FLASH NEWS:

NEWS

New Delhi

Salesian Vocation Delegates Call for Discernment-Centred Youth Ministry

13 October 2026

News reported by: Isaac Arackaparambil SDB

Provincial Delegates of the Vocational Guidance Dimension (VGD) from the Salesian Provincial Conference of South Asia (SPCSA) Region met at SPCI House, New Delhi, from October 8 to 10 for their annual regional gathering. The three-day meeting focused on broadening vocational guidance, integrating discernment into youth pastoral ministry, and expanding the vision of youth accompaniment in our pastoral settings.

Fr. Gabriel Karunaraj, SPCSA Regional Coordinator for the VGD, and Fr. Doss Kennedy, Provincial of Tiruchy and SPCSA Provincial In-charge of the VGD, guided the assembly. Fr. Doss Kennedy delivered a keynote address on discernment, emphasising that true vocational choices blossom only where healthy youth ministry thrives. Key sessions explored the distinction between standard decision-making and spiritual discernment—the prayerful evaluation of choices to align with divine purpose. Drawing from Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development and Ignatian principles, speakers stressed that youth ministry must help young people discover deeper meaning and become protagonists in building a "civilisation of love."

Fr. Naresh Kujur, Youth Ministry Delegate of the Delhi Province (INH), provided an overview of the province's status and insisted that vocational guidance is the true "soul of the entire youth ministry." Following him, Fr. P.D. Johny, Secretary and Rector of SPCI House, highlighted ongoing initiatives and collaborative efforts driven by the SPCSA conference, emphasising grassroots involvement and community building.

Fr. Patrick Lepcha, SPCSA Regional Coordinator for Youth Ministry, explained the distinction between Youth Ministry and Youth Pastoral Services, drawing on relevant Church documents.

Fr. Jerry Matsoumbou Mabiala, SDB, from the Youth Ministry Department in Rome, led an online session on Discernment and Youth Ministry. He emphasised that discernment and youth ministry should not be treated as two separate realities. Discernment must be integrated into how we understand, accompany, and engage young people.

Fr. Alex Kalathikattil (INK) presented on the latest edition of the Salesian Ratio released by the Formation Department in Rome. The presentation offered an opportunity to engage with the updated formation document and its relevance to Salesian formation and the accompaniment of young people.

Fr. Gabriel Karunaraj led a session on age-appropriate youth ministry and the need to integrate the Vocational Guidance Dimension throughout Salesian pastoral settings and activities. He stressed that vocational guidance should not be confined to a particular programme, department or specialised activity. It must permeate the various dimensions of youth ministry and find purposeful expression in every pastoral initiative, rather than remain an incidental or optional component.

Coordinators from provinces presented reports on local initiatives, sharing grassroots success stories and regional challenges.

Looking Ahead:

Concluding the meeting, participants outlined vital expectations for regional coordination:

Regional Animation Systems: Establish systematic regional engagement so that Regional Dimension Coordinators can directly assist individual provinces in implementing integrated youth ministry frameworks.
Training of Trainers: Provide systematic, comprehensive training on Salesian accompaniment and discernment for all animators, formators, and youth ministers across the provinces.
Sustained Accompaniment: Maintain mentorship beyond graduation and initial job placement to ensure continuous support for young adults' personal, moral, and spiritual growth.

The ultimate measure of vocational guidance is not merely whether young people find their place in the world, but whether they discover their purpose in life and are enabled to live it with faith, responsibility, and love.