Starting with the beatification of Brother Artemides Zatti, it can be said that the Congregation has been living a special “year of celebration” recalling the new Blessed and promoting the vocation of the Salesian Brother. From the Provinces news has come of the many events that have taken place. On can think for instance of the various liturgical celebrations and commemorations of Blessed Artemides Zatti, of the Salesian Brothers presented in the Salesian Bulletin or recalled in the Provinces, of the Provincial or Interprovincial meetings held on the subject of the Salesian Brother’s vocation. But one can also think of the more specifically vocational initiatives realised, the videocassettes produced, events for young people put on by the educative and pastoral communities, discussion carried out by Provincial Formation Commissions and the Provincial Youth Ministry Teams.

After a year of celebration, which has contributed to the creation of a deeper awareness and the taking of the first steps, the time has come for each Province in a practical and organised way to set itself aims and objectives, propose procedures and interventions to promote the vocation of the Salesian Brother throughout the coming six year period. The year of celebration should lead on into a “six year programme of work”. In this way those proposals will be put into operation that are provided by the “Project of animation and government of the Rector Major and his Council” in which, taking up Fr Vecchi’s words, one speaks of “a renewed commitment, extraordinary and specific regarding the vocation of the Salesian Brother.” The guidelines in this article are meant to assist the Provinces with their plans for the Provincial Chapters, according to the recent letter sent to the Provincials by the Vicar Fr Luc Van Looy, and for giving special attention to this vocation during the six year period.

1. Recent reflections and guidelines

In the Congregation we already have reflections and authoritative and significant guidelines regarding the vocation of the lay Salesian.

We can find a start being made with the re-examination of this figure in 1975 with the “World Congress of the Salesian Brother” and in 1978 with the document of GC21 on “The Salesian Brother.” In 1980 the Rector Major Fr Egidio Viganò once again took up the discussion of this vital theme in his letter: “The lay component in the salesian community” (AGC 298); in this he analysed more deeply the originality and the charismatic implications of this vocation for the salesian community and for the Congregation. One could then mention the text: “The Salesian Brother: History, Identity, Vocational Apostolate and Formation” of 1989; this was the fruit of the GC22, which asked that there should be an examination of «the vocational identity of the lay Salesian and its significance essential for the life and mission of the Congregation, taking into account the reflection currently taking place within the Church». The basis of every reflection and directive for today however, remains article 45 of the Constitutions with its commentary, provided in the text The Project of Life of the Salesians of Don Bosco. A guide to the Salesian Constitutions” of 1986.

Then there can be no doubt that the 24th General Chapter, although it did not deal with the topic of the vocational figure of the Salesian Brother, explicitly asked for a better understanding of the identity of the lay component of the salesian community (GC24, 154), produced some reflection on the specific nature of such a vocation in relation to lay people, and suggested that its value be better appreciated in the educative and pastoral Community, at least to the same extent as lay people themselves..

In the year 2000 the third edition of the “Ratio” was promulgated, in which there was very considerable development in the area of the formation of the Salesian Brother. It presents his identity as a salesian (FSDB 40). In addition it develops the topic of his initial formation, paying particular attention to the phases of the postnovitiate (FSDB 408-409; 420-421; 424) and to specific formation (FSDB 446-458), for which, in an appendix, it gives guidelines for the arrangement of his studies (FSDB 596-599). In also mentions a “quinquennium” for them after specific formation (FSDB 248; 532; 534). Finally it asks for the supporting role of Salesian Brothers in formation communities, possibly through their services of animation and teaching (FSDB 234 e 284), and specifically for their presence in the novitiate (FSDB 378) and the postnovitiate (FSDB 416).

More recently the Rector Major Fr Juan Vecchi offered the Congregation some new reflections with his letter of 31 May 2001: “The Beatification of Brother Artemides Zatti: a sensational precedent” (AGC 376), in which he asked every Province to make a special effort on behalf of the vocation of the Salesian Brother. This letter was accompanied by some guidelines from Fr Giuseppe Nicolussi and Fr Antonio Domenech: “A renewed and extraordinary commitment for the vocation of the Salesian Brother,” in which the Provinces were invited to be aware of their own responsibilities in promoting this vocation. They speak about the need for «an assessment of the situation and of vocational activity» and the need for «an extraordinary programme», to foster knowledge and the presentation of this vocation.

To this should be added the commitments that the GC25 wished to assume. These are presented in the document of the Chapter and in the message to Salesian confreres: “Let us welcome the grace that has been given to us with the beatification of the Salesian Brother Artemides Zatti”. The Rector Major Fr Pascual Chávez also in his “Closing Address of the GC25” emphasised this need, asking for “a more convinced vocational proposal, and a more visible presence of this figure in the educative and pastoral community.” Finally the “Project of animation and government of the Rector Major and his Council” set out some objectives, strategies and interventions, requesting a particular commitment from the Formation sector and that of Youth Ministry.

2. The new situation

As can be seen, in our Congregation there has been no shortage of reflection and guidelines. Today these reflections are taking place in a new situation that needs to be taken into consideration and analysed.

The ecclesiology of the Council and the postcouncil period has emphasised the perspective of a Church of communion, pointing out the complementary nature of different vocations, the baptismal dignity shared equally by all Christians, the importance of all the charisms and the universal call to holiness. This has led to a justified promotion of the laity within the Church, to the recognition of their active role in evangelisation, to the need to overcome clericalism. Commitment to the promotion of the vocation of the consecrated lay person has taken place at a time of the clear identification of lay people in the Church and their relevance; while on the other hand, the identity of the religious brother is unclear and in need of a specific and urgent analysis and examination. The unanswered question remains: why become religious brothers when it is possible to live and do the same things as lay people? There is a real identity crisis. Sometimes this has created inferiority complexes or vocational dissatisfaction. This has led some religious brothers to seek priestly ordination as the only way to achieve personal self-fulfilment and to overcome uncertainties about one’s identity.

The Church is living through a serious crisis in religious life, especially regarding female religious life and the vocation of the religious brothers as they are called. While religious life is giving up old models of expression, it has still to find new ones. The crisis is accentuated in the case of apostolic religious life, affecting more closely the Congregations that historically have had and today still have a strongly social impact. In addition the centrality and the visibility of the priesthood in the life of the Church, linked with the correct emphasis on the life and mission of the laity, does not help to give prominence to the religious vocation as such. The reduction of the consecrated life to its ministerial or functional aspects, almost as though its mission were limited solely to activity and works, contributes to obscuring its identity even further. In this context the identity of the consecrated lay person is much more unclear than that of the religious priest..

In our Congregation we are witnessing a numerical diminution in Salesian brother vocations which have dropped from 3924 confreres in 1970 to 2260 today. Already in 1984 Fr Egidio Viganò launched a “cry of alarm”. The image of the priest in some of our environments seems to be far more prevalent than that of the Salesian religious. Also salesian religious life is often seen in functional terms, as though the salesian mission were reduced to roles and tasks to be performed. In addition, the specific contribution to the animation of the EPC on the part of the salesian community as a witness to God and a prophecy of «the missionary dynamism of ‘Da mihi animas’» (ACG 363, p. 37), is also scarcely to be found; more in general, our communities are not seen as religious communities. In some provinces a weakening in the Salesian Brother’s vocational identity is also due to a persistent clerical mentality or to the reduction of their presence in technical schools or in contexts of our mission that are specifically educational and secular.

The times in which we are living demand that we take into account these new situations which can raise new questions. For the moment it is a matter of assimilating and reflecting more deeply on the ideas that the Congregation has considered so far, but especially to put them into practice. From this assimilation and practice new questions to be considered will arise.

3. The need for structured and practical action

According to the Project of animation and government of the Rector Major and his Council, the basic lines of action for the promotion of the Salesian Brother’s vocation regard a deeper awareness of his vocational identity, his “visibility”, his high quality formation and vocation work. These need to be developed simultaneously; they are related to each other, and only if they are carried together will they be effective.

3.1. Awareness of vocational identity

Above all a decisive change of mentality is required about the way of understanding our salesian vocation, developing the theology of the religious life, its identity in the Church, the relationship between apostolic consecration and our mission, and its contribution to the animation of the educative and pastoral community. In the salesian community it is the apostolic consecration that unites us prior to any vocational difference; only within the shared religious life is it possible to understand the identity of the Salesian Brother’s vocation.

Then it is necessary to promote initiatives for further reflection and discussion on the main elements of the vocational identity of the Salesian Brother. It is a matter of assimilating the reflection and the guidelines proposed by the Congregation, through an ongoing formation programme in the Provinces, that envisages communication, discussion, and the development of community thinking about the originality, the motivation for and the models of this vocation. This is a task for the Provincial Formation Commission, which ought to provide stimulating ideas and proposals for the Provincial Council, for provincial animation, and for the communities.

Sometimes there has only been a token acceptance of this material and therefore there has been only a weak practical strategy. Probably, Salesian communities have more easily tended to respond to the absence of Salesian brothers by replacing them with lay people who have professional and educational competence, in this way running the risk of losing a specific feature of their charism.

3.2. Visibility of the person

The visibility of the person of the Salesian brother is strictly connected with the presence and the visibility of the salesian community in the EPC, precisely as a religious community. Without the presence among the young of a salesian community in its totality, in all the aspects of its fraternal, spiritual and evangelically active life, it is very difficult to understand the vocation of the lay Salesian. In the strengthening of the visibility of the Salesian community he too will draw strength.

It is necessary to project the presence of the lay Salesians in such a way that they have educational roles within the EPC; it is important to put the Salesian Brothers in direct contact with the boys and youngsters; it is also necessary for the Salesian Brother to do more than assign to him exclusively organisational or administrative roles. It is necessary to think of new models of lay Salesians.

It is a question of appreciating and giving the person of the lay Salesian greater visibility in the salesian community and in the educative and pastoral community not only in “professional roles”; a professional approach is necessary, but it is not sufficient in itself to communicate the experience of a charismatic vocation. Lay people too have professional competence. The specific character of the vocation of the Salesian brother requires that the vital synthesis of professional competence, spiritual experience, and an educative and pastoral commitment is able to be seen..

In the communities and in the provinces the presence of the Salesian brothers needs to be strengthened in various representative roles, in organisation for provincial animation, in the distribution of responsibilities. It is also necessary to think about what can be done for those provinces that do not have Salesian brothers. In all these cases it is up to the Provincial Formation Commission to carry out an assessment and prepare a proposal to present to the Provincial and the Provincial Council.

3.3. High quality Formation

There are a number of points with regard to the formation of the Salesian brother that need to be considered further and especially experienced. In “Criteria and Norms for salesian vocational discernment” we have some vocational criteria that can help us to discern what the characteristic features are to identify the one salesian vocation, that of the Salesian priest and that of the Salesian brother (CNVD 84 - 86); these criteria need to be further studied by the Provincial Formation Commission and by the Formation Department, in order to find other specifications.

For all those who begin the prenovitiate, whether future Salesian brothers or Salesian priests, it is necessary to ensure the same conditions for entry from the point of view of secondary school studies, requiring «a general cultural foundation» (FSDB 342). The discernment for the vocation of the Salesian priest and the Salesian brother is carried out in the novitiate, prior to the request for admission to profession, and should become definitive before the specific formation after practical training (FSDB 323).

The postnovitiate is the phase in which, in continuity with the novitiate, the common religious identity is further considered and in which one begins to prepare oneself to be educator and pastor; for this reason the “Ratio” states that. «it is desirable » that the Salesians preparing for the priesthood and Salesian brothers live in the same formation community, “where they see properly appreciated the two forms of the single Salesian vocation.» (FSDB 421). In the Congregation, however, there are still some situations that seem to require a different kind of experience. In the postnovitiate it is necessary to experience the fact that the “curricula of equivalent level” may also mean that there is the possibility of following the same course of studies as well as the possibility of different courses. (FSDB 398).

It is necessary to find a place in the formation communities of the prenovitiate, novitiate and postnovitiate for the Salesian brother with roles of formation and teaching. Certainly this also applies to the communities for the specific formation of the Salesian brother, and it would also be desirable in the communities for the specific formation of Salesian priests. It is important, however, that these presences are ensured at significant moments in the life of the formation communities.

The most innovative feature of the “Ratio” regards the specific formation of the lay Salesian In this area attempts are being made, but we have still much to try out and to plan for. We have a tradition for the specific formation of the Salesian priest, but not for that of the Salesian brother. It is important not to be satisfied with half measures, because it is a question of re-enforcing the vocational identity and of providing a high quality formation that is theological, spiritual, educative and pastoral. It is necessary to ensure this formation after practical training; “it is something different from professional training» (FSDB 446); certainly it is also necessary to think about courses for professional training (FSDB 456).

Finally the ongoing formation of the Salesian brothers should not be neglected, so that they may live their vocation today to the full and with creative fidelity. All these matters are the responsibility of the Provincial Formation Commission and the Provincial Council, and there should be guidelines provided and decisions taken in the Provincial Formation Plan..

3.4. Work for vocations

In addition to an «assessment of the situation and of vocational activity», the Provinces have already been asked for «the establishment of an extraordinary programme» which assists with the knowledge, the proposal and the subsequent guidance of the Salesian brother (cf. AGC 376 p. 66). The Youth Ministry team and the vocation animation commission have this task; the promotion of this particular vocation is only possible within a vocational culture and a broader animation activity.

It is especially important to present the salesian vocation as apostolic consecration at the service of the mission. Consecrated life is often understood in terms of providing services, and then it is recognised especially for the function that it carries out and little for the testimony it gives. In addition not sufficiently appreciated are the beauty and the necessity of the apostolate of lay people in the secular field. How many lay teachers see themselves as apostles in school? How many doctors consider the exercise of their profession a real apostolate?. How many sportsmen see what they do as a field for ministry? There is still a long way to go in people recognising the importance of the apostolate in the secular field. It is in this twofold context that the vocation of the Salesian brother can more easily develop.

Then in those cases in which one is convinced of the need to promote this specific salesian vocation, there is not always a programme of vocation work that is progressive, simple and well focused, that through the years helps the youngsters to come to know the number of vocations in the Church, that helps them to see the differences between them and that then accompanies them to understand and appreciate the vocation of the lay Salesian.

Finally, not always and not many lay Salesians are involved in promoting such a vocation. It is forgotten that with young people today direct contact counts much more, the experiences they have, the “hands on approach” in order to help them understand and appreciate a vocation. The visibility of the presence of the lay Salesian in the educative and pastoral community also has an impact in terms of vocation work. Salesian brother vocations emerge where there are models with which to identify, since it is difficult to talk about this vocation in the absence of concrete examples.

In conclusion, what is needed in the Congregation is a structured and practical course of action that shakes up the communities and the confreres and mobilises them in this daring enterprise. Since it is a question of gradually creating a mentality more favourable to the Salesian brother’s vocation, this course of action cannot be limited to a year but must last several years. The same needs to be said about the commitment to making the lay Salesian more visible, ensuring a high quality formation for him, and making this vocation known to youngsters and suggesting that it is for them.

This sort of activity according to the “Project of animation and government for the six year period,” is motivated, animated and sustained by the Rector Major and by all the members of the Council, and in particular by the Councillor for Formation and the Councillor for Youth Ministry; but above all it needs to be taken on board by the Provincials, and those responsible for the animation of the Provinces, by all the communities and each confreres; it needs to find support and be given collaboration in the Regions.

A course of action of this sort can only begin and be sustained by constant prayer by everyone in the Provinces and the communities; only prayer prepares minds, creates a spiritual climate, sustains motivation and commitment, obtains from God the gift sought.

4. The commitment of every Province

Provincial animation requires organisation in order to deal with the problems and a practical approach in order to produce proposals. It is important to involve everyone and everything: Salesian priests and Salesian brothers, initial formation and ongoing formation, youngsters and lay people, at provincial level and local level; without this convergent activity progress will be difficult. To sustain interest and commitment on all sides to the Salesian brother’s vocation requires that in every province there should be a confrere with a team, to whom is entrusted the task of animating this promotional activity; the need to create a unified approach in animation and government will then be felt.

It is suggested for this that the Provincial Delegate for Formation, together with the Provincial Formation Commission, assumes among its main tasks for this six year period the objective of fostering «a renewed, extraordinary and specific commitment to the vocation of the Salesian brother» throughout the Province, in salesian communities and in the confreres. This objective takes form in four areas: the analysis in the salesian communities and the salesian family of the nature of vocation, the giving of due prominence to the Salesian brother, the high quality of his formation, collaboration with the Youth Ministry team for vocation work.

The Provincial Delegate for Formation then has the task of encouraging and providing proposals regarding provincial vocation work. In particular, he suggests ideas and creates the links between the various Commissions and the Provincial Council; he keeps the interest of the Province and of the communities alive; he encourages a campaign of prayer; he gathers together the experiences of the Congregation in promoting this vocation and makes them known. An important task is certainly that of the Youth Ministry Team, regarding vocation work, group activities, the SYM, and the media. It is necessary to establish close collaboration between the Provincial delegates for Formation and for Youth Ministry.

The Provincial and his Council ought to be the focus of all this varied activity and they should support and direct it, providing the necessary directives and taking the decisions for the whole Province; they are the primary animators in this enterprise. The Province has available to it some means for planning in which the decisions taken for the promotion of this vocation come together; in particular there is the Provincial Formation Plan, the annual programme of ongoing formation, the Provincial Plan for vocation promotion.

During the year 2003-2004 through the Provincial Chapter the Provinces have a great opportunity to foster the closer examination of the nature of the vocation, to involve all the communities, to draw up a plan for their own commitment with regard to the “promotion of the vocation of the Salesian brother.” The Chapter, however, would not constitute the whole of this commitment for the six year period..

5. The Commitment of the Regions

It is important that through the Provincial Delegate for Formation each Province in linked with its own Region and with the Regional Formation Coordinator. At Regional level the aims, the strategies and the activities that each Province is working on can more easily be known.

In the Region it is also possible to carry out some initiatives in collaboration. There are in fact particular activities or initiatives that the Regions can encourage, such as for example regional meetings for ongoing formation for Salesian brothers and the programmes of the formation communities for their specific formation.

On the occasion of the next Team Visit the Regions or the Interprovincial Conferences could give a presentation of what was being planned and what was being done in the individual Provinces.

6. The Commitment of the whole Congregation

The Rector Major and his Council want to urge the confreres to increase their practical commitment to the promotion of the Salesian brother’s vocation following the first incentive which was given to the Congregation with the beatification of Brother Artemides Zatti. They are also called upon to keep in mind the problems, the questions, and the challenges that today are put to vocational identity.

The Departments can make a contribution in different ways. The Formation Department is giving particular attention to the promotion of this vocation and to the creation of links with other Departments; while the Youth Ministry Department has the great task of updating its vocation work; both these departments have specified their roles and their collaboration more clearly in the “Project of the six year period.” The Salesian Family Department needs to become involved especially in terms of an appreciation of the originality of this vocation. The Missions Department can direct the choices of Salesian brother missionaries towards those areas where as yet there is not a significant presence or knowledge of this vocation. The Social Communications Department can continue its support through information and communication..

The Regional Councillors can carry forward the animation of the Provinces by also giving attention to this issue; I think that above all they can encourage the communities of specific formation of the Salesian brother at the level of the Region or of the Provincial Conference.

Finally, it would be interesting if the idea came to maturity of the need to deal with the topic of the Salesian brother in the 26th General Chapter, thirty years after the reflections of GC21.