The changing map of the Salesian world, and thanking
God for the gift of Don Bosco
ROME: 27th January 2006 -- Whatever map of the Salesian
world you have now might not serve for much longer; that world is
gradually being re-drawn. This is not just about numbers.
The Rector Major's comments at the end of the Winter Session for the
General Council gave a clear indication of that much. Fidelity to
Don Bosco and his mission is what he concluded with, and it was the
notion underlying his masterful summary of an intense two months of
work.
But let's start with some figures anyway. If
some Provincial secretaries are feeling a bit battered after being
pressed for urgent final 2005 figures, it was so Fr Maraccani could
finalise the state of the Congregation numerically, as he is wont to
do, and must. EAO registers a small increase in numbers in the
wash-up between novices at one end, deaths at the other and losses in
between. There are 61 novices in the EAO region, ITM and VIE
accounting for most of them. Novices included, the Region has
1319 men (1316 in 2004). What the figures do not include,
however, are the 11 missionaries who went out to other regions in the
course of 2005, and the 39 students from the region in Italy or
Jerusalem, plus sundry others listed in other circumscriptions.
What is actually being 'redrawn' in our region? The Congregation
has directed an additional 9 confreres towards PNG-SI, who are also
working hard at their own vocation-formation development. A
decision to take the Delegation forward to Vice Province status is on
hold, but no one doubts that intention sooner rather than later.
And connected with a vast study of the Formation Houses and Centres
throughout the Congregation carried out by Fr Cereda, some moves are
afoot to strengthen existing centres, their sense of Salesian identity,
and to address the urgent need for formation of the Brothers.
That will impact on our region. If some other statistics for the region
are of interest to you, there are 8 Bishops, 729 priests, 203 Brothers,
326 men on the way towards priesthood. The region lost 34 men in 2005,
6 of those through death. The majority of others were in
temporary vows. Our neighbour, South India, has a whopping 156
novices this year, 10 more than last year. There are 2379
confreres in that region
Amongst major themes studied in this session was the
Salesian presence in the Muslim world - touching on a number of places
in our region. No policy as such has been drawn up, rather an extended
and in-depth study has been set up under Fr Alencherry's
direction. Other themes included vocational fidelity, and
reflection on the Instruction on criteria for discernment of vocations
with regard to persons with homosexual tendencies in view of their
admission to seminaries and Holy Orders.
Western Europe is being redrawn: the number of
Provinces in Spain will be fewer as several are unified over the next
two years. Salesian Africa too, is changing shape. Sudan
will become a circumscription with a special statute, to handle the
situation where members of AFE to which it currently belongs, cannot
gain entry (Provincial, Councillors...). Mozambique will detach from
Portugal and become a Vice Province. Uganda detaches from AFE (Nairobi)
and joins with Ruwanda and Burundi to make a vice province.
Sub-Sahara Africa is a ticklish area. Morocco and Tunisia.
Tunisia will stay with Ireland-Malta, Morocco most likely will detach
from France and go with the new Cordoba-based combined Province.
Numbers in Africa-Madagascar continue to increase, with just short of a
hundred novices.
The Catacombs of St. Callistus in Rome came in for
special mention. It is a commitment the Congregation is proud of,
and one our Region is giving vital support to. The Salesian commitment
to this aspect of the Universal and ancient faith is being renewed and
will be bolstered.
The Rector Major has drawn much inspiration and
consolation from the energy of these months but more particularly the
spiritual energy of good, holy confreres. He was forcibly struck
by the quality of the recent Salesian Family Spirituality Days.
His personal experience kneeling before Don Bosco's exposed body
recently was nigh on a mystical one, to hear him speak of it. He
sees the coming Feast as our opportunity worldwide to thank God for the
gift of Don Bosco, and to commit ourselves ever more deeply to
regenerating Don Bosco in ourselves personally, through fidelity to the
Rule or, as he put it 'to our project of life'. And now he is off
to India to close one centenary, China to open another, and South
Africa for a Team Visit.
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