3296 EAO Economers meet in Dalat
austraLasia #3296

 

AO Economers meet in Dalat

DALAT:  10 October 2013 -- Perhpas we are so used to reading Hua Hin, Makati, Melbourne... that we might jsut miss the significance of this one first off. Yes, Dalat, Vietnam and in some ways the throbbing heart of EAO - if we judge it on missionary output. But of course this time around it is not 'missionary output' but another kind of input/output that is under consideration.  Anyone around EAO having problems this week getting a little extra cash for whatever? There's a good reason - your provincial economer is not at home!

All but one of the EAO Provinces has a representative at the Dalat meeting being held from 7-11 October. Other than the host Province, the meeting is bneing organised by the Economer's Department from Rome under the general guidance of Fr Peter Gozdalski. Bro Jean Paul (Blue short centre of the first pic above) arrived a little late due to other commitments in Rome.

Other than the usual issues of economer's reports, and understanding this role in an ever-changing global as well as local financial world, the EAO Economers have looked at the question of evangelical poverty as it was identified in GC26 and will come up again in GC27. There has been a strong emphasis on updating the economer's role in line with the insistence on our offering a more credible witness of our religious life.

An important aspect of this meeting as in meetings of other services and dimensions of Salesian work is the mere fact that the economers can talk to one another and share difficulties, solutions and strategies.

They have looked at a Code of ethics, transparency and being accountable, all balanced with the need to be self-sufficient and self-reliant.

Thursday 10th October saw them take a short break in the afternoon for some cultural visits.