Keynote speech
Fr. Stjepan boLkovac, SDB,
World delegate
The Salesian Cooperator
yesterday, today, tomorrow
PEACE AND JOY!
Our meeting helps us to see people and
see things in a new light.
This light is that of the Salesian charism,
a gift of the Holy Spirit to Don Bosco for all of us,
his followers in different forms of charismatic
belonging.
In this Salesian light, we try to see
Young people in Salesian Family
need & the good
we can do for them.
Autonomy in communion
• Organisational autonomy, not as independence
or a break in communion.
• An ability to organize ourselves responsibly,
without waiting for others to do it, to effectively
carry out a commitment to work together
willingly and well, in mission and communion.
How we should look at the
Salesian Cooperator today,
or tomorrow?
we should go back to the origin how Don Bosco
saw things when this idea of the lay Salesian took
root in the Salesian mission.
Salesian Cooperators
“Those are called Salesian Cooperators who
wish to be busy carrying out charitable works
not just in general but in agreement with and
according to the spirit of the Congregation of St.
Francis de Sales”
Lay or clerical Christian living as a Salesian
in the world, in his or her own situation, but
according to the spirit of “da mihi animas”
on behalf of poor young people.
The starting point is the concept of
mission, of apostolate, that is to say the
concept of Christian life lived
apostolically as the basis for holiness.
This is the mission that for some can become
consecration (vows) and for others,
dedication (promise), but for all it becomes a
common Salesian vocation: being
apostles for the young.
Salesian Family
The good of young people.
Many forces (vis unita fortior) are
needed for this good to be
achieved. This is the charismatic
nucleus of the Salesian Family.
Let’s not forget that
the light illumining this task
came from above.
Apostolic programme for the
Salesian Cooperators
“Leave the care of poor and abandoned
young people to us, and we will bring all of
our forces to bear on doing the greatest good
possible for them, that we believe will be for
the common good of society.”
The field of our apostolate and
of our apostolic dedication is
and must remain in the first place,
the young, especially the poor
and abandoned.
Our apostolic objective
is “to do as much good
as we can.”
Our method is education by which “public
morality” is achieved. Preventive system –
“good Christians and honest citizens”
Salesian Cooperators in the
Regulations of Apostolic Life Today
RAL: ‘Identity card’ of the Salesian
Cooperator today and in the future.
1. Salesian Cooperator is a response to
the apostolic call discovered and followed
freely and with awareness, and which
becomes a way of life, a VOCATION!
It is not enough just to be a good person,
a Christian or a good parishioner to be
“enrolled” as a Salesian Cooperator.
Salesian Cooperators in the Regulations of Apostolic Life Today
The approval of our Regulations by
the Church indicates:
2. This vocation is a way to holiness.
Holiness is not a privilege for some,
but daily life possible for all.
Salesian Cooperator
3. By means of the promise it becomes
a choice of apostolic commitment
for one’s whole lifetime.
(not a just free time apostolate)
Salesian Cooperators in the Regulations of Apostolic Life Today
4. Cooperator is above all an apostle
who is always ready to become part
of the concrete reality of the
Church at local and world level.
He/she is not a simple co-worker
and helper of Salesians.
Communion with the Salesian Family
Network of combined forces that Don
Bosco wanted for the good of young people,
especially the poorest and most needy.
Salesian Cooperators in the Regulations of Apostolic Life Today
Raise up our voice in world structures
and organizations.
5. Cooperators should become aware
of the importance of entering
structures and places where policy
decisions on behalf of young people
are made.
Convinced in the ultimate victory of goodness
we do not hesitate to do everything possible
and to use whatever modern means so that
good can win out. Don Bosco clearly shows us
how to put our lives at God’s disposal!
Some important voices in
forming the mentality of the
Salesian Cooperator today!
1. Promise is an act of apostolic dedication.
He/she expresses the will to be active
This dedication defines the lay Christian
charismatic spiritual
according to the lay style of belonging and
vocation, and
action. This Don Bosco in the Salesian
proposal of belonging is expressed
through Cooperators according to the
mission.
intensity of the mission practised.
Some important voices in forming the
mentality of the Salesian Cooperator today!
2. Looking after new vocations for
Cooperators: vocational autonomy
Until Cooperators themselves become
Call people and propose the
the actors in caring for new vocations,
spiritual path of the Salesian
the Association will not have that incisive
Cooperator for them to discover
apostolic lay strength it should have.
and follow.
Some important voices in forming the
mentality of the Salesian Cooperator today!
3. The formation of the Salesian Cooperator
has to be translated into concrete and
practical ways.
It is necessary - should be the driving
privileged the function
Regular meetings to evaluatemoments
local council
Theformation, planning and for animating
for of meetings, how they can be carried
force of a more careful evaluation of the
Centres.
out well, and contribute to of
way a local centre is progressing andthe
animation of
its apostolic and spiritual life. a Centre.
Some important voices in forming the
mentality of the Salesian Cooperator today!
4. Organisational autonomy
The with and 2) and secularisation
1)Todaytrue globalisation Promoting self- of
correct Church esteem for the
society, theplace invites the lay faithful to
for the Cooperators and
become aware of their apostolic role in the
coordinator and for should become
world. Salesian Cooperators the work
they carry out
Salesian lay awareness in the world, in .
the delegate
structures of
Carrying out of thesocial life for the education of
Guarantee of charismatic
the young.
Salesian and apostolic fidelity and the Salesian
life of the Association apostolic journey
Some important voices in forming the
mentality of the Salesian Cooperator today!
5. Continual updating
With programmes appropriate for ongoing
formation the Association should take care
of the life of its members and with due
attention follow up young people and the
social life of the loccal neighbourhood and
its needs.
Open to new people and able to react in a
Salesian way to the challenges around it.
Some important voices in forming the
mentality of the Salesian Cooperator today!
6. Working with the mentality of the
Salesian Family at all levels
Creating consultative bodies Web
at local and provincial level
Shared vision of the challenges
and programmes needed to
favour the Salesian mission
Creating the famous ‘network of
good’ we have to take up the
modern culture of communication.
Renewal of the
Regulations of Apostolic Life
Reconsider our basic Christian)
“Christifideles laici”(Lay
documents to discover their
Holy Father John Paul II
“Common Identity Card”
wisdom and their planning for
“The future. Mission Card”
the Common
Call for renewed collaboration with laity,
especially with Salesian Cooperators
and Past Pupils, and with all members of
the Salesian Family.
Renewal of the Regulations of Apostolic Life
I invite you to follow this renewal with
2001 to February 2004
Launch practical of renewal
your -real andthe processcontribution at
local, provincial and regional level and
November 2004
- Prepare Holy Spirit to shed light
to pray to the the “ad experimentum” text
of the to renewal.
on our pathnew RAL
(Evaluate renewal Regulations)
Our path of these newis firstly a light
World Cooperators the Holy Spirit and
and invitation from Congress 2005
Acceptance compile.
then -our work to of the new Regulations
Conclusion