1482 FIN Artemides Zatti - Brothers
austraLasia #1482

Brothers in preparation - Blessed Artemides Zatti will be celebrated on 15th March

MANILA: 8th March 2006 -- The North Philippines province has one of the largest groups of Salesian Brothers in the region, 28 in all.  Additionally, they have a number of Brothers studying there from Korea, Vietnam - at least 6 from Vietnam and 3 from Korea.  Towards the end of February this group came together at Batulao.  It was an opportunity to share their vocational story, to reflect on the documents and other material of the Congregation, and to look into formation planning as well as vocation promotion for the Brother.  It was a particularly affirming occasion for young Brothers in the group.  The FIN group is planning a further gathering in May, this time inviting Brothers from FIS as well.
    We are but a week from the celebration of the Feast of Blessed Artemides Zatti on 15th March and only five months away from the Regional Assembly of Brothers in Cambodia in August.  There is any amount of activity around the region in view of the latter, and hopefully there is some proximate preparation also for the former.  The Assembly will involve a dynamic of story-reflection-discussion-action guidelines.  Provinces are working on producing a short video clip to represent an outstanding life: these will be put together and help the 'story' element of the dynamic.  Responses to a questionnaire that went out last year have been recorded and analysed.  It is clear that of the two sets of challenges, internal and external, those internal are perhaps the most difficult to confront. These, amongst other issues, will be given due reflection during the Assembly.
    For Wednesday March 15th, there is plentiful material available.  www.sdb.org is featuring both a research item and a power point series, though the latter is in Italian.  Provinces by now would have (should have) received a copy of the DVD made in India last year.  In the 'prayer' section on www.sdb.org there is a novena to Zatti.  In the 'Animation notes' section of the site there are also, under 'archive 2004', two items on human growth in apostolic life as a Brother, based on Zatti.  Bosconet, as you know, has other resources, especially the materials in preparation for the assembly.  There are very many lives of outstanding Brothers recorded there.
    Which brings us to a final note:  The day before the celebration next week, one of EAO's most outstanding Brothers, Brother Peter Swain AUL, enters hospital for serious surgery.  It would be wonderful for him to know that he was being accompanied by his 'Brothers' from around the Region during this difficult period.

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