ROME: 25th April '04 --  Still fresh from the exhilaration of a young lay Salesian's beatification (Alexandrina) in the morning, 100 past pupil representatives from around the globe, 18 of them from either East Asia-Oceania or South Asia, took their first look this evening at candidates to lead the Association into the next six years.  And there were some surprises!

 

The first surprise was the combination of youth with experience demonstrated by many young candidates who presented a five minute curriculum vitae and their proposals for the Association.  If we tend to associate experience with age it was equally obvious tonight in youth; youth that has experienced the cauldron of suffering and survival in Eastern Europe; youth that has travelled the world precisely to experience the charism of Don Bosco as it is lived today, everywhere; youth that has, like many other young entrepreneurs the world over, done more than dream dreams.  Their catchword was simple: if there's work to be done, then we will do it with you (not for you).  These were 'youngsters' who showed how they love Don Bosco, and who know how to communicate in a modern world as he would have done had he their possibilities. 

 

The second surprise was how many, from countries other than the obvious 'expanding circle' of English-speaking nations, communicated in faultless English, like Pessao from Sao Paolo...who did admit that he had spent two years as a child in Nashville Tenessee, however!

 

The third and  a most pleasant surprise was to note the strength of small nations, new nations and struggling nations for one or other reason: Timor, Vietnam, Slovenia, Congo, to name some.  All delegates may have some weighty matters to discuss and some tough issues to broach - they know they have about as much money in hand as did Don Bosco when he began to build the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin.  But the wonderful thing is that so many are so obviously fired by the same dauntless courage and enthusiasm that saw it finally built anyway!  There's hope abroad.

________________________________