austraLasia #2572
 
Impact of postmodernity on young candidates, in context

HO CHI MINH CITY: 13th January 2010 --  From the 12th to 14th of January, the Provincial of the Vietnam Province is in the throes of its annual Rectors' meeting. The topics  have been selected from the earlier meeting of formation delegates in Australia and include" the figure and role of the local rectors", "the impact of the postmodernity on the salesian candidates". There are 23 Rectors at the meeting.
    It is interesting to note that this issue of 'postmodernity' and formation is under discussion in various parts of the Salesian world, possibly more in the EAO general context than elsewhere. One needs more than the wisdom of Solomon, however, to tackle it!  'Postmodern' seems to have more uses than a dead cat! It is difficult to define in temporal or historical terms and is applied in all kinds of academic disciplines, so what does it really mean in terms of formation of young candidates to Salesian life?
    FIN recently looked at the issue in a province-wide Assembly involving formators and those being formed.  The matter was clearly under discussion at the Lysterfield meeting for EAO formation people.  These too help make up the context for other discussions. The FIN assembly looked particularly at implications of postmodernism as represented by media evolution in our times.
    It might be helpful to provide some other elements of context for these discussions.  It is interesting to note too that a considerable amount of literature on postmodernism and the young, postmodernism and spirituality, is coming out of the Asia-Pacific area where 'postmodernism' is also seen as a Western, even at times European phenomenon now globalised and with implications for Asian or Pacific cultures. An interesting perspective along these lines might be found in the writings of a Presbyterian theologian, Daniel Adams, teaching in Korea, or somebody like Paul McQuillan in Australia or the Generation X Study in Australia, which Salesians played some small part in some years back.
    Another context might be found in the literature developing around the 2010 Strenna. The question will come up in the context of 'bringing the Gospel to the young' today, which is not only the strenna topic in essence, but also the main theme for the Salesian Family worldwide about to gather in Rome from 21-24 January.  May be worth keeping an eye on the talks, the video presentations vai the SF Spirituality Days Website (via sdb.org) in due course.  Yet another associated item, at least in broad terms, is an interview that Fr Chavez gave to the Spanish 'Consecrated Life' magazine, which has no been translated into English and put on SDL.  He gave this interview in 1st January in his role as President of the worldwide Union of Superiors General, so it is a global view of consecrated life and its challenges today.
    Or yet another context, oblique, but useful still, is the fact that this year has been proclaimed as an International Youth Year by the UN - to begin officially in August, so it will end up incorporating the WYD in Madrid in 2011 if one wants to think in religious terms, and many other secular events like the various World Youth Conferences being planned, and the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore later this year.
    It would be helpful if confreres or members of the Salesian family in our Region would alert us to material of any kind which we can put on SDL.  All good grist for the mill and useful to help reflection for something which is crucial to our survival on the one hand and our ministyr on the other!

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Title: australasia 2572
Subject and key words: EAO General: postmodernity and formation
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2572