Michal Vojtáš – The art of Salesian encounter, accompaniment and discernment

The best concrete form of the Salesian approach to education is the educative history of Don Bosco.

Some basic principles are described in the short “notes” on the Preventive System in the education of the young written in 1877, must be understood within a rich framework of other narrative, educational, motivational and regulatory texts.

The texts often explain the educative reality, the good practices in use or describe the exemplary students who are “told” to be an inspiration for a concrete reader.

John Bosco narrates the beginnings of his Educative commitment in Turin, in December 1841, as a real encounter with a concrete boy – Bartolomeo Garelli. It was a beginning, consists of dialogue, understanding of the person and a simple proposal for catechism and games during the holidays.

But placing the beginning of his educative work in that encounter is more, it is a paradigm of his educative style. The encounter, the dialogue, the support and the accompaniment are the cornerstones around which Salesian education revolves. Pope John Paul II rightly called Don Bosco as educator with “genius of the heart”.

Geniality and inner passion are condensed in the pastoral charity that stimulates pedagogical intelligence to translate into concrete educative gestures.

Indice:

• 1. Narrative pedagogy of accompaniment in the discernment of young people
• 1.1. Welcoming
• 1.2. Challenge
• 1.3. Confidence – Trust
• 1.4. Environment
• 1.5. Crises
• 1.6. Decision
• 1.7. Commitment
• 2. Don Bosco, is a disciple, therefore accompanies the young
• 2.1. Meeting Don Colosso
• 2.2. The vocational choice
• 2.3. The choice of proactive prevention
• 2.4. Further evolutions of the discipleship of Don Bosco
• 3. Conclusion: Educate and plan today with a style of accompaniment
• 3.1. The plan of life as a practical tool of accompaniment
• 3.2. The isomorphic organizational style of accompaniment
• 3.3. The transformative plan of educational structures
• Bibliography

Reference time period: 1841 – 1877

Reference institution:
Centro Studi Don Bosco