Open forum: RM and PNG aspirants
"I'll be back. I hope to see you as Salesians then"!
EAST BOROKO (PM-PNG): 12 September 2005 -- Open
forums, questions 'without notice', are
part of the way Fr Chávez likes to work, and they are, of course, a
journalist's dream, because the real stories of people's lives emerge
best in such a situation. Monday evening 12th September was a vocation
day for the Salesian aspirants in East Boroko. The following
session was moderated by Fr Juan Bosco Ximenez, in charge of the
aspirants, and Bro. Canut, a Papua New Guinean Salesian, assistant to
the aspirants. Q(aspirants): What kind
of problems do the SDBs face when working
for the youth? A(RM): It depends on the cultural context: 1.
Developed countries are well-off societies, with no great poverty
problem, but they experience a lack of
life projects, goals, meaning for living. 2. Underdeveloped countries
have a lack of
opportunities, of facilities to develop the gifts received by God
(there is no
school like Araimiri in many places in PNG for example). But there are
also common points
worldwide – young people need understanding, interest, dialogue with
teachers, the Salesians.
Q: What about the Salesians in the world in
terms of their service? A: Most SDBs are involved in formal
education, because we are by nature educators; secondly they are
involved in evangelisation – parishes, mission stations (I'm very happy
for the work of 100
years in India, in areas of the North East which have gone from 0 to
200,000 Catholics in a few
decades – e.g. Dimapur province, where also the current Salesian bishop
is one of the
new converts from this area!; Thirdly we are involved in social work
for
poor youth (street children, hospitals etc). Q: How many
countries have been visited by you as RM? A: I don't’ know exactly!. But of the 96
Provinces there are I have already
visited more than 70 of them (we are in130 countries, with16,000
confreres). But during my
term before 2008 I want to visit all the Provinces. It is not easy. I’m
not
traveling all the time, because in Rome, I need to meet many people, be
always
available, write the circulars, Salesian Bulletin articles, prepare
talks to deliver, also take part in the central committee of the Major
Superiors
Association.
Q: We are now asking you as successor of DB: what are some practical
steps for us to be good Salesians in the future? A: The best thing to do is to take seriously
all
the opportunities you receive to make your vocation grow. Don't’
forget, your vocation is a gift, is a gift!
Youth problems are not always drugs, alcohol, being hooked on rascalism
– no, the
biggest problem is the lack of a life project. I never tire of
repeating this everywhere I go! The other part is your formation – whichis
your responsibility: to study, to learn how to make more friends, how
to
become a community person (look at me - I’m in PNG, meeting many
confreres for
the first time, but we are all formed to live together, so we can
easily
relate to each other thanks to this formation).So first do your best in order to
accomplish your duties – find time to
pray, to play, to have fun, to study. Always do your best! Jesus should
be your
best friend. He died for you! Make a short adoration every day! Know
how to
read the Holy Scriptures- stories told
by Jesus' friends, who loved him, who spread his talks all over the
world! Try to
love young people! DB met many – kings, politicians, youth – but he
every time
he privileged youth. Do nothing special, but do the ordinary things in
an
extraordinary way! Q: As RM how do you respond to the needs of
the SDBs around the world? A: I try to keep them highly
motivated! I try to help them not to be discouraged at any time..
help them to
wake up every day with new energy, day by day, until the last day of
their
life! Q: How do you respond to the need of the
young worldwide? A: I help the confreres to run the works
(finance, personnel, materials). For example next year I will send 9
more Salesians to your Delegation of PNG – SI [much
applause].
I also help Salesians to see the needs of the young – like Fr. Viganò
years ago in Calcutta challenged the Salesians with the slum
poverty:”What are
you doing for these people?” and they answered by new works, that
spread in all
of India in 30 years time! Q: Isn't our aspirantate formation in PNG too
long?
(NB: given that before the novitiate they should finished grade12 and
also graduate
from the DBTI College in Port Moresby – 4 years!) A: There are many differences around the
world; some enter the aspirantate at the age of 12-15 years like I did,
some
enter the novitiate at the age of 15 like I did. But in the USA they
finish
University before the novitiate, and some other countries have other
requirements! Q: What is your message for PNG youth? A: After my visit, all the talks will be
collected and printed out. You can also read my dream about PNG and PNG
Salesian work which I delivered yesterday in Araimiri. Of course I have my dream about vocations!
See – look at East Africa, I was there a few days ago, also to
celebrate 25
years. But in PNG after 25 years the vocations are very, very, very
few! In AFE
they are already 160, the majority of Salesians are local SDBs..
You need to take this challenge seriously. If this happened, in the
near future PNG can also
become a Vice Province, a Province. But it depends on the
trends in vocations. Q: What about our parents after our vows
and ordination, how can they join the Salesian Family, in what kind of
group? A: Your parents can join the Salesian
Cooperators, as DB's mother did. But all of our parents are already in
an informal way part of the SF. Look at Mamma Margaret, she already
modelled the preventive system for DB; she spent her last 10 years with
him in Valdocco! But our
parents are also the first benefactors of our vocation! In some
provinces the Mamma Margaret Association already exists, their first
goal being to pray for
the vocational fidelity of their children! Conclusion: RM – I will come back to PNG
and also in the future go to the Solomon Islands for the first time. I
hope to
meet all of you as Salesians next time I am here!
VOCABULARY
Question without notice: a term used in
many democratic parliaments (including PNG) when a member of parliament
is able to ask questions of the prime minister or member of cabinet
without giving previous notice of its contents.
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