austraLasia 875
EAO Initial Formation: Sweep though Oceania
completes the picture
ROME: 11th Sept. '04 -- General
Councillor for Formation Fr Francis Cereda and team member Fr Chrys Saldanha
have returned to Rome after gaining an overview of the initial formation
communities particularly in Oceania: PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Australia. This
sweep through the islands and the great continent of Australia fills in the
Formation Department's overview of initial formation communities throughout the
Salesian world.
The general aim of such visits is precisely that of overview,
information and animation. From the wider perspective it is sometimes
possible too, to suggest ways of regional cooperation and to strengthen the
existing formation processes. In the case of Oceania there is an
aspirantate, pre-novitiate and post-novitiate setting in Port Moresby, a
post-novitiate and theologate community in Fiji (attending a diocesan/religious
combined seminary), pre-novitiate and novitiate in Samoa, theologate in
Melbourne (also attending a diocesan/religious combined seminary) while
Australian pre-novices are assigned to a number of selected apostolic
communities.
Already there is regional cooperation - the novitiate in Samoa
has one candidate from PNG and one from Japan, in addition to locals.
Practical trainees from AUL have been assigned to PNG as well as throughout
the province.
The visiting team has left recommendations for further
consolidation and regional cooperation in the near future.
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