#535

GC25: EARLY TRENDS EMERGING?

While it is very early days, the Assembly has broken up into groups (language) to facilitate discussion of the Chapter Working Documents.  A possible early trend (it needs to be seen if this is shared across 15 groups) emerging from responses on the state of the congregation report and the first look at the working documents  [(1) Salesian community today (2) structures of central government] is to consider new forms and models of community living.  A second trend could be a positive result of many years now of talking about 'community' in a wider sense than just professed SDB's.

GC25: WHAT WILL THE CHAPTER PRODUCE FOR THE REST OF US?

Will it be a document of the length of, say GC24?  Or will it be instead a number of directional statements with supporting material? Something, even, of the pamphlet kind?  Remains to be seen, but that discussion has been opened up early in the piece.

AND IT'S NOT ALL WORK AND NO PLAY....

Would it be a surprise to know that bike-riding has not been encouraged as recreational activity for chapter members?  But there's quite a range of other alternatives - football, volleyball, basketball and the various trips hither and thither to Naples, Florence, UPS.

(Luc, by the way, has had a hip replacement, and may be allowed out of hospital in little more than a week.  Good news indeed).

GOODNIGHTS - expect a second 'brief' on these, to follow