FMA Novitiate listening to young people

Rome (Italy). The Community of the International Novitiate of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Sister Teresa Valsè-Pantellini in Rome, after participating in the Conference, “Contribution of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians to Education” on the occasion of the 150^th anniversary of the FMA Institute, promoted by the Pontifical Faculty of Education Science “Auxilium” (from 25 to 30 September 2022 in Rome, in the Generalate), was provoked by the words of Pope Francis quoted during those days:

Allow yourself to go out to and be questioned… do not be afraid to enter into dialogue and let yourself be upset… Listen, listen, listen!

“This invitation of Pope Francis, which emerged during one of the interventions, struck us and we thought to put it into practice as a community. Thus, involving the Youth Ministry and Communication Sectors of the Institute, we created a Google form with a questionnaire that we then sent out, reaching the Salesian realities around the world.

The questionnaire was addressed to young people between 14 and 20 years old who attend our schools, oratories, parishes, family homes… In short, all those young people who every day, in the most different ways, enter our environments.

We asked them four questions:

•  If you could have the answer to an important question, what would you ask?
• What is the most significant quality that a sister/consecrated person/priest should have?
• Do you think that the environment you attend (oratory, parish, …) makes a difference in your life? Why and how?
•  Do you have a suggestion, a wish, see something that is not yet there?

There were 175 replies in total: 82 from different parts of Europe; 44 from the Asian continent between Thailand, Vietnam, Lebanon, Philippines, South Korea, India, and other countries; 45 from North and South America; and one response from the Samoan Islands in Oceania.

Some examples of reflections that young people from all over the world wanted to share with us:

What is the meaning of my life? What is my mission and how can I discover it? How can I avoid getting lost in today’s world? How can I be a true Christian? How is peace built?

From a consecrated person I expect humility, confidence in the world of young people, openness, purity, goodness…

The Salesian environment has helped me to discover who I am, to form my personality by putting myself in service, not focusing only on myself.

I dream that my oratory would open to the world that is outside… I dream that the Sisters would be among us more and listen to us without judging us.

The sincerity of these young people and the fact that they took us so seriously, made us realize that our project could not end like this… Nor could it end with us alone! Then, we contacted several lay and consecrated people from various parts of Italy asking them to read the material and share with us what struck them and made them reflect:

We believe that young people ask us to trust them (and therefore the Lord) and have spaces where they can express themselves and make mistakes. At the same time, they ask for closeness and example because the questions they ask cannot be answered with words alone. (lay couple from Bardolino, Verona)

The request for listening-understanding-not judgment seems very strong to me… maybe more generally, love is asked for? And credible reference points on which to rely. Someone to look up to. (FMA Province ILS)

These are just some examples that make us understand how important it is to listen, share, start reflections that make us grow. (complete material)

For this reason, we have synthesized our adventure in a video that you can share with all those who are willing to let themselves be questioned and have the desire to broaden their horizons!

When we began this project two years ago, we had no idea how it would develop. We simply started, with a little bit of confusion and also a little bit of unawareness, but with a clear desire to listen. Then, from time to time, we let ourselves be guided by what was presented to us. Thus, what we share with you now is really a symphony of many voices, a fruit that does not belong to us but that exceeds us, because it is everyone’s.

If you want, then, you can make this project your own, in an even more concrete way, listening to the young people of your realities, without fear of asking big questions, involving also the laity and non-Salesian realities.

If you like, you can also send the material to the email noicistiamo.da.vicino@gmail.com, whether it is the voices of young people, the reflections of educators or even just your own resonance after reading the material… share! Let us continue to walk together listening to the young!