How to foster vocation culture in Indonesia?

By Fr. Paulus Anggara, SDB

UPS, ROME, 24 June 2018 -- Just few days ago Fr. Paulus Anggara, one of the three Indonesia delegation (INA) students at the UPS (Salesian Pontifical University) in Rome earned a Licentiate degree in Youth Ministry. Few weeks after the Social communication degree of Fr. Peter Tukan it's another good news for our young and starting Vice-province of Indonesia.

The title of this MA degree thesis is ‘Vocation proposal in the context of religious education. Guidelines for the Vocation - Youth Ministry project in the Salesian schools of Indonesia.'

Main goal of this research was explore the relationship between religious education and vocation in our Indonesia context. In more specific way I have reflected about how can be integrated the vocation proposal (vocation culture) within the whole education journey. In this way I have discovered a new, more open way of presenting the vocation - not just as recruitment (for religious congregation or diocesan priesthood) but as self-less vocation search - discernment. This change of mentality helps not only our young people (students), but also our Salesian school lay mission partners and SDB ourselves.

Through the fostering of vocation culture in our schools first of all we express our promotion and defense of human life and fundamental trust in the capacity of the human person, including our inner life. In this way we can discover in ourselves and in others how God is working and also how our young people (students) might discover deepest meaning of their life as vocation to accomplish a special personal mission given by God.

During my reflection and work on the thesis I have confirmed the urgent need of vocation ministry especially in our schools through religious education. In this way our vocation effort is not simple a part of ordinary pastoral ministry of a Catholic community, but becomes a central dynamic of integral youth ministry with a vocational touch.

Thanks be to God for this opportunity to deepen one important aspect of Salesian Youth Ministry in Rome and ask your prayers for all Salesians, lay mission partners and students of our Don Bosco schools - Blitar, Surabaya, Purwodadi and Sumba - in Indonesia!

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