1254 New Rector, new language, new teachers, new students....new academic year in Jerusalem
austraLasia 1254

New Rector, new language, new teachers, new students....new academic year in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM: 21st September 2005 --  Today, Feast of St Matthew the Apostle, the studentate of theology in Jerusalem, commonly known more simply as 'Ratisbonne', begins a whole new phase.  It is really just a year old as a Salesian institution, but that year was in preparation for the real intention all along, which was to set up the theologate as an international resource based on the English language, for 'undergraduate' students or in other words, those in the final phase of preparation for priesthood, and for 'graduate' students or just other students - meaning any Salesian who can be given the opportunity for a period of study and reflection in the Holy Land.
    A brief diary of the most recent steps to the opening of the academic year today runs as follows:
    - 17th September: Fr Francis Preston officially installed as Rector of the community by Fr Laconi, Vice provincial of MOR
    -19-20 September: the community gathered in assembly to forge its community project and annual plan.
    - 21 September the community gathers for the inaugural Mass which, although being the Feast of St Matthew is also a placing of the pastoral and academic activity of the theologate into the hands of the Holy Spirit.
    The new Ratisbonne community comprises confreres from 17 different nations.  The Council of the Community and the teaching staff are a mix of confreres from the UK, Italy, Malta, Poland, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, India and the Philippines.
    There are 28 student confreres in all, 12 in first year, 7 in second year, another 7 in third year and 2 deacons in fourth year.  They hail from the four continents of Africa (Congo, Tanzania, Ethiopia), the Americas (Dominican Republic and Haiti), Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam) and Europe (Poland).  In addition, two former provincials join the community for some months - Fr Vladimir Fekete from Slovakia and Fr Michael Smyth from Ireland.  In fact with the Rector and one of the staff also both immediate ex-Provincials (Fr Preston and Fr Gustilo), it looks to be the place of choice for that particular category of being!
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