The Project of Apostolic Life: Co-operators in the
Australia-Pacific Province
MELBOURNE: 11th October 2007 -- From Friday 5th October until
Sunday 7th October, some 50 Salesian Cooperators, Salesians SDB and
Salesian Sisters met at the Province Centre in Ascot Vale, Melbourne,
Victoria. The gathering included special guests by way of Bishop
Tim Costelloe SDB, the Provincial of the Salesian Sisters in Australia
and the Pacific, Sr Edna Mary McDonald, and the Salesian Sisters'
novices. Outgoing Councillors, along with Salesian Delegates to various
Units, met to look back across the past year and to make initial
suggestions about leadership of the Movement for the forthcoming
triennium. Saturday and Sunday were full of major input,
discussion and challenges. The entire weekend was dedicated to
the new Project of Apostolic Life for the Salesian Co-operators
approved in April 2007. A new 'team' of Councillors was elected and a
new Coordinator in the person of Mrs Carmen Escobar.
The Saturday morning saw a reflection from Fr James
Kyaw Hoe on the history which generated this 'Project', entitled
"Rediscovering the dream". He illustrated Don Bosco's intention
to bring as many workers and collaborators to the mission as
possible. His reflection focussed on the elements that give meaning to
Salesian vocations: the joy of the Salesian spirit and belonging to the
Family, the experience of love and care of SDBs and FMAs, and seeing
the opportunity to be 'part of' such wonderful apostolic experience.
This was followed by an animated discussion as many of those present
had never been introduced to the foundational documents and statements
from Don Bosco that had made the Co-operators such a integral part of
the Salesian movement and mission. Their ongoing relevance was
stressed.
Saturday afternoon was taken up with a penetrating
analysis of the new new Statutes (the Regulations will have to wait for
another time) by Sister Edna Mary McDonald. By means of a
well-prepared presentation (ppt) entitled "Owning the Dream", Sister
Edna Mary took the group through each section of the PAL. After
each section the document was discussed, in a long question and answer
session. It was hard but rewarding work. Cooperators and
Salesians received a first class introduction to this important
document for the future of the Co-operators.
On Sunday morning Fr Frank Moloney, Provincial of
the SDBs in Aaustralia and the Pacific, delivered a talk entitled
"Living the Dream". Fr Moloney looked initially at the current
situatioin of the Cooperator movement in Australia and the situation of
young people, the recipients of the Salesian mission in this
'postmodern era'. He then moved to concrete suggestions
concerning the future of the Cooperators, taking as his starting point
Constitutions art. 5 of the SDB Constitutions: "Don Bosco inspired the
start of a vast movement of persons who in different ways work for the
salvation of the young". This theme had been further developed by
the Rector Major in Ho Chi Minh City on 14th April 2007: "The Salesian
Family is a movement of spirituality and apostolate, comprising
Salesians SDB, Salesian Sisters and lay people who commit themselves to
the salvation of the young in need and employ the preventive system of
education in order to do so". Fr Moloney set the future of the
Cooperator Movement in the Australia-Pacific Province within the
broader context of the many well-established and emerging Salesian
initiatives for the salvation of the young in need.
As well as the talks and discussions of the Project
of Apostolic Life, the weekend evidenced a wonderful atmosphere of
shared prayer and meals, well-prepared liturgies. There was even
a traditional 'sing-song' during which the Cooperators were taught 'Giù
dai colli' with mixed success!
All material of Congress reflections will be made
available soon in electronic form. Meanwhile, the Statutes and
Regulations are available in their final translated version on
SDL. Go to http://sdl.sdb.org (or enter through the 'Search SDL'
on www.sdb.org) and choose the English collection, then go to Salesian
Family. _________________ AustraLasia is an
email
service
for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions
as an
agency for ANS based in
Rome.
For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com
.
Use BoscoWiki
to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital
Library
at at http://sdl.sdb.org
