ROME: 25 February 2014 -- Now that the focus has shifted to Rome and will
remain there for the duration, the Chapter changes phase and
rhythm - first (today, tomorrow) the reports on where the Congregation has arrived, and
where it hopes to move to. These reports from Sectors, regions
and finally from the Rector Major on the 'state of the
Congregation' will provide 'fodder for thought and prayer' in
the upcoming Retreat which will be preached by Fr Juan
José Bartolomé (the RM's secretary 'ad nutum').
This retreat is later in the week.
There is
no possible way austraLasia can cover all the reports in
detail, so we will pick and choose and maybe just give some
highlights - maybe even one way is to indicate what kind of
goals they have in mind for the future, since every region and
sector was asked to do just that to help the incoming Rector
Major (whoever that may be!) and his new council. Exciting
days. One can expect the tempo to match the excitement.
REPORTS - AN
OVERVIEW How will these reports proceed? Note
from the schedule below that GC27 has learned a lesson from
preceding Chapters - these reports have taken up considerable
time in the past. They have been asked to be simple,
schematic and to the point this time around! Formation, Youth
Ministry, communication all in the space of an hour and a half
(individual reports don't even have what Italians call an
'oretta' which almost always mean more rather than less!)
Formation
The Formation report is probably a good indicator of how
things will go in general: it will take the areas it chose in
the 2008-14 Project of Animation and Government drawn up by
the RM and his Council. In this case - none of this is secret
- it will take:
- The Salesian consecrated
vocation in both its forms - Ongoing formation - Initial formation - Collaboration in formation
and report on what was done, what was not done and on what
challenges lie ahead for the future. Evidently the challenges
too will follow that scheme, so expect things like reinforcing
Salesian identity in its two forms, creating the mentality of
ongoing formation that still lags behind, reinforcing the
personal processes that need to be at work in initial
formation, and encouraging the kind of cooperation that has
been evident in the past six years amongst provinces and
regions to develop formation.
Each of the other reports today - Youth Ministry,
Communications, Missions, Salesian Family, and six of the
Regions, will follow the same line, so if you were to make
reference to AGC402 you'll have a good idea of how each report
for sector or region will go. You
have a link to that here if needs be. Missions:
We can expect that to touch on things like: (1) Vocation &
Formation, (2) Animation; (3) Missionary solidarity again
following the scheme already outlined. We can expect some
interesting details - the number of missionaries sent out in
this period, for example. A lot of work has been done on
mission formation over this time, so we can expect a comment
on that too.
Salesian Mission Day has continued and gone from strengh to
strength so most likely there will be comments on that and how
it has been animated from the Centre with videos and
materials.
We know Project Europe was set up by GC26, so there will be
comment on how that has progressed. We know too that new
presences have opened (e.g. Bangladesh), PDOs and Mission
Offices have met and worked together and forged new goals and
procedures, the RM has recently published a Disatsers and
Emergency set of procedures - all grist for the mill for a
Missions Report, obviously. Another novelty of major
importance has been the two missionary aspirantates set up in
India.
And so on and so on - clearly it would be too lengthy to offer
all this in a single collection of reports from the rest of
the sectors and regions.
Regions
Given that this is austraLasia, the one region that interests
us most is our own! EAO. here are some stats you may find
interesting for end of 2013:
In fact, given that EAO and our neighbours South Asia have
been making reasonably steady progress over the years in terms
of overall numbers, you may find the comparative figures below
interesting as well. I don't think it needs any translation.
Or, just looking at EAO overall, without South Asia and seeing
it as a line graph:
Reminder of timetable for 25th and 26th February 25
February (Feast of Sts Louis Versiglia and Callistus
Caravario)
Personal prayer
07.00 - 08.15 Breakfast
09.00 - 10.30 Aula magna
Formation - Youth Ministry - Social communication
10.30 - 11.00 Break
11.00
Aula magna
Missions - Salesian Family
12.00
Break
12.15
Mass in language groups
01.00
Lunch (Main meal)
03.30 - 05.00 Aula magna
Africa-Madagascar - America South Cone - East Asia-Oceania
05.00 - 05.30 Break
05.30 - 07.00 Aula magna
Asia South - Europe North - Europe West
07.15
Vespers and Goodnight
Thursday 26 February
06.30 Prayer in language groups
Meditation
Mass and morning prayer together
09.00 - 10.30 Aula magna
Economia
10.30 - 11.00 Break
11.00 - 12.30 Aula magna
Interamerica - Italy-Middle East - Religious Discipline
13.00
Lunch
PS: The North American
Provinces are
running a Facebook page which will also help with
information and background.
Terminology
If there is any terminology used that you are unsure of, and
you don't have the app, look it up in the Salesians
A-Z
web page.
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