Interview with Salesian Cooperator Ms Flora May Figuracion

By Our Own Correspondent

Cebu, the Philippines, 07 February 2019 -- What makes you happy as a Salesian Cooperator?

Knowing that I belong and am part of the great family of Don Bosco makes me happy. I have a Father in Don Bosco who has shown me the essential things in life: welcoming others in an atmosphere of family spirit; being joyful and optimistic in spite and despite the many challenges and difficulties life offers; doing my ordinary duties extraordinarily well in carrying out my daily responsibilities; that I would only find meaning in life through Jesus present in the Church and the Sacraments; and that I am not alone because there are many others who, like me, have discovered the fullness of life in living out the Salesian spirit I had inherited.

What makes you grow in your Salesian Cooperator vocation and mission?

The formations I had as a young person in the Don Bosco youth center and as a young cooperator has shaped the Salesian Cooperator vocation and mission in me. I discovered that living out the 5 elements of the Salesian youth spirituality: faithfulness to daily duty, daily encounter with Christ in prayer and in the Sacraments, being active and part in the Church life, with continued joy and optimism in carrying our my service and responsibility, had helped me so much in overcoming the challenges and difficulties in life. As I matured, I understood the importance of personal formation as a personal responsibility in becoming a more human person, a Christian and a Salesian. I was encouraged to read more, to study and enrol in classes that would somehow qualify me to the Salesian Cooperator vocation and mission. However all this knowledge would never bring me to holiness until I connect to the realities of my neighbours and respond to the needs of the time. It was when I decided to do more good for others, overcoming my own personal needs, that I have come to understand my vocation and mission as a Salesian Cooperator.

What are the major challenges in vocation growth (personal and centre)?

Among the major challenges in vocation growth of Salesian Cooperator:

At a personal level: include the decision of the individual to take seriously the personal responsibility of personal formation; the need for a mentor or an assistant or a companion who would shepherd each Salesian Cooperator member in his/her formation development; spending more time of fellowship and communion.

As a local centre: formation of formators; sharing of personal and group apostolate experiences; instead of the once a month meeting, more occasion of coming together.

How do you prepare yourself as a formator?

To prepare myself as formator, I attended classes in the Masters program for Clinical Psychology as a response to the need in the human dimension. I had the opportunity to join Salesianity classes with the Novices offered by the Don Bosco Center for Lay and Youth (DB-CLAY) for three years and I'm currently attending a three weeks Salesianity Course in summer (2017-2019) over three years, organized for the Salesians and Lay mission partners in the EAO Region. For the Christian dimension, I am into a personal study and readings of Catechism and Church documents.

Aside from developing and increasing in knowledge, it is also very important for my task as formator, to translate these into good modules and acquire the skill in facilitating formation. Taking into consideration the sensitivity to the individual journey of each Salesian Cooperator.

What exchange among the EAO Salesian Cooperators do you dream about?

I dream about preparation of common formation module (content) from among EAO Salesian Cooperators that is doable and would draw out the richness of the individual.

As an EAO region or FIS province, I dream of organized formation sessions that would enhance our quality as formators

I dream of developing leaders out of each Salesian Cooperator.

What do you expect from the 2019 EAO Formators Workshop in Cambodia?

In this 2019 EAO Formators Workshop in Cambodia, I expect that:

• The Formators attending the workshop would have THE SAME MENTALITY of understanding as to how we are to carry out the Formation of a Salesian Cooperator.
• As an EAO region, we can come up with a common content of formation theme that would eventually developed in modules
• There is sharing of best practices of formation processes

How do you put into practice the four pillars of formation: Know — Know how to do? — Know how to be? ~ Know how to live in communion?

Putting the four pillars of formation into practice requires planning and creativity in carrying out the integral formation of an individual. Formation does not only end in sharing knowledge but also extends to the actual practice or its application in daily life through the integration of values, virtues, skills and attitudes. Thus, there is the need for a more individual encounter, follow up and exchange between Formator and Aspirants in formation. Investing in more time of preparation and a sound after care program is crucial and necessary.

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