By Fr. Samuel Yu, SDB
Social Communication delegate
Seoul, Korea, 17 October 2021 -- The Salesian Family Spirituality Day in Korea was held online on Saturday, 16 October 2021 its theme the 2021 Strenna ‘Moved by Hope’. 256 online platform users took part, while the different SF groups gathered in their own centres or houses. The total number of real time participants was 350, thanks to the 10 larger groups of religious and Salesian Cooperators gathered around large screens.
Salesian Family Delegate, Bro. Benedict Baek, SDB took charge of the whole process and prepared the event with a large working group made up of several SF members. In particular, the provincial secretary, Fr Seong Ha-yoon, and the Don Bosco Information and Culture Center provided technical support and a lot of help.
The introduction to the event started with a greeting from the Provincial Coordinator Choi Won-cheol after reading the Salesian Family's 'Identity Charter'. Then Fr Henry Wu reflected on the topic ‘The way to achieve hope together’ (difference, difference, diversity)’ from various perspectives, and shared information that helped him understand the topic of small group sharing that would follow after the lecture. Fr Wu shared some jokes in between and tried to make the lecture less boring.
The most precious time of the meeting was small group sharing in which the entire family group participated. They shared thoughts on the theme “What are the obstacles to living differently and diversely in our community?” Several participants had a pleasant meeting with priests and brothers, sisters, and lay people from other family groups that they had not been able to meet due to Covid-19 restrictions. This group sharing was really a meaningful time by various story-telling.
The closing of the Salesian Family Spirituality Day 2021 was a Send-off Mass of St. John Bosco. Fr Provincial presided and preached on the topic: 'How did meeting with Don Bosco change the life of Michael Magone?' Fr Timothy stressed: 'How can Don Bosco entrust Magone to God and put his hope in God? Let’s think about whether we can give hope today to the Magone-like young people.” And the Mass concluded with a strong missionary invitation: “I ask you to become a Salesian family that delivers joy to many people and young people who experience the difficulties and darkness of this age’ and ‘to become a Salesian family that can deliver the light and hope of the Lord.”
The Salesian Family of Korean province is made up of 7 different groups: SDB, FMA, Caritas Sisters of Jesus, Salesian Cooperators, VDB, FMA Past Pupils and Don Bosco Past Pupils. This autumn time is an ordinary schedule for their celebration and sharing around the Strenna of the Rector major.
Program for the Salesian Family Spirituality Day
- Theme: Moved by Hope (Strenna 2021)
- Time: October 16, 2021 (Sat) 13:30-16:30
- Moderator: Br Benedict Baek Joon-sik, SDB (SF delegate)
- Coordination: Fr Dominic Seong Ha-yoon, SDB (DBSC Center)
- Participants: 250 (each SF group+ more than 100 people)
Timetable
- 13:20 Preparation: welcome (Provincial house chapel, 4th floor)
- 13:30 Opening video: SF Identity Charter (Fr. Emmanuel Park Seong-jae)
- 13:40 Greeting: SDB provincial (Fr. Timothy Choi Won-cheol)
- 13:50 Keynote Talk- Moved by Hope (Fr. Henry Woo Kyung-Min)
- 14:30 Introduction of the host S Family group (Br. Benedict)
- Screening of videos by family groups
- 15:00 Sharing among the whole Salesian Family
- Mixed groups sharing (20 small group meeting rooms)
- 16:00 Eucharist – Send Off (SDB Provincial Fr Tim Choi)
- Homily: Meeting of Michael Magone and Don Bosco
- Closing of the SF Day
