian Youth Movement – SDB (Philippines) Vision and Mission, to discuss the sodality handbook revision together with the provincial sodality animators from the SYM–SDB (FIN) and to plan for the upcoming 30^th Anniversary of the SYM.

The National Coordinating Team Meeting was hosted by the Philippine North Province (FIN)  this time. It started with a Holy Mass, at the Chapel of DBTI – Makati presided by Rev. Fr. John Vernil “Dodoy” Lopez, SDB, SYM-FIS Delegate. During his Homily, Fr. Dodoy asked the youth leaders and animators to pray for more vocations; emphasized that the main fruit of the SYM Formation and Activities are Vocations.

Afterwards, the participants were asked to gather at the St. John Bosco Hall to formally open the meeting. They were dancing the SYM theme song with the title “Youth Serving Youth” for the unfreezer. It is a constant reminder for the youth to serve with the fellow youth, that, they are not afraid to take the challenge. Then, Rev. Fr. Juvelan Paul Samia, SDB, the SYM-FIN Delegate, shared the dreams at 30 years in SYM throughout his Opening Remarks. There were three invited speakers for the meeting.

The first speaker is, Rev. Fr. Jose Lorbeth “Jobeth” Vivo, CYM-FIN Delegate. He discussed the Salesian Youth Spirituality, the youth of our times, the alignment of the SYM to mission of the Church, a distinction to the other youth ministry, the “where” do we do the SYM, and lastly, he punctuated to educate the young by evangelizing and evangelize by educating. Fr. Jobeth stressed on the two elements of the identity and aims of the movement such as, it has reference namely to the Salesian Youth Spirituality and Salesian Pedagogy and the preferential fields of action of the SYM.

 

 

 

The second input was given by the Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY) Executive Secretary, Rev. Fr. Conegundo “Kune” Garganta. Fr. Kune gave concrete happenings of the youth and said “We can only effectively minister to someone we know and understand.” Therefore,  only when there is knowledge and awareness of the youth and their situation will we be able to appreciate and recognize.

 

 

 

 

Lastly, Rev. Fr. Jose Dindo Vitug, SDB, summarized the points he learnt from the opening remarks of Fr. Juvelan and the other two inputs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subsequently, the participants asked questions to be answered by the invited speakers for the Forum. And in the afternoon, a meaningful and informative sharing was done. The sharing was all about the distinct characteristics of the SYM and the dreams to the SYM in other words, the vision to see and the mission to do to the fellow youth.

 

 

 

 

Hence, the National Coordinating Team Meeting was to gather the youth animators and leaders and the delegates of SYM–FIN/FIS/FMA and a representative of ECY to have a common vision, mission and goals to the youth of Salesian Youth Movement and to plan out for the 30^th Anniversary of the movement. It ended with a promise to meet other time to finalize everything and formulate the vision and mission.

(Contributor: Juvanil Floyd Albarado, Photos by SYM-FIS)