GC25: PMI EXERCISE ON THE SALESIAN
BROTHER
PMI, you say? Pluses, minuses and 'if
only...'. On Saturday the Assembly met fraternally to summarize reflection
on the consecrated lay element of our charism, especially in the light of the
Beatification of Brother Artemide Zatti. Here are the key points of the
PMI analysis:
PLUSES: under the heading of:
What are signs of hope
for the future?
a) In some provinces there is a more
positive and more significant presence of the Salesian coadjutor among the young
people;
b) In some instances the brothers’ formation has been more
complete;
c) Greater development of the educative and pastoral
dimensions of the Salesian work has made the figure of the Salesian coadjutor
more understandable in certain areas.
MINUSES: under the heading of:
What are the difficulties
encountered in the development of the vocation of the Salesian
coadjutor?
a) Little visibility of the brother, and an
inadequate understanding of consecrated life;
b) A clerical "vision" of
the Salesian vocation that stresses the functional ministry of the priest over
the educational ministry of the Salesian vocation, rendering the brothers’
vocation as second rate;
c) Lack of clarity with regard to the vision
of the Salesian coadjutor: little understanding on the part of the SDB priests
of the vocation; the presence and mission of the Salesian coadjutor has little
significance in the community mission; the need for more significant models of
Salesian coadjutors.
IF ONLY: under
the heading of:
(1) What are some
concrete initiatives that can help promote the vocation of the Salesian
brother?
a) In every Salesian community promote a
greater understanding and deepening of the vocation of the Salesian coadjutor in
the community and in the mission;
b) In vocational work make sure that
the people on the vocation team understand well the vocation of the Salesian
coadjutor and can help prospective candidates to see its
significance;
c) In the formation of the young confreres, make sure
that both the clerics and the coadjutors see their complimentary roles in the
Salesian mission;
d) Stress the vocation of the coadjutor in more
visible ways—video, CD rom, web site, retreats where brothers give their own
personal testimony;
e) Province and regional meetings of brothers, and
those aspiring to the life of the Salesian brother;
f) Have a good
qualification program for the Salesian brothers;
g) Include brothers
who are prepared on the house council, the provincial council, on province
teams.
(2) What are some initiatives that can
be used on the worldwide Congregation level to help renew the vocation of the
Salesian brother?
a) On the feast day of Artemides
Zatti, March 15, have a day dedicated to the Salesian brother on the world-wide
congregational level;
b) Stress prayers for vocations to the Salesian
brotherhood through the intercession of Artemides Zatti;
c) Celebrate
the anniversaries of religious profession for all the confreres, as a sign of
our common unity in religious life;
d) In each province have a deeper
study of the vocation of the Salesian brother;
e) Use this year as a
special one to study the "form" of our Congregation and come up with a deeper
understanding of how we can be a "mixed" congregation, and be faithful to our
charism and the original project of Don
Bosco.
