Brothers in preparation - Blessed Artemides Zatti
will be celebrated on 15th March
MANILA: 8th March 2006 -- The North Philippines province
has one of the largest groups of Salesian Brothers in the region, 28 in
all. Additionally, they have a number of Brothers studying there
from Korea, Vietnam - at least 6 from Vietnam and 3 from Korea.
Towards the end of February this group came together at Batulao.
It was an opportunity to share their vocational story, to reflect on
the documents and other material of the Congregation, and to look into
formation planning as well as vocation promotion for the Brother.
It was a particularly affirming occasion for young Brothers in the
group. The FIN group is planning a further gathering in May, this
time inviting Brothers from FIS as well.
We are but a week from the celebration of the Feast
of Blessed Artemides Zatti on 15th March and only five months away from
the Regional Assembly of Brothers in Cambodia in August. There is
any amount of activity around the region in view of the latter, and
hopefully there is some proximate preparation also for the
former. The Assembly will involve a dynamic of
story-reflection-discussion-action guidelines. Provinces are
working on producing a short video clip to represent an outstanding
life: these will be put together and help the 'story' element of the
dynamic. Responses to a questionnaire that went out last year
have been recorded and analysed. It is clear that of the two sets
of challenges, internal and external, those internal are perhaps the
most difficult to confront. These, amongst other issues, will be given
due reflection during the Assembly.
For Wednesday March 15th, there is plentiful
material available. www.sdb.org is featuring both a research item
and a power point series, though the latter is in Italian.
Provinces by now would have (should have) received a copy of the DVD
made in India last year. In the 'prayer' section on www.sdb.org
there is a novena to Zatti. In the 'Animation notes' section of
the site there are also, under 'archive 2004', two items on human
growth in apostolic life as a Brother, based on Zatti. Bosconet,
as you know, has other resources, especially the materials in
preparation for the assembly. There are very many lives of
outstanding Brothers recorded there.
Which brings us to a final note: The day
before the celebration next week, one of EAO's most outstanding
Brothers, Brother Peter Swain AUL, enters hospital for serious
surgery. It would be wonderful for him to know that he was being
accompanied by his 'Brothers' from around the Region during this
difficult period.
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