SCUOLE SALESIANE UK

On March 21st The Salesian Schools in Great Britain province gathered to reflect on their Salesian vocation as teachers with the theme 'find the spark and set it free'.

 

175 educators gathered for the day that included talks and workshops presented by different schools on subjects such as bereavement, AI, staff formation as a pedagogy of love, working internationally, forming young leaders, supporting those at risk and many more. So much experience and commitment was expressed and share among colleagues across the national network.

 

Helping young people to find and express their spark, their God given gifts, was at the root of the day and at the heart of Don Bosco's first encounter with Bartholomew Garelli. It is an aspect of the preventive system that is sometimes overlooked.

Fr Raphael Berjarano SDB, the world counsellor for Salesian Pastoral work was present to explain how different aspects of the Salesian approach could be integrated into a wider plan but also into an inner call for teachers. Fr John Dickson SDB opened up the history of Salesian education in Great Britain and David Wells explored the relational dimensions of Salesian education as igniting sparks and constellations of relationship. Finally, Sr Mary Greenan FMA explored the mystical dimension of working with young people and sensing the presence of God in ambiguity and opposites. She ended with the image of the fire and the rose as complementary, the passion and the beauty of our educational vocation.

Fr Dickson closed the day with a mass and each school was sent home with a banner provided by Thornleigh College. On each banner were the following words of Don Bosco:

 

“In every young person, a point of goodness is accessible, and it is the primary duty of the educator to discover that sensitive cord of the heart so as to draw out the best in the young person

 

We thank St John Henry Newman Catholic College for hosting us and looking after us so well.