KILPAUK-CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 26, 2025: Fr. John Christy SDB (Youth Ministry Delegate) led an orientation session for the Deepagam staff on September 26, 2025, at Deepagam as part of the staff orientation drive through his presentation themed “The Spirit Moves Your Heart, Mind, and Hands.” The session concluded with a personal expounding of five factors in Salesian Youth Spirituality and a call for a Youth Formation Plan. This annual staff orientation program has been organized by Fr. Jesudoss (Director of Deepagam).
Fr. John Christy began the half-day orientation program with a shared meditation based on the hymn to the Holy Spirit: Yiyakkam Alikkum Aaviye! Yiyanga Vaikkum Aaviye! He reminded them of Deepagam’s mission, “To Share the Light” (differently in Tamil, நற்செய்தியில் ஒளிர செய்ய). Originally, it was Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, Shine” (எழு, ஒளி வீசு). This should be the mission of the Salesian Pastoral Centre for youth formation in faith and values. For a Salesian catechetical institute, the target youth is up to thirty-five years old, including young couples. In fact, wherever the youth are, the Salesians are to be present there too.
Fr. Christy conducted a “Love Quotient Test” for Deepagam staff to personally audit each one’s capacity for interpersonal relationships, keeping in mind the various people, namely Salesians, young people with whom we are working, co-workers, family, relatives, and friends. Each one shared their key drawback they had identified during the test.
He went on to present the history of Salesians from the perspective of the Spirit of God working through St. John Bosco and Salesian saints. He catechized the staff with Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He said being proactive means living with optimism and joy; one must have the attitude of letting go (‘this too will pass away’). In this context, he highlighted the prayer by St. Theresa of Avila: ‘Let nothing disturb you.’ To begin with the end in mind, we must focus on the ultimate purpose of our mission: “for the greater glory of God and salvation of souls.” The first priority (putting first things first) of the Salesians is the Educative Pastoral Plan that fosters a home, a school, a church, and a playground - the pastoral ecosystem of the Salesian community. Deepagam Staff must learn to practice initiatives with flexibility and thus adhere to the normative “Think Win/Win.” He cited the case of conducting a school animation program for a busy Salesian school by convincing its management. ‘Loving Kindness’ - the third aspect of the Preventive System of St. John Bosco - is the equivalent to the management principle, ‘Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood.’ The synergy point of the Salesian mission is Educative Pastoral Community (EPC / EPCC), and continuous lifelong formation fits in with Covey’s ‘Sharpening the Saw.’ Concluding his comparative catechesis using the ‘Seven Habits’ applied to the Salesian way of life, Fr. Christy inquired of the participants, “Are we moved by the Spirit?”
He screened the YouTube video adv. The Cart - The 4 Types of Team Members You Can Hire (https://youtu.be/O9_EHU5BKnQ). It is a film about building a team by Performia International (Australia).
Fr. Christy appreciated the catechetical team, and he called for two things: First, there is a need to evaluate the catechetical activities; second, there is a need for drawing up a catechetical plan for youth between 18 and 30 years of age. Because young people must inculcate youth formation from their young age. He reminded all that the Salesian community originated with a simple catechism class (Act 34). “The highest knowledge is to know Christ,” he continued, “and the greatest delight is the proclamation of the Gospel to the young people.”
In summary, Fr. Christy stressed that the youth catechesis must be in congruence with the Charism. Adults, namely, parents and teachers, need our catechetical outreach, while the predilection for the young is paramount. “Unlike the West, we in India are in a pluri-religio-cultural context; we need to impart a sense of God in the young people. Tindivanam has the concept of faith formation for the young,” he noted.
“There are five dimensions of Salesian Spirituality that need to be addressed while imparting faith formation for the young people,” Fr. Christy said. (1) Duty Consciousness: Doing daily duty is spirituality, which will grow into social responsibility. (2) Celebrating life with optimism and joy (for example, seeing ‘life as gift’ and ‘respecting parents’ are some of the optimistic outlooks) (3) Union with God (connecting oneself with the personal God) (4) Participating in the community life as a social being in the spirit of fraternity, and (5) Commitment to socio-cultural involvement. Father concluded his session by pointing out the need of the hour: a Youth Formation Plan for catechetical collaboration by all.