Zatti Friends after 5 years,

SYM growth in Philippines South province

By Fr. Joriz Calsa, SDB 

FIS Youth Ministry Delegate

Cebu, the Philippines, 18 July 2018 -- We have started in Cebu - Lourdes parish last 2013, when we saw that the young people are not interested in the present or existing youth groups in the parish. We gathered them and told them of a possibility of another group which they can join.

And the response was positive. And so I named it after Blessed Artemides Zatti because of the nature of their mission in the parish and SYM. The goal is about well being and especially about first-aid providers during regular Sunday Mass or big events and youth camps.

The training of Zatti Friends is regular so as to build mental alertness when needed. It was formally introduced to the SYM National Assembly Days in 2015 during the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco.

In the Philippines South province (FIS), we just started a provincial animator or point person to be the in charge of animating the Sodality and before each setting or house follows up its youth groups. Now we have a youth animator in charge of Zatti Friends, Mr. Ralph Gerald Padilla, a fresh graduate of a medical course and is also currently employed as assistant to the pastoral head (catechist SDB) at Don Bosco Technical College Cebu.

The contact to our Zatti Friends: FIS SYM Delegate: Fr. Vince Michael Sabal, SDB. FIS SYM Lay Youth Animator: Mr. Ralph Gerald Padilla (Alumnus).

Training of Zatti friends are very much regular. They continue to serve as first aiders on a standby mode every Sunday Mass, and in every celebration or camps. They were also trained to do blood pressure reading since their animator is a medical practitioner.

In the FIS we have revived the disaster risk and reduction management team or the DB DIRECT which was born duringthe Haiyan Typhoon but this time it will more long term and more educative and preventive (mitigation) and we are targeting the youth groups and Zatti is in our mind. And we are also happy to share with other EAO provinces the basic regulations of Zatti Friends. Indeed our SYM - FIS invites the young people to join our main 6 youth groups: KOA (Altar servants - boys), LOA (Altar servant - girls), Zatti Friends, Savio Friends, Auxilium and Biblos.

NATURE

The ZATTI FRIENDS is a group of young people who desire to follow the example of Blessed Artemides Zatti. It is the first youth group dedicated to Blessed Zatti that was formed in the Philippines and is present at Lourdes Parish, Cebu.

PATRON

The patron of the ZATTI FRIENDS is Blessed Artemide Zatti, Salesian Brother (1880-1951).

MAIN ACTIVITIES

Like any group, the ZATTI FRIENDS foster activities in the areas of Formation, Celebration, Fellowship and Service.

Its typical activities are:

1. Activities that foster prayer and participation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Communion.
2. Activities that promotes healthy living and balance living.
3. Activities that promote the use of first aid in all the youth group activities as well as giving training or coordinating with non-governmental organizations that gives free first aid seminars and workshop.
4. Exposure or immersion to charitable institutions.

The big events of the year are:

1. Blessed Zatti's feast day: March 15
2. Zatti Friends Medical Mission Day

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