Procure Isp Linee guide ed Orient - ENG


Procure Isp Linee guide ed Orient - ENG

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SOCIETÀ DI SAN FRANCESCO DI SALES
SEDE CENTRALE SALESIANA
Via Marsala 42 - 00185 Roma
Il Consigliere Generale per le Missioni
24 May 2024
Prot 24/ 0377
THE PROVINCE MISSION OFFICE
Guidelines and Orientations
GUIDELINES
1. The Identity of the Province Mission Office
The Province Mission Office is an expression of Don Bosco’s charism. It is established by the
Provincial “with the consent of his council and in agreement with the General Councillor for
the Missions” (Reg. 24) and must be approved by the Rector Major.
The Province Mission Office belongs to the Province, adheres to the Constitutions and
Regulations of the Salesian Congregation, the decisions of Provincial Chapters, and is led by a
director.
The Province Mission Office is governed by its statutes which guarantee Salesian values,
Salesian spirituality and Don Bosco’s preventive system. It is the responsibility of the
Provincial, with the consent of his council, to draw up the statutes which must be presented to
the Rector Major for approval.
2. The Purpose of the Province Mission Office
The Province Mission Office supports the Overall Province Plan (OPP) and, in step with the
Province’s Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan (SEPP), all actions and plans that are aimed at
integral evangelisation and integral human development, especially of poor and marginalised
young people. It is an essential part of the purpose of the Provincial Mission Office to be
involved in and be in solidarity with the worldwide mission of the Congregation.
3. The Activities of the Province Mission Office
The Province Mission Office
- mobilises resources for activities of integral evangelisation and integral human
development of the Province and the entire Congregation;
- supports the educational, pastoral, and social projects of the Province through those who
are in charge, as indicated in the OPP and SEPP;
- makes the missionary activities of the Province and the Salesian Congregation known at
the local level and beyond, maintaining contacts with non-government, civil and other
associative bodies and organisations, public entities, companies, and enterprises:
- extends its help to other provinces, in coordination with the Missions Sector, to ensure a
fair distribution of resources throughout the Congregation;
- regularly contributes to the Rector Major’s Distribution as a concrete expression of
communion with the Congregation;
- organises displays, prepares publications, supports the Province’s mission animation and
draws up programmes of activity in step with the SEPP;

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- supports mission animation in coordination with the Provincial Delegate for Mission
Animation (PDMA) so that Don Bosco’s missionary spirit is kept alive in each of the
Province’s EPCs;
- helps missionaries passing through for their holidays by showing attention to their
specific needs;
- maintains links with friends and benefactors as a sign of recognition of their generosity,
keeping them up-to-date with Salesian missionary activities locally and around the world,
and assuring them of prayer for them and their intentions.
4. The Provincial
The Provincial with his council guides and supervises the observance of the Statutes, and
checks that these are implemented and procedures are carried out.
5. The Director
a. The Director of the Province Mission Office, whether a Salesian or a lay person, is appointed
by the Provincial, with the consent of his council, for a period of three years which may be
renewed but for no more than three consecutive terms. The Director is responsible for the
functioning and development of the Province Mission Office.
b. A Board of Management supports the Director in the effective fulfilment of the mission of
the Province Mission Office. It is made up of at least 3 members appointed by the Provincial
with the consent of his council. The Director calls this Board to meet at least twice a year.
c. The Director, with the consent of his Board of Management, presents the Provincial and his
council with the annual budget and final balance sheet or statement.
6. The Province Mission Office and the PDO
In some situations, a Province may have the same Director for the Province Mission Office and
the Planning and Development Office (PDO) This is possible as long as the distinct identity of
each of them is maintained.1
7. Foundations and Civil Organisations
Should the Province have a foundation or other civil organisations with the same purposes as
the Province Mission Office, these organisations should be coordinated and integrated into the
service that the Mission Office provides for the pastoral care of the Province.
8. The National Mission Office
In countries where there are multiple provinces in the same territory, it is advisable for the
relevant provincials to create a National Mission Office to coordinate the mobilisation of
resources within a national territory. Where the provinces in a country belong to a
Conference, it is up to the Conference to establish the National Mission Office. The National
Mission Office is governed by the Statutes approved by the Rector Major and his Council, with
a Governing Board made up of the Provincials concerned (or by members of the Conference).
If the Governing Board deems it appropriate, other representatives of the Provinces may be
invited (for example, Provincial Economers).
1The Planning and Development Office is at the service of the Provincial and his council to guarantee quality,
efficacy, and efficiency of the Provincial and his council’s management of the Province’s Strategic Plan, the
development of life and mission of the Province described and listed in the Overall Provincial Plan and in areas
and dimensions of their competence. Its task is to advise and coordinate with the Provincial and his council and
collaborate with the different Provincial Commissions and the local communities. The Planning and
Development Office (PDO) is not an independent body or a fundraising body, nor an NGO in a civic sense. The
coordination of the PDOs pertains to the Economer General. Cf. Economer General’s Office, General Guidelines of
the Model and Tasks of the Provincial Planning and Development Office in the Salesian World (Rome, 2017), p.
5,7,8-10.
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9. Mission Offices at Congregational level
“To support missionary activity, the Rector Major with the consent of his Council and in
agreement with the local provincial, may set up mission offices to serve the whole
Congregation. Their organisation and method of functioning will depend on the provincial or
provincials in whose territory the offices operate, in the light of a statutory agreement made
previously with the Rector Major, and in agreement with the General Councillor for the
Missions and with the Economer General” (Reg. 24). The Mission Office at Congregational
level is governed by the Statutes approved by the Rector Major. The General Councillor for the
Missions, the Economer General and the Regional Councillor are ex-ufficio members of the
Governing Board of every Mission Office at Congregational level.
10. Province Mission Offices and Mission Offices at Congregational level.
Provincial or National Mission Offices, as well as foundations with the same purpose, must not
affect or undermine the mobilisation of resources of Mission Offices at Congregational level.
11. The Missions Sector
The Missions Sector coordinates the work of the Mission Offices throughout the world.
Although each of them is independent, the Missions Sector, through a Sector representative,
promotes networking, builds synergies, and solidarity towards a more effective realisation of
the identity and mission of each Mission Office.
12. Existing Province Mission Offices
It is the task of the Provincial and the Director of existing Province Mission Offices to ensure
that their Statutes are amended on the basis on these guidelines.
ORIENTATIONS
13. Integral Human Development
The Mission Office is committed to fostering a vision of development that involves the whole
person and encompasses all aspects of our humanity, including evangelisation and the
defence of the integrity of creation. This vision is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching but is also
shared by other religious and faith traditions. Integral human development is built upon three
principles: human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity. Human Dignity is rooted in the
conviction that the human person is created in God’s image and likeness (Gen 1:26). Solidarity
flows from faith and implies a firm commitment to the common good and fosters personal
responsibility as a bedrock of individual freedom. Subsidiarity, a key principle of the Church’s
social teaching, is the assistance provided by the higher level to the lower level through
appropriate means. Conversely, it implies that the higher level does not make decisions that
are meant for the competent lower level, depriving the latter of its functions (Catechism of the
Catholic Church 1883).
14. Stewardship
The Mission Office fosters the Christian attitude of being simple administrators of God’s gifts
(Mt 25:14-30) among all stakeholders: benefactors, donors, missionaries, and beneficiaries.
Stewardship implies maintaining accepted standards of accountability and transparency,
preserving paper documents so that auditors, accountants, and bookkeepers can verify the
use of money, compliance with government financial regulations, and ethical and moral
integrity. It also means that the actual needs of evangelisation and the local context are given
primary importance and not projects that interest the benefactors or donors. Stewardship
means overcoming paternalistic dependence that causes people to passively wait for
handouts rather than actively contribute to meeting their own needs.
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15. Mobilising Resources
The Mission Office activity is clearly part of the shift from “fundraising” to “resource
mobilisation,” which is the opposite of begging. It is proclaiming what we believe by offering
people the opportunity to be associated with our Salesian mission and inviting them to
collaborate meaningfully in various ways to our work of building the Kingdom of God that is
already present in our midst. By inviting people to be involved in making a concrete gesture to
alleviate poverty, and proclaim the gospel - using their own time, personal gifts, and resources
- they become part of something bigger than themselves bringing an inspiring vision to their
lives and offering them a new sense of belonging to our human family.
16. Fostering a Spirituality of Resource Mobilisation
The Mission Office is a form of Salesian ministry. It provides special care so that people who
share their resources have a spiritual perspective, come closer to God and are in a new
spiritual communion with the wider human family. People who have resources are led to a
greater awareness that even a seemingly small act of generosity can grow into something far
beyond what one might imagine. This makes generosity and the spirit of gratitude grow in
people’s hearts.
17. Fostering Communion with the Salesian Congregation
The Mission Office fosters a strong sense of communion with the Salesian Congregation
through a variety of activities which provide opportunities for supporting the formation of
Salesians and involvement in the worldwide work of Salesians for the young, especially the
poor and marginalised.
These guidelines and orientations were approved by the Rector Major and his Council at its 23
January 2024 session. They come into force on 1 September 2024.
Fr Alfred Maravilla, SDB
General Councillor for the Missions
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