austraLasia #2504

Time and timing: 2009 is about Salesian Family

MELBOURNE:  20th September 2009 -- The Rector Major made allusion to his various messages ('stimuli' he called them) in a recent Good Night talk to the community at the Pisana - it was in view of that community's need, in a European context, to get all the Congregation's messages into perspective.  He acknowledged that there were any number of these, but just one of major importance: GC26.  He wasn't sure how well the Salesian Family message had got through at is essential 'vast movement...' level, when it came down to brass tacks and what people were actually doing in the field.  Nor was he sure how people were really handling a phenomenon that is certainly true of Europe and perhaps in some other places too - a 'civil' year and a 'social' year.  That is strongly marked in Europe, where the civil year is as one might expect it to be, January 1st to December 31st. He made the point that he announces the Strenna in official terms at the beginning of that year. But there is also the 'social' year which effectively seems to coincide with the period immediately following summer holidays, and a new school year.  No doubt, after Italy's love affair with ferragosto (my words, not his) that this is the case in Italy. That means people there tend to see a year starting sometime in September!  But the RM was not so concerned about timing in that sense, more about ensuring that the Strenna is seen for what it is - a stimulus, a 'gift', and not an entire pastoral programme that necessarily has to go into action in September! Go to GC26 for that, he indicated.
    Reading through the Provincial Circular from the Australia-Pacific Province, one sense something similar, and since the words are public, let's quote them:
    The different “timing” of a year in Europe and the Australia-Pacific is quite obvious in the waning interest in the Rector Major’s Strenna on the Salesian Family, and the copious material (including a new biography by Francis Desramaut) coming from Rome on Don Rua, whose person is central to the Strenna for next year. Here we are still enthusiastically celebrating the year of the Salesian Family and the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Congregation. We have now held two wonderful Salesian Family Days, celebrated at Glenorchy and Lysterfield. Peter Hoang has animated these two days, and they have proved to be encouraging and enlightening to everyone who attended. The structure of the two days held to this point has different slightly, but the basic content has been the same. In a variety of ways, Peter has shared the various elements that form “the Salesian Family” and then spoken – using the directives of the Rector Major and the work of Ian Murdoch – to the crucial message of the need for us to recognise our common vocation and our common mission.
    Two more Salesian Family Days are in preparation in the Province in the remaining months of 2009.  The message is clear enough.
    But let's turn our gaze more specifically to this province where 'September' is an important month for any number of reasons too, some of them to do with sport, but some also to do with 'obediences'.  And this time there's plenty of interest.  Readers generally, would be interested to know that the Province has opened up two new communities and now, at least in official terms, there will be a Salesian presence in New Zealand for the first time.  The Provincial and his Council have announced that a community of three will be located at Massey, in Auckland's Western suburbs, commencing with the New Year (meaning 2010!). Given the huge Pacific Island  population in Auckland and New Zealand generally, the focus - a parish is the central structure - will primarily involve Salesian confreres with experience from the Islands, either because they hail from there or have worked there for many years.  But not only.  Joining the community is a Salesian from AFE.
    The second new community is one already mentioned briefly in this e-letter, the presence at Salelologa on Samoa's island of Savai'i.  Once a number of initial difficulties concerning land are sorted out, a new Salesian school will be built, and a community of three established around that and the Parish which currently has Fr Nick Castelijns as Parish Priest.
    Speaking of which - Nick is a fine correspondent, even an essayist, one might say. You will be informed and able to chuckle at the same time as he describes events in Samoa over recent times - probably the material is best located in the EAO Blog.  Turn there immediately to continue your education!

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Title: australasia 2504
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces AUL  2009; new communities
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2504