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Titolo n otiziario
Newsletter for Salesian Missionary Animation
A Publication of the Mission Department for the Salesian Communities and Friends of the Salesian Mission
De a r S a l e s i a n
missionaries and
friends of the
Salesian Missions,
Last November25-27, 2011
the first meeting of the 30
young missionaries in eight
European provinces with
their superiors took place in
Rome for two days. Their
enthusiasm, joy, spirit of
faith and commitment were
surprising without hiding the
challenges they face.
Over the past 10 years about
80 confreres have been sent
to strengthen the different
provinces in Europe, half of
them after the start of the
Project Europe in 2008. This
is just a drop but a young
confrere coming from
halfway around the world
produces many fruits in an
old and monocultural
Province: he brings hope and
rejuvenates the provincial
community. Being close to
young people there are also
vocational fruits and he helps
to be close to many young
migrants.
It takes great faith and
commitment on the part of
all the Salesian Provinces of
the world in order to
revitalise the Salesian
charism in Europe. During
the second meeting of the
Provincials of Europe in 2008
the Rector Major pointed out
that Project Europe is an
unparalleled spiritual
proposal. As we pray for
more missionaries in Europe,
let us ask ourselves how we
can contribute to this project
of the whole congregation .
What contribution can I make to Project Europe?
At the conclusion of the GC 26 Fr. Chávez explained the raison d'être of
Project Europe: «Today, more than ever, we become aware that our
presence in Europe needs to be re-thought. This consideration as I al-
ready said in the address to the Holy Father on the occasion of the Audience
he granted to the members of the GC26 – is “aimed at re-dimensioning our
Salesian presence for greater impact and effectiveness in this continent. That
is, seeking a new form of evangelisation in order to respond to the spiritual
and moral needs of these young people, who to us appear as wanderers with-
out guides and without destination.”
It is a question therefore of rejuvenating with Salesian personnel those Prov-
inces most in need to make the Salesian charism more significant and fruitful
in today’s Europe. I intend to make clear therefore that:
• This is a project of the Congregation;
• It will involve all the Regions and Provinces in sending personnel;
• Strengthen the communities, called upon to be intercultural and to make
Don Bosco present among the young, especially the poorest, the abandoned
and those at risk;
• The whole process will be entrusted to the coordination of the three Depart-
ments for the Mission.
This project will obviously demand structural changes in the communities of
the Old Continent. “New wine in new wine-skins”. It is not therefore a work of
the simple “maintenance of structures”, but a new project to express a new
presence beside today’s young people. We are moving with the heart of Don
Bosco, rich in his passion for God and for the young, in order to collaborate in
the social construction of a New Europe, so that it may really have “a soul”, so
that it may find again its strong spiritual and cultural roots, so that at the
level of society it may make room for and give equal opportunities to educa-
tional and cultural proposals, without discrimination or decisions regarding
social exclusion.
Among the priorities I indicate the most important:
• Creating new presences for young people,
• Encouraging dynamic and innovative initiatives ,
• Fostering vocations.
All this should help the Salesians who are working in this context to achieve a
way of thinking that is more and more European, strengthening the synergy
among Provinces in the different sectors and re-enforcing collaboration at Re-
gional level». What contribution can I make, then, to Project Europe?
Fr. Václav Klement, SDB
Councilor for the Missions Participants at the first meeting of the Salesian missionaries in Europe - Pisana, Nov 25-27, 2011
