FATUMACA (ET): 25th October '04 --  Fatumaca is the Mother House of Salesian East Timor and Indonesia, the 'Valdocco of East Timor' as the Rector Major termed it during his visit to the community and its extensive work: aspirantate, novitiate, technical school, Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, primary school...  The Rector Major celebrated a packed 9.00 am Mass in the Shrine.  During the homily he spoke of the 'Helper' (Auxiliadora), the role that Mary played for Don Bosco but also in East Timor, especially in times of danger.  Mary also helps us to relate to God as Father, look for the will of God, serve the people, especially the young and the poor.

    Following the Mass, Fr Chávez gave a conference to the 65 Salesians present.  He used English on this occasion.  He spoke in particular on the question of inculturation, which he claimed was one of the most important messages of his visit to ITM.  Pointing to the example of Rwanda as having been one of the most 'evangelised' countries in Africa, he then asked why, amidst the terrible tragedy that befell that nation, even priests and religious were involved in massacres....skin-deep religion? Un-inculturated?

    The big challenge, he said, is to 'touch the nerve, the heart, what's behind things, to change the way of living through the Gospel.  It is easy to be baptised, difficult to be truly evangelised'.

    Fr Chávez then outlined four possible attitudes/situations affecting inculturation: those who don't believe at all, those who believe that external signs mirror the whole culture (folklore is not the whole, though an important part of culture), the importance of answering the question 'what expresses the specifics of Christianity and Salesian in this culture?', and finally, those who in throwing out the Western trappings, end up mistakenly rejecting things that are also central to the Gospel.  One's own culture is important but not to be absolutised and canonised!

    He drew on a local examples of cultural problems interfering with the Christian and Salesian mission and said that it is essential to know what has to be inculturated and how to make a life programme of that.  (1)  Know well the source to be inculturated - in our case Don Bosco...not just the stories.  Study him.  Rectors should read the Memoirs of the Oratory once a year at least!  And the Constitutions, your programme of life  (2) Provincial Chapters and provincial directories are ways to inculturate, include the key local elements (3) Socialisation or enculturation (yes, 'en' in this case), like a mother teaching basic habits to a child, so too we must begin with the aspirants to enculturate them into Salesian life - and see that this life is lived consistently through stages of formation.

    The Rector Major indicated that he would be writing a Letter to the Congregation on this theme, as important for Europe as it is for Asia, Oceania, Africa...