Rectors' Formation in EAO - two provinces in one week
SEOUL and TOKYO: 23rd September 2006 -- Two Provinces
in the East Asia-Oceania region have recently undertaken major steps in
the formation of Rectors and the animation of communities. Korea
and Japan, just two hours flying time apart, have run seminars for
their Rectors with the help of Fr Aldo Giraudo (for Japan) and Fr Chrys
Saldanha (for Korea). While occurring in the same week, the
seminars were quite differently oriented according to local needs.
Rectors, Vice Rectors and Provincial councillors
attended the Korean gathering held at Naeri, a Salesian youth camp
location on the west coast of South Korea some 200 kms from Seoul. They
focused on the spiritual and pastoral animation of communities. The
event took place as part of the three year ongoing formation plan of
the Korean province and lasted an entire five days. It was not a
straight input session but a workshop with much interaction from
participants. Fr Chrys was able to conduct the event in English
given the good grasp now of that language by most of the participants.
Korea province has invested effort over the past 10 years in sending
people abroad to improve their grasp of English and gain wider Salesian
experience generally.
In Japan, the gathering for Rectors was part of a
long term project already well in place. They met briefly
(already the third for this year) on 16th September, and then began a
Retreat from 18th-23rd with Fr Giraudo, focused on Don Bosco. The Japan
province had already pre-empted, in a sense, the decision of the Rector
Major and his Council to 'Return to Don Bosco' by way of GC26.
The gatherings of Rectors in Tokyo have fitted in to this
process. They were given a local directory for Rectors which has
been developed int he province over the period 2004-2006 and which was
approved by the Provincial ad experimentum last month. It
is a simple enough directory of just 10 pages, but to the point.
At the Rectors' meeting in Tokyo on 16th September,
Fr Klement, before departing for Mongolia, gave the Rectors' Don
Bosco's advice - non ti turbi! Do not be upset by
anything! He reminded them of the three 'temptations' often
repeated by the Rector Major to Rectors: the temptation of thinking
they are not up to the task, thus seeking escape in more satisfying
services outside the community: the temptation to not propose
commitment to confreres because of lack of trust; the temptation to
want to do too much by themselves.
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