TOKYO: 4th October '04 -- Part II of the Japanese SDB Provincial Chapter concluded on the morning of Monday 4th October, and the 35 delegate members, plus Provincial, and Moderator Fr Matsuo, joined other members of the Province in the annual Province Day celebrations at Chofu, weary but ultimately happy that a major priority of the Province, redimensioning, now had some clear direction to follow.  This was closely linked, of course, to the drawing up of the draft OPP or Organic Provincial Plan requested by GC25, as well as the rewriting of the Formation Directory for the province.  The Provincial, Fr Puppo, had already indicated at the opening of the recent sessions that 'redimensioning' did not mean to take or cut off, but to choose what was best and most in keeping with the development of the Salesian charism.

    The province is clear about its fundamental options: the significance, for evangelisation in Japan, of the mission to educate; the crucial importance of formation, especially continuing formation to strengthen Salesian identity.

    The province, too, has clarified what are its priority works and what are works that could/should be handed over to others.  Priorities other than education include vocation work, Social Communications, parishes with youth centres already or open to developing such, and works for young people at risk.  And always with the fundamental options in  mind, the province has foreshadowed the opening of a new work for youth in need and at risk, almost certainly in an area of highest concentration of migrant youth.  Present demographics could point to places in Yokohama or Kansai.