austraLasia

By Fr Michal Vojtáš, SDB

UPS, Rome, 18 June 2019 -- Another Salesian Youth Ministry degree was earned in the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS) in Rome by former YM Delegate of St Paul province (THA) - Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, Fr Joseph Peter Nopphadol on 18 June 2019. The small Thai diaspora in Rome - two FMA sisters, one SIHM sister and two diocesan clergy from Bangkok, attended the event.

Under the guidance of Prof Michal Vojtáš, over the past two years, Fr Nopphadol was able to present in competent way a complete thesis on ‘Rethinking Salesian Youth Ministry in the Province of St. Paul - Thailand’ based on the Universal Catholic Magisterium, Salesian Congregation and Thailand Catholic Church criteria.

In Fr Nopphadol's Licentiate Thesis, we encounter some common elements through this 92 year period of Salesian mission in Thailand, from the pioneer stage in Bang Nok Khuek (Banpong 1927) until now, with further development in many parts of Thailand, Cambodia (1991) and Laos (2004):

Education to the Faith: Accompany the young and help them in experience of God;
Mission: Building out-reaching Church community, forming the young as missionaries;
Evangelization and Education: Salesians have founded Christian communities and schools and formed the young people in the spirituality of the Preventive System of Don Bosco;
Vocational Youth Ministry: from the first two minor seminaries to the present need to rethink also our vocation ministry today;
Collaboration within the Catholic Church: with the Lay people and with the young;
Inculturation: Salesians are challenged to continue the dialogue with the cultures of Thailand, with the youth cultures and with the Buddhist culture (inter-cultural dialogue).

At the end, the thesis suggests concrete ways for moving forward in the quality Youth Ministry with the following actions:

Work out the Overall Provincial Plan (most recent OPP is already 12 years old) and also work out the SEPP in order to promote education and evangelization, fostering apostolic works like Oratory, School – TVET, parish, institutions of higher education, youth at risk social services
Improve the provincial Youth Ministry team in order to foster planning, pastoral action and evaluation; working on the SEPP and coordinating with other provincial commissions, with lay mission partners, Salesian Family groups and local Church
Promote an integral path of accompaniment of the young in various aspects: personal spiritual aspect, accompany various groups (province, commissions, local communities)
Youth Ministry in dialogue with Thailand's Buddhists, cultures, forms of poverty of young people – among those we are called to share the Gospel and Preventive System values with
Planning of faith education journey (path) for Catholic/ Christian students and lay people, who are a very small minority in Thailand (0.3%) with the involvement of lay partners
Foster social services for the youth at risk – this action requires an outreaching attitude by Salesians, to leave our comfort zone, especially the need to address migrants. This field does require collaboration with dioceses of Chiang Mai and Bangkok
At the level of local communities foster the building the Educative Pastoral Communities and working along the SEPP with all five dimensions.

We believe and pray that another solid reflection on Salesian Youth Ministry in our Region will enhance the renewal of YM in Thailand-Cambodia-Laos and will inspire other young Salesians to commit themselves to this charismatic field with reflection and action.