EAO Regional challenges Salesian Cambodia to look toward 2025

POIPET (Cambodia): 28th April 2005 -- In what a local correspondent has described as the "WOW (Wonder of Wonders)" experience, in the age of communicators, Fr. Vaclav Klement's extraordinary visitation of Salesian Cambodia took on the character of the very active listener.

    The last extraordinary visitation to Cambodia was with but 5 confreres.  This time there were 10.  The Visitor concluded his visit with an assembly of the ten confreres living and working in Cambodia. His three-page reflection “Our Common Dream” of the 15 years of Salesian presence in Cambodia was the result of his listening style and challenged the Salesians to look toward the year AD 2025  with a “dare and hope” attitude.

    His reflections challenged the Salesians to think of the criteria which would shape the way of living and working for the coming 20 years. 

    Fr. Cef Ledesma moderated the meeting and the confreres decided to carry out a discernment and reflection on Fr. Klement’s “Our Common Dream”, the present situation, other hopes and dreams, thrusts for the future. Such thrusts are aimed at a vision-mission-strategy statement: Thrust One (vision) – to develop a community-oriented apostolic life; Thrust Two (mission) – to commit the community to vocational promotion and Thrust Three (strategy) – to build up a planning mentality towards sustainable development.

    Meanwhile in conclusion to the extraordinary visit in Thailand, of which the Cambodian mission is an integral part, Fr Klement urged a continuation of the process of overall provincial planning with emphasis on these features that are particularly emphasised by GC25.  In this instance he also drew on the main sectors of Salesian life as reflected in the organisation of the General Council, namely Formation, Youth Ministry, Social Communications, Missions, Salesian Family, Economy.

_____________________