BANGLAORE: 8th January 2006 -- Understandably, much of the
material that came out of the recent National Research Seminar to mark
the Salesian centenary in India, was for Salesian India and has only
passing interest for the rest of us. But not all of it.
Amongst the papers presented was one by Father Thomas Panakezham
(Panakelram if you try to pronounce it). He is a former Regional
Councillor for that area. Fr Thomas gave a paper on the image of
the Salesian in South Asia in the next century of presence. Mutatis
mutandis, it has something to say to the rest of us.
Fidelity to our Founder: our pioneers....copied Don
Bosco... Fidelity means to know and love him, I would say almost
passionately because he was one of the most complete men history has
ever known. We are still only discovering the genius of Don
Bosco. .. His love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, Mary our Mother
and help and our devotion to the Pope. The expression of these
loves will vary but these three loves must never diminish.
The poor will always be there: Our mission sets the
whole tenor of our lives (C.32). We could be distracted by
non-essentail elements. The option for the marginalised is not
something for some of our works, but something for our mission wherever
we are....the streets of Turin must become the lanes, narrow streets
and boulevards of our various metropolises. These are uncharted
ways and unpublished pages which the enterprising Salesian has to
discover.
The work of a group: We will have to work with the
diverse groups of the Salesian Family to animate the young....it will
not be a monopoly by one group. It may be that our numbers
dwindle from what we are today...It is here that the Salesian of the
future will have to be more convinced of the role of the laity of both
genders and learn humbly but courageously to work with others
especially with committed lay faithful. Women will play a greater
role in society and the Salesians, in a mature way, must understand
their mentality and their indispensable role.
Work with the local Church: The local church will
have to play a prominent role in evangelisation. Probably the
local church will not be understood as local with boundary limits but
where people are, and for the Salesians, where the young are to be
found. It will not be a community that knows-all but a community
that searches to find out what the Lord wants.
Dialogue with all: Well aware that the Holy Spirit
is not the monopoly of a particular religious group, the Salesian will
clasp hands with every religious denomination that has something to do
with the betterment of the young.
Communion before affiliation: Baptism of desire will
precede that of water! If the first Christian communities were
witnesses to those who were around them and these latter were able to
say: ' see how they love one another', it can be said this will happen
also to the Salesian community which in an inscrutable way will invite
others.
Our role in education: Fr Thomas quotes Ghandi's
seven social sins, drawing the conclusion that the Salesians too, have
to work against the 'baneful influences that plague our society'
through an integral education.
Relevance of the Preventive System: A question -
after a century of our presence in India, have we any boy of
outstanding holiness?
A dream-vision: the Salesian 'vast movement of
persons' started with a dream-vision. The Salesian of the future
must be fired with it.
Daring: the future will depend on those who follow
Don Bosco's daring to rediscover the very basis of our charism.
Perhaps we need upstarts of another kind to tackle the almost
unforeseeable throng of the young tomorrow.
Family atmosphere: one of the complaints of
youngsters today and of the past pupils is that the Salesians have no
time to spend with them. Unless one breaks the shell that
encrusts the Salesians he will not be continuing the work of Don
Bosco. Family spirit must never give up on the Oratory model
which was a 'home that welcomed'.
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