AGCRM413


AGCRM413

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acts
of the general council
yearXC III
may-august 2012
N. 413
official organ
of animation
and communication
for the
salesian congregation
Direzione Generale
Opere don Bosco
Roma

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of the General Council
of the Salesian Society
of St John Bosco
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF ANIMATION AND COMMUNICATION FOR THE SALESIAN CONGREGATION
Hr I O year XCIII M
/I- jQ
may-august 2012
■
1. LETTER
OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
1.1 FrPascual CHAVEZ VILLANUEVA
«WITNESS TO THE RADICAL APPROACH OF THE GOSPEL>»
Called to live in fidelity
Don Bosco’s apostolic project.
“Work and temperance”
3
2. GUIDELINES
AND POLICIES
2.1 Calendar of preparation for the 27lhGeneral Chapter
56
2.2 An outline for reflection and work on the theme of the CG27
59
2.3 The Provincial Chapters
68
2.4 Norms for the elections
74
3. RULINGS AND DIRECTIVES
(none in this issue)
4. ACTIVITIES
4.1 Chronicle of the Rector Major
86
OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 4.2 Chronicle of the General Council
95
5. DOCUMENTS
5.1 Decree regarding the heroicity of the virtues of the Servant of God
Laura Meozzi, FMA
103
5.2 Relevance for the Church of the message and the witness
of Antonino Baglieri, Volunteer With Don Bosco
109
5.3 Decree for the canonical erection
of the “Blessed John Paul II” Province of Silchar (India)
116
5.4 Decree for the canonical erection
of the "Mary Help of Christians”
Greek-Catholic Special Statute Circumscription of the Ukraine
118
5.5 New Provincials
120
5.6 Mons. Costelloe Timothy, Archbishopof Perth (Australia)
126
5.7 Salesian personnel at 31December 2011
127
5.8 Our dead confreres
129

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Editrice S.D.B.
Edizione extra commerciale
Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco
Via della Pisana, 1111
Casella Postale 18333
00163 Roma
Tipolitografia Istituto Salesiano Pio XI - Via Umbertide, 11 - 00181 Roma
Tel. 06.78.27.819 - Fax 06.78.48.333 - E-mail: tipolito@ pcn.net
Finito di stampare: maggio 2012

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1. LETTER OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
WITNESSES TO THE RADICAL APPROACH OF THE GOSPEL»
Called to live in fidelity
Don Bosco’s apostolic project.
“ Work and temperance”
1. CONVOCATION OF THE GC27. 1.1 The steps taken in deciding on the theme. 1.2 Funda­
mental purpose of the theme. 1.3 Fruits to be hoped for from the implementation of the
theme. 1.4 Other tasks. 2. SALESIAN LIFE AND MISSION IN TODAY’S GLOBAL CONTEXT.
2.1 Cultural challenges. 2.2 Ecclesial challenges. 2.3 Institutional challenges. 2.4 Personal
challenges. 2.5Young people as a challenge. 3.THE RADICAL APPROACH OFTHE GOSPEL
IN SALESIAN CONSECRATED LIFE. 3.1 The radical approach of the gospel in consecrated life.
- Vocation (C 22 and 25; 97 and 98). - Spiritual experience: disciples of Christ and seekers
of God. - Disciples of Christ (C 61-84). - Seekers of God (C 85-95). - Fraternal life: in fraternal
communities (C 49-59). - Mission: sent to the young (C 26-48). 3.2 The radical approach of
the gospel: in the Salesian terms of work and temperance. - Work and temperance. - Work
- Temperance. 3.3 Requirements to make the theme concrete. Processes to be set in motion.
- Mentality to be changed. - Structures to be changed. 4. CONCLUSION. 5. PRAYER TO SAINT
JOHN BOSCO.
Rome, 8 April 2012
Solemnity of the Resurrection
Dear Confreres,
We have just finished the plenary session of the General
Council at which we have reflected on the theme and on the aims
of the next General Chapter. Even before the Team Visits, as a
Council we had examined the challenges which are facing us in
the Congregation; the Team Visits provided us with further ele­
ments to help us understand the situation. Now the choice of the
theme for the General Chapter is meant to be a response to such
challenges so as to help the Congregation to follow the paths
which the Spirit is pointing out to us at this time in our history.

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4 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
1. CONVOCATION OF THE GC27
On the day on which we celebrate the Solemnity of Easter
I am happy to be writing to you this letter, through which it is my
intention to convoke the XXVII General Chapter, according
to the norms of article 150 of our Constitutions.
As its theme it will have: “Witnesses to the radical ap­
proach of the gospel” . It is a particularly important occasion
for us since the Chapter is «the principal sign of the Congrega­
tion’s unity in diversity» (C. 146). We shall be able to strengthen
this unity by reflecting together on how to be «faithful to the
Gospel and to their Founder’s charism, and sensitive to the needs
of time and place» (C 146). From this moment we entrust our­
selves to the Spirit of the Risen Christ so that he may enlighten
and accompany us, and to Mary Help of Christians so that she
may be our teacher and guide.
I invite you to see this event as a new and promising stage in
the life of the Congregation, which since the Second Vatican
Council has undertaken a continual and profound spiritual and
pastoral renewal so as to be able to respond to the will of God, for
the purpose of rendering the Church better service, in dynamic
fidelity to Don Bosco and for the needs and expectations of the
young (cf. C 146).
The next General Chapter will be the 27th in the history of
our Society. It will take place in Rome at the “Salesianum” in the
Generalate. It will begin on Saturday 22 February 2014 in Turin,
the cradle of our charism; we will go there to breathe the air of
our home, to meet our Father Don Bosco, to draw on the sources
of the charism of our founding, as we did at the previous General
Chapter. We will open the Chapter with a concelebrated Mass in
the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians and with a visit to the
places of our Salesian beginnings. Then we will leave for Rome,
the seat of the Chapter. As Moderator of the GC27 I have ap­
pointed Fr Francesco Cereda, who from this moment has the

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 5
responsibility for accompanying its preparation and celebration.
The theme chosen concerns the witness of the radical approach
of the gospel, which finds in the motto 11work and temperance” (cf.
C 18) a practical application in life and activity of what Don Bosco
expressed in 11da mihi animas cetera tolle” . It is aimed at helping
us understand better our charismatic identity making us aware of
our call to live with fidelity Don Bosco’s apostolic project. Often
referred to during the Team Visits, the theme appeared to me and
to the General Councillors to be an essential element of our spiri­
tuality; a radical style of life in fact represents Don Bosco’s inner
frame of mind; it was the support of his untiring work for the
salvation of youth and enabled the Congregation to flourish.
It is a huge topic and for this reason in the GC27 we want to
focus attention especially on four main areas: living in the grace
of unity and with joy the Salesian consecrated vocation, which is
a gift from God and a personal plan of life; having a strong spiri­
tual experience, taking up the way of life and action of Jesus obe­
dient, poor and chaste and becoming seekers of God; building up
fraternity in our communities of life and action; generously dedi­
cating ourselves to the mission, walking side by side with the
young so as to give hope to the world.
1.1. The steps taken in deciding on the theme
In choosing the theme of the GG27 we started from the life of
the Provinces. In fact in preparation for the Team Visits the
Provinces carried out an assessment of the extent to which the
GC26 had been assimilated and offered some future prospects;
they also identified the main achievements of recent years, the
important challenges, the resources available to face up to the
future, the difficulties they were encountering.
In this way the Team Visits became the first steps in the
preparation for the GC27, since they made us aware of the state
of the Congregation in its various contexts: its strong and its
weak points, the opportunities and the challenges.

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6 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
A recurring and evident theme was the need to live our Sale-
sian life and mission to the young with greater dynamism, credi­
bility and fruitfulness. All this once again pointed to the need to
return to that radical approach of the gospel, which belongs to
our apostolic consecration and finds a typical Salesian expression
in the motto so dear to Don Bosco “work and temperance” . At the
same time, though with different emphases, other topics emerged
such as inculturation, vocations, formation, the renewal of our
educative pastoral presence, the rethinking of youth ministry,
social communication.
At the end of the plenary session of the General Council June-
July 2011, each Councillor gave me his suggestion with regard
to the GC27. In this case too the theme mentioned most, with a
variety of motives and different emphasises referred to the need
to ensure more conviction with regard to our identity («who are
we»?), our activity («what are we doing»?), our educative pastoral
project («what are we offering?), all aspects which refer to a radi­
cal approach to living the vocation of consecrated apostles.
The process for choosing the theme has now concluded with
the shared reflection which took place in an extraordinary meet­
ing of the General Council between 26 March and 4 April this
year. The result was the choice of the theme as indicated above.
1.2. Fundamental purpose of the theme
The fundamental aim of the GC27 is that of helping each con­
frere and community to live the apostolic plan of Don Bosco with
fidelity; in continuity with the GC26, the GC27 therefore is
meant to further strengthen our charismatic identity. This aim is
explicitly presented in the opening articles of the Constitutions:
we Salesians in fact are called to «carry out the Founder’s apos­
tolic plan in a specific form of religious life» (C 2); and in this spe­
cific form of life, «our apostolic mission, our fraternal community
and the practice of the evangelical counsels are the inseparable
elements of our consecration, which we live in a single movement

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 7
of love towards God and towards our brothers» (C 3).
Our Ratio fundamentalis institutionis et studiorum, in pre­
senting “our identity as Salesians as the starting-point and goal
of formation” , summarises it, highlighting some fundamental
features. It says: «In Don Bosco and in the Salesian Constitutions
we find the elements which define that “original style of life and
action” (C 10), which the Holy Spirit raised up in the Church,
that “ specific form of religious life” (C 2) in which “we find our
own way to holiness” (C 2)».1This vocation is the basis of all our
formation (cf. C 96).
Still according to the “Ratio” , the fundamental hallmark of
our vocation is for it to be “ a project of apostolic consecra­
tion”, distinguished by five features which define the profile of
the Salesian as:
educator and pastor of the young inspired by pastoral charity
(nn. 30-32);
responsible member of a community (n. 33);
witness to ‘gospel radicalism’ (n. 34);
animator of communion in the spirit and mission of Don
Bosco (nn. 35-36);
a part of the Church, open to the flow of events and in touch
with reality (n. 37).
The recent General Chapters - and obviously this is not mere
coincidence - have developed these different aspects, recognising
that they are fundamental. In particular, the GC XXII and XXVI
dealt with the “project of apostolic consecration” : the first by
drawing up the definitive text of our Constitutions and Regula­
tions; the second aimed at «strengthening our charismatic identi­
ty with a return to Don Bosco, by reawakening in the heart of
every confrere the passion of “da mihi animas” ».21 In these two
Chapters we find all the other elements which characterise the
Salesian apostolic project: the GC XXIII outlines the features of
1FSDB, n.26.
- R Chavez, Da mihi animas, cetera tolle, in AGC 394, Rome 2006, p. 8.

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8 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
the Salesian as educator and pastor of the young; the GC XXIV as
animator of communion in the spirit and in the mission of Don
Bosco; the GC XXV as a responsible member of a community.
The last characteristic, “ a part of the Church...” is not so
much a specific item, as the actual context in which the Salesian
lives and works. In any case, each General Chapter finds its place
and takes place within the ecclesial and cultural context.
From this simple analysis emerges a realisation: the only
feature of the profile of the Salesian that has not been the object
of deeper examination on the part of a recent General Chapter is
the third: “witness to ‘gospel radicalism’” . In the past a radical
approach referred mainly to the evangelical counsels of obedi­
ence, poverty and chastity; nowadays the theology of the conse­
crated life emphasises the fact that this is a call and not a freely
made choice; it has its foundation in God and its roots in the Lord
Jesus; it refers to all the aspects of the consecrated vocation,
including fraternal life and the mission. Our Rule of Life too
identifies the root of our vocation in God and in Christ, when it
declares that we Salesians, «surrendering ourselves totally to God
whom we love above all else, we commit ourselves to a form of
life based entirely on gospel values» (C 60).
Evidently, witnessing to radical gospel values at personal and
community level is not a feature which takes its place at the side
of the others, but rather a fundamental dimension of our life. For
this reason it will be important for us to develop the theme of the
radical approach of the gospel, beyond that of a reference to the
following of Christ obedient, poor and chaste, and also bearing in
mind the other aspects of our apostolic consecration.
1.3. Fruits to be hoped for from the implementation of the
theme
As fruits from the GC27 we want to make our Salesian life
even more authentic and therefore visible, credible and fruitful.
This will be possible when it is based profoundly and vitally on

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 9
God, when with courage and conviction rooted in Christ and in
his Gospel, its charismatic identity is strengthened. It is for this
reason that during the last six-years period we committed our­
selves to returning to Don Bosco, re-awakening in the heart of
every confrere the passion of “da mihi animas, cetera tolle” . Liv­
ing with fidelity the apostolic project of Don Bosco, in other words
living our charismatic identity, will make us more authentic; from
the living out of this identity will flow visibility, credibility and
vocational fruitfulness.
Six years ago in the letter convoking the GC26,1 wrote: «More
than a crisis of identity, I think that what we Salesians are experi­
encing today is a crisis of credibility. We are in a stalemate situation.
We seem to be under the tyranny of the “ status quo” ; there is
resistance to change, unconscious rather than deliberate. Even
though we are convinced of the efficacy of evangelical values we
find it difficult to reach the hearts of the young, for whom we should
be signs of hope. We are shocked by the fact that faith is irrelevant
to them in building their lives. We feel ourselves out of tune with
their world and remote, if not completely excluded, from their plans
and projects. We find that our signs, actions and language are no
longer effective; we seem to make no impact on their lives».3
In the same letter I continued: «Alongside the vital momen­
tum that can lead to witness and self-sacrifice even to the extent
of martyrdom, Salesian life is not immune to the “the insidious­
ness of mediocrity in the spiritual life, of the progressive taking
on of middle class values and of a consumer mentality” .4In the
documents known traditionally as his “ spiritual testament” Don
Bosco wrote: «When signs of an easy life appear among individu­
als, in rooms or houses, the decline of our Congregation will have
also begun [...] When the desire for ease and comfort grows up
amongst us, our pious Society will have run its course”5».6
3E ChAvez, Da mihi animas, cetera tolle, in AGC 394, Rome 2006, pp. 9-10.
4CIVCSVA, Starting afresh from Christ, n. 12.
5E Braido (ed), Don Bosco educatore, scritti e testimonianze, LAS, Rome 1997, pp. 409, 437.
6F. ChAvez, Da mihi animas, cetera tolle, in AGC 394, Rome 2006, p. 10.

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10 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
If we believe in our vocation and live it with conviction, then
we are credible; in fact I also wrote: «The lack of vocations and
vocational frailty make me think that many of us are perhaps not
convinced of the social, educative and evangelising usefulness of
our mission; others perhaps find that the degree of our commit­
ment to work falls short of their aspirations because we fail in our
efforts at renewal and the taking up of new work; some may feel
themselves hemmed in by ever-growing emergency situations».7
Visibility is not primarily taking care of our image, but the
beautiful witness of our vocation. If we bear witness with fidelity
and joy to the apostolic project of Don Bosco, that is to say the
Salesian consecrated vocation, then our life will become attractive,
especially to the young, and therefore we shall have a new flower­
ing of vocations. If the Lord Jesus becomes our life’s fascinating
focus then our vocation will become attractive; on this account we
need to cultivate our witness to the beauty of our vocation.
I am convinced that in order to achieve the objectives of the
GC27 a spiritual and pastoral conversion is required. New con­
texts, cultural challenges and the difficulties within consecrated
life require us to continue to seek paths of renewal and of growth
which make our lives more significant. In the face of the current
situation in which we are living it is urgent that we change our
strategy. What will be really decisive will be the living out of our
identity as consecrated persons at the service of the Kingdom.
This is also what gives us significance: centring our lives on God,
the only Absolute, who is calling and inviting us to follow his Son
in giving our lives in love; living the prophecy of communion and
fraternity; re-discovering our mission among the young as the
place par excellence to meet the God who continues to speak to us.
We have to continue to deepen and acquire an ever better
knowledge of Don Bosco: it is necessary to study him, love him,
imitate and invoke him (cf. C 21). We must know him as a teacher
of life whose spirituality we absorb as sons and disciples; as the
7Ibidem.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 11
founder who shows us the path of vocational fidelity; as the edu­
cator who has left us the precious heritage of the preventive sys­
tem; as the legislator, because the Constitutions, which have come
to us directly from him and then through subsequent Salesian
history, provide us with a charismatic reading of the gospel and of
the following of Christ.8
It is necessary to enkindle the fire of spiritual and apostolic
passion in the heart of every confrere helping him to motivate
and to unify his life with the commitment to giving himself total­
ly to the “glory of God and the salvation of souls” . This aspect too
as the previous one is in continuity with the GC26, which still
needs to be fully implemented.
The approach of the year 2015, the bicentenary of the birth of
Don Bosco, represents a grace for the Congregation, which is
called to embody his charism in the various contexts, or in other
words the spirit and mission of our founder and father. Such a
celebration will constitute a goal for the GC27.
Visibility, credibility and fruitfulness are the fruits we hope to
obtain as a result of putting into practice and achieving the fun­
damental aim of the GC27; we must be aware of this. So we have
to act in such a way that these fruits are sown and developed; for
this reason we can say that, in addition to being fruits, they are
also secondary aims to be achieved of the GC27.
1.4. Other tasks
As well as the examination of the theme, the GC27 has other
particular tasks. First of these is the election of the Rector Major
and the members of the General Council for the six year period
2014-2020. There is also the carrying out of an assessment of
some requests made by the GC25 and the GC26 or of changes
these introduced.
8 Cf. R Chavez, «But who do you say that I am?» (Mk 8,28). Looking at Christ through the
eyes o f Don Bosco, in AGC 384, Rome 2003.

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12 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
First of all a re-think regarding the organisation and struc­
turing of the Departments for our Salesian mission: youth min­
istry, missions, social communication is considered important (cf.
the GC26, 117, 118).
Then it is also necessary to reflect on the grouping of the three
Regions of Europe (cf. the GC25, 124, 126, 129); this is becoming
even more necessary following the decision to re-shape the
Provinces in Spain, which after the GC27 will become two instead
of six.
In addition the need is also felt, following the change which
took place to the Constitutions, to evaluate the decision to entrust
the Salesian Family to the Vicar of the Rector Major (cf. the
GC25, 133 and the GC26, 116).
Finally, “such a review directs attention to the overall struc­
ture of the General Council” , with the need for the GC27 to car­
ry out an evaluation of the structures for animation and central
government of the Congregation (cf. CG26, 118).
2. SALESIAN LIFE AND MISSION IN TODAY’S GLOBAL
CONTEXT
We can find the secret to renewal in the Congregation in arti­
cle 3 of our Constitutions, where we read: «our apostolic mission,
our fraternal community and the practice of the evangelical coun­
sels are the inseparable elements of our consecration, which we
live in a single movement of love towards God and towards our
brothers. Our mission sets the tenor of our whole life».
The Salesian mission is not to be identified with our works or
activities; rather it is the expression of our zeal for the salvation
of the young, arising from the passion of “da mihi animas cetera
tolle” it is nourished by a mysticism the source of which is “in the
very heart of Christ, the apostle of the Father” (C 11).

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 13
The world in which we are living and in which we carry out
the mission of Don Bosco on behalf of young people is not only the
stage on which we appear and act. Rather it represents the place
where we respond to the young and through them and with them
we also respond to God. It is therefore opportune to examine even
if only briefly the global challenges of the present time in which
we are living throughout the world recognising that these chal­
lenges are at the same time opportunities for the renewal of our
Salesian life and of our mission.
2.1. Cultural challenges
A typically western phenomenon, the first challenge without a
doubt is post-modernism, which brings with it positive features
with regard to the dignity of the human being and to his wellbe­
ing, but also counter-values. The influence of post-modernism, it
is true, is not to be found everywhere, but where it is, it is felt as
a serious oppressive conditioning, but slowly and progressively it
is taking over the way of thinking and the life styles of the social
elite and is putting down its roots also unfortunately in the hearts
of some Salesians, influencing their way of life.
A second challenge is inculturation, marked also by an in­
creasing intercultural mentality. Globalisation, increasing migra­
tion and the fusion of cultures create possibilities for encounters
which produce a certain purification of cultures and the invita­
tion to appreciate the differences. At the same time this can lead
to the relativistic positions of multiculturalism, with a watering
down of differences and in constant levelling down of values; but
they can also lead to a rejection of diversity, to the defence of spe­
cial interests even to the extent of reaching a point of opposition
to and the exclusion of those who are different.
The third challenge regards secularisation. «Living one’s faith
in Jesus becomes increasingly difficult in a social and cultural set­
ting in which that faith is constantly challenged and threatened;
[...] The impression is given that unbelief is self-explanatory,

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14 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
whereas belief needs a sort of social legitimization which is nei­
ther obvious nor taken for granted».9If in fact it is true that this
process can encourage a certain growth in maturity in the auton­
omy and sense of responsibility in people and a more aware par­
ticipation in the social dynamics and cultural processes, it is
equally true that sometimes it becomes immanence and makes it
impossible to make room for God. The process of secularisation,
constantly on the increase has become a real danger for us Sale-
sians too, and not only for those working in the developed coun­
tries but also for those living among peoples who still have a pro­
found religious sense.
2.2. Ecclesial challenges
The current situation means that the new evangelisation is
not something ‘optional’ but a missionary obligation. Even in
continents for many years evangelised “the faith cannot be taken
for granted, but must be explicitly proposed in all its breadth and
richness».101We are therefore in a situation in which many have
still not yet heard of the gospel, and those who have need to re­
alise that the links for the transmission of the faith consisting of
the family, the Church and society are not broken. This reminds
us of the problem of the language we use which often is not un­
derstood. What we have to say often appears irrelevant in cultur­
al and social contexts marked by ideological pluralism and by re­
ligious scepticism.
The Church and more especially consecrated life is “tempted
by a dimming of hope” .11This unease in consecrated life arises al­
most naturally, since its main task is ‘the affirmation of the pri­
macy of God and of eternal life’ whereas nowadays it has to live in
a cultural climate “where it often seems that the signs of God’s
presence have been lost from sight” .12This unease does not arise
9John Paul II, Ecclesia in Europa, n. 7.
10J ohn Paul II, Ecclesia in America, n. 69.
11John Paul II, Ecclesia in Europa, n. 7.
12John Paul II, Vita consecrata, n. 85.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 15
solely from outside causes nor from its natural incompatibility
with certain worldly ways of thinking; it also arises from within
since, among other things, consecrated life has unexpectedly
found itself deprived of those particular roles in society which for
so long had given it a sense of security and of social importance.
Pluralism which can slip into t'elativism, presents us with an
even greater challenge. It is true that there is an ever compelling
need to encourage and maintain intercultural and inter-religious
dialogue in order to collaborate in the building of a single human
family from the diversity of peoples, cultures, languages and reli­
gions; but it is necessary to do this without neglecting to give wit­
ness that salvation comes from Christ. For this reason we have to
learn and teach to reject «nothing in them which is true and holy»
and to reject as alien to the spirit of Christ any discrimination or
persecution directed against persons on the basis of race, colour,
condition of life or religion».13
2.3. Institutional challenges
Looking at initial formation we observe a greater weakness in
two fundamental areas: vocational discernment and personal ac­
companiment. The “ Criteria and Norms” of the Ratio are not
known. There is no clarity regarding how accompaniment needs
to be planned so that its practice has fallen into disuse. And to
this can be added the discontinuity and fragmentation of the
phases of our formation, with a negative impact especially on the
two procedures mentioned, and in general on the formation of the
confreres as individuals sufficiently mature to take up the Sale-
sian vocation and mission.
Also evident is a lack in the assimilation o f the guide-lines of
the Congregation regarding pastoral work. These are a means to
assist in the understanding and carrying out of the Salesian mis­
sion in the various fields of missionary animation, youth ministry,
social communication and vocation ministry.
13J ohn Paul II, Ecclesia in America, n. 51.

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16 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Finally we note in the Congregation a weakness in direction
and animation. Government and animation do not always foster
a change of mentality; they do not promote the necessary proce­
dures nor succeed in breaking down resistance to change: nor do
they help the individual to accept personal responsibility and the
task of shared responsibility.
2.4. Personal challenges
Sadly one has to mention some failings in the life of the Sale-
sian: individualism in taking pastoral decisions, the way in which
free time is spent, the place given to personal wellbeing at the
expense of availability for the mission; but also an activism which
leaves little room for the spiritual life, for regular study, for con­
stant learning, for the practice of reflection. Confreres are not ac­
customed to self-formation, and some do not even feel the need
for it.
Often there is no real awareness of the identity o f our voca­
tion as consecrated Salesians, so that personal identification with
the vocation itself is compromised. Rather than being dedicated
to one’s vocation, what seems to be of more interest is being at
ease with oneself and with others. The affective and effective
separation from the world of youth is on the increase; often they
are not understood or recognised as being the sole reason for our
existence.
Last but no less important, is the affective dimension of the
Salesian, which is little appreciated. Emotions, sentiments and
affections are neglected if not ignored; education to an interior
life and forms of emotional expression is defective, through a lack
of appropriate formation and of skilled formation personnel. All
this is reflected in the educational attitudes we take up and in the
pastoral work we undertake, especially as regards the education
of the young to love, the care given to engaged couples, and at­
tention to married and family life.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 17
2.5. Young people as a challenge
Finally - as I have already written on another occasion14 -
I seem to observe in the Congregation a quite worrying phenom­
enon: here and there I notice a more or less conscious unwilling­
ness and sometimes a clear inability to be sympathetic towards,
to learn about or understand and to accept graciously the new
forms of expression which are a feature of today’s young people,
not least since the collective experiences with which they formu­
late their ‘spectacular’ life styles,15 those which they normally
exhibit in their free time, are almost always on the fringes of the
usual social institutions.
The GC26 throws light on this situation when, speaking
about the new frontiers, it states: «We also acknowledge the ex­
pectations of young people who are spiritually and culturally
poor, and who ask us to be involved: young people who have lost
meaning in life, lack affection because of family instability, those
left disillusioned and empty by the consumerist mentality, the
religiously indifferent, those lacking motivation because of per­
missiveness, ethical relativism, the widespread culture of
death ».16
This affective loneliness is not the only kind, nor would I say
the most widespread form of poverty which today’s young people
experience. The large majority of those living in the developing
countries are very well acquainted with economic poverty with
family life at risk, racial discrimination, a lack of educational and
cultural opportunities, the absence of preparation for work, the
shameless exploitation by third parties, illegal employment as
labourers, a life hemmed in, with various addictions and other
social ills.
MCf. P Chavez, The inculturation o f the Salesian charism, in AGC 411, Rome 2011.
15Cf. J. Gonzalez-Anleo - J. M. Gonzalez-Anleo, Lajuventud actual, Verbo Divino, Estella
2008, p. 44. For a description of young peoples’ life styles in western society consult the
monograph De las ‘tribus urbanas’ a las culturas juveniles, in “Revista de estudios de
Juventud” 64, 2004, pp. 39-136.
16GC26, n. 98.

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18 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
The current picture of the confusion of the young is such a
desolate one that calls for an urgent conversion, for compassion
(cf. Mk 6,34; 8,2-3), no less than for action (cf. Mk 6,37; 8,4-5).
Like and with Don Bosco, through education and preventative
measures the Congregation is engaged in helping them to find
themselves, to accompany them with patience and confidence in
building up their personalities, offering them the means to gain
their livelihood; but at the same time offering something suitable
for them to have a relationship with God.
To recreate the Salesian charism in the most varied situations
where we find ourselves it is not enough to adapt it to the differ­
ent youth contexts; even more it is necessary to invest in the
young, making them become the protagonists and trusted collab­
orators without ever forgetting that they are the reason for our
consecration to God and for our mission. We want to do this while
living in their world, speaking their language, standing side by
side with them not only as those to whom we are especially sent,
but above all as companions on the journey.
3. THE RADICAL APPROACH OF THE GOSPEL IN
SALESIAN CONSECRATED LIFE
During the Team Visits we have been able to observe that
there are many positive features in the life of the Congregation. In
general the confreres are aware of the identity of Salesian conse­
crated life and reflect its values. In addition the establishing of
the charism is the various countries, places and contexts where
the Congregation is to be found has been good. In several parts of
the world the increase in the number of presences and in voca­
tions has been very satisfying. In recent times positive experi­
ences of fraternal life have become normal. Above all following
the GC26, the awareness has grown in everyone that a deeper
knowledge of Don Bosco is an essential element in the real re­
newal of Salesian life. In some Regions the Provinces have seen a

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 19
promising expansion and new types of works have been started
which make fidelity to Don Bosco’s charism visible.
Besides these positive aspects, nonetheless significant diffi­
culties are being experienced: in some parts of the Congregation
the ageing of the confreres, the shortage of vocations and the
complexity of the works are making the hoped-for renewal diffi­
cult; in others it is a struggle to organise pastoral activities with
the choice of the young as the primary focus. Problems remain in
finding the necessary space for community life and difficulties are
also found in trying to arrange valid and effective procedures for
ongoing formation. Here and there there is a lack of enthusiasm
in living the vocation and there are weaknesses in animation on
the part of the confreres who are Rectors.
To face up to current and future challenges to Salesian conse­
crated life and to the mission throughout the Congregation, the
need arises to trace out the profile o f the new Salesian; nowadays
he is called to be:
• a mystic: in a world which is feeling ever more clearly the
challenge of secularism, we need «to find a response in the
acknowledgment o f God's absolute primacy», through the «to-
tal gift of self» and in «permanent conversion in a life offered
up as true spiritual worship».17
• aprophet: «In today’s multicultural and multi-religious world,
there is also a demand for the witness of that evangelical
fraternity». Our religious communities are being called to be
courageous in living the gospel as an alterative life style and
«a stimulus to purifying and integrating different values
through the reconciliation of divisions».18
• a servant: «The presence of new forms of poverty and margin­
alization ought to call forth that creativity in the care o f those
most in need» ;19which marked the birth of our Congregation
17John Paul II, Ecclesia in Europa, n. 38.
18Ibidem.
19Ibidem.

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20 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
and will result in the rebirth of our Provinces, to the benefit
of poor young people and those marginalised for economic,
sexual, racial or religious reasons.
All of this requires a change both of mindset and of practice:
to begin a process of real conversion, progressing from a closed
mentality to one open to and ready for change, looking to the fu­
ture with hope and optimism. It is necessary therefore to consid­
er certain strategies.
3.1. The radical approach of the gospel in consecrated life
Observing the current situation of the Church and within it of
our Congregation, we cannot ignore the fact that the call to “the
radical approach of the gospel” constitutes an urgent need and a
theme of great relevance starting from the practice of the evan­
gelical counsels. For example, with regard to consecrated chastity,
the problems of pedaphilia and of sexual abuse which have arisen
in recent years creating a great scandal;20as Benedict XVI himself
has written, «have obscured the light of the Gospel to a degree
that not even centuries of persecution succeeded in doing»,21even
though it needs to be recalled that the problem is not one of the
present day only.
However, it is not just the issue of consecrated chastity which
raises problems; very often, in fact, difficulties in this area are the
consequence and the expression of other negative situations re­
lated to the evangelical counsels of poverty and obedience. In par­
ticular, the practice of poverty, which is one of the central points
of the GC26 (cf. nn. 79-97), has become more compelling following
the world-wide financial and economic collapse. As religious we
cannot reduce poverty to being more careful in the management
of resources important though this is; in fact poverty is the way of
understanding and living a gospel value fundamental to our con­
20Cf. E ChAvez, «J am the vine, you the branches» (Jn 15,5a). The vocation to remain always
united to Jesus to have life, in AGC 408. Rome 2010.
21 Benedict XVI, Pastoral Letter to the Catholics o f Ireland, Rome 19 March 2010, n. 4.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 21
secration. In this regard the Holy Father Benedict XVI has ex­
pressed himself very strongly and with insight on the moral roots
of the current economic crisis.
In one of my first letters, «You are my God, my happiness lies
in you alone»,221 wanted to undertake a serious analysis of this
situation, provoked by a “liberal model” of consecrated life, which
in particular undermines obedience. In fact I am convinced that
one of the points mentioned there can be recognised as one of the
roots of this current problematic situation; it is the issue of indi­
vidualism, which sometimes is hidden behind the right to “priva­
cy” , something which often, paraphrasing the biblical text, “cov­
ers a multitude of sins” . All of this is linked indissolubly to diffi-
cultes with obedience; I noted this link in fact in the letter just
mentioned: «So came into being a great deal of individualism,
that made obedience well-nigh impossible».23
However, the radical approach of the gospel in consecrated life
cannot be limited to the practice of the evangelical counsels. It
involves one’s whole being, touching its vital elements: the fol­
lowing of Christ and the search for God, fraternal life in commu­
nity, and the mission Every one of these areas is imbued with the
spell of the vocation, and therefore called to express the radical
attitude of the gospel.
This radical approach was proclaimed by Jesus himself
throughout his prophetic ministry, which finds its most explicit
expression in the “Sermon on the Mount” , with the proclamation
of the Beatitudes, which turn the world’s logic on its head, as well
as the subsequent statements which point to the interior aspect of
the law and to love as the supreme law (cf. Mt 5-7). Once again,
the radical approach of the gospel appeal’s with the full light of the
sun when Jesus speaks about the consequences of following him,
sharing with him a life that is not comfortable or planned, wher­
22Cf. E Chavez, «You are my God, my happiness lies in you alone*, in AGC 382, Rome 2003.
23E Chavez, «You are my God, my happiness lies in you alone*, in AGC 382, Rome 2003,
p.21.

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22 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
ever he goes, subordinating everything to the Kingdom (cf. Lk
9,57-62). And, above all, when, following the first announcement
of the passion and in response to Peter’s objection, addressing not
only the disciples but the whole crowd he says: «If anyone wants to
be a follower of mine let him renounce himself and take up his
cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will
lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake
of the gospel, will save it» {Mk 8,34-35).
Vocation (C 22 and 25; 97 and 98)
As religious, we Salesians are called to this radical approach of
the gospel in consecrated life. If in fact it is true that the radical
approach of the gospel applies to every disciple of Jesus, it is
equally true that we are called to live it in a practical way in con­
secrated life. For us the radical approach is first of all a call, a vo­
cation. Unfortunately, in our reflection, in our way of living and
acting in practice reference to God’s call is rather poor. A vocation
is not chosen but given; we can only recognise it and welcome it;
so too with the radical approach of the gospel, before being a com­
mitment and a task it is gift and grace.
A vocation does not come from personal initiative, since it is a
call to a specific mission, which is not determined by us but by the
One who calls. We read in Mark’s gospel that Jesus «summoned
those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve;
they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach with
power to cast out devils» (Mk 3,13-15). The gospel of John too
confirms that being a disciple and an apostle is not a personal
choice, but a selection on Jesus’ part, a vocation: «you did not
choose me, no I chose you» (Jn 15,16a); and the mission is «re-
main in my love» (Jn 15,9b). Only in this way can those who are
called obtain the fulness of joy: «I have told you this so that my
own joy may be in you and your joy may be complete» {Jn 15,11);
becoming his intimate: «You are my friends if you do what I com­
mand you» (cJn 15,14); being fruitful: «I commissioned you to go
out and bear fruit, fruit that will last» {Jn 15,16b).

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 23
This anthropological and theological dimension of vocation is
fascinating/enchanting. There is a Person who gazes on you, loves
you and calls you and you can accept or refuse the proposal. To a
personal appeal one can reply “yes” or “no”. All this happens with
the greatest freedom. Rightly we can say that handing over one’s
life, ones’ only life, all one’s life represents the highest level of
human consciousness. In Sacred Scripture we find the story of
the great “friends of God” : Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, the
prophets, Joseph, Mary the apostles; they give up their own plans
and allow God to take over their lives so as to write, with Him,
the history of salvation. However, not all those who were called
accepted the call. For example we may recall the meeting of Jesus
with that rich man who asked him: «Good master, what must
I do to inherit eternal life?»; but to Jesus’ invitation «Go and sell
everything you own and give the money to the poor and you will
have treasure in heaven; then come follow me» (Mk 10,17-22), he
went away sad.
In the past the religious vocation was often presented as a
single event in a person’s life. Even though among the numerous
calls which occur in life there are some events which indicate the
future, the Christian vocation needs to be understood more than
ever as an uninterrupted dialogue between God who calls and the
disciple who responds. Great freedom therefore is required to give
of oneself totally and hand oneself over to the person beloved.
Obviously, in order to leave everything and to give oneself totally
to someone one needs to be very much in love. Not by chance
the most eloquent image used to describe this relationship is
covenant. From this it can be seen that we cannot be consecrated
and not be at the same time mystics, full of passion for God and
for man.
Our specific vocation is to Salesian consecrated life, which
places us as disciples and apostles of the Lord Jesus in the foot­
steps of Don Bosco. It is described in synthesis in article 3 of the
Constitutions, which speaks about our vocation as a call to fol­
low Christ obedient, poor and chaste, to fraternal life in com­

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24 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
munity, to dedication to the mission, in dialogue with God at the
service of our brothers. These are the constitutive elements of a
vocation to be given space in personal and communty life. In our
life there needs to be space which is “balanced and harmonised”
for spiritual experience, fraternal life in community and the mis­
sion.
Among these features of our vocation the “g ra ce o f un ity9*is
a fundamental challenge to be faced seriously and with determi­
nation, at the risk of fragmentation, dissipation, activism, spiri­
tual superficiality, a generic approach to pastoral work, the loss of
the sense of vocation, emptiness. For this reason I now deal with
these fundamental elements of our apostolic consecration, which
need to be lived with the radical approach of the gospel: the spir­
itual experience, fraternal life, the mission.
Spiritual experience: disciples o f Christ and seekers o f God
It should not surprise us that the spiritual experience which is
the foundation of consecrated life and which makes us seekers of
God and disciples of Jesus is characterised in the Spirit as all-em­
bracing, unifying and dynamic:
■ all embracing, because it places us in the presence of a God
full of zeal who admits of no rivals and with a all-consuming
presence; there is no room for half-measures in our giving
of ourselves to Him: since, «Anyone who prefers father or
mother to me is not worthy of me; anyone who prefers son
or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not
take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me»
(Mt 10,37-38);
■ unifying, because it gathers together all aspects of life around
the one thing that is important and necessary, the Absolute,
as is seen in the reply of Jesus to Martha, who was so preoc­
cupied with the many things to be done for Him except the
important one, which Mary on the other hand had discovered
(Lk 10, 41-42);

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 25
■ and dynamic, because it gives us “a new heart and a new spir­
it” ; what one has to do, the law that has to be fulfilled, is not
outside ourselves but within us; the Holy Spirit becomes in us
the driving force in life, as Saint Paul says: «the law of the
spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of
sin and death» (Rm 8,2).
Only a spiritual experience like this can be the source of a
religious life that is dynamic and significant, of a living prayer,
of a fraternal community, of an apostolic zeal, of a fruitful min­
istry; it transforms a person’s life and that of a community from
within, giving rise to new forms of interpersonal relationships
and of behaviour, to a new kind of prayer and of worship, a typi­
cal form of ministry and above all to an alternative cultural mod­
el, which is the sign and the fruit of our waiting for the Lord who
comes.
Disciples o f Christ (C 61-84)
The religious vocation once accepted leads to the decision to
give oneself entirely to God who consecrates us to Himself. In fact
consecrated life is a pathway that starts from the Love of God,
who has fixed his gaze on us, has loved us, has called us, has
seized us; and it is a pathway that leads to Love in so far as it is a
sure way to reach the fulness of life in God. This means that the
whole of consecrated life is marked by love and needs to be lived
under its emblem, so that it can only be lived in happiness even in
times of trial and difficulty, with the conviction and enthusiasm of
someone who sees love as the driving force of life. From this flow
the serenity, the luminosity and the fruitfulness of consecrated
life, features which make it so attractive.
Consecration therefore makes us become people who are un­
conditionally handed over to God and in more practical terms
makes us “the living memorial of Jesus’ way of living and acting”
obedient, poor and chaste,24transforming us into signs and bear­
24 Cf. John Paul II, Vita consecrata, n. 22.

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26 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
ers of the love of God for all mankind. This, in fact, is the first
contribution that we as religious can and must make. Unfortu­
nately this is not recognised when a reductive anthropological
model deprives life of its religious dimension, basing it on short­
term projects of life; for example the myths of science, technolo­
gy and the economy, with the illusion that their progress is un­
limited, condemning life to the immanence of this world without
any horizons of definitive transcendence, since in the end every­
thing comes to an end with death. To a world focused on effi­
ciency and productivity, the economy and on well-being, the reli­
gious presents himself as a sign o f God, of his grace and of his
love. It was God and his Love that Jesus came to bring to us.
This is the good news! God is the first contribution we can make
to mankind. This is the great hope to be offered. This is our first
prophecy.
Speaking with young people who hope to be Salesians, I am
convinced that basically in consecrated life they are looking for an
answer to three great desires: a deep thirst for spirituality, even
though not always identified with a clear experience of the God
of Jesus Christ; a life of communion, even though not always as­
sociated with the community, especially when this does not stand
out for its welcome, a deep interpersonal relationship, the family
spirit; and finally a decisive commitment on behalf of the poor
and needy, even though they are not always ready to give them­
selves definitively, which is easy to understand in a culture char­
acterised by short-term or at least not permanent commitments.
It is the role of formation to provide ways of coming to a mature
expression of those values to which young consecrated persons
show themselves more sensitive, helping them in addition to
recognise and also accept those aspects that they experience as
difficulties.
The vocation to follow and imitate Jesus Christ implies a pro­
gressive modelling of ourselves on Him so as to become precisely
“the living memorial of his way of acting and beng obedient, poor
and chaste” as He was.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 27
Certainly, a life centred in this way on God and on giving one­
self to others is clearly ‘countercultural’, going against the ab­
solute value given to the economy and to materialism, against he­
donism and the worship of the body, against individualism and
every kind of authoritarianism. We are living in an historical, cul­
tural and social context in which the evangelical counsels are not
appreciated; indeed they are considered inhuman and responsi­
ble for producing diminished people, something from which we
ought to free ourselves. For example, obedience seems an attack
on fundamental human rights: the freedom to decide for oneself,
self-determination and self-fulfilment. Chastity is considered as
the deprival of the benefits of married life: giving up having some­
one on whom one can rely in good and bad times alike, and with
whom to share joys and sadness, the successes and the trials of
life; giving up the possibility of becoming a father and of having
children; giving up the pleasures of married life, with the bodily
joy which the spouses give to each other, without obviously re­
ducing everything to physical pleasure; giving up tenderness, or­
dinary intimacy, knowing that there is someone close to you, the
pleasure of shared glances, of saying to someone “it is great that
you are here” . Poverty is even less appreciated in a world which
has made well-being and the economy the supreme values; which
means that it is seen as an evil to be conquered, something from
which to free oneself in order to be fully autonomous, not de­
pending on anyone; what matters is to possess in order to be, not
wanting to deprive oneself of anything, the search for ways of liv­
ing the easy consumer culture life-style, which makes us insensi­
tive to the poor and incapable of serving those most in need.
This more and more wide-spread way of thinking which does
not make a life according to the gospel attractive can also infil­
trate among consecrated persons who feel tempted in their per­
sonal life to withhold from God what they publicly gave Him
through their profession.
Without idealising the ordinary way of life, it is important to
emphasise that the vows are not merely the renunciation of val­

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28 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
ues. They respond to the three great forces which endanger hu­
man life and which the first letter of John censured in masterly
fashion as follow: «The love of the Father cannot be in any man
who loves the world: because nothing the world has to offer - the
sensual body, the lustful eye, pride in possessions - could ever
come from the Father but only from the world» (l J n 2,15b-16).
In his own person Jesus has inaugurated another fully human
way of living life, totally consecrated to God and entirely vowed
to Man. This is only possible if God is acknowledged as the Ab­
solute in one’s life, making His Will our plan of life, dedicating
ourselves with generosity to collaborating with Him in the car­
rying out of His design for the salvation of mankind: free from
everything and from everyone to make ourselves the servants of
all. Precisely because this is not an inhuman life, but rather
charismatic, in the full meaning of the word, the fruit of the ac­
tion of the Spirit, who prepares someone for this form of evan­
gelical life, it requires suitability in human terms, the result of
nature and of the education received, and maturity, the work of
the formation process.
On the other hand, the radical approach of the evangelical
counsels is not only a tradition of the Church, it is also found in
the context of biblical revelation. I am referring, in particular, to
the obedience which in the Sacred Scriptures, starting with the
Old Testament is combined with the fundamental attitude of the
believer, that is to say faith. In the Scriptures, in fact, genuine be­
lievers are radically obedient; we can think of Abraham, David,
Moses and the prophets. We could even say that in their way of
seeing things neither poverty nor celibacy appear yet as values.
Nevertheless it is not a question of extraordinary personages
since the experience of Israel was described as: an enslaved people
liberated to become a holy people which knows the joy of serving
God in freedom.
This Old Testament view finds its most perfect incarnation in
terms of obedience in the Son of God, Jesus. Both the Letter to
the Hebrews and the Letter to the Philippians highlight the fact

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 29
that the believer by his very nature and by definition is obedient.
Again I would say that one of the most fascinating features of
modern Christology is this recovery of Jesus’ freedom which can
only be explained by his radical obedience to the Father. Obedi­
ence represents the attitude par excellence of the Son of God. It
seems to me that this helps a little to overcome the prejudice
there is in today’s culture against obedience. The biblical outlook
helps us to understand the difference between ‘submitting one­
self,’ which implies a certain servility, and which is unworthy of a
human being and the act of ‘obedience’ which in all the biblical
languages has as its root the act of listening. In practice, the one
who listens well is precisely the one who accepts what he hears;
therefore there is no authentic listening which is not accompa­
nied by obedience.
This understanding makes the living o f the values o f the
gospel possible, joyful and fruitful, as we make ever more our own
Jesus’s way of living obedient, poor and chaste, becoming his dis­
ciples. Only a progressive modelling of oneself on Christ brings
about the sequela Christi.
Seekers of God (C 85-95)
Speaking to those taking part in the Assembly of the USG
(Union of Superiors General) and of the UISG (International
Union of Women Superiors General, in the Clementine Hall in
the Vatican, on 26 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI told us:
«Your last two Assemblies were dedicated to reflecting on the fu­
ture of the consecrated life in Europe. This has meant rethinking
the very meaning of your vocation which entails, first and fore­
most, seeking God, Quaerere Deum: you are seekers of God by vo­
cation. You devote the best energies of your lives to this research.
You move from what is secondary to what is really essential to
what is really important: seeking God, keeping your gaze fixed on
him. Like the first monks, cultivate an eschatological orientation:
behind the provisional seek what remains, what does not pass
away (cf. Address at the College des Bernardis, Paris, 12 Septem-

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28 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
ues. They respond to the three great forces which endanger hu­
man life and which the first letter of John censured in masterly
fashion as follow: «The love of the Father cannot be in any man
who loves the world: because nothing the world has to offer - the
sensual body, the lustful eye, pride in possessions - could ever
come from the Father but only from the world» (l J n 2,15b-16).
In his own person Jesus has inaugurated another fully human
way of living life, totally consecrated to God and entirely vowed
to Man. This is only possible if God is acknowledged as the Ab­
solute in one’s life, making His Will our plan of life, dedicating
ourselves with generosity to collaborating with Him in the car­
rying out of His design for the salvation of mankind: free from
everything and from everyone to make ourselves the servants of
all. Precisely because this is not an inhuman life, but rather
charismatic, in the full meaning of the word, the fruit of the ac­
tion of the Spirit, who prepares someone for this form of evan­
gelical life, it requires suitability in human terms, the result of
nature and of the education received, and maturity, the work of
the formation process.
On the other hand, the radical approach of the evangelical
counsels is not only a tradition of the Church, it is also found in
the context of biblical revelation. I am referring, in particular, to
the obedience which in the Sacred Scriptures, starting with the
Old Testament is combined with the fundamental attitude of the
believer, that is to say faith. In the Scriptures, in fact, genuine be­
lievers are radically obedient; we can think of Abraham, David,
Moses and the prophets. We could even say that in their way of
seeing things neither poverty nor celibacy appear yet as values.
Nevertheless it is not a question of extraordinary personages
since the experience of Israel was described as: an enslaved people
liberated to become a holy people which knows the joy of serving
God in freedom.
This Old Testament view finds its most perfect incarnation in
terms of obedience in the Son of God, Jesus. Both the Letter to
the Hebrews and the Letter to the Philippians highlight the fact

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 29
that the believer by his very nature and by definition is obedient.
Again I would say that one of the most fascinating features of
modern Christology is this recovery of Jesus’ freedom which can
only be explained by his radical obedience to the Father. Obedi­
ence represents the attitude par excellence of the Son of God. It
seems to me that this helps a little to overcome the prejudice
there is in today’s culture against obedience. The biblical outlook
helps us to understand the difference between ‘submitting one­
self,’ which implies a certain servility, and which is unworthy of a
human being and the act of ‘obedience’ which in all the biblical
languages has as its root the act of listening. In practice, the one
who listens well is precisely the one who accepts what he hears;
therefore there is no authentic listening which is not accompa­
nied by obedience.
This understanding makes the living o f the values o f the
gospel possible, joyful and fruitful, as we make ever more our own
Jesus’s way of living obedient, poor and chaste, becoming his dis­
ciples. Only a progressive modelling of oneself on Christ brings
about the sequela Christi.
Seekers o f God (C 85-95)
Speaking to those taking part in the Assembly of the USG
(Union of Superiors General) and of the UISG (International
Union of Women Superiors General, in the Clementine Hall in
the Vatican, on 26 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI told us:
«Your last two Assemblies were dedicated to reflecting on the fu­
ture of the consecrated life in Europe. This has meant rethinking
the very meaning of your vocation which entails, first and fore­
most, seeking God, Quaerere Deum: you are seekers of God by vo­
cation. You devote the best energies of your lives to this research.
You move from what is secondary to what is really essential to
what is really important: seeking God, keeping your gaze fixed on
him. Like the first monks, cultivate an eschatological orientation:
behind the provisional seek what remains, what does not pass
away (cf. Address at the College des Bernardis, Paris, 12 Septem­

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30 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
ber 2008). Seek God in the confreres or sisters he has given you,
with whom you share the same life and mission. Seek him in the
men and women of our time, to whom you are sent to offer the
gift of the Gospel with your life and your words. Seek him partic­
ularly in the poor, the first to whom the Good News is addressed
(cf. Lk 4:18). Seek him in the Church, where the Lord makes him­
self present, especially in the Eucharist and in the other sacra­
ments, and in his word, which is the main road for seeking God.
It introduces us into conversation with him and reveals to us his
true Face. May you always be enthusiastic seekers and witnesses
of God!».
He then immediately added: «The profound renewal of the
consecrated life starts from the centrality of the word of God,
and more practically, from the Gospel, the supreme rule for all of
you, as the Second Vatican Council states in the Decree (cf. n. 2)
and as your Founders understood well: the consecrated life is
a plant with a mass of branches whose roots are sunk in the
Gospel. The history of your Institutes in which the determina­
tion to live Christ’s Message and to configure your own life to it,
was and remains the fundamental criterion of vocational dis­
cernment and of your personal and community discernment.
The Gospel lived daily provides the element that gives fascina­
tion and beauty to the consecrated life and presents you to the
world as a reliable alternative. Contemporary society stands in
need of this, and the Church expects this of you: to be a living
Gospel».
Therefore consecrated persons take on their sanctification as
their main life’s task. And this is also true for our Congregation,
as the minutes of the Founding of the Salesian Congregation
clearly affirm.25Not by chance our Rule of Life concludes the first
25“The gathered group then decided to form a society or congregation with the aim of pro­
moting the glory of God and the salvation o f souls, especially of those most in need of in­
struction and education, while providing the members with mutual help towards their own
sanctification” from the Minutes o f the Act o f Founding o f the Salesian Congregation, Turin,
18 December 1859. Critical text by the Salesian Historical Institute, translation by Fr A.
Lenti.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 31
part, immediately after the formula of profession, affirming first
of all that «the confreres who are living or have lived to the full
the gospel project of the Constitutions are for us a stimulus and
help on the path to holiness», and, then, that «The witness of
such holiness, achieved within the Salesian mission, reveals the
unique worth of the beatitudes and is the most precious gift we
can offer to the young» (C 25).
In his Letter “The Father consecrates us and sends us” , Fr
Juan E. Vecchi wrote: «Consecrated persons are seen as experts
in the experience of God. Such experience is at the origin of their
vocation. Their plan of life and what they usually do tends to cul­
tivate this and foster it. All Christians, on the other hand, should
want to have a certain experience of God; but they can give their
attention to it only at intervals and in less favourable circum­
stances, and so they run the risk of neglecting it altogether. Those
who are consecrated offer themselves as confidants for all in the
world who are in search of God. To those who are already Chris­
tians they offer the possibility of having a new religious experi­
ence in their company; those who are not believers they join in
their process of searching.
Nowadays this kind of service is becoming widespread and
much sought after, as is shown by the opening of convents and
monasteries to those who want to use them for days and periods
of reflection. We, on the other hand, are called to provide a sim­
ilar service among young people. There is a law of life which is
applicable in all circumstances: no value will survive in society
without a group of people who dedicate themselves completely to
promoting it. Without medical personnel and the organization
of hospitals good health would not be possible. Without artists
and the corresponding institutions the artistic sense of the pop­
ulation would decline. The same kind of thing happens with the
sense of God: religious, whether contemplatives or not, form the
group of mystics who are able to help those at least who are close
to interpreting life in the light of the Absolute and experiencing
it.

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32 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
This applies to all the essential aims of religious life. And so
the Founders placed the sense of God above all the features and
activities of their institutes. Believers and non-believers alike see
mediocrity in consecrated religious as a deformity, and the reli­
gious themselves feel an unfillable void if this dimension disap­
pear s».26
The affirmation of the Absolute nature of God requires from
us a prophetic leap: this is the task of religious life today, this is
the best service we can offer to our brothers and sisters, since on­
ly faith, hope and love have the great power to overcome medioc­
rity and absorb the decadence of our culture, fragmented by indi­
vidualism, hedonism, relativism, nihilism and evey kind of imma-
nentistic ideology.
If in the past the danger to religious life was that of losing a
firm grounding on the earth and in history, concentrating pri­
marily on its role of reminding people of the transcendent, nowa­
days it runs the risk of enfeebling itself in an earthliness which
forgets any other dimension. This happens when we think that
salvation is our work, when we give in to the temptation of
Prometheus and without wishing to make an idol of activism. The
religious life loses the purpose for its existence, forgets its mission
and turns itself into a paradoxical form of secularism. Thinking
we shall acquire more relevance in society for what we are doing,
we lose our identity and deprive the world of the hope it is look­
ing for from us!
This then is why we have to carefully cultivate our spiritual
life, at both personal and community level. Undoubtedly it will
be necessary to overcome an idea of the spiritual life which is of
an intimistic nature, extraneous to or on the fringes of the life of
the world; but at the same time it will be necessary to give
greater importance to the experience of prayer, to improve the
quality of community life, and in a professional manner and be­
ing well-prepared carry out our service of evangelisation, so as to
26J. Vecchi, The Father consecrates us and sends us, in AGC 365, Rome 1998, p. 25.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 33
be able to be prophetic signs in the face of the current values
which this world canonises, and to be irrefutable witnesses to the
God of Love.
F r a te r n a l life: in fr a te r n a l c o m m u n itie s (C 49-59)
In a society where individualism reigns, in a culture where
selfishness prevails, in families where loneliness is on the
increase it is natural that people should see communication as
a fundamental need. Nowadays on the one hand, this is becom­
ing easier and encouraged by the means of communication; one
only has to think of the use of the mobile phone and all the oth­
er forms of communication such as youtube, facebook, twitter...
But on the other hand, it can find an obstacle in the virtual
world. It is true that one can be in contact with very many peo­
ple, in any part of the world and all at the same time; but the
use of these channels of communication does not guarantee
communion, since this is always the result of a personal link, of
a real relationship with someone who seeks to be acknowledged,
recognised and respected in their own individuality, and of the
acceptance of one’s own and other peoples’ limitations, of the
effort to share and to live together. All these are elements which
are the foundation of any kind of genuine family or community
experience.
For us Salesians, community life is a very important factor in
our religious choice. In fact for us to “live and work together” is
a fundamental requirement which ensures a sure way of fulfilling
our vocation (cf. C 49). It is impossible to imagine Salesian reli­
gious life without that communion which is realised in the com­
mon life and in the shared mission. The requirement for frater­
nity arises from the fact of our being sons of the same Father and
members of the Body of Christ; religious life creates a real family
made up of people who share the same faith and the same project
of life. From the typically Salesian standpoint, we are called to
create and to live the family spirit as Don Bosco wanted it and
lived it.

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34 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Obvioiusly, as in other areas of religious life, here too we can
identify some dangers, for example, that of organising a style of
relationships which are merely functional or hierachical or false­
ly democratic. Rather, our relationships ought to be fraternal and
friendly, which lead us to love each other to the extent of sharing
everything. This criterion helps us to see that the community is
well understood and lived, when it is nourished by communion
and leads to communion. A community without communion, with
all that this implies with regard to acceptance, appreciation and
esteem, mutual assistance and love, is reduced to a group in
which people may have a place but where in fact they are left iso­
lated. On the other hand, in religious life, communion without
community is a narcisistic way of living and consequently a con­
tradiction, since it is a subtle form of individualism.
Nowadays religious have to make a great shared effort in or­
der to create community, where the spiritual dimension, human
qualities and apostolic commitment of each member means that
life is really good, beautiful and happy. In other words, without
the human dimension, the quality of spiritual life and apostolic
commitment there is no real fraternity.
In addition at a time when the presence of lay people in the
Congregation is increasing so that they form the majority, and not
only as employees or co-workers but also as those who are co-re-
sponsible or even as the directors of our works, so much the more
do the communities need to stand out for their life of communion,
so that this spreads out in concentric circles to the groups of these
with co-responsibilties and the co-workers, and all those people
close to our communities.
Another not indifferent aspect of religious life nowadays
needs to be pointed out: that of the multicultural nature of the
communities, in a society more and more pluricultural. The wit­
ness given by communities made up of people of different ages,
backgrounds, languages, cultures, formation and traditions but
united by faith, hope and charity is of real value even more so

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 35
since the temptation to xenophobia is being felt more and more
strongly. In addition the religious community is a great contribu­
tion which we offer in a world divided by social injustice, by inter­
ethnic conflicts and by certain social, cultural and economic mod­
els which are destroying solidarity and putting fraternity at risk
for ever. God is community. God is love. That is the good news!
How much then are we being called to offer to make the world
more human.
Looking specifically at the profession of the evangelical coun­
sels, we can recognise that a high quality community life is of
great help for us to observe our religious vows. In fact it helps us
to be more easily open to the demands of obedience; it makes us
aware of the value of sobriety and of sharing the use of posses­
sions; it strengthens our commitment to a chaste life and to obla-
tive love and assists our fidelity, protecting us from affective re­
treats or from other negative experiences (cf. C 83).
The profound renewal of our religious and Salesian life will
therefore be achieved also through a profound renewal of our fra­
ternal life in community. Of particular importance in this is the
style of animation and government of the Rector, in his role of
spiritual authority, which helps the confreres in their vocational
journey, by means of a lively and intelligent form of community
animation and attentive personal accompaniment; an authority
which builds unity, which creates a family atmosphere able to fos­
ter fraternal sharing and co-responsibility; a pastoral authority
which guides and directs all the people, the activities and the re­
sources towards the objectives of education and evangelisation
which are the special features of our mission; an authority which
knows how to make the necessary decisions and to ensure their
implementation.
M i s s i o n : s e n t to th e y o u n g (C 26-48)
While fraternal life does not have the same importance and
the same ways of being practised in all the Orders and Congrega­

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36 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
tions, even though, as we have seen, the religious vocation by its
very nature is a coming together and therefore a creator of fra­
ternity, the mission has always been recognised by everyone as an
identifying element of religious life. It could not be otherwise giv­
en that the mission of religious is a participation in the mission of
the Church and this, in its turn, a continuation of the mission of
God. «He summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and
he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be
sent out to preach with power to cast out devils» (Mk 3,13-15).27
Indeed, in the eyes of the world it is the mission that makes reli­
gious life relevant and effective.
However, it is necessary to distinguish between mission and
the specific aims of an Institute of consecrated life. The mission
does not consist in doing things but essentially in being signs of
the love of God in the world. The specific aims on the other hand
reflect the identity, especially for apostolic consecrated life, with
the pastoral or promotional activity which the religious under­
take in the various areas of human life. Being is not to be identi­
fied with doing; even though it is the activity which ougnt to be
the consequence of the being and its clear manifestation.
In fact, the mission is nothing other than the historical ex­
pression of the saving love of God, made manifest in the sending
of the Son by the Father and the mission which with the gift of
his Spirit Jesus gives to the apostles. The awareness of being sent
puts us on our guard against the temptation of wanting to take
charge of the mission ourselves, of its contents, its methods and
to run it instead of being at its service.
Precisely because we proclaim an Other and we offer his sal­
vation, we cannot proclaim ourselves and our plans. Our task is to
make God’s salvation present, becoming his witnesses. This mis­
sion involves our whole lives and frees us from the not imaginary
danger of a purely functional approach, activism and self-cen­
tredness.
27Cf. E Chavez, Spirituality and mission, in AGC 410, Rome 2011.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 37
John’s gospel expresses in an incomparable manner the love
of God in the mission of the Son when following the meeting of
Jesus with Nicodemus he says: «God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world
might be saved» (Jn 3,17). Mark’s gospel then concludes the pas­
sage about the heated debate of the apostles regarding the
problem of authority with the clear explanation Jesus gives of
his human life: «The Son of Man himself did not come to be
served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many»
(Mk 10,45).
This is the mission of Jesus and also that of the consecrated
person. This is the gospel, this is the good news which we are
called upon to proclaim and to incarnate to fill the world with
hope. This is why consecrated life still has a future in today’s
world! There can be no doubt that tomorrow we shall less nu­
merous but certainly we need to be more significant than yes­
terday.
Sometimes it can happen that we are sent to a community to
undertake some mission that does not correspond with our ex­
pectations; or else sent to a place where those for whom we are
working seem not to be interested in what we are or what we are
doing. This is the time when we are being offered the chance to
come to a more mature view of the significance of the mission,
for the simple fact that we are faced with questions which help
us to purify and to raise to a theological and not simply sociolog­
ical level our motivation: «who am I? who sent me? Who are
those to whom I have been sent? What should I do?». It is then
that I become aware that what is at stake is my life but also
theirs.
Only if at that moment I have the ability to understand that
I am a person consecrated to God and vowed to the young, that
it is He who has sent me, that they have been entrusted to me,
that my mission is to make myself their travelling companion so
as to help them to give meaning to their lives and to make life

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38 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
choices will I find the reasons and the strength to spend my life
for them: « / offer myself totally to You. I pledge myself to devote
all my strength to those to whom you will send me, especially to
young people who are poorer» (C 24). To do this a very simple
thing is necessary: to open the doors of one’s heart so that little
by little their hearts may be gained and shaped and guided to­
wards Christ, the Only One who can fill their lives with meaning
and with happiness.
Then the days won’t be long enough, we shall spend less time
watching TV or on other ‘hobbies’ and much more being avail­
able to them: to welcome them, listen to them and to guide
them. Then and only then, their world will become more com­
prehensible and we shall make our own their difficulties, their
doubts, their motives, their fears, their expectations, their needs
so that they can learn to listen to themselves, accept themselves,
decide for themselves, in short not be simply negative or reac­
tionary but act positively banking on those things in which they
believe.
The radical approach of the gospel in the apostolic mission
has meaning/ sense, and is present and can be measured in the
growth of pastoral charity, like that of Don Bosco: «For you
I study, for you I work, for you I live, for you I am ready even to
give my life».28 This radical attitude would make us ready to go
to those places where the mission is calling us and in which all
the creature comforts, the opportunities, our circle of deal' ones
are not to be found.
3.2. The radical approach of the gospel in the Salesian
terms of work and temperance
Having come to this point we can ask ourselves a question:
if consecrated life is the soul of the Church and represents a
human resource and a cure for this societ}', then what kind of
consecrated life is necessary and significant for today’s world?
28Don Ruffino, Cronaca dell'Oratorio, ASC 110, Quaderno 5, p. 10.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 39
The reply can only be that which is a mystical, prophetic and ser­
vant religious life with the radical approach of the gospel both
personal and communitarian, a life therefore full of humanity
and of spirituality, the source of hope for mankind. Our Congre­
gation too is being called today to pursue this path and to find
ways to express, according to our identity, how every Salesian
can be a mystic, a prophet and a servant, and consequently that
every community might be so.
The mission of consecrated life has a specific prophetic role
in the Church and in the world. Above all I like to say that con­
secration itself is already prophecy, to the extent that it wit­
nesses to the Absolute God and to gospel values which nowadays
more than ever go against the current, in a society marked by
secularism, religious indifference and practical atheism. Gospel
values are a prophetic rejection of the idols, which this world has
made and proposes for man to adore. In addition consecrated life
is always going to challenge those people - the young in partic­
ular - whose sights are limited to this earth, with a fruitless im-
manentism without a future.
For this reason, when it is lived to the full and with joyful
gratitude, religious life is a prophecy of the ultimate realities, of
the final destiny of the whole of creation, of history and of the
universe. It is a question of a prophecy nowadays more than
ever necessary precisely because our post-modern era is charac­
terised by the loss of human hope and the lack of utopias, con­
demning mankind to the inferno of pragmatism, of over-effi­
ciency and of a purely functional approach, without faith, hope
or charity.
Consecrated life is a prophetic sign when it makes present,
visible and credible the primacy o f the love of God and bears wit­
ness to it, with a strong sense of communion and of fraternity,
with a style of life at the service of the poor and the abandoned
of the world who are a sorry reflection of society and obscure the
loving presence of God. We are aware and we are convinced that

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40 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
«without faith, without the eyes of love, the world is too evil for
God to be good, for a good God to exist».29
The primacy of the love of God keeps the consecrated person
from the temptation to just doing a job and being a perfectionist.
He doesn’t work because he has to reach perfection understood
in abstract terms or under his own full control. His work and
daily efforts are the way in which he responds to a love infinitely
greater than his activity and his efforts. Because he has been and
still is constantly and unconditionally loved, he responds with
generosity. The radical approach, therefore is always the expres­
sion of the sequela. The «go, sell everything» was said in the con­
text of a meeting and a dialogue which began with a loving glance
(Hooked steadily at him and loved him») and concludes with an
invitation to share and to be together («follow me») (cf. Mk 10,21).
At the heart of our project of life as consecrated persons is
not that of being perfect or of being radical, but of being «signs
and bearers» of a love which preceded our response, which fasci­
nated us and is the basis of our “yes” , for ever (cf. C 2). The
safest test to distinguish between merely doing one’s duty and a
sequela is the presence of joy. It is also the way to assess the
quality of the work and of temperance. A sad austere way of life
and a commitment to work which destroys the look of serenity
on the face and extinguishes the smile are symptoms that some­
thing needs to be looked into. This also has a profound effect on
the “face” of a community: a joyful community is a clear and ev­
ident sign of its vocational “good health” that makes it “attrac­
tive” and welcoming.
Work and tem perance
Since GC27 is in close continuity with GC26,1 think their re­
lationship could be described through one of the most vivid and
well-known Salesian “ icons” : the dream of the personage
with ten diamonds. This dream was also considered by the
29B. Lonergan, Metodo in teologia, Sigueme, Salamanca 1988, p. 118.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 41
GC25, which studied the theme of the Salesian community. Then
the GC26, with the intention of “starting afresh from Don Bosco
in order to reawaken the heart of every Salesian with the charis­
matic identity and the apostolic passion” , contemplated the
mantle of this personage especially from the front, that is to say
its witness to God through the three diamonds “of extraordinary
size and splendour” : faith, hope and pastoral charity. Speaking
in fact about the five key issues of the GC26, I wrote that really
it was a question of «just the one theme: Don Bosco’s pro­
gramme of spiritual and apostolic life»,30 which the theological
life intends to foster and bring about.
We cannot forget that the mantle is in two parts. The three di­
amonds on the chest refer to the Salesian mysticism, centred on
“da mihi animas”, that is on pastoral charity accompanied by the
vitality of the other two theological virtues. The five diamonds on
the back constitute Salesian asceticism. The two diamonds of
work and temperance, clearly placed on the shoulders support the
entire mantle and «act as hinges between the mystical and as-
cetical aspects by translating them together into daiy life».31
In presenting this dream, Fr Egidio Vigano wrote: «Don
Bosco considered [the contents of the dream ] an important
frame of reference for our Salesian vocation. The careful choice
and presentation of the special characteristics must be seen as
an authoritative identikit of a true Salesian, and Don Bosco tells
us that as long as we cherish these characteristics the future of
our vocation in the Church is assured, however if we neglect
them the Congregation will face total extinction*.32
Article 18 of the Constitutions, which has as its title “Work and
temperance” , presents these two things, “for us inseparable” ,33as
30CG26, Presentation, p. 10.
31E. V igano Be on the watch with your robes hitched up.in AGC 348, Rome 1994, p. 26.
33 E. Vigano, The Salesian according to Don Bosco’s dream o f the ten diamonds in AGC 300
Rome, 1981, p.5.
33E. VlGANO, Interioridad apostolica. Reflexiones acerca de la gracia de unidad como fuente
de la caridadpastoral, CCS, Madrid 1990, p. 68; cf Don Bosco, saint in AGC 310 Rome 1983
p. 14.

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42 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
an essential element of the Salesian spirit, «the watchword and
badge o f the Salesian»:3i «the two weapons armed with which, Don
Bosco wrote, we will succeed in winning over everything and every­
one^345
With regard to the theme for the GC27, one could say, that it
represents the Salesian way of understanding and putting into
practice the “ radical approach of the gospel” , «in which in a
practical manner they incarnate, hour after hour, day after day,
the ideals and the dynamism of our faith, of our hope and of our
charity».36 Don Bosco only wanted to found «a Congregation of
religious ‘with their sleeves rolled up’ and which would also be ‘a
model of frugality».37 In fact, the text of the Constitutions says:
«Work and temperance will make the Congregation flourish»;38
«the seeking of an easy and comfortable life will instead bring
about its death».39
«For Don Bosco work was not simply occupying time with
any kind of activity even exhausting, but dedication to the
mission with all one's ability and full-time»,40 «it is a means to
holiness».41 «The Salesian gives himself to his mission with tire­
less energy, taking care to do everything with simplicity and
moderation. He knows that by his work he is participating in the
creative action of God and cooperating with Christ in building
the Kingdom. Temperance gives him the strength to control his
heart, to master himself and remain even-tempered. He does not
look for unusual penances but accepts the daily demands and re­
nunciations of the apostolic life. He is ready to suffer cold and
heat, hunger and thirst, weariness and disdain whenever God’s
glory and the salvation of souls require it» (C 18).
34MB XII, p.466.
35Don BOSCO, Lettera. di a Don Giuseppe Fagnano, 14 novembre 1877, in E. Ceria, Episto-
lario, Vol III, Torino 1959, p.236.
36E. Vigano, Don Bosco, saint in AGC 310 Rome 1983, p. 14.
37L. RICCERI, Letter to Salesians in AGC 269, Roma 1973, p. 41.
38C 1 8 -M B XII, p.466.
39C 1 8 -C f.M B XVII, p.272.
40J. V ecchi, Spiritualita salesiana. Temi fondamentali, LDC, Leumann 2001, p. 101.
41L. Ricceri, Work and self-restraint in AGC 276, Rome 1974.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 43
The commentary on this article in “The Project of Life of the
Salesians of Don Bosco” says that «The text of the Rule first
highlights the role that work and temperance have in the Con­
gregation’s life and mission. For Don Bosco they were a pro­
gramme of life (a “motto” to be put alongside “da mihi animas,
cetera tolle”) and a guarantee for the future».42
And it continues: «In our tradition the two elements are in­
separably linked. In the dream of the ten diamonds, the dia­
monds of work and temperance on the two shoulders, seem to
support the mantle of the personage. In the make up of the Sale-
sian and in his apostolic life work and temperance cannot be sep­
arated one from the other: they have complementary functions
of incentive and support. The reality of life calls on the one hand
for enthusiasm and on the other for renunciation, on this side
for commitment and on that for mortification.
It should be noted that from a Salesian point of view “work
and temperance” represent a positive reality. Work gets an indi­
vidual moving, stimulates his creativity, prompts him to a cer­
tain self-affirmation and sends him into the world; the qualities
of Salesian work, for example, are alacrity, spontaneity, gen­
erosity, initiative, constant updating, and, naturally, union with
one’s fellows and with God. Temperance, as a virtue that leads to
self-control, is a “hinge” around which moderating virtues turn:
self-restraint, humility, meekness, clemency, modesty, sobriety
and abstinence, economy and simplicity, and also austerity; this
complexus adds up to an overall attitude of self-control. In this
way temperance becomes a preparation for the acceptance of
many difficult or unpleasant requirements of daily work... For us
- wrote Fr Vigano - “temperance is not the sum total of what we
give up but a growth in the practice of pastoral and pedagogical
charity” ».4312
12The Project o f life o f the Salesians o f Don Bosco, A guide to the Salesian Constitutions,
Rome 1986, p.216.
43Ibidem, quoting E. VlGANO, An evangelical project o f life, LDC, Turin 1982, pp. 118 ss.

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44 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
It also seems important to point out the connection between
work and temperance. Work also has an ascetical dimension; dis­
organised work which creates tension in a confrere should be
avoided; self-discipline and the ability to rest is needed. Like­
wise, to avoid the danger of if being merely an effort of the will,
temperance has a relationship with the mystical, in other words
it goes hand in hand with the mission.
Trying to find a link between Don Bosco’s plan of life “da
mihi animas, cetera tolle” and this motto of the Salesian “work
and temperance” , we could say that work is the visible sign of
Salesian mysticism and the expression of the passion for souls,
while temperance is the visible sign of Salesian asceticism and
the expression of “cetera tolle” . In this too we see a continuity
between GC26 and GG27.
Work
Don Bosco’s great regard for work is well known, even to the
point of a certain “scandal” according to the words of Fr Alberto
Caviglia, who speaking about Don Bosco said: «Here is the
scandal of a saint: he says “let us work” much more often than
“let us pray” ».44 In fact there are many quotations that we can
find in which he encourages people to work: «Speaking to the
FMA at Alassio in 1877 he said: «When I visit your convents and
am told that there are piles of work I feel at ease. Where there is
work there is no devil».45 On another occasion: «A candidate for
Salesian life must love work... If you join the Congregation you
will want for nothing, but you must work... No one should enter if
he intends to sit around twiddling his thumbs...».46 For this
reason he was able to offer his Salesians «Bread, work and
heaven» and dared to say that «Whenever it may happen that a
Salesian succumbs and dies while working for souls, then you will
say that our Congregation has gained deservedly a great tri-
14Cf. E. VlGANO, Un progetto evangelico di vita, o.c., p. 102.
45BM XIII, p.89.
4CBM XIII, p.333.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 45
umph».47He himself worked so much as to die not from illness; he
was “simply worn out because of too much work” , according to
the words of the doctor attending him.48These few quotations are
sufficient for us to be sure that work is the badge of the Salesian,
a characteristic of our nature, which takes us back to our origins.
For this reason for Don Bosco those he used to call “loafers”,
have no place in the Congregation. In other words those who do
not know how to take the initiative, are lazy or idle, who don’t
know how to work hard; and for us Salesians this is a criterion
for vocational discernment.
We understand that the one-sided emphasis on work, as con­
firmed by the isolated quotations from Don Bosco, could be used
to justify the not infrequent behaviour of confreres excessively
concentrated on their “own” work or who make work, even apos­
tolic, the only factor in their consecrated life. This is not Don
Bosco’s way of thinking. He associated work with “union with
God” and an uninterrupted tradition from the first generations
of Salesians coined the expression “sanctified work” .49 Work is
the “apostolic mission” . If one loses sight of who is the One who
sends and supports with the strength of his Spirit, and what is
the purpose of the mission, one runs the risk of turning work into
an “idol” . Not any kind of work therefore is apostolic work.
Work “in autonomy” is not for us Salesians; on the contrary
we are called to “live and work together” (C 49), knowing very
well that that does not mean always working “side by side” , in
the same places and at the same time, but rather according to a
shared community project sustained and verified together, since
“In an atmosphere of brotherly friendship... we are partners in
our apostolic plans and experiences” (C 51). The local and
Provincial communities are the areas within which one gener­
ously spends one’s energies.
47BM XVII, p.250.
48Cf. BM XVIII, p. 424.
49Cf. J. VECCHI, «When you pray say: Our Father...», in AGC 374, Roma 2001, pp. 33-39.

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46 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
In addition we can add something about “a professional ap­
proach” to work, about the sense of responsibility which ought to
accompany every kind of work, and even more what we call the
“apostolate” . A ‘more or less’ approach, improvisation, the mo­
notonous repetition of what is no longer suitable for those for
whom we are working, an allergy for reflection and planning are
not signs that show an “ apostolic passion” , but rather “idleness” .
Making a habit of discussing things with the confreres and
lay people, identifying some possible aims, devoting time to the
preparatory stage, carrying out careful and accurate evaluations,
improving in the light of experience, considering the proposals of
the Congregation and of the local Church, carefully recognising
the signs of the times, making use of the means which the
human sciences offer us are only some of the things which indi­
cate a serious and honest approach in our work.
The reflection made by Fr Vigano on the subject is still valid
and to the point: «We come from the poor, from a working class
culture. And this is God’s plan, since we are for the poor, for the
working class people [...] We are at the dawn of a new culture
which is stimulated by the world of work; now is the hour of
technology, of industry, in which work occupies a central place.
Well then: when we speak about our work, we ought to feel that
we are “prophets” and not simply “ ascetics” . We ought to speak
about work in depth and extensively. It is not just a way of be­
having in a correct manner, it should be a religious prophecy
where there is also considerable room for asceticism, but where
there is a whole form of witness for the people of today, useful in
gospel terms for the world of work».50Precisely, and as has been
said, Don Bosco knew how to respond to the educational and so­
cial needs of his time, in an imaginative original way, educating
through work and for work; he made work a means of education
but also a way and a part of life.51
50E. VlGANO, Un progetto evangelico di vita, o.c., pp. 106s.
51 Cf. E Broccardo, Don Bosco. Profondamente uonio, profondamente santo, LAS, Roma
2001, pp. 119-120.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 47
Obviously we are interested in reflecting on how faith, hope
and charity stimulate the Salesian to be a person not only en­
gaged in changing the world through his work but also a great
worker in the Church. From this point of view, that which iden­
tifies the Salesian is not any sort of profession, but his vocation
as a consecrated apostle; it is not surprising therefore that one
speaks about the “professional quality” of the “work of the Sale­
sian” , precisely because it is seen in relation to the mission, it
truly is work that is pedagogical, pastoral, educative, qualified
and uptodate with the backing of the human sciences and the
theological disciples according to the Salesian style of «taking
care to do everything well with simplicity and moderations
«This is the kind of work that contributes to shaping the spiri­
tual personality»52of the Salesian.
In fact the Constitutions point out that with his work the
Salesian cooperates in the creative action of God, making the
world more human, and also collaborating with Christ in the
work of Redemption. In this way the Salesian identifies himself
not only with his profession but above all with his vocation. This
is why «tireless energy» which article 18 speaks about, does not
mean either restlessness or activism, but apostolic work for the
salvation of souls and his own sanctification.
Spirituality and commitment to work are the characteristics
of every Salesian, whether priest or brother; work is a feature of
the common charismatic identity. On the other hand, each of the
two forms of the Salesian consecrated vocation has its own spe­
cific way of undertaking the work, with the main attention given
to the area of either the ministry or lay involvement, without on
this account emphasising in an exclusive manner one or the
other. Precisely for this reason every Salesian whatever may be
the form his vocation takes, does not disdain the manual work
with which he takes care of the house, makes the educational
setting beautiful and educates the young to manual work.
52J. V ecchi, Spiritualita salesiana, o.c., p. 102.

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48 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Temperance
Commenting on the dream of the ten diamonds Fr Egidio Vi-
gand gave quite a profound and uptodate interpretation of tem­
perance: «It is to be understood as self-control, a moderation of
one’s inclinations, of the instincts of the passions, being reason­
able, cutting off from worldliness, not fleeing to the desert but
remaining among people with one’s heart under control: being in
the world without being of the world. This sort of temperance is
a basic attitude to life, of self-control... Rightly theological tradi­
tion speaks about temperance as one of the “cardinal virtues” :
an axis on which hinge various other and complementary atti­
tudes of self-control. In fact, these are the virtues which rotate
around the central nucleus of temperance: continence, against
the tendency towards lust; humility, against the tendency to­
wards pride...; meekness against bursts of anger...; mercy, against
certain inclinations towards cruelty and revenge; modesty,
against vanity in showing off one’s body (fashion!); sobriety and
abstinence, against excesses in food and drink; economy and sim­
plicity, against easy waste and extravagance; austerity in the
tenor of life (Spartan-like), against the temptation to comfort».53
Basically it is a matter of the necessary Christian asceticism
so little appreciated in today’s society, so strongly conditioned to
hedonism and ethical relativism, in the name of absolute
freedom, which rejects every limitation, and in the name of nat­
ural and ideological spontaneity, considers it to be an alienating
neurosis. The lack of asceticism is the consequence and an ex­
pression of the rejection of God. The meaning, the justification
for, and the fruitfulness of Christian asceticism is to be found in
fidelity to the mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ.
Nor should it be forgotten that working among the poorest,
drawing close to those who are suffering, «the joys and hopes, the
53E. VlGANO, Un progetto evangelico di vita, o.c., pp. 119s. Interesting is his application of
temperance, in addition to work, to fraternal life, to one’s personal life style, to prayer and
to contemplation, which is found in J. Vecchi, Spiritualita..., o.c., pp. 105-106.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 49
griefs and anxieties»54of so many women, men and young people
who struggle to live are a strong stimulus to reject every kind of
softness and free and easy life-style for each one of us and for our
communities and therefore to live frugally, with the essentials
and with temperance. The poor can become our genuine “educa­
tors” , since every day they demand from us that we be faithful to
the promise we have made to give our whole life for them.
It is true that asceticism «ought to be related to the cultural
anthropology of the times in which one is living. So nowadays
temperance has to take account of a more developed concept of
man, of the discoveries by the human sciences (especially of psy­
chology), of the characteristics of our bodily existence, of the
profound value of sexuality, of the process of personalisation, of
the reality of pluralism, of the importance of the community di­
mension, of the demands of social life».55
A Christian asceticism therefore which takes into account
the harmonious integration of soul and body; which makes
people open to oblative love; which is capable of dealing in a
Christian manner with the tensions which modern life implies:
‘stress’, the monotony of work, the superficiality of relation­
ships. An asceticism of silence is necessary in this noisy civilisa­
tion, so as not to lose oneself in an over-abundance of informa­
tion; an asceticism which knows how to be disciplined with re­
gard to the means of social communication, sleep, recreation,
food the senses, etc... The value of asceticism is not measured by
the suffering caused by giving things up or by the amount of ef­
fort made but rather by the progress made in exercising charity
or by its gospel-style effectiveness. Like the ascetics of all times,
Don Bosco underlined the essential connection between morti­
fication of the body and prayer: “ He who does not mortify his
body cannot pray!” Temperance is indispensible for holiness,
precisely because it produces that freedom of spirit that makes
us ready to love even to the extreme.
54Vatican Council II, Gaudium et spes, n. 1.
65E. VlGANO, Un progetto evangelico di vita, o.c., pp. 125s.

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50 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Reflecting on the asceticism o f Don Bosco, over and
above the circumstances which characterised it, has much
to tell us today. Don Bosco was a holy educator who loved
deeply and who knew how to make himself loved by prac­
tising temperance to an heroic degree. What Don Bosco
asked Don Rua to do sending him as a young Rector to
Mirabello, “ study how to make yourself loved” , is only pos­
sible with a strong asceticism that comes from the practice
o f temperance.56 For Don Bosco this is always in view of
the ‘mysticism’ of “ da mihi animas” , because it is a disci­
pline in the education to the gift of oneself in love: “ Lord,
make me save the young with the gift of temperance!”
Therefore Salesian temperance ought to be cheerful, daily,
kind, simple, intelligent, heroic, pleasant and something
which can be seen in the serene, radiant, joyful face o f the
Salesian.
3.3. Requirements to make the theme concrete
In order to more easily make the theme concrete and achieve
the aim of the GC27, it is necessary to observe certain require­
ments, setting in motion some procedures, encouraging a change
of mentality, making changes to some structures.
P rocesses to be set in m otion
The GC27 proposes the aim of helping each confrere and
community to live in fidelity the apostolic project of Don Bosco,
and that is to say to continue to strengthen our charismatic
identity.
This will enable us to make our Salesian consecrated voca­
tion visible, credible and fruitful; in particular it will make it
possible for us to propose Salesian life convincingly to the young
as a plan of life worth taking up and in this way giving voca­
tional fruitfulness to our presence.
56Cf. E. VlGANO, Study to make yourself loved. Commentary on the Strenna, Rome 1984.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 51
From these objectives follow some procedures that need to be
given preference, which are the basic paths to be followed to fa­
cilitate the achievement of the objectives.
The first process regards the way of living nowadays our
Salesian consecrated vocation in the grace of unity and with joy,
as witnesses to the radical approach of the gospel and of our par­
ticular expression of work and temperance.
The second process regards knowledge o f Don Bosco, which
needs to be constantly improved so as to make it the inspira­
tional motive of our spiritual life and of pastoral activity from
both the personal and the community points of view.
The third process regards the lived, personal community atti­
tude towards the Constitutions, which are Don Bosco’s apostolic
project and constitute our charismatic identity to be lived faith­
fully and with joy in our vocation.
M in d set to he changed
Here are taken up again those attitudes already described
among the institutional and personal challenges, which need to
be changed, both in the living out of the vocation and in the car­
rying out of the mission.
Above all attention needs to be given to culture and to cul­
tures so as to create a common mindset which is able to seize the
opportunities which the cultural challenges offer, in particular
as regards post-modernity, inculturation, relations between cul­
tures, secularisation.
In addition the ecclesial challenges need to be further consid­
ered so as to Find ways of responding to the requirements of the
new evangelisation, to the renewal of consecrated life, to over­
coming relativism.
Care needs to be taken to increase the culture o f the Congre­
gation, in particular with regard to the formation demands of a
serious vocational discernment and of a effective personal ac­

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52 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
companiment, to the sharing of agreed criteria in connection
with our pastoral activity, to the formation of the leaders of the
confreres, the young and the lay people.
Finally there is a mindset to be changed at the personal level,
so as to foster the overcoming of various forms and style of indi­
vidualism, the deepening of the identity of consecrated life, the
acquiring of affective, sexual and emotional maturity.
Structu res to be changed
There are also some structures to be changed, which concern
our way of living and of organising ourselves, in order to achieve
the fundamental objective of the GC27, in other words so that
we can really live to the full Don Bosco’s apostolic project.
Above all the style and organisation of community life need to
be changed; it needs to be strengthened, ensuring the right
number and quality of its members, the right balance between the
community and the work, a simplification of the complexities of
the works, a re-definition of roles, a redesigning of the presences.
In addition what needs to change is the form taken of the
presence and the exercise of the role of the Rector of the commu­
nity; the quality of the Rectors needs to be assured, promoting
for all the confreres already in initial formation preparation in
“leadership” , enabling the Rectors to carry out their task of ac­
companiment, helping them to animate and to motivate the reli­
gious community and the educative pastoral community, making
sure that they have the help necessary so that they can carry out
their fundamental duties.
Finally the way of managing human resources needs to be
changed; there needs to be a strengthening of the co-involve-
ment and the charismatic use of the resources, looking for new
forces, increasing a sense of the Salesian Family, fostering the
co-responsibility of lay people, ensuring the charismatic develop­
ment of the presence in the area.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 53
4. CONCLUSION
Dear confreres, I conclude this letter convoking the GC27
inviting all of you, and indeed all the communities and
Provinces, starting from now to cultivate those attitudes and
that atmosphere which are conducive to making “work and tem­
perance” a concrete reality. In this way we can be “witnesses to
the radical approach of the gospel” that the Church, society and
young people expect, and return to the essentials in the spirit of
the Gospel, so loved and desired by Don Bosco.
This is the credible response to give to someone such as the
novice who wrote to me some months ago who hopes that our
daily life may not be a real obstacle to Jesus having young disci­
ples and apostles ready to by joyful and credible witnesses to
the radical approach of the gospel. It is a question of young
people who come to our communities, convinced and enthusi­
astic about their vocation and who sometimes then have a dif­
ferent experience of religious life; one which does not coincide
with that offered them in their vocation animation and in initial
formation.
Someone might wish to justify himself by saying that some­
times these young people create an idealistic image of conse­
crated life, a life that does not exist in reality. However, when
they hear the words poor, chaste and obedient or the call to make
their own “Jesus’ way o f being obedient, poor and chaste'’ they
would expect to find a faithful following and a generous imita­
tion of Jesus, as have so many men and women from the times
of the primitive Church, who captivated by the person of the
Lord left everything and everyone to become his disciples and
witnesses.
At this point the question usually comes up, «but is it pos­
sible to live like Christ?» It is certainly not a rhetorical question.
It arises from that image of consecrated life that we project
through our style of life (food, drink, clothes, use of time, etc.),

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54 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
our experience of prayer, our interpersonal relationships in the
community, our dedication and professional approach in carrying
out the mission. There are confreres and communities who live
with great joy, generosity, fidelity and with a radical approach,
and others on the other hand whose lives are based on the easy
life, individualistic, unconcerned about others, about the young
or about the poor.
It is evident that precisely because the most precious gift
that we have is life, denying ourselves, giving up having a wife,
children, a house, and organising life according to one’s own
plans, and handing over everything to Christ in the Congrega­
tion for poor and abandoned young people, is worth while only if
one takes seriously the commitment to faithfully reproduce in
ourselves his image and to be his witnesses. We cannot reduce
the Congregation to an institution of social or pastoral services.
We are a family, not born from flesh and blood but generated by
the Spirit who calls us together and unites us in communities of
disciples and apostles of Christ for young people in the footsteps
of Don Bosco.
Today as yesterday God is calling us to holiness in Salesian
life. And this is possible if we live as Christ did, as our beloved
founder and father lived with great joy, attractiveness and a
smiling face, but with the great radical approach of the gospel,
expressed in his twofold motto “work and temperance” .
We are drawing close to the bicentenary of his birth and we
have to reach it having recovered the joy, the enthusiasm and
the pride of being Salesians, so as to be able to put before today’s
young people in all honesty the beauty of our vocation.
To Mary, the Immaculate Help of Christians I entrust this
GC27 and above all, all and each one of you dear confreres,
whom I love with the heart of Christ Jesus.

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THE RECTOR MAJOR 55
5. PRAYER TO SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Bearing in mind that on the one hand the GC27 is a point of
arrival in this period of preparation for the Bicentenary of the
birth of our beloved father and founder, and on the other a point
of departure for a new period in the history of the Congregation,
I ask you to use the prayer to Don Bosco that I already suggested
to you for this three year period 2012-2015. It is the evening prayer
that corresponds to the morning prayer of entrustment to Mary
Help of Christians.
Saint John Bosco,
Father and Teacher o f youth,
docile to the gifts o f the Spirit and open to the reality o f your times
you were for the young, especially the little ones and the poor,
a sign o f the love and the special care o f God.
Be our guide as we walk the path o f friendship with the Lord Jesus
so that we may discover in Him and in his Gospel
the meaning o f our lives
and the source o f true happiness.
Help us to respond with generosity
to the vocation we have received fi'om God,
so that in daily life we may be
builders o f communion,
and may collaborate with enthusiasm,
and in communion with the whole Church,
in creating a civilisation o f love.
Obtain for us the grace o fperseverance
in living a high standard o f Christian life,
according to the spirit o f the beatitudes;
and grant that, guided by Mary Help o f Christians,
we may one day be with you
in the great family o f heaven. Am en
/ / Fr Pascual Chavez Villanueva
Rector Major

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2. GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES
2.1 CALENDAR OF PREPARATION FOR THE 27 hGENERAL CHAPTER
In preparation for the GC27 the following calendar indicates the
main events.
April 2012
In the period between 26 March and 4 April the Rector Major and
the General Council studied the theme of the 27thGeneral Chap­
ter, its various aspects and the calendar. On 2 April the Rector
Major appointed Fr Francesco Cereda Moderator of the GC27, ac­
cording to the norms of article 112 of the General Regulations.
On the same day 2 April the Rector Major, according to the norms
of art. 112 of the Regulations, appointed the Technical Commis­
sion for the GC27, composed of the following confreres: Fr Fabio
Attard, Fr Pierfausto Frisoli, Fr Filiberto Gonzalez, Fr Maria
Arokiam Kanaga, Bro. Jean Paul Muller, Fr Jose Miguel Nunez.
The Commission, chaired by the Moderator, met together in
Rome between 2 and 4 April and in various sessions studied and
formulated the following items:
• Calendar of preparations for the GC27, starting from the
opening date decided by the General Council.
• Outline for reflection and work on the theme of the GC26,
offered as a help to the Provinces.
• Suggestions for the preparation and carrying out of the
Provincial Chapters.
• Juridical norms useful for the elections.
The contributions drawn up by the Technical Commission were
passed to the Rector Major by the Moderator and have become
part of this number 413 of the Acts of the General Council.
On 8 April the Rector Major officially convokes the 27thGeneral
Chapter, in accordance with articles 150 of the Constitutions and
111 of the General Regulations. He thereby specifies its principal
purpose, place and opening date.

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 57
With the Acts of the General Council n. 413 the letter of convoca­
tion, the theme for the GC27, the guidelines for the calendar of
preparation for GC27, an outline for reflection for the local and
Provincial communities the instructions for the carrying out of
the Provincial Chapters, and the norms for the elections are being
sent to the Provinces.
July 2012
The Moderator sends to the Provincials the forms for the min­
utes and the model sheets for the contributions of the Provincial
Chapters and of the confreres to the GC27. They are also placed
on the site of the Direzione Generale.
The Rector Major appoints the Commission for the review of the
minutes of the elections of the Provincial Delegates to the GC27
(cf. Reg. 115). Under the direction of the Moderator, this verifies
the calculation of the number and the lists of the confreres be­
longing to the Province or Vice Province in view of the PC.
September 2012 - June 2013
Starting from September 2012, and as soon as possible the
Provinces send to the Moderator of the GC27 the “ General list of
confreres belonging to the Province in view of the PC” (cf. AGC
413 n. 2.4.3.1).
During this time in the Provinces the preparations for and the
carrying out of the Province Chapter take place (C. 171-172), the
date of which should be fixed according to the following dead line.
15 July 2013
Not later than this date the following documents in digital form
should have reached the Moderator o f the GC27:
• The minutes of the Provincial Chapters.
• The minutes of the election of the Delegates to the GC27
and their substitutes.
• The contributions of the Provincial Chapters.
• The contributions of individual confreres.

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58 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Proposals which arrive later than 15 July 2013 cannot be taken
into consideration.
Provincial Chapters which study themes concerning their own
province and make deliberations which need to be approved by
the Rector Major with his Council in accordance with C. 170,
must send the deliberations concerned to the Secretary General.
August 2013
The contributions received will be put in order and classified by a
group set up for the purpose. In the meantime the Rector Major
appoints the pre-capitular Commission for the preparation of the
working documents to be sent to those taking part in the GC27
(cf. Reg. 113).
September 2013
The pre-capitular Commission is at work.
November 2013
The working documents for GC27 prepared by the pre-capitular
Commission are sent to the Provincials and the Provincial Dele­
gates to the GC27.
December 2013 - February 2014
The members of the GC27 study the working documents in their
own communities.
22 February 2014
The 27thGeneral Chapter begins.
Conclusion o f the Chapter
The duration of the GC27 is expected to be about two months;
12 April 2014 is expected to be its final day.

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 59
2.2 AN OUTLINE FOR REFLECTION AND WORK ON THE THEME
OF THE GC27
In this outline, some suggestions are offered to the Provinces.
They can be useful in focusing the attention of the confreres, of
the local communities and the Provincial Chapters on the theme
of the GC27. In particular they can guide their reflection and
their work.
2.2.1. The Letter convoking the GC27
Our journey towards the GC27 begins with the personal study of
the Rector Major’s letter convoking the Chapter and community
discussion of its contents. The theme of the GC27 is not a cus­
tomary one; it is a challenge to the way of life of each confrere and
each community; it sends us back to the gospel roots of our voca­
tion; it requires us to bear witness to the “better” and to the
“more” .
The theme might appear too difficult and demanding; but what
is at stake is precisely the future of consecrated life, its “very ex­
istence” , its identity. It is on this that the need to root oneself in
Christ and in the gospel is based; from here derive the visibility,
the credibility and the fruitfulness of our vocation. We are sus­
tained by the conviction that witnessing to a radical approach is
not primarily the result of our efforts; but rather of the super­
abundance of grace, an excess of gratuity, the richness of the
gift.
We can often feel tired or find ourselves living our lives by
“ routine” . Not everyone feels ready for this new experience
of the Spirit. Will this theme of the GC27 succeed in banishing
inertia from our lives? Let us leave it to the Spirit; He will
know how to renew our hearts, inflaming us with the love of
God and re-awakening in us the “love as before” for the Lord
Jesus.

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60 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
2.2.2. The Process of preparation for the GC27
In all the Provinces the General Chapter is preceded by the
Provincial Chapter. This is an explicit requirement of our Consti­
tutions (C. 172). It is the task of the Provincial Chapter “to elect
one or two delegates to the General Chapter and their substi­
tutes” (C. 171) and “to forward proposals to the Moderator of the
General Chapter” (Reg. 167).
The carrying out of these tasks does not exhaust the nature or
the competences of a Provincial Chapter. It would be a mistake to
think that the Chapter needs to be held with the approach of
a General Chapter for the sole reason of electing the delegates
or for forwarding proposals to the Moderator. In fact articles
171 and 172 of the Constitutions and art. 167 of the General Reg­
ulations list a lengthy series of the aims and tasks, which, howev­
er, are not all or always to be undertaken in every Provincial
Chapter.
Reflection on the subject of the radical approach of the gospel is a
concern not only for those confreres who will be taking part in
the GC27. The convocation of the GC27 is intended to foster a
profound process of reflection aimed at the conversion of each
confreres, of all the communities, of every Province. With the
publication of the letter a wide-ranging process is set in motion at
grass roots that is spread over a period of time and which involves
the whole Congregation. In this process a very important occa­
sion is the “representative assembly of all the confreres and local
communities” , which is what the Provincial Chapter is.
The GC theme does not require the undertaking of an academic
or doctrinal reflection to be written up in theological terms, either
spiritual or pastoral “to be sent to the Moderator” . It is a “chal­
lenge” issued to everyone. It is the voice of the Spirit urging us
to examine ourselves to “examine our own works” , to carry out
a “review” to “examine our conscience and be converted” . “He
who has ears let him listen to what the Spirit is saying” . It is the
Spirit speaking to us too and inviting us to listen (cf. Rev. 2,1-29).

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The dream of the diamonds to which the Rector Major explicitly
refers in the letter convoking the Chapter, presents us with an
“either or” situation, a courageous review of personal and com­
munity life. In dramatic form, this dream speaks about the re­
sponsibility every confrere has for his own life and for his contri­
bution to making the face of the Congregation bright or obscure.
The mirror image description of the Congregation in the future
“as it ought to be” (“ qualis esse debet”) and “what it runs the
risk of becoming” (“qualis esse periclitatur), offers a frame of ref­
erence and of comparison anything but rosy, indeed decidedly dis­
turbing. There is no room for half measures or compromises.
Therefore those responsible for this process are each and every
one involved at the same time. The General Chapter will be held
in Rome in 2014 and over 200 confreres will be taking part in it;
but it would be more correct to say that it has already begun and
taking part in it are all the confreres in the Congregation: the in­
dividual confrere who examines his conscious about his fidelity to
the apostolic plan of Don Bosco; the local community which as­
sesses its own way of bearing witness to the primacy of God, to
fraternity, to the apostolic mission; the Provincial Chapter which
reviews fundamental options, the style of life and of work of the
communities, their credibility and fruitfulness, in the contexts in
which they are living.
Therefore the convocation of the Provincial Chapter by each
Provincial is a great opportunity being offered to every Province.
It can become a time of prophecy in which, in an atmosphere of
prayer and a sincere search for the common good, problems are
faced, their causes identified, and suitable decisions are taken.
This process can happen only by starting from the involvement of
everyone, and it requires courage, humility and a willingness to
be converted.
2.2.3. Structure of the theme for the GC27
Studying the letter convoking the GC27, we can identify a num­

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62 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
ber of ways of developing the theme of being witnesses to the rad­
ical approach of the gospel. The experience of these recent years
leads us to concentrate our attention on some priorities and not
to lose focus. For this reason we have identified three key topics,
which are proposed to Salesian communities and especially to the
Provincial Chapters.
These key issues refer to what ought to characterise the Salesian
of the future; as the Rector Major puts it in his letter, he is being
called to be a mystic, prophet, servant; this applies also to the
Salesian community. In this letter ‘mystica’ prophecy and service
are linked to the fundamental features of our apostolic consecra­
tion, in other words to spiritual experience, to fraternal life in
community, to the mission to youth.1Therefore in reference to the
Salesians, we are speaking about mystics in the Spirit, prophets
of fraternal life, servants of the young.
In the first place, developing each of these three key issues, the
fundamental point to bear in mind is that of its being a witness to
the radical approach of the gospel. It is a question of identifying
the signs which make it visible; in fact we have to offer a beauti­
ful witness to our vocation, testimony that it is something fasci­
nating, attractive, joyful, aware that its real attraction is the Lord
Jesus. Then it is important not to lose sight of the “the radical ap­
proach of the gospel” of these key issues; it is a question of re­
turning to the roots of the vocation. Consecrated life is a search
1It is worth recalling here that Benedict XVI, in his address to those taking part
in the General Assembly o f the Union o f Superiors General and the International Union
o f Female Superiors General on 26 November 2010, highlighted these same elements
o f identity for consecrated life: seeking God leading to a desire for what is really impor­
tant; brotherhood: which is Confessio Trinitatis and model o f Church communion.; the
mission which spurs on to take the Gospel to everyone. This was re-proposed again by
Pope Benedict during Madrid World Youth Day in his Address to young women reli­
gious at the San Lorenzo alVEscorial Monastery on 19 August 2011, in which he spoke
specifically of living the radical approach of the gospel as part of consecrated life, in the
same three expressions: a spiritual experience, fraternal life, dedication to the mission.
This is also the fundamental view o f consecrated life present in the Apostolic Exhorta­
tion of John Paul II Vita consecrata, in which the identity o f this vocation is expressed
in the three essential aspects: “ mysterium Trinitatis” , “ signum fraternitatis” , “ servi-
tium caritatis” .

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 63
for something “more” to live for, something “further” to which to
give expression, of something “better” to be proposed. The some­
thing “better” is not the ordinary; the something “better” is the
“ more” .
As well as this we have to bear in mind that these three key issues
express our vocation in its fullness Therefore it cannot be forgot­
ten that witnessing to the radical approach of the gospel is not
mainly an effort on our part, but is a call; God Himself calls us
to bear witness to the radical approach of the gospel; witnessing
is not a boast or a privilege, neither is it the result of our human
efforts, nor is it our choice; it is most of all a grace and a gift; it is
a vocation. It is a vocation which demands from us a faithful
response, expressed joyfully, the grace of unity in personal and
community life.
Finally in the three key issues it is necessary to pay attention to
developing the Salesian character of the witnessing to the radical
approach of the gospel, in other words, what is specific for us
Salesians in bearing witness to the radical approach of the gospel,
that which distinguishes ours from other forms of consecrated
life. The motto “work and temperance” is a visible Salesian ex­
pression of the radical approach of the gospel, as the dream of the
ten diamonds shows. Therefore it is up to us to examine further
the Salesian features of mystica, of prophecy and of service.
M y s tic s in th e S p ir it. To God who has chosen us, called us, and
reserved us for himself, we respond with total and exclusive ded­
ication. The primacy of God, which arises from the free and lov­
ing initiative of God in our regard, is translated into the uncondi­
tional offering of ourselves. Our desire for self-fulfilment is ex­
pressed in the giving of ourselves. Love is the measure of our gift
and the measure of love is that it is without measure. Immersed
in our work we often run the risk of neglecting God; we are not
capable of balancing our tasks/commitments, our work runs the
risk of distancing us from God. By vocation we are “in search of
God” and “following Jesus”. Our vocation has its roots in the

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64 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
gospel; it is the gospel which gives attractiveness and beauty to
our vocation. Only with the strength of the Spirit can we live this
call; He is the one who in the history of the Church continually
draws new people to perceive the attraction of such a demanding
choice; He is the one who has raised up Don Bosco, to whose apos­
tolic project we have committed ourselves through religious pro­
fession.
Prophets o f fraternity. Fraternal life lived in community is an
alternative life style, a counter-cultural proposal, and therefore it
is prophecy. Wide-spread individualism, social exclusion, cultural
acceptability are challenges to which the Salesian community
responds, showing that it is possible to live as brothers, sharing
one’s life and communicating in depth. There is the danger that
we can live in community without knowing one another. Our
living together in community is first of all a vocation and not a
personal choice or for convenience sake: we are called by God.
Fraternal life finds its fruitful expression in self-giving;2it needs
to discover gratuity and an ability to relate. The young people who
are drawn to consecrated life are fascinated by the way fraternal
life is lived. It gives witness also in international communities
that it is possible to work together on a common apostolic project.
Differences constitute a treasure to be recognised and appreciated
also by the educative pastoral communities, in which the various
vocations are united in living and working together. Fraternity
shows the face of the Church, the house of communion.
Servants o f the young. Our whole life is dedicated to the young
especially the poorest; it is dedicated to the Gospel cause. Our
dedication to the young and to the Gospel is rooted in God’s call
and our total and exclusive dedication to Him. The most beautiful
gift we can offer the young is the possibility of an encounter with
the Lord Jesus; it is the offer of an education inspired by the
2 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Caritas in veritate, 34. The gift “ by its nature goes beyond
merit, its rule is that of superabundance” .

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 65
gospel and opens for the young “the door to the faith” . Sometimes
there is the danger that we feel ourselves to be more masters
than servants; that we are more servants of the works than of the
young and of the gospel. We dedicate ourselves to the mission
“with tireless energy taking care to do everything with simplicity
and moderation” (C. 18), following the example of the Lord Jesus
who “like the Father is always at work” and imitating Don Bosco
who spent himself “until his last breath” . Apostolic work some­
times requires self-abnegation, fatigue and sacrifice, which make
sense if directed towards a greater good: “the glory of God and
the salvation of souls” .
2.2.4. Method of community discernment
In the GC25 and the GC26 we adopted the method of community
discernment, which gave good results. It is a question now of con­
tinuing, improving and further developing this method. We have
to find a way of carrying out a real “discernment in the Spirit” . In
the process of discernment there are the following stages: listen­
ing, interpreting, the way ahead. For each of the key issues the lo­
cal communities and the Provincial Chapters are invited to carry
out a process of discernment following these three stages.
Listening. In the first stage it is a matter of ‘listening’ to the sit­
uation; facing up to it in its priority areas; seeing where the ma­
jor challenges are; ‘listening’ to what is challenging us the most;
highlighting the more promising aspects from the point of view of
the confreres, the communities and the Province and what needs
to be developed, but also that which poses the greatest risks and
which needs to be confronted and overcome. It is a question of
hearing the signs and of seeing the expressions of the radical ap­
proach of the gospel already in action, but also the manifestations
of infidelity to the vocation, counter-witness and conformism.
Interpreting. Starting from the points mentioned, in a second
stage it is a matter of interpreting the situation and the signs

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66 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
heard; of identifying the deep causes of the good or bad state of
affairs; knowing how to interpret the challenges and the dangers.
Reading the situation ought to lead us to understanding it in
depth, identifying the root causes and not being content with a
surface view of the effects mentioned; we could speak of a “radi­
cal” interpretation. The keys to understanding the situation are
the Gospel, the life of the Church and the Constitutions; then we
can really speak about a “ spiritual and pastoral” interpretation.
Way ahead. The third stage consists in identifying the path to be
followed; it is a matter of discovering what will lead us towards
new forms of the radical approach of the gospel what will enable
us to re-enforce those already present but not yet fully developed,
what will help us to overcome forms of infidelity, weakness and
danger. The path needs a goal or objective; for each key area it
would be well to limit oneself to one or at the most two objectives.
These objectives then need to be worked out in stages or proce­
dures and things to be done; they refer to the life of the Province
but also of the Congregation.
In the process of discernment we need to concentrate on some
priorities, in the stages of listening, interpreting and the way
ahead; we need to get to the roots and to the fundamentals with­
out losing focus. The written document, the result of the discern­
ment process, will be an indication of the efforts of the Province
to implement the Chapter theme and will represent its contribu­
tion to the GC27.
For each key issue it would be best that the written document to
be sent to the Moderator as the contribution o f the Provincial
Chapter for GC27 be not more than two or at the most three pages.
2.2.5. Contributions to be sent to the Moderator of the
GC27
Before 15 July 2013 the various contributions should reach the
Moderator of the GC27; these can be of three different kinds:

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 67
■ Contributions o f Provincial Chapters on the theme o f the GC27
“Witnesses to the radical approach of the gospel” ; these con­
tributions should refer to the three key issues; each of these
will have its own form which will be provided by the Modera­
tor;
■ contributions o f individual confreres or groups o f confreres on
the theme of GC27 “Witnesses to the radical approach of the
gospel” ; these contributions should refer to the three key is­
sues and will have their appropriate form;
B contributions o f the Provincial Chapters, of individual confr­
eres or groups of confreres on issues regarding the life o f the
Congregation, the Constitutions or Regulations-, these too will
have their own separate form.

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68 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
2.3 THE PROVINCIAL CHAPTERS
Some suggestions are offered to the Provinces and Vice Provinces
which may be useful for the preparation and carrying out of the
Provincial Chapter.
2.3.1. Tasks of the Provincial Chapter
“The provincial chapter” , declares art. 170 of the Constitutions,
“ is the fraternal gathering in which the local communities
strengthen their sense of belonging to the provincial community,
through their common concern for its general problems. It is also
the representative assembly of all the confreres and local com­
munities” .
The tasks of the provincial chapter are indicated in art. 170 of the
Constitutions and art. 169 of the General Regulations.
In the present case the provincial chapter is convoked primari­
ly and specifically for the preparation of the GC27. In conse­
quence:
• Primarily and principally it will study the theme o f the
GC27: «Witnesses to the radical approach of the
gospel».
• It will elect the Delegate (or Delegates) to the General Chap­
ter and their substitutes (C 171,5).
In addition to fulfilling these primary requirements, the chapter
can deal with other matters o f more immediate concern to the
province and considered of particular importance, as provided for
by C 171,1-2.
2.3.2. The preparation of the Provincial Chapter
After receiving the Rector Major’s letter convoking the GC27, it is
desirable that the Provincial call his council together:
• to appoint the Moderator of the Provincial Chapter (R 168)

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 69
• to analyze more deeply the purpose and topic of the GC27,
and to clarify the objectives of the PC which is to prepare it;
• to take notice of the study outline on the theme assigned to
the GC27;
• to study the norms governing the preparation and carrying
out of the provincial chapter;
• to invite possible experts and observers to the chapter (R 168).
If it is considered opportune, the Provincial with his council may
appoint a preparatory commission, to help the Moderator in
preparing the provincial chapter. A provincial preparatory com­
mission is not prescribed by the General Regulations. It has nev­
ertheless proved useful in many provinces for the preparation of
the provincial chapter. It is for the Provincial and his council to
decide how it should be made up.
The provincial chapter should be convoked by a letter from
the Provincial encouraging the confreres and the communities to
reflect on the theme and to participate in the chapter’s work. In
it he will announce:
• the name of the Moderator of the provincial chapter;
• the members of the preparatory commission (if there is
one);
• the date for the opening and place of the chapter, which
could be spread over more than one session;
• the manner of grouping of communities which have less
than six confreres, for the purpose of electing the delegate
to the provincial chapter and his substitute (cf. R 163).
After the election of the delegates of the local communi­
ties, the Provincial in a second letter will:
• communicate to the confreres the names of those elected;
• and present the list of perpetually professed confreres eligi­
ble for election to the chapter as delegates of the confreres
of the province (cf. R 165,1-2).

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70 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
2.3.3. The Moderator of the Provincial Chapter
The Moderator of the Provincial Chapter:
• will decide and inform the communities of the dates by
which must take place the election of:
- the delegates of the communities and their substitutes;
- the delegates of the confreres (from the provincial list);
- eventual new substitutes for community delegates if a
substitute is subsequently elected from the provincial list
as a delegate of the confreres;
• will send to the communities the norms governing the elec­
tion of the delegates of local communities and the forms for
recording the minutes of their elections;
• will also announce the method to be used for the election of
delegates of the confreres of the province.
2.3.4. The provincial preparatory commission
It will be the task of the provincial preparatory commission
(if there is one) to study, suggest to the Provincial, and foster all
the initiatives it may consider useful for:
• sensitising the confreres to chapter perspectives (by con­
ferences, study days, group and community meetings,
etc.);
• helping the confreres to prepare themselves spiritually for
the work and obligations associated with the chapter
(through retreats, days of prayer, celebrations, etc.);
• clarifying the chapter theme and helping the confreres in
their study of it: every confrere could well be given a copy of
the letter convoking the GC27, of the study outline found
elsewhere in this edition of the Acts.
The preparatory commission can also suggest to Provincials ways
of involving members of the Salesian Family (FMA, DBY Cooper­
ators, Past-pupils,...), lay collaborators, friends of our works, (re­
ligious, competent members of the clergy - including our Bishops

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 71
and Prelates etc.) requesting their collaboration in the form and
areas allowed by our norms and local situations.
In the provincial chapter it is important to find some special way
of involving young people both at local community level and at
that of the celebration of the PC.
The Moderator, in conjunction with the preparatory commission:
• will send out forms to the communities, for collecting the
contributions and reflections of the confreres and/or com­
munities;
• will lay down a date by which the forms must be returned to
the Moderator of the provincial chapter;
• will study the contributions and proposals sent in by the
communities and confreres, and arrange them in a manner
which will facilitate their use for the provincial chapter’s re­
flection and decisions.
2.3.5. The carrying out of the Provincial Chapter itself
Every effort should be made to ensure that the provincial chapter
is celebrated in a fraternal atmosphere of reflection and prayer,
and that it is seeking God’s will as we try to bring an ever better
response to the expectations of the Church and of youth. This will
be helped by an appropriate preparation of the liturgy as regards
content, method, aids, etc.
Every provincial chapter will have its own brief collection o f
regulations, containing norms for work, discussions, and the
organization of the capitulars into study groups or commissions.
For these regulations the norms indicated by the Constitutions
and General Regulations should be kept in mind (C 153, R 161,
164, 169) together with any indications found in the provincial
directory.
For the communication o f proposals and contributions to the
GC27, the indications given by the Moderator of the GC27 must

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72 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
be scrupulously observed. In particular, proposals and contribu­
tions must be written on the appropriate forms. Proposals from
provincial chapters will carry the details of the voting. They can
be written in Italian, French, Spanish, English or Portuguese.
2.3.6. Participation of the communities and confreres
It will be convenient at the end of these suggestions to list some
duties of the communities and individual confreres.
The communities
• Accompany the whole of the capitular process by their dai­
ly prayer.
• Elect their delegate to the provincial chapter and his sub­
stitute. They compile the minutes of the election, following
the model supplied by the Moderator of the PC.
• Receive and study the motives and material sent them by
the Moderator of the PC.
• Deepen their knowledge of the theme proposed in view of
the GC27, and submit contributions and proposals to the
Moderator of the PC.
The individual confreres
• Follow, through information and prayer, the preparation,
realization and conclusions of their provincial chapter.
• A climate of personal conversion is proposed so as to as­
sume the spiritual and pastoral implications of the topic for
GC27, “Witness to the radical approach of the gospel” , and
its practical expression in the motto, pointed out by Don
Bosco to every Salesian “Work and temperance” .
• Vote in the election of the delegate of their own community
and his substitute.
• Take part in the election of the delegates of the confreres of
the province.

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 73
• Make a personal study of the theme, availing themselves of
aids and of the exchange of ideas in their own community,
• Submit personal contributions and proposals to the Moder­
ator of the provincial chapter and collaborate in the draw­
ing up and discussion of proposals and contributions from
their own community.
• Send, if they so wish, personal proposals and contributions
directly to the Moderator of the GC27, using the appropri­
ate forms.

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74 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
2.4 NORMS FOR THE ELECTIONS
2.4.0. Introduction: lawfulness and validity of acts
The provincial chapter is a community act, whose value and con­
sequences transcend the provincial community and the time at
which it takes place.
The provincial chapter in fact elects delegates for the General
Chapter and draws up proposals for the latter. In addition it can
make decisions which, after the approval of the Rector Major with
the consent of his council (cf. C 170), have binding force for all the
confreres of the province, including those who have not taken a
direct part in the decision-making.
Its realisation therefore is governed by norms which guarantee
that its acts are valid and lawful. These norms are listed in the
universal law and in our own proper law (Constitutions and Gen­
eral Regulations), from which the provincial chapter derives its
authority.
The observance of the laws concerning validity and lawfulness,
and precision in compiling official documents, ensure clarity and
expedition at successive stages of the work and eliminate delays,
reference back, explanations and sanations.
As a service to provincials and moderators of provincial chapters
the following list of norms and juridical indications is provided.
These norms refer to:
- Canonical erection o f houses
- Appointments
- Calculation of number of confreres and the various lists needed
- Minutes of the elections
- Special cases
- Formal indications

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 75
2.4.1. Canonical erection of houses
The canonical erection of the house is indispensable (cf. can. 608,
665§1) before the confreres can meet in an assembly which has
the power of validly electing the delegate to the provincial chap­
ter, and before the president of such an assembly of the confreres,
who is the Rector according to C 186, can take part by right in the
chapter (C 173, 5). The document of erection should be in the
house archives or those of the province.
For individual houses w hich existed before 1926 as com m unities
in th eir ow n righ t (and n ot “ filiali” i.e. depen den t on another
com m u n ity) it is sufficien t that th ere be evidence o f its exis­
tence before that date in which houses were canonically erected
w ithout individual docum entation. T he same form o f erection
was m ade for the houses o f Poland existing before 1930.
It is necessary therefore:
a) to verify in good time the canonical erection of each house;
b) to verify that in houses recently canonically erected a Rector
has been appointed.
It should be rem em bered that “ the one in charge” o f a canoni­
cally erected house, if he has not been appointed Rector, cannot
take part by right in the PC and cannot organise the election o f
the Delegate o f the com m unity to the PC.
c) to put in hand the necessary procedure for the canonical erec­
tion of those houses not yet erected, before the election of the
delegates.
For the canonical erection o f a house the Provincial m ust en­
sure that it has at least three con freres (cf. can. 115 §2); after
consulting his council and obtaining the w ritten consent o f the
diocesan bishop or the equivalent (can. 609 §1), the Provincial
m u st m ake form al application to the R ector M ajor (cf. can.608-
610); and finally have received from the R ector M ajor him self
the decree o f th e canonical erection (cf. C. 132 § 1,2).
d) to indicate the way that canonically erected houses that do not
have six confreres should meet together so as to elect the del­
egate to the PC and his substitute (cf. R. 163).

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76 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
In th e case o f canonically erected h o u se s w ith less than six con­
freres th e n orm s o f R 163 apply: i f p ossible th e provin cial sh ou ld
arrange that they m eet together so as to form the num ber o f at
least six m em bers un der the presidency o f the rector w ho is se­
nior by first profession. Thus united they will elect the delegate
for the provincial chapter and his substitute. I f how ever b e­
cause o f special circum stances the m em bers o f a house w ith less
than six professed m em bers cannot join w ith another in like
condition the provincial w ill join the com m unity w ith less than
six professed m em bers to a larger one (w ith six or m ore p ro­
fessed) and together the m em bers o f the tw o com m unities with
equal rights (both active and passive) will proceed to the elec­
tion o f the delegate and his substitute for the provincial chapter.
It should be rem em bered too that the rector even o f a com m u­
nity w ith less than six professed m em bers (provided it be canon­
ically erected) takes part in the provincial chapter by right.
e) to assign to a canonically erected house those confreres who
belong to a house not yet canonically erected.
In th e case o f h ou ses not canonically erected th e p rov in cia l w ill
assign the group o f con freres con cern ed to a house already
canonically erected in w hich they can fulfil their duties and ex­
ercise their rights as electors together w ith the confreres o f that
house. It should be rem em bered that the “ one in charge” o f a
house not canonically erected does not take part by right in the
PC.
2.4.2. Appointments
A verification must be made to see that the appointments of those
who take part by right in the provincial chapter are in order and
have not lapsed. This is especially important in places where the
provincial chapter takes place at a time when there is normally a
change of personnel and new assignments.
An appointment is in order when:
a) it was made in accordance with the Constitutions;
b) the person appointed has taken possession of his office in the
manner prescribed;

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 77
c) his term of office has not expired.
T he Superior C ouncil, on 23.6.1978, m ade the follow in g deci­
sions concerning entry into office and its cessation:
- the appointm ent o f confreres to various offices, at either local
or provincial level, becom es effective from the m om ent that the
confrere form ally takes over the office;
- such confreres rem ain in office until their successors form al­
ly take over the sam e office; this m ust happen not m ore than
three m onths after the expiry o f their m andate.
What has been said above is to be applied, case by case:
- to provincials and superiors of vice-provinces or special cir­
cumscriptions (cf. C 162, 168);
- to members of provincial councils (cf. C 167);
- to superiors of provincial delegations (cf. C 159);
- to rectors (cf. C 177);
- to directors of novices (cf. C 112).
For a vice-rector, given that with the approval of the provincial he
can take the place of the rector if the latter is seriously impeded
(cf. C 173, 5), there must be a formal document regarding his ap­
pointment as vice-rector. Sufficient for this purpose is the letter of
obedience given to the confrere. There must also be a formal doc­
ument indicating that the provincial has recognized the serious
impediment preventing the participation of the rector in the
provincial chapter and approves his substitution by the vice-rector.
2.4.3. Calculation of number of confreres and the various
lists needed
The calculation of the number of confreres who belong to a
province (or a vice-province) for purposes of the provincial chap­
ter is very important. It determines:
a) the number of delegates of the province (or vice-province) who
take part in the provincial chapter (cf. C 173, 7; R 161-166);
b) the number of delegates which the province (or vice-province)
sends to the General Chapter (cf. C 151, 8; R 114-115, 118)

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78 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
F or circumscriptions with a special statute b o th th e c o m p o s it io n o f th e
provincial chapter and the num ber o f delegates to the G eneral Chapter are
laid dow n in the decree o f erection o f the circum scription concerned.
On this account it is very important to have the following lists of
confreres.
- A general list of confreres belonging to the province made
for purposes of the PC.
- A list of those who take part in the chapter “by right” ;
- A list of confreres having “ active voice” ;
- A list of confreres having “passive voice’ .
The norms governing the compiling of each of these lists are as
follows:
2.4.3.1. A gen eral list o f confreres belonging to the provin ce
(or vice-province) for pu rp oses o f the PC.
It should be noted that this list of confreres belonging to the
province “for purposes of the provincial chapter” does not coin­
cide with the list that is asked for each year for statistical pur­
poses; the latter includes also confreres in “irregular” situa­
tions.
The following are to be considered as belonging to the province
(or vice-province) for the purpose o f the PC:
A) confreres who made their first profession in the province (or
vice-province) and are still resident in it at the time the list is
compiled (C 160);
B) confreres who came from another province (or vice-province)
as a result of a definitive transfer and who still reside in the
province at the time the list is compiled (cf. R 151);
T h e making o f definitive transfers b e lo n g s to th e R e cto r M a jor
(cf. R 151). Definitive tra n s fe r is co n s id e re d to h a v e ta k e n p la ce
in the follow ing cases:
- confreres w ho in the act o f erection o f a new province or vice­
province are assigned to it (cf. A SC 284, p. 68, 3.2);

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 79
- m issionaries w ho return definitively to their hom e country
and are assigned by the R ector M ajor to the province he con ­
siders m ost suitable for their condition
- all those for w h om the R ector M ajor (or the V icar G eneral)
has issued a decree o f definitive transfer.
C) confreres who at the time the list is compiled reside in the
province (or vice-province), though coming from another
province (or vice-province) on temporary transfer, in accor­
dance with the norm of art. 151 of the Regulations;
Temporaiy transfer is b ro u g h t about:
- either b y a m andate o f obedience (e.g. w hen a confrere is sent
by obedience to exercise an office (rector, director o f novices,
teacher, etc. in another provin ce), as lon g as the m andate
lasts;
- or b y agreem en t b etw een tw o provincials, w h en a con frere is
sent to help in another provin ce (cf. R 151).
T he confreres w ho have been transferred, even if only tem ­
porarily, are to be included and vote only in the province w here
they are actually working.
D) confreres who belong to the province (or vice-province) by one
of the above-mentioned titles: (A, B, C), but who are tem­
porarily absent for lawful reasons.
In accordance w ith R 166 the follow in g are to be considered as
“ lawfully absent” (an d h e n ce to b e in clu d e d in th e list):
a. con freres o f the provin ce (or vice-province) w ho at the tim e
the list is m ade are living tem p orarily and by express m andate
o f their ow n provincial o f origin in a Salesian house o f another
p ro v in ce (o r v ice -p ro v in ce ) fo r sp ecific re a so n s o f study, health
or work received from their own provincial;
The confreres referred to here, those tem porarily absent for
reasons o f study, health, or for w ork given them by their ow n
provincial, are not “ transferred” , even tem porarily, to another
province. They
- vote in the house w here they are resident (outside their
ow n province) for the election o f the delegate o f the com ­
m unity;
- but for the election o f the delegate o f the provincial com m u­
n ity th ey are included in the p rovin cial list o f th eir ow n
province.

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80 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
It should be noted that the w ork given them by their ow n
provincial, w hich is referred to here m ust be effectively a w ork
for their ow n province o f origin. This is evidently not the case o f
a confrere w ho resides and w orks in an interprovincial house: in
a form ation com m unity or an interprovincial study centre, for
in stan ce, th e form a tion or tea ch in g p erson n el b e lo n g in all
resp ects to th e p rovin ce o f th e te rritory in w h ich th e h ou se is
situated, and are counted only in that province. H ere it is a m at­
ter o f “tem porary tran sfer” as lon g as their assignm ent lasts,
b. confreres w ho have received from their ow n provincial per­
m iss io n fo r “absentia a domo" (cf. can . 6 65 , §1) o r w h o h av e
received from the R ector M ajor (or from the A postolic See) the
in d u lt o f “exclaustration” (cf. can. 6 86). C on freres w h o are
“ exclaustrated” (can. 686) or “ absentes a dom o” (can. 665), and
w hose perm ission to be absent has not expired, are Salesian
religious and th erefore to be included in the general list. N ev­
ertheless:
- those exclaustrated in accordance w ith com m on law (can.
687) are deprived o f the right o f active and passive voice;
- those “ absentes a dom o” can be deprived o f the right o f active
and passive voice in the ju dgem en t o f the provincial especial­
ly w hen leave o f absence is granted for vocational reasons, at
the tim e the con cession is granted; cf. th e letter o f the V icar
G eneral o f 20.01.1985.
To be still more precise the following, although still belonging to
the province (or vice-province), must not be counted for purposes
o f the provincial chapter and must therefore not be included in
the above-mentioned general list:
a) confreres who have made a formal request for dispensa­
tion from priestly or diaconal celibacy; or who have made
a formal request for secularization or for dispensation
from perpetual or temporary vows;
T h e practice is that for the purposes o f the provincial chapter,
confreres w ho have m ade a form al request to leave the C ongre­
gation are not counted, even though the request is still under
consideration and has not reached a definitive conclusion.
b) confreres who are unlawfully outside community for any
reason i.e. confreres in “irregular” situations.

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 81
It will be opportune to keep in mind the following norm, given by
the Rector Major on the occasion of the SGC and to be consid­
ered still valid: Transfers from one province to another which
took place without the prescribed formalities, and for which
there are no clear facts or documents, are to be considered de­
finitive and hence with the loss of all effects of the former mem­
bership after ten consecutive years of residence in the new
province.
The “general list” of the confreres of the province is the one to be
used for calculating
- both the number of delegates of the provincial community
to the provincial chapter (one for every 25 or fraction of 25
members: R 165, 3),
- and the number of delegates to the General Chapter (one if
the total number of confreres is less than 250, two if the
number is 250 or more: R 114).
As soon as this general list has been compiled, a copy is to be sent
to the Moderator of the GC27, according the norms and the forms
he provides. It is his duty to verify the calculations of the individ­
ual provinces (or vice-provinces), so as to ensure the validity of
the election of delegates to the General Chapter.
2.4.3.2. L ist o f those w ho take p a r t in the p rovin cia l chap­
t e r “b y r i g h t ”
This is a list which the provincial or the moderator of the provin­
cial chapter will communicate to the confreres, so that they know
which members attend the chapter by right, in view of the elec­
tions at provincial level.
In accordance with C 173 the following are members “by right” of
the provincial chapter:
- the provincial (or superior of a vice-province);
- the provincial councillors;
- the delegates of the individual provincial delegations;
- the moderator of the provincial chapter;

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82 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
- the rectors of canonically erected houses, even if the num­
ber of confreres is less than six;
- the director of novices.
A s w as said earlier, the com position o f the chapter o f the cir­
cu m scription s w ith a special statute is laid dow n in the resp ec­
tive decree o f erection.
2 .4 .3 .3 . L is t s o f c o n fr e r e s h a v i n g “a c tiv e v o i c e ” (e le c to r s )
They are of two kinds of lists:
A) List for the election of the delegates o f each community to the
PC.
This list is compiled in each community and includes all perpetual­
ly and temporarily professed confreres who reside in the communi­
ty concerned, including those of other provinces (or vice-provinces)
who are there temporarily for reasons of study, health, or for a
mandate received from their own provincial of origin (cf. R 165,2).
B) Provincial list for the election o f delegates o f the provincial
community to the provincial chapter.
To this list, which is important for the election at provincial lev­
el, belong all the confreres, both perpetually and temporarily pro­
fessed, included in the “general list” of the province, except those
who are deprived o f active and passive voice.
Those deprived of active and passive voice, even though they be
included in the general list of the confreres of the province, are:
a) confreres who have an indult of exclaustration, in accor­
dance with can. 687;
b) confreres who have received permission for “ absentia a
domo” , and to whom in receiving such permission the
right to active and passive voice was not granted.
In the case o f the “ absentes a dom o” , their deprival o f active and
passive voice m ust be clear from the docum ent by w hich the
provincial (w ith the consent o f his council) grants perm ission for
absence; cf. the letter o f the Vicar G eneral o f 20.01.1985.

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 83
2.4.3.4. L ists o f confreres w ith p a ssive voice (eligible fo r
electio n )
They sure of three kinds of Delegates: Delegates of the community
for the PC, Delegates of the province for the PC, and Delegates of
the province for GC27. For this reason there are three types of lists:
A) List o f confreres eligible for election to the provincial chapter as
“delegates o f a community”.
It includes all the perpetually professed members o f the communi­
ty (including those of other provinces residing there even if only
for reasons of study and health),
- except for those who are already members by right of the
provincial chapter (cf. list 2.4.3.2)
- and those deprived of active and passive voice.
B) List o f confreres eligible for election to the provincial chapter as
“delegates o f the province” .
This list includes all the perpetually professed members on the
“general list” of the province (list 2.4.3.1), with the exception of:
- those who are already members of the provincial chapter by
right (list 2.4.3.2),
- the delegates already validly elected by the communities,
- confreres deprived of active and passive voice: those ex-
claustrated and “absentes a domo” to whom the right to ac­
tive and passive voice was not granted.
C) List o f confreres eligible for election to the GC
For the election within the provincial chapter of the delegate or
delegates of the province to the General Chapter, it should be
kept in mind that all the perpetually professed on the “general
list” (list 2.4.3.1) are eligible for election, except:
- the provincial, who is a member of the General Chapter by
right;
- Rector Majors emeriti, present in the province, who are al­
so members by right of the General Chapter;
- confreres deprived of active and passive voice.

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84 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
2.4.4. Minutes of the elections
A) The rules for voting and scrutinies for the Delegate o f the local
communities are set out in arts. 161-163 o f the General Regula­
tions (cf. also C 153).
The corresponding minutes of the election of delegates of the lo­
cal communities and their respective substitutes must be drawn
up on the appropriate forms and be examined by the relevant
provincial commission.
This provincial commission for the examination of the minutes of
the election of the delegates of the communities will be appointed
by the provincial in agreement with the Moderator of the provin­
cial chapter.
B) The rules for voting and scrutinies in the voting for delegates
of the province to the PC are set out in art. 165 of the Regulations.
The corresponding minutes of the election of the delegates of the
province must contain the following details:
- the date of the scrutiny,
- the names of the scrutineers,
- an indication that the procedure required by the Regula­
tions has been observed,
- the results.
The minutes drawn up on the appropriate forms, must be en­
dorsed by the signatures of the one presiding over the scrutiny
and of the scrutineers.
C) The rules for voting and scrutinies in the voting for the dele-
gate(s) o f the province to the GC27 are set out in art. 161-162 of
the General Regulations (cf. also C. 153).
The minutes relating to the election of delegates to the GC27 and
their substitutes must be drawn up only on the special forms pro­
vided for the purpose by the Moderator of the GC27 and in accor­
dance with the instructions they carry.
These minutes must he sent without delay to the Moderator o f the
GC27, who will pass them to the appropriate juridical commis­

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GUIDELINES AND DIRECTIVES 85
sion appointed by the Rector Major for the prescribed examina­
tion (cf. R 115).
2.4.5. Special cases
A) Salesian Bishops, even though retired from office and resident
in a province, have neither active nor passive voice, and if they
are invited to the provincial chapter they do not vote. The same
norm applies to Bishops reinserted in Salesian communities (cf.
AAS 1986, p.1324).
B) Rector Majoi's emeriti have both active and passive voice in the
local community in which they are inserted and in the election of
delegates of the provincial community; but if they are elected as
delegates to the provincial chapter either of the local community
or the provincial community they have active voice in the provin­
cial chapter but not passive voice, since they are already mem­
bers by right of the General Chapter.
2.4.6. Formalities for compiling the lists of confreres
1. Names of the confreres are to be numbered progressively.
2. Names are to be given in alphabetical order and spelled as in
the Annuario for 2012.
3. Use capital letters for the PATERNAL SURNAME and lower
case for the Christian name.
4. Indicate by the appropriate sign whether the confrere is
a) Priest (P),
b) Deacon (D),
c) Lay Salesian (L),
d) “clerical” student, (candidate for the priesthood) (S).
5. Indicate by the letter lf if the confrere is in temporary vows.
6. If a member of the provincial chapter, indicate the title to par­
ticipation:
a) by right
b) delegate of local community
c) delegate of provincial community.

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4. ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
4.1 Chronicle of the Rector Major
- December 2011
The m onth o f Decem ber opened
w ith th e retu rn to resid en ce o f all
t h e C o u n c il l o r s f o r t h e winter
plenary session of the General
Council.
O n Friday 2 D ecem ber the m orn ­
ing was devoted to a sharing b e­
tw een the m em bers o f the General
C ou n cil.
T he follow in g day the R ector
M ajor w en t to th e Secretariat o f
the Synod o f B ishops for a m eeting
w ith the Secretary, A rch bish op.
N ik ola E terovic. H e devoted the
rest o f the day to som e m eetings
w ith the C ouncillors and w ith the
P rov in cia l o f th e M id d le E ast, Fr.
M aurizio Spreafico. O n D ecem ber
3 he received B ishop C lem ent M u-
lenga, SDB.
The sessions of the Council be­
gan in the evening of Monday 5
December. T h e r e f o llo w e d a w e l­
com ing supper for the new P rovin­
cials, gath ered in th e G en eralate
for the form ation course.
T h e follow in g day, T u esd ay th e
6 th, th e fir s t m e e t in g o f t h e C o u n c il
took place. A fterw ards the R ector
M a jo r h e ld th e first meeting with
the Provincials, thus starting off
their course.
T he sessions o f the C ouncil fol­
low ed in accordance w ith the p ro­
gram m ed calendar, at the usual
tim es. T hey w ere interspersed
w ith various m eetings and activi­
ties o f th e R ecto r M ajor.
O n the afternoon o f W ednesday
th e 7th, t o g e t h e r w ith Fr. F r a n c e s c o
Cereda, he w ent to the U PS to
speak at the A cadem ic Senate.
O n T h u r s d a y th e 8 th, t h e S o le m ­
n ity o f the Im m aculate C on cep ­
tion , Fr. C havez celeb ra ted the
cen ten ary o f “ T h e H oly F am ily”
Salesian Parish in F loren ce. H e
returned to preside at M ass for the
W orld C ouncil o f Salesian C oop er­
ators. In the cou rse o f the cele­
b ra tion , Mr. A n drea Zapparoli, a
M ajor in th e C arabin ieri C orps,
m ade his prom ises as a C oopera­
tor. O n S u n d a y 11th Fr. C h a v e z a lso
celebrated the con clu d in g M ass
for the W orld Council.
In th ese days th ere w ere also
m any personal audiences, in the
variou s tim es available betw een
the sessions o f the C ouncil. In the
first place w ere audiences w ith the
P rovincials takin g part in the fo r­
m a tion cou rse: Fr. C lau dio C acioli
(IL E ), Fr. M ich a el C asey (IR L ), Fr.
C laudio C iolli (M D G ), Fr. Pasquale

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ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 87
C ristian i (IM E ), Fr. J ean -C lau d e
N g o y (A F C ), Fr. A le ja n d ro
H ern a n d ez (C A M ), Fr. A lb e rt
J oh n son (IN T ), Fr. A rtu r P ereira
(P O R ), Fr. P ra sert S om n ga m Paul
(T H A ). Fr. R ap h ael J aya p alam
(IN M ), Fr. M a rk T ip s (B E N ).
O ther n otew orth y audiences
w e r e : S a t u r d a y 1 0 th w i t h D r. E r -
cole L u cch in i and Fr. B ru n o Fer-
rero, d irector o f the Salesian B ul­
le t in ; S u n d a y 1 1 th w it h Fr. V a le n ­
tin V iguera, G eneral A ssistant o f
the M onasteries o f the V isitation
Order.
M o n d a y 1 2 th, in t h e e v e n in g Fr.
Chavez w ent to the U PS for the
annual m eeting with the confreres
o f th e V ice P rovin ce.
T u e s d a y 1 3 th, t h e R e c t o r M a jo r
w en t to the Vatican in th e m orn ­
ing, a ccom p a n ied b y Fr. F ra n cesco
Cereda, for an appointm ent w ith
the Secretary o f State, H is E m i­
nence C ardinal T arcisio B ertone.
S a tu r d a y 1 7 th, t h e m o r n in g w a s
devoted to the retreat w ith the
P rovin cials; th ere w as also an ex­
change o f greetings w ith the Past
P u pils. In the even in g, togeth er
w ith his V icar, Fr. C h avez m et
th e Salesian com m u n ity o f the
V atica n .
M o n d a y 1 9 th, a t m id d a y th e R e c ­
to r M ajor, tog eth er w ith Fr. Fabio
A ttard and B ro. Jean-P aul M uller,
m et the directors o f “ E dulife” . In
th e a ftern oon he held th e last
m eeting w ith the Provincials, w ho
w ere finishing their course.
T u e s d a y 2 0 th, in th e fir s t p a r t o f
the m orn in g there w as a C ouncil
m eetin g and at m idday th e cele­
bration o f M ass, follow ed by the
lunch on the occasion o f the R ector
M a jor’s birthday.
O n this and the follow in g days
m any people, confreres, m em bers
o f the Salesian Fam ily and others
w ere received by the R ector M ajor
to exchange greetings, also in view
o f the forth com in g C hristm as fes­
tivities.
O n W ednesday 21 D ecem ber, in
the evening, togeth er w ith som e
C ou ncillors, he atten ded the
“ C hristm as C on cert” , organ ized
by th e “ D on B osco in th e W orld
F oundation” .
On 23 Decem ber, the R ector M a­
jor, togeth er w ith all th e C ouncil,
passed th e m orn in g in the n ov i­
tiate o f G enzano, for a spiritual re­
treat in preparation for Christm as.
In the afternoon he held a m eeting
w ith the E xecutive C ouncil o f the
U SG . A fter supper he presented
the Strenna for 2012 to the C oun­
cillors.
S a tu rd ay 24, in th e m o rn in g Fr.
Chavez w ent to the G eneralate o f
the F M A to offer C hristm as greet­
ings to M other Y von n e R eungoat
and to th e Sisters o f the Council.

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88 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
O n his retu rn he received th e D i­
rector and the P rin cipal o f the
A u xilium , th en M oth er A n ton ia
C olom bo and tw o other Sisters o f
the “ E rsilia C anta” com m unity. A t
m idn igh t he presided at the
C hristm as M ass. H e celebrated
the m ornin g M ass for the A u xili­
um com m unity.
In the afternoon o f 26 D ecem ber
Fr. C h avez w en t to V eron a fo r a
m edical check-up, w hich was car­
ried ou t on th e fo llo w in g day.
O n his return to R om e he took
up his regular office w ork. A m on g
the n otew orth y audiences w as
th a t w ith Fr. R o b e rto D al M olin ,
appoin ted P rovin cial o f N orth -
E ast Italy.
S a t u r d a y 3 1 st, t h e la s t d a y o f th e
year, follow in g tradition, in the af­
ternoon he presented the Strenna
2012, first in the G eneralate o f the
F M A and after th a t in ou r ow n
G eneralate.
- January 2012
T h e R ector M ajor passed the
first days o f the new year in resi­
dence, devoting h im self to regular
office w ork, interspersed w ith var­
ious audiences, p articularly w ith
G eneral C ou ncillors. A m on g the
oth er m eetings the m ost notable
w ere th a t w ith Fr. C arlo N an n i,
the R ector M agnificus o f the U PS,
and th at w ith Fr. L adislav M ik o, a
m issionary from Q uetta, in P ak­
is ta n . O n th e 6 th h e c e le b r a t e d th e
feast o f the Epiphany, p resid in g at
M ass in the G eneralate.
O n the m ornin g o f Sunday 8
January, feast o f the B aptism o f
th e L ord, the R ector M ajor re ­
ceived a fam ily o f Salesian coop er­
ators from San Severo, then, in the
D on B osco parish o f C inecitta, he
presided at M ass and baptized tw o
babies.
M onday 9, the activities o f the
G eneral C ou ncil resum ed w ith
m eetings presided over by the R ec­
to r M ajor, w h ich on va riou s days
w ere held m orn in g and evening.
A s alw ays, the m eetings w ere in ­
terspersed w ith audiences and oth ­
er m eetings. T hey included the fol­
low in g notew orth y audiences: on
T u e s d a y t h e 1 0 th w it h A r c h b is h o p
E liseo A riotti, A p ostolic N u n cio in
P a r a g u a y ; o n W e d n e s d a y t h e 1 1 th
the audiences w ith a group o f
Salesian C ooperators from C ivi­
ta vecch ia , th en w ith Mr. A n gelo
O r s in i o f t h e ” A u x iliu m “A s s o c ia ­
tion o f C hiari, follow ed by th at
w ith S ign ora C arola C arazzon e,
P resident o f the VIS, and on F ri­
d a y 1 3 th w it h th o s e w it h r e s p o n s i­
bility for the DBI.
In the a ftern oon o f T h u rsd ay 12
J a n u a ry Fr. C h avez w en t to th e
Vatican for the installm ent o f the
new R ector o f th e Salesian com ­

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ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 89
m unity, Fr. S ergio P ellini. In th e
afternoon o f the follow ing day he
held a m eetin g at the T estaccio
w ith the student com m unity.
Sunday 15, in the m orn in g the
R ector M ajor presided at M ass for
the participants in the States G en­
eral o f F orm ation. In the a fter­
noon he w ent to Verona for a m ed­
ical check-up. H e retu rn ed on
M onday evening.
T uesday 16, in the evening, to ­
geth er w ith th e V icar Fr. A d ria n o
B regolin, and the R egional C ou n ­
cillo r Fr. P ie r F au sto F risoli, he
held a m eeting w ith the Provincial
C ou ncil o f the ICC, con clu d in g
w ith supper w ith the G eneral
C ouncil.
A m on g th e au d ien ces in th ese
days the follow in g w ere n otew or­
th y: th a t w ith Fr. P ejo O rk ic,th e
new P rovin cial o f the C roatian
P r o v in c e o n T u e s d a y t h e 1 8 th a n d
th a t w ith Fr. E l R ai M unir, th e
new P rovincial o f the M iddle East
P r o v in c e , o n T h u r s d a y 1 9 th.
From the afternoon o f January
1 9 th t h e R e c t o r M a jo r t o o k p a r t in
th e S p iritu ality D ays o f th e Sale-
sian Fam ily, w h ich en d ed on th e
m orn in g o f Sunday 22. In the af­
te r n o o n o f th e sa m e day, Fr.
Chavez w ent again to V erona for
the current checks-ups.
O n Tuesday 24 January, the
feast o f Saint F rancis o f Sales, the
R ector M ajor presided at the com ­
m unity M ass.
In t h e e v e n in g o f W e d n e s d a y 2 5 th
he w ent to the K orean Em bassy to
the Vatican for a dinner organized
in his h on ou r b y th e A m bassador,
Thom as Han.
T h u r s d a y 2 6 th, a t th e u s u a l tim e ,
Fr. C h avez ch a ired a C ou n cil
m eeting. In the evening, after
E vening Prayer, he gave the G ood
N igh t to th e com m u n ity o f the
G eneralate, speakin g abou t the
w ork d one in the plenary session
o f the C ouncil.
Friday 27,h, in the morning the
Rector Major presided at the last
meeting o f the plenary winter ses­
sion. A t 1 1 .0 0 h e m e t th e R e c to r s
o f the C entral Italy C ircum scrip­
tion (IC C ) and at m idday he
presided at M ass w ith the G eneral
C ou n cil.
M onday 30 January, the R ector
M ajor left for Turin. A t the airport
h e w as m et b y th e P rovin cia l, Fr.
S tefano M artoglio, w ho took him
to C hieri to visit the F M A com m u ­
nity, w h ere h e m et w ith ch ild ren
and m em bers o f the E ducational
C om m unity, and b lessed th e re ­
stored building. T h en he visited
the D on Bosco m useum , accom pa­
nied by the m ayor. A fter lunch he
w ent to the C rocetta. There he
m et the com m unity, prayed the
first vespers o f the S olem nity o f

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90 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
St. Joh n B osco, had supper and
then w ent to V aldocco.
T u esd a y 31, feast o f Don Bosco,
in th e m o rn in g Fr. C haves gave a
num ber o f interview s for T V and
new spapers, th en he blessed the
new area for Youth M inistry o f the
ICP P rovin ce, then he m et the
A rch bish op o f T u rin , M ons. Ce-
sare N osiglia, w ho stayed for
lunch. In the a ftern oon he spoke
w ith som e con freres and in the
even in g he presided at M ass for
the SYM .
- February 2012
H aving returned to R om e on the
m o r n in g o f F e b r u a r y 1st, o n F e b r u ­
a ry 2 nd, t h e F e a s t o f t h e P r e s e n t a ­
tion o f the L ord and day o f C onse­
crated L ife, th e R ector M ajor
presided at the com m u nity M ass.
Later he w ent to the Secretariat o f
the S yn od o f B ish ops for an ap­
pointm ent w ith H. E. M ons. N ico­
la E terovic; afterw ard s he w en t to
the seat o f the U SG.
S a tu r d a y 4 th, t h e P is a n a r ises t o a
sn ow -w h ite scene, all cov ered w ith
a layer o f snow fallen durin g the
night and m akin g access difficult.
T w o appoin tm en ts w ere m issed,
one o f them w ith m em bers o f the
Salesian H istorical Institute.
T u e s d a y 7th F eb ru a ry , Fr. C h a v e z
leaves for a few d ays’ rest and re­
t u r n s o n M o n d a y 1 3 th.
T u e s d a y 1 4 th, in t h e m o r n i n g h e
left for V erona for furth er m edical
tests, in clu d in g b io p sy o f th e liver,
in th e h osp ital o f B u rgo T ren to,
w h ere he is u n d er th e care o f the
h ead o f d ep a rtm en t Dr. B iti, o f Dr.
G iova n n a Fattovich, o f Dr. T on on
and th eir assistants and nurses.
D u rin g h is stay, in w h ich h e w as
cared for by the R ector and confr­
eres o f the com m unity o f the D on
B osco In stitute, he also received
visits from th e P rovin cial, Fr. E u ­
gen io Riva, from the con freres o f
the Salesian C om m u n ity o f M ainz
(G erm any) and from the G eneral
D irector o f th e H ospital, Dr. C affi.
H e cam e back to R om e on the
e v e n in g o f F r id a y F e b r u a r y 1 7 th.
S a t u r d a y 1 8 th, t h e R e c t o r M a jo r
receiv ed Fr. S h iran K a ra w god age,
P rovincial E conom er o f Sri Lanka,
then he presided at the con clu din g
M ass o f the retreat for the FM As
o f the ILS P rovince. A fter supper
he received Fr. F ran cis A len ch er-
ry, fo u n d e r o f th e m issio n a ry p re s­
ence in Bangladesh.
S u n d a y 1 9 th, in th e m o r n in g Fr.
C havez received Sister P ina del
C ore, the Principal o f the Faculty
o f E ducational Sciences o f the A ux-
ilium . In the evening, accom panied
b y h is secretary, Fr. J u a n J ose B ar-
tolom e, and by his V icar he left for
N airobi for the Team V isit to the
A frica-M adagascar R egion.

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ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 91
M o n d a y 2 0 th, o n a r r iv a l a t t h e
airport o f N airobi, they w ere m et
b y th e P rovin cia l Fr. G ian n i
R olandi and other m em bers o f the
P rovincial C ouncil and confreres,
w ho took them to the R etreat
H ouse o f the D im esse Sisters, the
site chosen for the team visit.
T his took place from T uesday 21
to Saturday 25 February, follow ing
the pre-arranged program m e,
w h ich inclu ded a visit to “ D on
B osco B oys’ Tow n” and to the the-
ologate o f N airobi-U tum e on the
e v e n in g o f T h u r s d a y t h e 2 3 rd. D u r ­
ing these days, besides presiding
over the team visit, the R ector M a­
jo r received the visit o f the A p os­
to lic N u n cio H .E . M on s. M on s.
A lain Paul Lebeaupan, and spoke
p erson ally w ith various P rovin ­
cials and confreres.
O n Sunday 26 February, at
N airobi U pper H ill, accom pan ied
by m any o f the participants in the
T ea m V isit Fr. C h avez p resid ed at
the M ass in th e P arish o f M ary
H elp o f C hristians. T his w as fo l­
low ed by the blessing o f the ren o­
vated Provincial H ouse o f the East
A frican Province (AFE ), a m eeting
w ith Salesian C oop erators and
dinner.
In the aftern oon he m et the
FM As and then about a hundred
con freres o f the P rovin ce. A fter
supper he left for the airport.
M o n d a y 2 7 th Fr. C h a v e z r e t u r n s
hom e. In the even in g he presided
at M ass for the com m unity o f the
G eneralate, w hich w as festively
celebrating the 100th birthday o f
Bro. E gidio B rojanigo.
T u e s d a y 2 8 th, a t m i d - m o r n i n g
th e R ector M ajor received Mr. A n ­
gelo O rsini, o f the ‘A u xiliu m ’ A s­
sociation o f Chiari, then at m idday
he held a m eetin g on site w ith the
C ouncillors about m atters o f ordi­
nary adm inistration.
W e d n e s d a y 2 9 th, a ft e r v e s p e r s h e
gave the G ood N ight for the con fr­
eres o f the com m unity o f the G en­
eralate, givin g an accou n t o f the
Team V isit to the A frica-M adagas-
car R egion.
- March 2012
T h e R ector M ajor passes the
first tw o days o f M arch in resi­
dence, con tin u in g w ith norm al
w ork. A m on g the audiences to be
n oted w as th a t w ith Fr. Jesu
P udum ai D oss, D ean o f the Facul­
ty o f C anon Law o f the U PS, on
1stM a r c h .
S a tu r d a y 3 rd, in th e m o r n in g Fr.
C h avez left fo r Sicily. O n arrival h e
w as m et b y th e P rovin cial, Fr. G i­
anni M azzali, and by the F M A
Provincial, Sister A nna Razionale,
w h o to o k h im to th e Salesian
H ouse o f Ragusa. H ere he m et the
boys, anim ators and m em bers o f

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92 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
th e Salesian Family. H e h ad din n er
w ith the com m unity together w ith
the P rovincial, the bish op o f the
D iocese o f Ragusa, M ons. Paolo U r-
so, and th e m a yor o f th e city. In th e
afternoon he w ent to the Cathedral
o f N oto for the opening o f the cause
o f b e a tifica tio n o f Nino Baglieri,
CDB, p resid ed o v e r b y th e d iocesa n
bish op, M on s. A n ton io Stagliand.
A fter the celebration he w ent to
M odica. H e had supper in the Sale­
sian H ouse, togeth er w ith the
Provincial, som e representatives o f
th e Salesian Family, th e fam ily o f
N in o B aglieri and the y ou n g ani­
m ators o f the “Youth Festival” . T he
day ended w ith C om pline, the
prom ises o f eight n ew Salesian Co-
operators and the G ood N ight.
S u n d a y M a r c h 4 th, t h e R e c t o r
M ajor visited th e h om e o f the
B aglieri fam ily, som e artistic sites
in M od ica and w en t to the ‘PalaR-
izza’ for the “Youth Festival” . A f­
ter w atching the m usical about the
life o f N in o B aglieri he gave an ad­
dress and then presided at M ass.
H e had dinner w ith the F M A com ­
m unity together, w ith the P rovin ­
cial and the F M A P rovincial, the
B ishop o f the diocese o f N oto, the
M ayor o f M odica, the P resident o f
the P rovince o f R agusa and som e
C D Bs. In the aftern oon he re­
tu rn ed to the ‘P alaR izza’ for a
m eetin g w ith th e you th , after
w h ich he left for C atania and re­
turned to Rom e.
M o n d a y 5 th, Fr. C h a v e z r e c e iv e d
rela tiv es o f Fr. S a lva tore G iacom i-
ni, w h o w as a m ission a ry in the
U nited States.
In the follow ing days the R ector
M ajor u n derw en t m ore m edical
tests and treatm en t in th e P oli-
clinico G em elli in R om e. N otable
am on g variou s activities w as the
m e e t i n g o n W e d n e s d a y 7 th w i t h
som e benefactors for a part o f the
rebuilding o f the E N A M institute
in H a iti, a n d a ls o o n S a tu r d a y 1 0 th,
the m eeting w ith m em bers o f the
Salesian H istorical Institute.
M onday M arch 12, in the evening
th e R e c t o r M a jo r b e g a n th e Team
Visit to the Italy-Middle East R e­
gion, w h ich w e n t on to S a tu rd a y
1 7 th. A s a lw a y s , d u r in g th e tim e o f
the T eam V isit he spoke personally
w ith the various P rovincials and
confreres attending.
Saturday 17, after the con clu ­
sion o f th e T eam V isit, in the
even in g he receiv ed Fr. F abio A t-
tard and the Spanish coordination
team for the last W orld Y outh Day.
M on d ay 19, th e Feast o f St.
J oseph . Fr. C havez jo in e d th e co m ­
m u n ity in celebratin g th e nam e-
day o f th e R ector, Fr. G iu sep p e
N icolussi, and o f several oth er
con freres: Fr. G iu sep p e Z u cchelli,
Fr. J ose S erra n o, Fr. S aim y

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ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 93
E zh a n ik a tt, Fr. G iu sep p e C asti, Fr.
Jose Pastor R am irez.
Tuesday 21, at m idday the R ec­
to r M a jor receiv ed Fr. J oa o P au li­
no G uterres, Superior o f the vice
P rovince o f East T im or - In don e­
sia. In the a fte rn o o n h e gran ted a
new spaper interview .
T uesday 21, in th e m orn in g he
recorded tw o video-m essages, one
for the international team o f the
Y outh M in istry and an oth er for
the SUO Province.
S a tu rd ay 24, Fr. C h avez spen t
the m ornin g in the G eneralate o f
T he Sisters o f M ary Im m aculate,
for w hom he was preaching the re­
treat for the opening o f their G en­
eral Chapter, and celebrated M ass.
In the early aftern oon he received
tw o benefactors from Sw itzerland.
In the evening he received M ons.
Pavanello, SD B, B ishop em eritus
o f Cam po Grande.
Sunday 25, in the m orning, the
R ector M ajor spoke to the partici­
pants at the m eetin g o f the P rin ci­
pals o f cen tres o f p h ilosop h ical
studies, affiliated or aggregated to
the C ongregation, gathered w ith
Fr. F ra n cesco C ered a and th e D e­
partm ent o f Form ation. T h en he
celebrated M ass and stayed for
dinner w ith them . In the evening
he receiv ed Fr. A g u stin P a ch eco,
D irector o f th e M ission O ffice in
M adrid.
M onday M arch 23, there began
an extraordinary plenary session o f
the General Council, in v ie w o f th e
con vocation o f the G C27. The
m eetings w ere held from M onday
M arch 23 to W ednesday M arch 26,
in tw o daily sessions, one from
11.00 to 13.00 and th e oth er from
18.00 to 19.30. T h e m eetin gs o f the
C ouncil w ere accom panied by per­
sonal m eetings w ith the C ouncil­
lors, w ith referen ce eith er to the
prospects o f the CG27 or to the spe­
cific tasks o f each Councillor. F rom
am ong others, several m eetings can
be singled out, th at w ith Fr.C arlo
N anni, R ector M agn iflcu s o f the
U PS, on M onday 26, and those
w ith the new Provincials appoint­
ed during the course o f the session:
Fr. A b ra h a m B ela, th e n ew P ro v in ­
cial o f H ungary, accom panied by
th e P rovin cial E con om er Fr. Flavio
D e Paula (29 M a rch ); Fr. Janez Po-
tocnik, the new Provincial o f Slove­
nia, accom pan ied b y the P rovincial
S ecreta ry Fr. M a ija n L a m ovsek (30
M a rch , m o rn in g ); Fr. L e o n a rd o
M ancini, the new Provincial o f the
C ircu m scrip tion o f C entral Italy
(30 M arch, afternoon).
- April 2012
O n 1 A p ril, Palm Sunday, the
R ector M ajor presided in the G en ­
eralate at the B lessing o f the
Palm s, follow ed b y the procession

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94 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
and by the concelebration o f M ass.
In the evening, after supper, he
gave the G ood N ight for a group o f
confreres w ho w ere m aking a re­
treat in the ‘Salesianum ’.
In the follow ing days the m eet­
ing o f the P lenary Session o f the
C ou ncil w ere con tin u ed. D u rin g
these the them e o f the G eneral
C ou ncil w as b rou gh t forw ard - in
its variou s aspects - w h ich the
R ector M ajor officially approved
and notified in the final session, al­
so n am in g the R egu lator o f the
G C 27, Fr. F ra n cesco C ereda,
w h om he had appointed.
O n 4 A pril, after th e final ses­
sion o f the Council, the R ector M a­
jo r received Sister C lem encia R o­
jas and Sister P in a D el C ore, re-
ductively D irector o f the C om m u­
n ity and P rin cipal o f the Faculties
o f the A uxilium .
O n 5 April, H oly Thursday, in the
m o rn in g Fr. C h avez receiv ed th e
Superior G eneral o f the Sisters o f
the C harity o f Christ, Sister A polli-
naris S him ura Y uriko, accom p a­
nied by Sister M aria U rakaw a. In
the even in g he presided at the
L ord ’s Supper in the G eneralate.
T h e follow in g day, G ood Friday,
in the m orn in g, accom pan ied by
th e Vicar, th e R e cto r M a jor tra v ­
elled to M ilan, w here he w as w el­
com ed by the Provincial Econom er,
Fr. G iord a n o P iccin otti, w h o to o k
h im to C hiari, to visit Fr. S ilvio
G alli, a h oly Salesian and a great
friend, gravely sick. T h ere he m et
th e P rovin cial, Fr. C lau dio C acioli,
the new P rovincial o f the N orth
E ast Fr. R o b e rto D al M olin , the
R ector Fr. S tefan o V anoli and the
confreres o f the com m unity.
B ack in R om e n ext day, H oly
Saturday, in the even in g he
presided at the Pasqual Vigil, w ith
the com m unity o f the G eneralate,
w ith the particip ation also o f the
F M A com m u nity “ E rsilia C anta” ,
togeth er w ith a good n u m ber o f
th e faith fu l from the vicinity.
In the afternoon o f Easter Sun­
day Fr. C h avez receiv ed M oth er
Y vonne R eungoat, accom panied by
Sister M aria L uisa M iranda, by
Sister G iuseppina T eruggi and by
Sister Cavaglia. A fterw ards he re­
ceived Fr. S ergio P ellini, R e cto r o f
ou r com m u nity in the Vatican.
A fter spen din g tw o successive
days in residen ce, on W ednesday
11 A pril the R ector M ajor travelled
to V erona for another m edical
check-up and to start som e very
im portan t treatm ent, prescribed
by the doctors. H e returned to
R o m e o n W e d n e s d a y 1 8 th.
T h u rsd a y 26 A pril, Fr. C havez
left for T urin for the celebration o f
the W orld C ongress o f Past Pupils
o f D on B osco, on the occasion o f
the C entenary o f the C onfedera­

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ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 95
tion. In the even in g he gave the
w elcom in g greeting.
Friday 27, he received the orga­
nizer o f the E X P O 2015.
Saturday 28: H e passed the day
at C olie D on B osco togeth er w ith
the Past Pupils.
S u n day 29, in th e m orn in g he
addressed the Congress o f the Past
P u pils on the su bject: “ T h e D on
B osco Past P upil in S ociety and in
the C h urch ” and then presided at
M ass. A fter lunch he returned to
R om e.
M on d a y 30, Fr. C h avez w en t to
L oreto for the ‘F orum ’ o f the
you n g people o f the ICC C ircu m ­
s crip tio n .
4.2 Chronicle
of the General Council
4.2.1 W in te r p le n a ry s e s s io n
2011-2012
T h e winter plenary session o f the
General Council b e g a n o n 1st D e ­
cem ber 2011. It engaged the Coun­
cillors right up to 27 January
2012. M eetings o f groups or com ­
m issions for the study o f the vari­
ous topics w ere linked to the ple­
nary m eetings, o f w hich there
w ere 26 all together. D u rin g the
session , from 6 D ecem b er to 12
Decem ber, the m eeting o f the new
P rovin cials w as also held. T h ey
join ed w ith the R ector M ajor and
his C ouncil. T h e C ou n cillors also
m ade their ow n con tribu tion to
anim ation m eetings, especially
those w hich took place in the G en-
eralate. A s alw ays, togeth er w ith
the m ore ou tstan d in g topics or
p roblem s for the anim ation and
guidance o f the Congregation, the
necessary tim e w as given to ordi­
nary affairs com in g from the
P rovinces, such as the appoin t­
m ent o f m em bers o f the Provincial
C ouncils and the approbation and
appointm ent o f R ectors, the open ­
ing and canonical erection o f hous­
es and/or activities, m atters con ­
cern in g confreres and financial-ad­
m in istrative m atters. F rom this
point on there follow s a sum m ary
o f the m ore ou tstan din g affairs re­
lating to the agenda.
1. Appointment of Provincials
In this session S u periors w ere
appointed for seven P rovinces. In
this m atter the C ouncil p roceed ­
ed w ith careful discernm ent, tak­
in g as its basis and referral the re­
sults o f the con su ltation carried
ou t in th e P rov in ce. H ere is th e

10.10 Page 100

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96 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
list, in alp h abetical order, o f the
P rovin cials app oin ted in the
cou rse o f the session: Fr. N estor
CASTELL, f o r t h e P r o v i n c e o f
U r u g u a y ; Fr. R o b e r t Dal M olin,
for the P rovin ce o f N orth E ast
I t a ly ; Fr. E d s o n Castilho
D onizetti, for the P rovin ce o f Sao
P au lo, B rasil; Fr. E l R a ’i M unir,
for the P rovin ce o f the M iddle
E a s t ; Fr. A lb e r t LORENZELLI, f o r
th e P r o v in c e o f C h ile; Fr. P ejo Or-
KlC, f o r t h e P r o v i n c e o f C r o a t ia ;
Fr. J a n e z P otoCnik, f o r t h e
P rovin ce o f Slovenia.
In n. 5 o f this n u m ber o f the
A .G .C som e in fo rm a tio n is given
about each o f the Provincials ap­
p o in te d .
2. Reports of the Extraordinary
Visitations
T h e exam ination o f reports on
th e E xtraordin ary V isitation s to
the Provinces, presented by the re­
spective V isitors is on e o f th e m ost
useful parts o f the w ork o f the
C ouncil for the anim ation o f the
C on gregation in its variou s local
C ircu m scription s. T h e exam ina­
tion o f the report provides an op­
portunity to reflect together on the
progress o f each P rovince, noting
w hat the V isitor has singled out
and offerin g fu rth er suggestions
for the action o f governm ent.
F rom this th ey derive usefu l
guidelines for the con clu d in g let­
ter o f th e R ecto r M ajor, a lon g w ith
proposals for initiatives o f support
on the part o f the G eneral C oun­
cil. D u rin g this session the reports
w ere studied o f the eight follow ing
P rovin ces or V ice-P rovin ces: the
P rovin ce o f the A n tilles; the
P rovin ce o f Paraguay; the
P rovince o f Thailand; the P rovince
o f C hile; th e P rovin ce o f G uw a-
hati, India; th e P rovin ce o f Pan-
jim , India; the P rovin ce o f W arsaw,
Poland; the V ice-P rovin ce o f
M ozam bique.
3.Topics of study and practical
decisions
In the course o f the session, as
w ell as disch argin g m atters re­
gard in g the P rovin ces and R e­
gions, the C ouncil dealt w ith som e
topics applying m ore generally to
the govern m en t and anim ation o f
the C ongregation, w ith particular
attention to the P roject o f anim a­
tion and g ov ern m en t fo r th e six
year period and to th e life and ac­
tivity o f the C ouncil itself. P racti­
cal decisions m ade in con n ection
w ith each o f the points exam ined.
T he principal m atters dealt w ith
are as follow s.

11 Pages 101-110

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11.1 Page 101

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ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 97
- Team Visits 2011-2012.
T h e top ic o f T eam V isits p ro ­
gram m ed for the years 2011-2012
w as resu m ed briefly, in regard to
the practical preparation for the fi­
nal tw o visits to be m ade: at the
end o f February that to the Region
o f A frica-M adagascar and in m id-
M arch to Italy-M O R .
- The change of the Vice Pro­
vinces AFO and AFW to the ju ­
ridical status of Provinces.
In view o f the request to the R ec­
tor M ajor by the respective Superi­
ors w ith the consent o f their C oun­
cils; and considering the consolida­
tion o f the tw o V ice Provinces prin­
cipally w ith regard to their com ­
m unities, the structures o f anim a­
tion and governm ent, and the in ­
trod u ction o f significant p roce­
dures w ith regal’d to econ om ic-fi­
nancial m atters, and havin g fu l­
filled the necessary con dition s o f
stability and vocational prospects
for the future; having heard the
favourable opinion o f the R egional
C ou n cillor Fr. G u illerm o B asanes,
the G eneral C ouncil gave its con ­
sent for the erection of:
• th e Salesian Province of
English-speaking West Africa,
w ith the title “B lessed Artem i-
des Z a tti” , with headquarters
in A s h a im a n (G h a n a ), m a d e u p o f
the com m unities and the confreres
o f the existin g V ice P rovin ce o f
E nglish-speaking W est A frica;
• th e Salesian Province of
French-speaking West Africa,
with the title “ O ur L ad y o f
P e a c e ” , with headquarters in
A bidjan (Ivory C oast), m ade up o f
the com m unities and the confreres
o f the existin g V ice P rovin ce o f
F ren ch -speak in g W est A frica.
- Decision regarding the Sa­
lesian presences in North Afri­
ca and their collocation.
T he study undertaken regarding
th e gen eral situ ation in N orth
A frica (M orocco, T unisia and
Libya) has led to the follow ing pro­
p osals: th a t th e com m u n ities in
M orocco and T unisia are not to be
assigned to any C ircum scription o f
the R egion o f A frica; that the as­
signm ent be m ade either to Spain
(probably to the current SSE) or
to Italy (possibly to ISI). G iven the
significant presen ce in these tw o
cou n tries o f subsaharian im m i­
grants, the C ouncillor for the M is­
sions w ou ld favou r either the
sen din g on a perm an ent basis o f
A fr ic a S a le sia n s ad gentes in e a ch
o f these m issions, and the p res­
ence on a tem p orary basis o f som e
Salesians b elon gin g to the R egion
o f A frica, especially those w ith ex­
p erience o f pastoral w ork in M u s­
lim contexts.

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98 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
- An update on the subject
studied in the Intermediate
Council Meeting.
T h e G eneral C ou ncil took up
again the subject dealt w ith in the
interm ediate session o f O ctober
2011, that is th e analysis and ex­
am ination w ith practical con clu ­
sions o f the E ast A sia - O ceania
R egion and o f the A frica - M ada­
gascar R egion. The study o f the re­
ports presen ted by the R egional
C ou n cillors m ade it p ossible to
con sider the steps taken in this six
year periods, the challenges w hich
are em ergin g and to m ake som e
practical suggestions to help w ith
the consolidation and the develop­
m en t o f th e S alesian ch arism in
these Regions.
- Recognition of a new Group
of the Salesian Family.
O n 24 January 2012, the litu r­
gical feast o f Saint F ran cis o f
Sales, th e G eneral C ou ncil gave its
favourable opinion w ith regard to
the belon gin g to the Salesian Fam ­
ily o f a n ew G roup called “ Visita­
tion Sisters o f D on B osco” (VS-
D B ). It is a R eligious C on gregation
o f D iocesan R ight, foun ded on 31
M ay 1983 by A rchbishop H ubert
D ’R osario SDB (1919-1994), arch­
bishop o f Shillong (1969-1994). At
present the C ongregation has 106
professed sisters, 16 n ovices and
9 aspirants p resent in 18 h ouses in
the States o f M eghalaya and A s­
sam , in N orth E ast India. T h e m is­
sion o f the C ongregation concerns
the three areas o f evangelisation,
education and developm ent sup­
port especially o f the p oor living in
rural villages and econom ically de­
pressed areas. T h e V isitation Sis­
ters o f D on B osco in ad d ition o p ­
erate in disadvantaged areas ded­
icatin g them selves to catechesis.
- The division of the Provin­
ce of India-Guwahati into two
Provinces with the erection of
a new Province with head­
quarters in Silchar.
C onsidering the developm ent o f
the Salesian m ission and the terri­
torial extension o f the “M ary H elp
o f C h ristia n s” Salesian P rovin ce
o f G uw ahati (Assam , India); given
the results o f the con su ltation
carried ou t in the P rovince; given
the favou rable opinion o f the
P rov in cia l w ith his C ou n cil and
also follow in g a p rop osal o f the
P rovin cial Chapter, the G eneral
C ou n cil has given its co n se n t to
the sub-division o f the P rovin ce
o f G u w a h a ti (I N G ), w ith th e cano­
nical erection of the Salesian
Province of Silchar, w ith th e n a m e
“Blessed John Paul IP’, a n d w ith
h ead q u a rters at Silchar, In dia
(IN S). F ollow in g the subdivision

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ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 99
the IN G has 225 m em bers includ­
ing novices, and 29 houses inclu d­
in g the U niversity; T he IN S
P rovince has 210 m em bers includ­
ing novices and 34 houses includ­
in g th e T h eologa te in S h illon g [cf.
in n. 5.3 o f th e s e A G C t h e d e c r e e
o f erection !.
- New organisation of the
Salesian presences in the Spe­
cial Circumscription of East
Europe.
W ith the presentation by the R e­
gional C ou ncillor for N orth E u ­
rope, the G eneral C ouncil exam ­
ined and approved the proposal for
a n e w a rra n g e m e n t o f th e Salesian
presences in the Special Circum­
scription of East Europe (EST),
about w hich the con freres con ­
cerned w ere invited to express
th eir opin ion so as to have the
replies p rior to the next interm e­
diate session o f the G eneral C ou n ­
cil planned for 26 M arch to 4 A pril
2012. It is p rop osed th at th e D ele­
gation o f the B yzan tin e-U krain e
R ite be set up as a C ircum scription
o f the U kraine o f the G reek-
C atholic Rite. R egardin g the com ­
m unities and w orks in the U kraine
o f th e L atin R ite, it is p rop osed to
assign the com m unities and w orks
in B elarus and the com m u n ities
and w orks in R ussia to the Polish
P ro v in ce s.
- Structures of animation
and government of the Con­
gregation.
D u rin g th e session in variou s
m eetings the G eneral C ouncil ex­
am ined the subject o f the review o f
the structures o f anim ation
and governm ent o f the Congre­
gation (G eneral C ouncil [com po­
sition, organisation, fun ction in g]
a n d Direzione Generate), a re v ie w
requested by the G C24 and the
G C 26 and for w hich a tim e-plan
was draw n up to be follow ed so as
to arrive at the G C 27 w ith a re­
sponse to the request and a pro­
posal on the part o f the G eneral
C ouncil.
- Relaunching DBI.
D u rin g the session, w ith a pre­
sentation by the G eneral C ouncil­
lor for Youth M inistry the G eneral
C ou ncil exam ined the su bject o f
th e relaunching ofDBI (Don Bosco
International), r e d r a w in g its Vi­
sion and Mission Statement a n d
draw ing up s three year strategic
plan, by w hich this body w ou ld be
a real civil face o f the C ongrega­
tion in E urope, in particular w ith
regard to questions con cern ing
the Salesian m ission. In a E urope
under attack and w ith the loss o f
a place in society for the C hurch
especially in the cultural field, the
p resen ce o f the Salesians in in ter­

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100 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
national decision -m akin g centres
including the E uropean U nion and
the U nited N ations in G eneva, as
w as stated in the G C 26, is b e co m ­
ing o f strategic im portance.
- Approval of the Economic
Budget for 2012.
D uring the session the G eneral
C ouncil - w ith a presentation by
the E con om er General - exam ined
and approved, accord in g to the
norm s o f the G eneral R egulations,
th e Budget for 2012 o f th e Di-
rezione Generate Opere Don Bosco.
- Distribution of the “Mis­
sion Fund” .
T h e G eneral C ouncil considered
and approved the proposals m ade
by the com m ission for the distrib­
ution n. 149 - D ecem ber 2011, o f
assistance th rou gh the M ission
Fund. T h ese are funds com in g
from the M issions O ffices for the
ben efit o f the m any p rojects and
w ork o f the Congregation.
- A m o n g th e m o re significant
occasions in th e cou rse o f th e ses­
sion the follow in g can be m en tio­
n ed in p a rticu la r th e Spirituality
Days of the Salesian Family
(19-22 January 2012) w ere, as
alw ays, a b eau tifu l exp erien ce o f
Salesian spirituality based on the
them e o f the Strenna for 2012,
w ith a very successful com bination
o f en ligh ten in g talks, o f efficien t
group w ork, o f fraternal com m u ­
nication am ong those taking part
a n d th e g ro u p s o f th e SF, o f c e le ­
brations and o f prayer. In the cou r­
se o f the D ays the R ector M ajor
p r e s e n t e d t h e Salesian Family
Charter.
4.2.2 Extraordinary interm ediate
session o f the G eneral
C o u n c il
Between 26 March and 4 April
2012 th e r e w a s a n extraordinary
intermediate session of the General
Council w ith th e p r e s e n c e in a d d i­
tio n to the R ector M a jor and his
V icar o f all th e C ou ncillors.
T h e m ain issues dealt w ith w ere
the follow ing.
- Letter convoking the
GC27. T h e m ain item on the
agenda o f the m eetings w as the
study o f the letter convoking the
next G C27, w hich w ill begin on Sa­
turday 22 February 2014 in T urin,
w ith th e th em e: Witnesses to the
radical approach of the go­
spel. Called to live in fidelity Don
Bosco’s apostolic project. “Work
and temperance”.
- The appointment of new
Provincials. D u rin g th e session

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ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 101
fou r Superiors w ere appointed to
f o u r P r o v in c e s : F r B e la Abraham,
for the P rovince o f H ungary; Fr
L e o n a r d o Mancini, fo r th e C ir ­
cu m scrip tion o f C entral Italy; F r
T h o m a s Vattathara, f o r t h e P r o ­
vince o f G uw ahati, India; F r G eor­
g e J o s e p h Maliekal, fo r th e n e w
P rovin ce o f Silchar, India.
- A new Circumscription
with a special statute. F ol­
low in g the discern m en t process
undertaken by the G eneral C oun­
cil and having obtain ed the con ­
sent o f th e C ouncil, the R ector
M ajor canonically erected the new
Circumscription with a Special
Statute of the Greek-Catholic Uk­
raine,, w ith th e n a m e “Mary Help
of Christians”, w ith h e a d q u a rte rs
at L viv (U k rain e) [cf. at n. 5.4 in
these A G C the decree o f the erec­
tio n ]
- A new arrangement of the
Salesian presences in the Spe­
cial Circumscription of East
Europe. A fte r a ca refu l d iscern ­
m en t process u n dertaken by the
G eneral C ouncil and havin g the
consent o f the C ouncil the R ector
M ajor decided:
• that the C ircum scription w ith a
S p e cia l S ta tu te “ The Immacula­
te Conception of Mary” o f E a st
Europe, erected on 8 D ecem ber
1993, be canonically closed;
• that the Salesian houses in Latin
U kraine w ith their w orks and
confreres be transferred to the
“ Saint H yacin th ” P rovin ce w ith
headquarters in Krakow, Poland;
• that the Salesian h ouses in B e­
larus w ith their w orks and con ­
freres be tran sferred to the
“ Saint Stanislaus K ostk a” P ro ­
vince, w ith headquarters in W ar­
saw, Poland;
• that the Salesian houses in R us­
sia w ith th eir w orks and con fre­
res be tran sferred to the “ Saint
A dalberto” Province w ith head­
quarters in Pila, Poland.
- Evaluation of the structu­
res of the Central Government
of the Congregation. T h e X X V I
G eneral Chapter asked the R ector
M ajor w ith his C ou ncil to “ p rom o­
te for the next G eneral Chapter an
evaluation o f the structures for the
anim ation and central governm ent
o f the C ongregation, involving the
P rov in ces” (G C 26,118). For this
purpose a w orking procedure has
now been approved and appro­
priate consultation form s prepared
w hich w ill be sent to the P rovin ­
cials and th eir C ouncils. T h e con ­
tributions o f the m em bers o f the
G eneral C ouncil have already ar­
rived. In this regard discu ssion s
w ith external consulters (religious,
lay...) are an ticip ated .

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102 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
- Possible proposal for a new
arrangement of the three Re­
gions of Europe. F o llo w in g a
presen tation by the R egional
C ou ncillor for W est E urope, the
G eneral C ouncil u ndertook a first
reflection on the proposals draw n
up by the three respective R egio­
nal C oucillors regarding a new ar­
rangem ent o f the three R egions o f
E urope. Study w ill be resum ed in
the next plenary sum m er session
o f the C ouncil after w hich the p ro­
posals w ill be presented to the P ro­
vincials o f E urope at th eir next
m eeting in N ovem ber 2012.

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5. DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS
5.1 Decree regarding the heroicity
of the virtues of the Servant of
God Laura Meozzi, FMA
Below in the original Latin and
our translation in English (from
the Italian), is the text of the Decree
on the heroicity of the virtues of the
Servant of God Laura Meozzi, read
in the presence of the Holy Father
on 27 June 2011. In virtue of this
decree Sr Laura Meozzi is declared
Venerable.
LATIN TEXT
CONGREGATIO
DE CAUSIS SANCTORUM
KATOVICENSIS
BEATIFICATIONS et CANONIZATIONS
SERVAE DEI
LAURAE MEOZZI
SORORIS PROFESSAE
CONGREGATIONIS FIAL1ARUM
MARIAE AUXILIATRICIS
(1873-1951)
DECRETUM SUPER VIRTUTIBUS
«A nim a et corpore cum Iesu cru-
ci affigi, con stan ter con su m m ari.
A scendere, per viam crucibus stra-
tam sem per ascendere; m inim e se
retrahere et in labiis risu m prae-
bere... Per am orem et p er dolorem
se in Iesum transform are».
A d hunc sensum , quern ipsa Dei
Serva L aura M eozzi significave-
rat, totam suam vitam intendit: in
eo quidem exhibentur et proposi-
tu m cord is eius versu s sanctita-
tem et intim a com m u nicatio pro-
fu n d ae fidei, quae earn eius S pon -
so sim ilem reddidit.
F loren tiae die 5 m en sis Ianua-
rii ann o 1873 e fam ilia opibu s in-
structa ortum habuit et post tres
dies ad bap tism alem fon tem est
tran slata. V ix d ecu rso tem p ore
eius in fan tiae in terra natali, an ­
no 1877 adm in istration is reru m
causa, fam ilia R om am se tra n ­
s f e r s debuit. H ac in u rb e L aura
sch olastica studia frequ en tavit
apud collegium Sororu m a Sancta
D oroth ea, u bi accu ratam suae in-
dolis form a tion em accepit; pecu-
lia rem in m od u m p er assiduam
eu ch aristicam com m u n ion em et
annua exercitia spiritualia iuve-
nis L aura in se am orem erga Ie­
sum fovebat, desiderium nutriens
m agis m agisque cum Ipso se co-
n iu n g en d i, sim u lq u e in m iseri-
cord ia e op era in cu m ben s. Illis an-
nis se a D om in o vocari ad vitam
con secratam perspicu e percepit,
ita ut, aliqu ot superatis fam iliae
d ifficu ltatibu s, anno 1896 Serva
D ei apud In stitu tu m F iliaru m
M ariae A u xiliatricis iter form a-
tion is inceperit.
R eligiosis em issis votis, soror
L au ra assiduum opus d ocen tis
im plevit, quod m axim i aestim a-
tum est praesertim ob singularem

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104 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
sensum m atern itatis apud alum -
nas collegii et iuven es m u lieres
plebeias, quae con flu eban t ad ora-
toria, laboratoria aliasque form as
a ggregation s, quas ipsa m axim o-
pere proponebat. T hesauros suae
pru dentiae form ativae ac peritiae
did acticae reservabat sororibu s,
d ocen tibu s aliisque, quas om nes
his verbis saepe h ortabatu r: “ Pri-
m u m m atres estote, d ein de do-
centes” .
A n n o 1922 G enerate C apitulum
Instituti m issionarium am bitum
d ilatare d ecrevit. S oror Laura,
qu in qu agin ta fere ann os aetatis,
m issa est ad regen d am prim am
com m u n itatem in P olonia, nem -
pe ad op p id u m Rozanystok, ad
region em versus septentrionalem
orien talem n ationis. Ibi u n a cum
sororib u s in pau pere tu gu rio
lign eo h osp itiu m in ven it et, ac-
com m odatis casulis praeexsisten-
tibu s an tiq u i va letu d in a rii m ili-
taris, exstru en d u m cu rav it pri-
m um collegiu m p ro p u eris qui
p riore b ello m u n diali cru deliter
vexati erant. P erpen sa E piscopi
V iln en sis h ortation e, anno 1924
ilia com m u n itas religiosa curare
etiam coep it iuvenes, difficultati-
bus socialibu s ac d ifficili indole
affectas. A n n oru m decursu varia
sunt propagata opera, nem pe col­
legiu m pro stu den tibu s, scholae
diversae, cu rsu s caesion is et con-
fection is vestiu m pro adulescen-
tibus, am plum oratoriu m ad coo-
perationem paroecialem , denique
p rim u s n ov icia tu s in op p id o Ro-
zanystok.
A rdua Servae D ei operositas fi­
de in con cu ssa in P rovid en tiam
firm abatur. Ipsa m isericors C or
Iesu ferventi cultu prosequebatur,
et ex assidua eu ch aristica p artici-
patione lum en hauriebat et forti-
tu din em ad cotidianam vitam ge-
ren d am . «Iesu m ta n tu m m od o di-
ligere et quaerere; pro E o vivere
et op era ri!», ecce eius spirituale
propositum ; et in hac cum D om i­
no com m u nion e vitam egit virtu-
tes et C onsilia evangelica iugiter
excolen s. C on sorores m oderaba-
tu r p ru dentiam exercens et iusti-
tiam ; fortiter suaviterque difficul-
tates op petebat; sin cero ac co n ­
s ta n t caritatis spiritu, sim ul cum
integritate et com itate, fratribus
in s e r v ie b a t.
A n no 1931 om nes com m unita-
tes in P olon ia exsistentes erectae
sunt in V isitatoriam , id est quasi-
P rovin ciam . In terim alterum su-
p erven it bellu m m u ndiale, quod,
in ter cetera, indu xit ad G erm a-
n icam ac d ein d e S ovieticam oc-
cu p ation em religiosaru m do-
m u u m region is cen tralis et m eri-
dionalis. S orores con fu gere sunt
coactae aliae ad n on n u llas fam i-
lias, aliae ad q u an d am sedem Sa-

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 105
lesianam , aliae vero sub p yrob o-
lis p erieru n t vel d ep orta ta e su n t
aut in G erm an iam aut in S ibe-
riam . S oror L aura, in Italiam re-
gredi n olen s, m an ere statu it
apud suas filias P olon as, earu m -
que p ericu la et trib u la tion es
com m u n icare. B ello iam com p o­
site, S erva D ei opus in cep it va-
rias com m u n ita tes resta u ra n d o
quadam cum prospera sorte, re-
cipien do res quae p erm an seran t
in dom ibu s olim con ditis, et n o ­
vum m ovens im pulsum ad opus
m aterialis et m oralis restitu tio-
nis gen tiu m loci. S tatu s tam en
eius p hysicu s, ca n ceroso m orbo
oppressus, qui ob incom m oda et
labores in deterius ruebat, debi-
litatis et p rostra tion is in d icia
osten d ere coep it, quae in dies ce-
leriter ingravescebant, graves ei
a fferen tes d olores. S u p rem u m
exsequ en s actu m fid en tis dedi-
tionis, suam D om in o oblation em
con su m m avit, in cu iu s m isericor-
des m anus suum trad id it sp iri­
tu al n octu diei 30 m en sis A u gu -
sti anno 1951.
P erpensa eius sanctitatis fam a,
apud C uriam dioecesanam K ato-
vicen sem a die 1 m ensis O ctobris
an n o 1986 ad diem 15 m en sis
A prilis anno 1989 in stru cta est
In qu isitio D ioecesana, cuius iuri-
dicam a u ctorita tem app robavit
C on gregatio de Causis S anctorum
d ecretu m vu lgan s die 16 m en sis
D ecem bris anno 1994. C on fecta
Positiofie, d is c e p ta tu m est, e x c o n -
sueto agendi m odo, an Serva Dei
h erou m in m od u m C hristianas
exercuisset virtutes. P ositivo cum
ex itu die 25 m en sis S e p te m b ris
ann o 2010 actu s est P ecu liaris
C ongressus C onsultorum T heolo-
gorum . Patres C ardinales et Epi-
scopi, in O rd in aria S ession e d ie 12
m ensis A prilis anno 2011 con gre­
ga te audita rela tion e P on en tis
C ausae, E x c.m i D .n i R ap h aelis
M artin elli, E piscop i T u scu lan i,
edixeru n t Servam D ei h eroico in
grad u th eolog a les, ca rd in a les ii-
sque adnexas virtutes exsecutam
esse.
Facta dem u m de hisce om nibus
rebus Sum m o P ontifici B enedicto
X V I per su bscriptu m C ardinalem
P raefectu m accu rata relation e,
Sanctitas Sua, vota C ongregatio­
n s de C ausis S a n ctoru m exci-
p ien s rataqu e habens, h od iern o
d ie d e cla r a v it: Constai'e de virtu-
tibus theologalibus Fide, Spe et
Caritate turn in Deum turn in
proximum, necnon de cardinali-
bus Prudentia, Iustitia, Tempe-
rantia et Fortitudine, Usque ad-
nexis, in gradu heroico, Servae
Dei Laurae Meozzi, Sororis Pro-
fessae Congregationis Filiarum
Mariae Auxiliatricis, in casu et ad
effectum de quo agitur.

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106 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
H oc autem d ecretu m p u blici iu-
ris fieri et in acta C on gregation is
de C ausis S a n ctoru m S u m m u s
P ontifex referri m andavit.
Datum Rom ae,
die 27 m ensis Iunii A .D . 2011.
t Angelus Card. Am ato, S.D.B.
Praefectus
t Marcellus Bartolucci
Archiepiscopus Tit. Mevaniensis
a Secretis
ENGLISH TEXT
CONGREGATION
FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS
KATOVICE
BEATIFICATION and CANONISATION
OF THE SERVANT OF GOD
LAURA MEOZZI
SISTER PROFESSED
OF THE COGREGATION OF THE DAUGHTERS
OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS
(1873-1951)
DECREE ON THE VIRTUES
«C ru cifixion o f soul and body
w ith Jesus, in con stan t consum a-
tion. R ising, alw ays risin g b y the
w ay o f the crosses w ith ou t stop­
ping, and w ith a sm ile on o n e ’s
lips. B ein g tra n sform ed in to Jesu s
by love and b y pain».
To this ideal as she h erself ex­
pressed it the Servant o f G od L au ­
ra M eozzi d irected h er w h ole life:
it reveals th e con sta n t asp iration
o f her heart tow ards holiness and
an intim ate relation sh ip o f p ro ­
foun d faith w hich m ade her sim i­
lar to h er heaven ly spouse.
B orn in F loren ce on 5 January
1873 into a w ell-off fam ily Laura
w as bap tised th ree days later. She
had scarcely passed her infancy in
h er native city w h en in 1877, on
account o f som e practical difficul­
ties h er fam ily had to m ove to
Rom e. H ere Laura w ent to school
in the C ollege o f the Sisters o f St
D orothy w here her character was
w ell form ed and in particu lar
through frequent holy com m union
and the annual retreats the young
L aura grew in love w ith Jesus and
n ou rish ed a desire for an ever
m ore com p lete u n ion w ith H im ,
w hile at th e sam e tim e d evotin g
h erself to ch aritable w orks. In
those years she becam e fully aware
o f b ein g called b y the L ord to con ­
secrated life, so th at overcom in g
som e fam ily difficulties in 1896 the
Servant o f G od began her form a­
tion in the Institute o f the D augh­
ters o f M ary H elp o f C hristians.
A fter h aving m ade her religious
vow s, Sister L aura u n d ertook a
busy life as a teach er and w as
m u ch appreciated especially for
her m arked sense o f b ein g a
M oth er am on g her pupils in the
C olleges and am on g the w ork in g
class girls w h o crow d ed the O ra­

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 107
tories and the w orkshops and var­
ious grou ps she organ ised w ith
great com m itm ent. F or th e S is­
ters, those w ho w ere teachers as
w ell as the others, she shared her
w isdom in the w ork o f form ation
and o f teach ing and often re­
m in d ed th em : «F irst o f all y ou are
m others, and then teachers».
In 1922 the General Chapter o f
the Institute decided to expand in
the area o f the m issions. Sister
Laura, on th e th resh old o f fifty
years o f age was sent to lead the
first com m u n ity in P olan d in the
city o f Rozanystok, in th e fa r
n orth -east o f the country. T h ere
w ith the oth er Sisters she took up
residence in a p oor w ood en bu ild ­
ing and adapting the pre-existing
buildings o f a form er m ilitary h os­
pital set up th e first sch ool for
ch ildren sorely tried by the first
w orld war.
A t the invitation o f the B ishop
o f W iln o, in 1924, th e religiou s
com m unity began to take care o f
girls w ith special social and p er­
sonal problem s. A s the years
passed, to this was added a college
for students, various schools,
courses o f sew ing and dress-m ak­
in g for the adolescents, a large or­
atory in con jun ction w ith the var­
ious parish activities and finally
th e first n ovitiate in th e city o f
Rozanystok.
A n u n fa ilin g tru st in P ro v i­
dence sustained the intense w ork
o f the Servant o f God. She nour­
ished a great d evotion to the M er­
ciful H eart o f Jesus and from her
frequ en t m ass attendance drew
ligh t and stren gth fo r h er daily
life. « L ov in g and seek in g on ly J e ­
sus; living and w orkin g for H im !»,
w as her spiritual program m e, and
in this com m u n ion w ith the L ord
she lived a life con stan tly p ractis­
ing the virtues and the evangeli­
cal cou n sels. W ith pru d ence and
ju stice she guided her co-Sisters,
facin g the obstacles w ith energy
and sw eetness, w ith a sincere and
con stan t spirit o f charity, m arked
by u prigh tn ess and gen tlen ess
she served h er broth ers and sis­
ters.
In 1931 all th e com m u n ities in
P oland becam e a V ice P rovin ce or
pre-P rovince. B ut then cam e the
secon d w orld w ar w hich am on g
other things brou gh t the G erm an
occupation and then that by the
S oviets o f th e religiou s h ouses in
the centre and south. T h e Sisters
w ere forced to find refuge, som e
w ith fam ilies, oth ers in som e Sale-
sian h ou se, w h ile oth ers again
w ere the victim s o f the bom bin g
or w ere deported to G erm any or
S iberia. Sister L aura, givin g up
th e ch a n ce to re tu rn to Italy, d e­
cided to stay w ith her P olish

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108 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
daughters and to share their dan­
gers and sufferings A t the end o f
the w ar the Servant o f G od began
the w ork o f the reconstruction o f
several com m unities, in w hatever
w ay she could, recoverin g w hat
w as left o f the h ouses th at had
been opened and giving fresh im ­
petus to the m aterial and m oral
restoration o f the people. H ow ev­
er, h er h ea lth a ffe cte d b y a ca n ­
cerou s in fection m ade w orse by
the shortages and hard w ork b e­
gan to show signs o f its w eak con ­
dition , w h ich quickly increased
causing her great suffering. W ith
a fin al act o f tru stin g aban d on ­
m ent she com pleted her offerin g
to the L ord into w h ose m ercifu l
hands she gave up her spirit on
the night o f 30 A u gu st 1951.
B ecause o f her rep u tation for
holiness, betw een 1 O ctober 1986
and 15 A p ril 1989 in th e C urial
O ffices o f K atow ice the D iocesan
E n qu iry w as held the ju rid ical va­
lidity o f w h ich w as recogn ised by
the C ongregation for the Cause o f
Saints w ith a decree dated 16 D e­
c e m b e r 1 9 9 4 . T h e Positio h a v in g
b een p rep ared , as is cu stom a ry
the qu estion w as discu ssed
w hether the Servant o f G od had
exercised in an h eroic m an ner the
C hristian virtues. F ollow in g the
positive ou tcom e, on 25 S eptem ­
ber 2010 the Special M eetin g o f
the T h eological con su ltan ts was
held. T h e C ardinals and B ishops
assem bled in an O rdinary Session
on 12 A pril 2011, h avin g listened
to the report o f the Proponent of
the C ause, H is L ord sh ip M on s.
R affaele M artin elli, B ish op o f
F rascati, declared that the S er­
va n t o f G od had exercised in an
h eroic m anner the theological and
cardinal virtues and others con ­
nected w ith them .
A careful report o f everything
h avin g been p resen ted to the
Suprem e P on tiff B enedict X V I by
the undersigned Cardinal Prefect,
H is H oliness acceptin g and ratify­
in g the opinions expressed by the
C ongregation for the Causes o f
S a in ts to d a y d e cla re d : «It is certain
that the theological virtues ofFaith,
Hope and Charity towards God
and towards her neighbour, the car­
dinal virtues of Prudence, Justice,
Temperance and Fortitude and the
other virtues associated with these
were practised to an heroic degree
by the Servant of God Laura
Meozzi, professed Sister of the In­
stitute of the Daughters of Mary
Help of Christians, in the case and
for the purpose here concerned».
T he Suprem e P on tiff therefore
ordered that the present decree
be p u blish ed and p reserved
am on g the acts o f the C ongrega­
tion for th e C auses o f Saints.

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 109
P u blished in R om e on 27 Ju n e in
the year o f the L ord 2011.
t A ngelo Card. A mato, S.D.B.
Prefect
t M arcello Bartolucci
Titular Archbishop of Bevagna, Mevania
Secretary
5.2 Relevance for the Church of
the message and the witness
of Antonino Baglieri, Volunteer
With Don Bosco
Below is the text of an address giv­
en hy the Rector Major, Fr Pascual
Chavez Villanueva, in the Cathe­
dral of Noto, in Sicily, on 3 March
2012, on the occasion of the intro­
duction ofthe Cause ofBeatification
and Canonisation of Antonino
Baglieri, Volunteer with Don Bosco.
Your Lordship,
D istinguished R eligiou s and Civil
A uthorities,
B rothers and Sisters o f the C hurch
o f N oto,
M em bers o f the Salesian Fam ily
R elatives and F rien ds o f N ino
B a g lieri,
W ith great jo y I accepted the in ­
vita tion to take p art in this V th
anniversary o f the death o f N ino
B aglieri, w hich coin cides w ith the
op en in g o f his Cause o f B eatifica­
tion . In particular, I w ant to h ig h ­
light the relevance for the C hurch
o f the m essage and the w itness o f
this V olunteer w ith D on B osco.
A n yon e w ho knew A n ton in o
B ag lieri, b u t also a n y o n e w h o is
a cqu ain ted w ith h im th rou g h his
w ritings and the m ultim edia d oc­
u m en tation available is im pressed
by his exp erien ce so u nusual but
at the sam e tim e so m arked by a
sim plicity and its everyday ch a r­
acter. H e h im se lf d escribes the
p resen ce o f G od in his life so n at­
urally and w ith sim ple language,
so lack in g in p resu m p tion or self-
satisfaction, w ith ou t lookin g for
sym pathy. W ith ou t h id in g his m o­
m en ts o f w eak ness, his lim ita­
tion s, he allow ed, and tod ay still
allow s a stron g light, a deep ro o t­
ed faith shine th rou gh:
«The fall from the fourth floor
opened up my weakness and human
frailty. I was now good for nothing,
confined to bed, in need o f every­
thing, totally unable to move. Where
was my pride, my strength now?
Those legs which ran and jumped
are now still, nothing can move
them. My hands which wanted to
conquer the world, now are even in­
capable o f catching a fly. In spite o f
all this, I had learned that I had to
thank God for everything. That was
why the Lord made me able to move
at least a part o f my body. He had
left me the use o f my eyes to see the
colour o f His marvellous creation,

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110 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
my nose to smell the scents of the
earth; my ears to hear His Word.
The Lord left me my brain to think
with, to reason, to discern right
from wrong. He still left my heart to
beat with love. M y soul still lives in
me, there is life in me, but the most
beautiful thing is that God is within
me. He loves me and I am His son.
He gives me the grace to discover
the seeds He has planted in my
heart. Nourished with prayer they
have sprouted within me and grow­
ing have changed my life. The faith
which gives me strength and trust
to accept my cross, to thank and
praise God for the gift o f life. The
hope, since I know that these suffer­
ings o f mine are not an end in them­
selves but offerings to God, which
accompanied by prayer, can help so
many brothers and sisters meet
Jesus. Charity, a sure way which
opens the gates o f heaven for us,
since it is only by love that we shall
be judged. Let us thank God for all
the gifts He gives us. Every part o f
our body is His gift. The eyes to see
the light of creation, the ears to hear
the melodious sounds o f nature;
smell to scent the perfumes o f the
flowers; the mouth to speak and to
proclaim the good news; the heart to
love everyone and to make it the
dwelling place o f Our Lord. Legs to
walk His paths, hands to help broth­
ers and sisters in difficulties. Let us
put them at the service o f others and
we shall receive in recom pense a
hundredfold".1
1. A witness to fidelity and to
a love for life
«Human life is sacred - w e re a d
in n u m b e r 5 o f t h e Donum vitae -
because from its beginning it r e p ­
resen ts the creative activity o f
G od and alw ays rem ain s in a sp e­
cial relation sh ip w ith the C reator
its sole end. O n ly G od is th e L ord
o f life fro m its b eg in n in g to its
end>>.
T h e hum an and spiritual expe­
rien ce o f A n ton in o B aglieri takes
on the sign ifican ce o f a glow in g
w itn ess in tim es lik e th ese in
w hich n ot rarely the very fu n d a­
m en tal values regard in g h u m an
life are q u estion ed , or th e rig h t is
claim ed to su ppress it or m oral
n eu tra lity is cla im ed fo r scie n tif­
ic research.
For alm ost 39 years N in o
B aglieri lived as a tetraplegic; and
the final 29 w ere a h ym n to life
and to faith. «H is spiritu al and
pastoral jou rn ey -M on s. C alogero
La P iana, A rch bish op o f M essina
has w ritten - can easily be d e­
s c r ib e d a s: living and bearing
witness with joy to the salvific
value of suffering accepted with
love and the cross embraced in
communion with the Crucified
1N. Baglieri, In cammino verso la luce. Prefazione di S.E. Mons. Angelo Comastri,
Elledici, Leumann (TO) 2001, pp. 70-71.

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 111
One... T h e s e r e n it y a n d j o y w it h
w h ich N in o lived h is p erson a l
C alvary for so m any lon g years o f
his ea rth ly life h elp ed m e to u n ­
derstand the p rofou n d m ean in g
o f the w ords o f the A postle Peter:
Ifyou can have some share in the
sufferings of Christ, be glad be­
cause you will enjoy a much
greater gladness when his glory is
revealed ( l P t 4 ,1 3 ) » .z
In th e life o f th e C h u rch the
m ystery o f suffering has em erged
and still em erges tod ay as th e
“ fast lane “ for evan gelisation .
«T h is is w hy, - M on s. S ta g lia n o
has w r itte n - in on e o f m y letters,
addressed in particular to priests
I could n ot refrain from referrin g
to th is eloq u en t prophecy, ex­
pressed n ot on ly in w ords bu t
above all in th e silen ce, in th e
hidden cries o f su fferin gs offered,
o f pain tran sfigu red by the C ross,
the livin g and life-givin g gospel,
life full and over-flow in g... I m ake
m y ow n the com m itm ent and the
prom ise o f th e B ish ops o f th is
C hurch w ho have gone before
m e: M on s. S alvatore N icolosi,
M ons. G iuseppe M alandrino and
M on s. M arian o C rociata. F rom
m y letters and reflection s on this
exem plary holiness “ on the w ings
o f th e C ross” , w h ich arises in the
faith lived by th e people, o f th ose
w h o su ffer and th ose w h o h ave in
som e w ay com e in to a rela tion ­
ship w ith N in o B aglieri, as B ish ­
op o f N oto, I feel able to declare,
“ n ot at second h an d ” but from
person al experien ce, that the
op en in g o f the diocesan p rocess
for the beatification and can on i­
sation o f this son o f the C hurch
o f N o to , is n o t o n ly p ossib le b u t
som eth in g to be hoped for and a
d u ty».3
T his extraordinary “ m ystery o f
su fferin g” , w h ich A n ton in o lived
in his ow n life and by w hich he al­
low ed h im self to be transfigured,
helps us to reflect on a furth er is­
sue: the incarnated, concrete,
p hysical n atu re o f hu m an life. Far
from bein g a “ soul w ith ou t a
b od y ” he can be seen as a soul
“ fu lly in carn ated “ and in this
w ay rem in d in g us that the R e­
dem ption and spiritual experience
alw ays o ccu r th rou g h ou r flesh
and ou r life story.
5 C. La Plana, In profonda comunione con il Crociftsso, una fede coraggiosa e forte,
in G. Ruta (ed.), Suite all della Croce. Nino Baglieri e... tanta uoglia di correre, Coop.
S. Tom. - Elledici, Messina - Leumann (TO) 2008, p. 251.
3A. Stagliano, Prefazione, in G. Ruta (ed.), Nino Baglieri a 360°... L ’atleta di Dio sotto
vari punti di vista, Coop.S.Tom. - Elledici, Messina - Leumann (TO) 2011, pp. 14-15.

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112 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
2. In the steps of the spiritu­
ality of the Salesian Family of
Don Bosco
«I have been asked m any tim es
to speak abou t N in o B aglieri, feel­
in g w ith in m y self a special
strength in b ein g able to indicate
th e releva n ce o f h is w itn ess. It is
n ot a general kind o f duty but a
real desire to tell everyon e espe­
cially the m em bers o f the Salesian
F am ily abou t th e sam e need, jo y
and beauty o f “becom in g saints”
w h ich N in o recogn ised in his life
and w hich he succeeded in com ­
m u n ica tin g to all th ose h e m et
p erson ally or cam e in con ta ct
w ith th rou gh his letters*.1
T h e spirituality o f th e Fam ily o f
D on B osco in ord in a ry circu m ­
sta n ces is m o re in clin e d to e m ­
phasise th e jo y and the aspect o f a
holin ess “ w ith in our grasp ” ,
w h ich lin ks th e dem an ds o f the
G ospel w ith cheerfulness and cel­
ebration. A n d yet, in th e sam e soil,
w ere born and flourished the spir­
itual experience o f the C ooperator
B lessed A lessa n d rin a M aria da
C osta, th e P ortu gu ese m ystic,
love’s victim for the conversion o f
sinners, o f th e V enerable F r A n ­
drea B eltram i, w h o offered h im ­
self as a victim for the salvation o f
th e you n g, o f B lessed L u igi Vari-
ara, a S alesian and in 1930 th e
founder o f a W om ens C ongrega­
tion in the L eper C olon y o f A gua
de D ios in C olom bia, o f B lessed
E u sebia P alom in o, D au gh ter o f
M ary H elp o f C hristians, victim
for the salvation o f Spain.
T h e spiritual experience o f N i­
no B aglieri has the characteristic
o f sim plicity; A n ton in o does n ot
“volu n tarily” m ake h im self a vic­
tim o f exp iation and reparation .
In ordinary circum stances he does
n ot m an ifest ecstasies or m ystical
visions. H e accepts his lon g cru ci­
fix ion , d ocile to G o d ’s a ction in
him , and m anages to achieve and
to bear w itness to a m ore authen­
tic joy, a jo y th a t b ecom es th e sis­
ter and com pan ion o f su fferin g
w h en th is is illu m in a ted b y th e
glorious cross o f C hrist; a jo y that
enables him to incarnate, in an in ­
ten se and sin gu lar w ay an oth er
characteristic feature o f the Sale­
sian ch arism , a dyn am ism and a
p assion in p rocla im in g the G ospel
in spite o f his disability.
I think that I am interpretin g
the jo y and the gratitude o f m any
for the opening o f the cause o f be­
atification and canonisation, en ­
tru stin g to G o d ’s w ill and placing
in th e hands o f th e C h urch th e
1E Chavez V illanueva, Prefazione, in G. Ruta (ed.), Nino Baglieri a 360°, op. cit., p. 7.

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 113
process the recogn ition and the
authen tication o f the C hristian
virtues lived to an h eroic degree.
«I can n ot h id e th e desire th at his
w itness linked essentially to the
W ord o f G od , o f w h ich he is a
hum ble and eloquent echo, m ay be
glorified and spread everyw here
and and ru n sw iftly (cfr. 2 T s 3,1)
n o t on ly in S icily and in Italy, b u t
t h r o u g h o u t t h e w h o le w o r l d » .56
3. The attitude o f ‘sentire cum
Ecclesia’ as a practical way of
life and of relationships
W ith th e p assin g o f tim e, th e
hum an and spiritual experience o f
A n ton in o B aglieri w as the exp eri­
en ce o f communion w ith th e v a r­
io u s charisms a n d th e d iffe r e n t
spiritualities w ith w h ich h e ca m e
into contact. M ovem ents, C ongre­
gations and Institutes o f C on se­
crated L ife, A ssociation s, local
C hurch organisations and others
fou n d a place in his life and testi­
m on y a practical place o f contact
and o f com m union.
A s M ons. Salvatore N icolosi, the
retired B ishop o f th e diocese says:
«His room, his bed and his stretch­
er became altars o f light, from
which the Gospel shone out and
which with time gathered so many
persons around him and reached so
many parts of the world through
the many testim onies he gave (at
Lourdes, at Loreto, at Rome in 1988
for the centenary of Don Bosco...)
and the many contacts he had with
missionaries, bishops, distinguished
Church figures. How many times
I too met him and how much light
I received! As the Bishop I was at
his side in a paternal manner but
I also received so much strength
from him. He became almost my
special collaborator who with his
witness and his words also helped
me overcome some o f the trials of
my ministry».G
«T h e h u m an and spiritu al lfe
story o f N in o B aglieri, w rites
Cardinal Tarcisio B ertone, Secre­
ta ry o f State o f H is H olin ess
B enedict X V I - can th erefore be
listed am on g th e th ose w itnesses
o f hope. H ow ever such a result
ca n n ot be ach ieved com p letely
except in a con text o f com m u n ion
w ith the C hurch, o f the exp eri­
ence o f sacram ental and fraternal
life. “ L ife in its tru e sen se is n o t
som eth in g w e have exclu sively in
or fro m ou rselves: it is a rela tio n ­
s h ip ” . B e n e d ict X V I w rite s in Spe
salvi” (n. 2 7 )».7
5E Chavez V illanueva, Prefazione, in G. Ruta (ed.), Nino Baglieri a 360°, op. cit., p. 11.
6S. N icolosi, Un esemplare cammino umano, cristiano, ecclesiale, G. Ruta (ed.), Sulle
ali della croce, op. cit., p. 258.
7 T. Bertone, Prefazione, in G. Ruta (ed.), Sulle ali della croce, op. cit., p. 8.

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114 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
This spirit o f com m u nion con ­
tinues to be a feature o f relation ­
ships w ith th ose w h o k n ew him .
«In this jou rn ey o f h olin ess -
M ons. Stagliano poin ted ou t - N i­
n o w ill n ot leave us on ou r ow n
certain th at as he so greatly d e­
sired and left w ritten in his spiri­
tual testam ent, he w ill con tin u e
his m ission : “ So I love everyon e
and everyon e loves m e, and from
h eaven I shall con tin u e m y m is­
sion, I shall w rite to you from P ar­
a d is e ” » .6*8
4. In the stream of the evan­
gelising mission of today’s
world
T h e passion to p rocla im th e
G ospel w h ich was a special ch a r­
acteristic in the lives o f so m any
converts o f w h ich th e h is to r y o f
spiritu ality is so full, is on e o f the
m ore evident and relevant char­
acteristics o f the spiritual experi­
en ce o f A n ton in o B aglieri.
«H is house had becom e a sanc­
tuary, th e p resen t W orld D irector
o f th e V olunteers w ith D on B osco
says - th e goal o f pilgrim s, w ho
often arrived to com fort him and
left com forted and regen erated
by his w ords, by his jo y fu l a ccep ­
ta n ce o f th e cross, b y his gen tle
and fratern al sm ile. A V olu n teer
w ith D on B osco, w ith ou t the use
o f his legs and arm s b u t able to
m ove consciences, to becom e a gi­
ant o f faith, to cross the five con ­
tin en ts w ith h is m essage and his
w ord ».9
O n 17 July 2004 A n ton in o
B aglieri sent to the h u n dreds o f
y o u n g p e o p le g a th e r e d a t Colle
Don Bosco to ta k e p a rt in a Con-
fronto, o n th e 5 0 th a n n iv e rsa ry o f
the can on isation o f Saint D om n ic
Savio, th e follow in g m essage:
«I am totally paralysed. I can move
only my head, but my heart is full o f
joy and of a great strength to bear
witness to the Lord to the whole
world. He enables me to walk
through the world while being con­
fined to bed; to embrace the world
even though I cannot move my
hands. I am happy to be able to com­
municate to you all my jo y in the
Lord. Jesus is the true joy and I in­
vite you to savour his joy: open your
hearts to His love. Jesus is the com­
panion o f your life the faithful
friend who never leaves us. He takes
care of each one of you, He takes you
by the hand and leads you through
the ways o f this world. Believe me,
this world does not give happiness.
Flee from those who are selling
death. How many young people are
lost on the ways o f this world: drugs,
6A. Stagliano, Prefazione in G. Ruta (ed.), Nino Baglieri a 360°, op. cit., p. 17.
9M essaggio del R esponsabile M ondiale CDB del 5 marzo 2007, Ringraziamento, in
G. Ruta, Sulle ali della croce, op. cit., p. 286.

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 115
sex, power, enjoyment and enter­
tainments that leave us empty and
disappointed. We always go in
search o f something to bring us hap­
piness but then it is over and we go
looking again. Real Joy is within
you. You just have to discover it. Je­
sus is the true joy. Let yourselves be
guided to his love and everything
will be easier. He helps you to over­
come all life’s difficulties, nourish­
ing you with his word that is Light
for your steps. Meet him often in the
Sacraments, especially those of con­
fession and communion in order to
have the strength to be genuine
Christians, children o f God. Your
heart needs to be open to the Love of
Charity for your brothers and sis­
ters. Be bearers o f peace and always
ready to forgive everything and
everyone. Don’t be indifferent in the
face o f the problems o f your broth­
ers and sisters, carry their suffer­
ings with them ” .101
T h ese w ords take on their real
force because they are spoken by
a m an w hose life provides an ex­
am ple o f a jou rn ey o f faith; G race
led him , from an a d olescen ce o f
qu estion in g th rou gh a period o f
despair as a you n g m an to co n ­
version and to th e w itn ess o f a life
redeem ed.
«N in o w as a m an fully part o f
th is w orld , liv in g d eep ly his lay
state. N in o w as a m an u rged on
b y a dynam ism that w as typically
Salesian w ith w h ich he lived and
b ore w itness to his fa ith ».u
T h e evangelising m ission o f A n-
ton in o B aglieri con tin u es th rou gh
his w ritin gs and th rou g h the
p ra y e r g ro u p Friends o f Nino
Baglieri, th ro u g h th e c o m m it­
m en t o f th ose w h o still tod ay are
m oved b y his m em ory and b y his
passion for the K ingdom .
M ay th e op en in g o f his C ause o f
B ea tifica tion be fo r all o f us, for
the C h urch o f N oto, for the V ol­
u n teers w ith D on B osco and the
w h o le S a lesia n Fam ily, a rea son
for giving thanks to the L ord and
a stim ulus for a renew ed com m it­
m en t to w alk together on the path
o f holiness.
' Fr Pascual Chavez Vj^ anueva
Rector Major
10 The long letter is given in its entirety by the Rector Major o f the Salesians, Fr
Pascual Chavez, in his contribution My testimony concerning Nino Baglieri, in G. Ruta
(ed.), Sulle ali della croce, [On the wings o f the Cross] op. cit., pp. 248-249.
11Ibidem, p. 248.

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116 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
5.3 Decree for the canonical erec­
tion of the “Blessed John Paul
II” Province of Silchar (India)
P rot. n° 301/2011
DECREE
FOR THE CANONICAL ERECTION
OF THE
“ BLESSED JOHN PAUL n ”
SALE SIAN PROVINCE
OF SILCHAR
T he undersigned,
Fr. Pascual C h av ez V illan u ev a,
RectorMajor of the Salesian Society
of Saint John Bosco,
- con siderin g the d evelopm en t o f
th e S alesian m ission and th e
territorial exten sion o f the
“ M ary H elp o f C h ristia n s”
Salesian P rovin ce o f G uw ahati
(In d ia );
- in view o f th e resu lts o f th e
con su ltation carried ou t in the
P rovince;
- h avin g heard the favou rable
op in ion o f the P rovin cial and
his C ou ncil, and also follow in g
a proposal o f the P rovin cial
C h ap ter;
- h avin g obtain ed th e con sen t
o f th e G en eral C ou n cil in th e
m e e t in g o f 15 Decem ber 2011,
in a ccord an ce w ith the articles
132 §1,1 and 156 o f th e C on sti­
tu tio n s:
DETACHES from the “Mary
Help of Christians” Salesian
Province of Guwahati the fol­
lowing Houses:
1. A G A R T A L A , “ S a in t J o h n
B osco” ; 2. B IS H R A M G A N J - D on
B osco C en tre, “ S ain t J oh n
B osco” ; 3. B ISH R A M G A N J -
Saint F rancis Xavier, “ Saint F ran ­
cis X avier” ; 4. C H E R R A P U N JE E ,
“ Saint J oh n B o sco ” ; 5. JO W A I -
B osco Pnar, “ Saint Joh n B osco” ;
6. K H LIE H R IA T, “ H oly F am ily” ;
7. L A W N G T L A I, “ S ain t J oh n
B osco” ; 8. M A R IA M N A G A R ,
“ Q ueen o f P eace” ; 9. N O N G P O H ,
“ B lessed V irgin A ssu m ed into
H eaven ” ; 10. N O N G S T O IN ,
“ S ain t P e te r” ; 11. R A L IA N G ,
“M ary Im m acu late” ; 12. SA IH A ,
“ Saint J oh n B o sco ” ; 13. SE L IN G ,
“ S ain t J oh n B o sco ” ; 14. S H IL ­
L O N G - D on B osco, “ Saint Joh n
B osco” ; 15. S H IL L O N G - Junio-
rate, “ Saint D om in ic S a vio” ; 16.
S H IL L O N G - M athias Institute,
“ Saint P a u l” ; 17. S H IL L O N G -
M aw lai, “ Saint D om in ic S a vio” ;
18. S H IL L O N G - N ongthym m ai,
“ B lessed P h ilip R in a ld i” ; 19.
SH IL L O N G - Pastoral C entre,
“ S ain t F ran cis o f S a les” ; 20.
S H IL L O N G - Salesian T ra in in g
C entre, “ Saint J oh n B o sco ” ; 21.
S H IL L O N G - St. A nthony, “ Saint
A n th ony” ; 22. SH ILL O N G - Sun-

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 117
n yside, “ S ain t D om in ic S a v io” ;
23. S H IL L O N G - T h eologate,
“ Sacred H eart” ; 24. SILCH A R ,
“ S ain t J oh n B o sco ” ; 25. S O N -
A PA H A R , “ C hrist the K in g” ; 26.
U M R A N , “ Saint J osep h ”
a n d in a d d itio n th e Salesian
presences, n ot y e t ca n on ica lly
erected, in:
1. M A W J R O N G , “ M a r y Q u e e n
o f P ea ce” ; 2. M A N D W I, “ S ain t
S te p h e n ” ; 3. U M D E N , “ S ain t
J o se p h ” ; 4. R A M B R A I, “ M ou n t
C alva ry” ; 5. R A N G B L A N G ,
“ S ain t M a ry ” ; 6. L A IT K O R ,
“ S a in t J o se p h ” ; 7. S H IL L O N G -
Y outh C en tre, “ S ain t J oh n
B o sco ” ; 8. H A F L O N G , “ S ain t
F rancis X av ier”
and b y th e p resen t Decree,
CANONICALLY ERECTS
th e n ew SALESIAN PROVINCE
OF SILCHAR, with the title
“B LE SSE D JO H N PAUL II ”,
with headquarters in SIL­
CHAR (India), th e “Saint John
Bosco” house, w ith th e a fo re ­
m e n tio n e d Salesian houses and
presences
Territorially the P rovin ce com ­
prises the follow in g D ioceses:
A gartala, A izaw l, Jow ai, N ong-
stoin, Shillong.
T h e follow in g decision s have
been m ade:
1. B e lo n g in g to th e P r o v in c e are
the con freres w ho at the date o f
the can on ical erection, are living
a n d w o rk in g in th e S alesia n
h ou ses and presen ces listed
above. By the agreem ent o f the
tw o P rovincials a possible change
o f P rovin ce - w ithin three years -
can be m ade.
2. R ega rd in g con freres in initial
form ation and those w ho are
stu dyin g or w orkin g ou tside the
P rovin ce, the P rovin ce to w hich
th ey b elon g w ill be d eterm in ed
starting from the choice m ade by
th e con freres them selves.
3. T h e d efin ition and th e collab ­
oration o f the C entres for initial
form ation , the C entres for ani­
m ation , and o f the large In sti­
tutes such as D on B osco U niver­
sity at G u w ah ati and econ om ic
rela tion sh ip s w ill be reg u la ted
by an agreem ent to be draw n
up betw een th e C ou n cil o f th e
G uw ahati P rovin ce and the
C ou n cil o f th e Silchar P rovin ce
and to be approved by the R ector
M ajor.
T h e p resen t D ecree w ill com e
into force on the Solem nity
o f M ary H elp o f C hristians,
24 May 2012.

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118 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
R om e, 31 January 2012
Solemnity of Don Bosco.
Fr. Pascual Chavez V illanueva
Rector Major
Fr. Marian Stempel
Secretary General
5.4 Decree for the canonical erec­
tion of the “Mary Help of Chris­
tians” Greek-Catholic Special
Statute Circumscription of the
Ukraine
- takin g into accou n t that for a
m ore effective anim ation , the
D elegation o f the U kraine
B yzan tin e-U k ra in e R ite, w ith
h eadquarters at L viv (U kraine)
w as established;
- in view o f the results o f the con ­
sultation carried ou t in the D el­
e g a tio n ;
- given the favourable op in ion o f
the S u perior o f the C ircu m ­
scrip tion o f E ast E u rope w ith
his C ouncil;
P rot. n° 076/2012
DECREE
FOR THE CANONICAL ERECTION
OF THE
“ MARIA HELP OF CHRISTIANS”
GREEK-CATHOLIC
SPECIAL STATUTE
CIRCUMSCRIPTION
OF THE UKRAINE
T h e undersigned,
F r. Pascual C h avez V illa n u e v a ,
RectorMajor ofthe Salesian Society
of Saint John Bosco,
- con siderin g the developm ent o f
th e S alesian m ission in th e
U kraine and the need for a bet­
ter a n im a tion o f S alesian life
and vocation, inculturating the
ch arism o f D on B osco in the
G reek - C atholic C h urch o f the
U kraine;
- follow in g the process o f discern­
m ent undertaken in the G en er­
al C ouncil and h avin g obtained
the con sen t o f the sam e in the
m eetin g o f 29 March 2012, in
accordance w ith the articles 132
§1,1 and 156 o f th e C o n stitu ­
tio n s:
b y this presen t D ecree,
CANONICALLY ERECTS
T h e n ew SPECIAL STATU­
TE CIRCUMSCRIPTION of
the GREEK - CATHOLIC
UKRAINE, with the title
“M ARY H ELP OF C H R IS­
TIAN S”, with headquarters
in LVIV (Ukraine), “Blessed
Philip R inaldi” house, to
w h ich th e fo llo w in g S alesian
h ouses belong:

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 119
- L viv - D elega tion , “ B lessed
Philip R in aldi”
- L viv - M ary H elp o f C hristians,
“ M ary H elp o f C h ristians”
- L v iv - St. Fr. o f Sales, “ Saint
F rancis o f S ales”
- L viv - St. J oh n B osco, “ Saint
John B osco”
- L viv - V ynnyky, “ S ain t John
B osco”
T h e follow in g d ecision s have
been m ade:
1. M e m b e r s o f th e C ir cu m s cr ip ­
tion are those con freres w ho
at th e date o f the canonical erec­
tion are livin g and w ork in g in
th e h ou ses listed above and
o th e r S a lesia n p re se n ce s in th e
U kraine.
2. A lso m em bers are con freres
in form a tion com in g from th e
G reek-C atholic U kraine, even
though belon gin g to external for­
m ation com m u n ities or to the
UPS.
3. T h e S u p erior o f th e C ircu m ­
scription shall have tw o m eetings
a yea r w ith th e R e cto r M ajor
and/or the R egional C ou ncillor to
assess together and to present the
progress o f the C ircum scription.
In addition regardin g im portan t
issues th e R egion al C ou n cillor
w ill con su lted and in volved, b e ­
fore these are considered by the
C ouncil o f th e C ircum scription.
4. T h e C ou n cil o f th e C ircu m ­
s cr ip tio n is to b e co m p o s e d o f
th ree con freres: th e V icar, the
E con om er and a C ouncillor.
5. G iven the lim ited n u m ber o f
con freres, rep resen tation at the
G eneral C hapter for the present
w ill be b y the S uperior o f the C ir­
cu m scrip tion alone.
6. T im es for form a tion in com ­
m on and pastoral coordination for
the R ectors, the con freres and
th ose in form ation o f the U kraine
G reek -C ath olic and the L atin
U kraine should be ensured.
7. R ega rd in g oth er m atters, w hat
is establish ed in th e C on stitu tion s
for a P rovin ce applies: C hapter
o f the C ircu m scription , app oin t­
m en t o f the C ou n cillors o f the
C ircum scription, app ointm ent o f
the R ectors, the opening o f hous­
es, th e can on ical erection o f the
com m unities, etc.
T h e p resen t D ecree w ill com e
in to fo rce on 1 September 2012.
Rom e, 29 M arch 2012.
Fr. Pascual Chavez V illanueva
Rector Major
Fr. Marian STEMPEL
Secretajy General

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120 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
5.5 New Provincials
Here we list (in alphabetical or­
der) certain data for the Provin­
cials appointed by the Rector M a­
jo r with his Council during the
Plenary Session December 2011 -
January 2012 and the extraordi­
nary Interm ediate Session in
March 2012.
1. ABRAHAM Bela, Provincial for
HUNGARY
F a th er Bela ABRAHAM h as
been appoin ted to lead th e Saint
S tep h en P rov in ce, HUNGARY.
H e takes the place o f F r Sim on
M anjooran.
B orn on 20 M arch 1968 in B u ­
dapest (H ungary), B ela A braham
did his philosop h ical and th eolog ­
ical studies at the D iocesan sem i­
nary in E sztergom -B u dapest and
w as ordained priest for this A rch ­
d iocese on 15 Ju n e 1991. T h e
sam e year, thanks to the collapse
o f the C om m unist regim e and re­
new ed opportunities for religious
to return to their com m unities, Fr
B ela en tered th e S alesian n ov i­
tiate at Szom bathely, w h ere he
m ade his first p rofession on 8 Sep­
tem ber 1992. A fter the period for
first vow s prescribed b y th e C on ­
stitutions, h e m ade his perpetual
profession on 28 June 1998.
H e w orked for a num ber of
years in Salesian parishes in B u ­
dapest, w as rector, novice director
and then bursar at Obuda, B u­
dapest. From 2005 he was the rec­
tor o f th e Salesian R etreat H ou se
at P elifoldszen tkereszt and vice­
principal o f the sen ior sch ool at
N yergesu jfalu . H e has also held
various positions o f responsibility
at P rovin ce level: from 1995 to
2000 h e w as in ch arge o f Salesian
Y outh M in istry and gave it a p ar­
ticu lar ten or in th e p ost-C om m u -
nist era; from 2000 to 2006 he w as
a p rovin cial councillor, from 2006
to 2009 vice-provincial, and from
2006 to 2011 provincial econom er.
2. CASTELL HENDERSON Nes­
tor Luis, Provincial, URUGUAY
F r Nestor Luis CASTELL
HENDERSON is th e n ew P ro v in ­
cial o f the St J osep h ’s P rovin ce,
URUGUAY. H e rep la ces D an iel
F ernando Sturla, ord ain ed A u xil­
iary B ishop o f M ontevideo.
N estor Luis C astell w as b orn in
Salto (U rugu ay) on 26 F ebruary
1963 and has b een a Salesian
since 31 Jan u ary 1983, th e date
o f his first p rofession at M on tev­
ideo. H e w as p erp etu ally p ro­
fessed on 31 Jan u ary 1989, and
ordained priest at Salto on 19 O c­
tober 1991.

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 121
A fter his ordination , from 1992
to 1995 h e exercised h is ed u ca ­
tion a l and p astora l m in istry in
M on tevid eo - “ V illa C olon ” . T h en
from 1996 to 2003 he w ork ed in
the theologate at M on tevideo, as
vice-rector. In 1996 he becam e a
m em ber o f the provincial council.
In D ecem ber 2003 he w as ap­
p oin ted R ector at M aturana,
M ontevideo, a task he carried out
for six years, until F ebruary 2010.
In M ay 2006 he w as appoin ted as
vice provincial, w h ich he carried
out until 2009, and w as th en ap­
p oin ted p rovin cial econom er, a
role he had until he w as app oin t­
ed p rovin cial. M ost recen tly he
w as also the p rovin cial delegate
fo r th e S alesian Fam ily.
3. CASTILHO Edson Donizetti,
Provincial of SAO PAULO, Brazil
T o lead th e “ M ary H elp o f
C h r i s t i a n s ” P r o v i n c e , SAO
PAULO, B r a z il, t h e R e c t o r M a jo r
w ith his C ouncil has appointed Fr
Edson Donizetti CASTILHO. H e
su cceed s F r M arco B iaggi.
E dson D on izetti C astilho, born
on 18 N ovem b er 1963 in C ruzeiro
(B razil), m ade his first profession
on 12 Jan u ary 1983 in th e n ovi­
tiate at Sao C arlos. H e m ade his
perpetual profession on 31 Janu­
ary 1989, and w as ordained priest
at C ruzeiro, th e city o f his birth,
on 11 Jan u ary 1992.
A fter his ord in ation , from 1992-
1993 he w orked at St Joachim ’s at
Lorena, then from 1994 to 1997 at
th e provin cial h ou se in San Paulo
as delegate for Youth M inistry for
the Province. In 1997 he w ent to
R om e to do his licentiate in edu­
ca tio n at th e U .P S. H e th en re ­
tu rn ed to B razil and 1999-2000
w ork ed at the postn ovitiate at
Lorena. Then from 2001 to 2006
he w as R ector at St J osep h ’s in
C am pinas. H e spent 2007 as re c­
tor at L orena St J oa ch im ’s; th en
w as transferred to San M ooca,
San Paulo, as vice re cto r o f th e
com m u n ity and in ch arge o f th e
Salesian P ublishing H ouse. B oth
at Cam pinas and L oren a h e w as
involved w ith activities to d o w ith
U N ISA L, and w as a p p oin ted its
rector in 2010, w h en th e a d m in is­
tration was tra n sferred from
A m ericana to San Paulo.
4. DAL MOLIN Roberto, Provin­
cial of NORTH EAST ITALY
F r Roberto DAL MOLIN is th e
new P rovin cial o f th e St M ark ’s
Province, NORTH-EAST ITALY.
H e rep laces F r E u g en io Riva.
R oberto Dal M olin was born on
21 O ctob er 1967 at V erona (Italy)
and has b een a Salesian sin ce 8

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122 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Septem ber 1988, the day he m ade
his first p rofession at C olle D on
B osco, follow in g his n ovitia te at
P in erolo. H e m ade his perpetual
profession on 18 S eptem ber 1994,
and w as ordained priest at V erona
on 22 J u n e 1996, fo llo w in g his
th eological studies at th e C ro-
cetta, T urin.
A fter his p riestly ord in a tion ,
from 1995 until Septem ber 1997
he w as in th e postn ovitiate com ­
m u n ity in R om e, San T arcisio. H e
w as then tran sferred to the
p rovin cial h ou se in W est V enice
P rovin ce in V erona, and involved
in p rov in ce lead ersh ip . H e re ­
m ain ed in V eron a u n til 2003,
w hen he w as sent to M oglian o
V eneto, to the V ocation al G u id ­
ance com m unity, and w as also del­
egate fo r Y outh M inistry, e x ­
pressed in variou s w ays and
th rou gh various groups. In S ep­
tem ber 2006 he w en t to N ave
(B rescia), as rector o f the p ost­
novitiate. H e has n ow been asked
to take up th e leadersh ip o f th e
N orth -E ast Italy P rovin ce.
5. EL R A T Munir, Provincial o f
the MIDDLE EAST
T h e R e cto r M a jor w ith his
C o u n cil h as a p p o in te d F r Munir
EL RAT as P rovin cial o f the J e­
sus the A dolescen t P rovin ce,
M IDDLE EAST. H e s u c c e e d s F r
M au rizio Spreafico.
B orn on 13 F eb ru a ry 1968 at
A lep p o, Syria, he m ade his first
profession on 8 Septem ber 1988
in R om e, after co m p le tin g his
n ovitiate at L anuvio (R om e). H e
d id his p ostn ov itia te in N ave
(B rescia), then retu rn ed to the
M iddle E ast P rovin ce for practi­
cal train in g at A leppo, and th eo­
logical studies at C rem isan. H e
w as ordain ed p riest on 13 July
1996 at A leppo.
A fter ordination he returned to
Italy to pursue fu rth er studies at
th e U P S . O n his retu rn to M O R ,
after a year at C rem isan, he was
appointed rector o f the h ouse at
A lep p o (S yria). H e b ecam e a
m em ber o f the provincial council
in Ju ly 2005, and in 2008 w as ap­
pointed vice provincial, a role he
has carried out u n til his ap p oin t­
m ent now as provincial.
6. LORENZELLI Alberto, Provin­
cial o f CHILE
F r Alberto LORENZELLI tak es
th e place o f F r L eon a rd o San-
tibanez M artinez as leader o f the
St G abriel th e A rch an gel
P r o v in c e , CHILE.
B orn o n 2 S ep tem b er 1953 in
A rgentina, at San Juan M atanza,
o f Italian parents, A lb erto L oren -

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 123
zelli has been a Salesian sin ce 24
Septem ber 1973, w hen he m ade
his first p ro fe ssio n at th e n o v i­
tiate at P in erolo (T urin). F ollow ­
in g th e n orm al S alesian form a ­
tion cu rricu lum , he m ade his p er­
petu al p rofession on 15 S ep tem ­
ber 1977 and w as ordained priest
at G en oa-S am p ierdaren a on 24
January 1981.
A fter his priestly ord ination , his
pastoral and educational m inistry
w as to a large exten t carried ou t
at G enoa-Sam pierdarena, w here
he becam e rector in 1996 un til
2002, w h en th e R ector M ajor
called on him to b ecom e p rovin ­
cial o f th e L igu ria-T u scan y
P rovince, based at G enoa. A t the
en d o f this six year period, in 2008
th e R ector M ajor w ith his C ou n ­
cil appoin ted him as p rovin cial o f
the C entral Italy C ircum scription,
a role he carried ou t un til his ap­
p o in tm e n t n ow as p ro v in cia l in
Chile. O ver th e past six years he
has also b een P resid en t o f th e
Italian C on feren ce o f M ajor S u pe­
riors (C IS M ) [c f A G C 379 no. 5.6
and A G C 403 no. 5.6]
7. MALIEKAL George Joseph,
Provincial o f SILCHAR Province,
India
T h e R e cto r M a jor w ith his
C o u n cil h as a p p o in te d F r George
Joseph MALIEKAL as S u p erior o f
the new P rovin ce o f St John
B osco, b a sed in SILCHAR, In dia,.
H e w as b orn on 13 Jun e 1958 at
A ra k u la m -T h od u p u zh a (K erala,
India) and m ade his first religious
p rofession as a Salesian on 25
M ay 1978, in th e G uw ahati
P rovin ce. H e m ade his perpetual
p ro fe ssio n on 11 F eb ru a ry 1984,
and was ordained priest on 30 D e­
cem ber 1986.
A fter his p riestly ordination, he
spent som e years in the theologate
at Shillong, and w as then sent to
Jirikinding, as parish priest, then
to S ojon g, as re ctor and parish
priest, from 1992 to 1996. T hen he
spent tw o years as rector o f the
house and the D on Bosco School
at T u ra, and in 1998 cam e to
R om e to p u rsu e fu rth er studies,
residin g in the com m u nity at the
G erin i-In stitu te. O n his return to
th e p rovin ce, he spen t a yea r in
th e th eologate in Shillong. T hen,
com ing back to R om e, he com plet­
ed his studies w ith a D octorate in
C hurch H istory at the G regorian
U niversity. H e retu rn ed to India
to the Sacred H eart th eologate in
Shillong, as lecturer, a role he con ­
tinued until now.
8. MANCINI Leonardo, Provin­
cial o f CENTRAL ITALY Circum­
scription

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124 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
F r Leonardo MANCINI is th e
new P rovincial o f the Sacred
H e a r t C ir c u m s c r ip t i o n , CEN­
TRAL ITALY, b a s e d in R o m e , h a v ­
in g been appointed by the R ector
M ajor w ith his C ou ncil to su cceed
F r A lb erto L oren zelli, w ho has
been appoin ted as P rovin cial o f
C hile
B orn on 18 F eb ru a ry 1964 in
R om e, L eon ard o M an cin i has
b een a Salesian since 8 S ep tem ­
b er 1984, th e day h e m ade his
first p rofession in the novitiate at
L an u vio (R om e), in w h at w as
then the R om an P rovince. O n 22
A p ril 1990 he m ade his p erpetu al
profession and th en on 12 O cto­
b er 1991 w as ord a in ed p riest in
R om e, after his th eological stu d ­
ies at th e U .PS. T h en at th e U .PS.
he pursu ed his L icen ciate in T h e ­
ology.
A fter his p riestly ord in ation , he
spent tw o years in the h ou se at
C assino, th en in S ep tem ber 1994
w as sen t to P iu s X I in R om e,
w here from 2000 to 2006 he was
rector o f th e com m unity. H e w as
th en appointed rector o f the com ­
m u n ity at V illa Sora, F rascati,
until 2011, w h en he was appoin t­
ed rector and novice d irector at
the novitiate at G enzano R om e, a
role he has carried out un til now.
H e has been a m em ber o f the
provincial cou n cil on a n u m ber o f
occasion s, firstly in th e R om an
P rovin ce, th en in th e C entral
Italy C ircu m scrip tion . M ost re ­
cen tly he has also been in volved
in provin cial services to S chools
and C N O S /S ch ool.
9. ORKIC Pejo, Provincial of
CROATIA
T h e R ector M ajor w th his C ou n ­
c il h a s a p p o in t e d F r Pejo ORKIC
as Provincial o f the St John B osco
P r o v in c e , CROATIA, f o r t h e n e x t
six years. H e takes th e place o f F r
Ivan M arijanovic
Pejo O rkic w as b orn on 19 J an ­
u ary 1966 at K opanice, in n orth
B osn ia, and has b een a Salesian
since 15 A u gu st 1990, the day he
m ade his first p ro fe ssio n in th e
novitiate at P odsused, Zagreb. H e
sp en t a y e a r in R ijek a, th e n Italy,
w h ere he spent a year in practical
train in g in C hiari (B rescia), and
th en w en t for his th eological stu d ­
ies to th e U .PS. in R om e. H e w as
perp etu ally p rofessed on 8 S ep­
tem b er 1995, and w as ordain ed
priest on 19 July 1997 at K opan­
ice, his birth place.
F ollow in g his ord in a tion to th e
p riesth ood , he rem ain ed in Italy
w h ere he w ork ed fo r tw o years in
the n ovitiate at L anuvio (R om e).
O n his retu rn to C roatia he w as
p u t in ch arge o f th e V ocation al

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 125
Guidance Community at Rijeka
and then went to Zagreb. For
three years, 2001-2003 he was
rector of the community at Pod-
sused, Zagreb, then from 2003 to
2006 at the Theology students’
community, Zagreb. He was a
provincial councillor from 2003
to 2009, and was provincial dele­
gate for Youth Ministry. In 2008
he was made rector and parish
priest at Zagreb-Knezija, roles
that he has carried out until
now.
10. POTOCNIK Janez, Provincial
of SLOVENIA
Fr Janez POTOCNIK succeeds
Fr Alojzij Slavko Snoj as Provin­
cial of the Sts Cyril and Method­
ius Province, SLOVENIA.
Born on 24 December 1959 at
Florjan, Gornji Grad (Slovenia),
Janez Potocnik made his first re­
ligious profession on 14 August
1977 in the novitiate at Zelimlje.
He made his perpetual profession
on 25 September 1983, and was
ordained priest at Gornji Grad on
29 June 1987.
After his ordination he was sent
to the house at Zelimlje where he
remained until 1994, except for
one year, 1992, which he spent at
Rudnik, Ljubljana. Until then he
was in charge of the “Ministrant”
magazine and also the Salesian
Bulletin, tasks that he has carried
out until now. In 1994 he was ap­
pointed rector of the house at
Rakovnik, Ljubljana, a role which
- except for a brief interruption -
was reconfirmed several times,
and which he has been carrying
out ever since. He has helped out
in various aspects of province
leadership at Ljubljana: as novice
director (1999-2000), provincial
councillor (1994-2003 and from
2009 onwards), vice provincial
(2004-2006), Youth Ministry and
Formation delegate. Since 2005
he has been director of Zavod
Salesianum, a Salesian institute
dedicated to the education of the
young, especially those at risk.
11. VATTATHARA Thomas,
Provincial of GUWAHATI, India
Fr. Thomas VATTATHARA (al­
so known as V.M. Thomas) has
been appointed by the Rector Ma­
jor with his Council as Provincial
of the Mary Help of Christians
Province, GUWAHATI, India, in
its new configuration, following
the creation of the Province of
Silchar.
Thomas Vattathara was born
on 18 February 1951 at Kongor-
pilly, in Kerala State (India), and
made his profession as a Salesian

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126 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
on 24 May 1969 in the novitiate
at Shillong-Sunnyside. After his
early Salesian formation, he
made his perpetual profession on
24 May 1975 and was ordained
priest on 28 December 1978 in
Kongorpilly.
After his priestly ordination,
from 1985 to 1988 he was made
rector of the house of Don Bosco
in Guwahati and since 2005 until
now of the Don Bosco Institute in
Kharguli. He has been provincial
councillor for Guwahati from
1988 to 1990, and Youth Ministry
delegate and delegate for youth
groups and movements from 2003
to 2006. As a leader for so many
young people in the North-East of
India and a formator of religious
and lay people, he also set up var­
ious projects for needy youth in
Assam State.
5.6 Mons. COSTELLOE Timothy,
Archbishop of Perth (Australia)
On 20 February 2012 the Vati­
can Press Office announced that
the Holy Father Benedict XVI, ac­
cepting the resignation from the
pastoral ministry in the Archdio­
cese of PERTH, Australia, pre­
sented by Mons. Barry James
Hickey, having reached the age
limit had appointed as his succes­
sor Mons. Timothy COSTELLOE,
SDB, at the time Titular Bishop
of CLUAIN Iraird and Auxiliary of
Melbourne (Australia)
Born in Melbourne on 3 Febru­
ary 1954, Timothy Costelloe made
his first profession as a Salesian
on 31 January 1978 and his per­
petual profession on 8 September
1985. On 25 October 1986 he was
ordained priest at East Bentleigh,
St. Peter’s [In n. 398 of the AGC
can be found the other details of
his curriculum vitae].
Appointed Bishop by Benedict
XVI on 30 April 2007, Mons. Tim­
othy Costelloe was consecrated on
15 June the same year by Mons.
Denis James Hart, with Cardinal
George Pell and Mons. Ambrose
Battista De Paoli, co-consecrators.
At present he is a member of
the Bishops’ Committees for
Catholic Education, Doctrine and
Morals of the Australian Bishops’
Conference as well as President of
the Committee for Catholic Edu­
cation of Victoria.
The Archdiocese of Perth, dedi­
cated to the Immaculate Concep­
tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
is a Metropolitan see with three
suffragan dioceses: Bunbury, Ger-
aldton and Broome. It covers
471,118 km2, and has a population
of about 1.5 million of whom
365,000 are Catholics.

14 Pages 131-140

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14.1 Page 131

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 127
5.7 Salesian personnel at 31 December 2011
Prov.
Tot.
2010
Temp. Professed
L
S
D
p
Perp. P rofessed
Tot.
Tot.
L
S
D
p Professed Novices 2011
AET
AFC
AFE
AFM
AFO
AFW
AGL
ANG
ATE
ANT
ARN
ARS
AUL
AUS
BEN
BOL
BBH
BCG
BMA
BPA
BRE
BSP
CAM
CEP
CIL
CIN
COB
COM
CRO
ECU
EST
FIN
FIS
FRB
GBR
GER
GIA
HAI
INB
INC
IND
ING
INH
INK
INM
INN
INP
INT
IRL
ICC
ICP
ILE
140
10
47
0
1
21
14
0
47
140
1 141
230
9
64
0
0
27
14
0
100
214
22
236
170
1
47
0
0
15
13
0
90
166
9
175
55
1
4
0
0
6
5
0
37
53
1
54
161
1
49
0
0
14
14
0
76
154
9
163
144
6
65
0
0
14
15
0
39
139
15
154
82
4
22
0
0
8
3
0
43
80
6
86
77
4
23
0
0
8
4
0
38
77
9
86
132
4
29
0
0
11
14
0
66
124
7
131
173
2
19
0
0
14
6
0
117
158
3
161
204
9
21
0
0
25
7
0
139
201
3
204
261
4
9
0
1
33
7
0
201
255
1 256
105
3
10
0
0
13
2
0
76
104
0
104
78
0
6
0
0
5
0
0
66
77
0
77
204
0
2
0
0
29
3
1 162
197
0
197
163
4
32
0
0
13
14
0
91
154
4
158
138
4
14
0
0
16
5
0
86
125
4
129
148
8
15
0
0
20
8
0
84
135
4
139
93
3
24
0
0
9
4
0
52
92
3
95
103
1
13
0
0
7
2
0
68
91
1
92
108
2
21
0
0
13
0
0
63
99
10
109
146
5
21
0
0
14
1
0
97
138
10
148
193
3
21
0
0
21
5
0
139
189
0
189
158
0
6
0
0
11
1
1 135
154
0
154
176
1
19
0
0
11
5
0
129
165
3
168
113
1
8
0
0
26
4
1
72
112
0
112
160
1
29
0
1
11
6
0
108
156
6
162
162
4
30
0
0
17
4
0
99
154
8
162
86
1
15
0
0
2
3
0
65
86
3
89
182
3
15
0
0
16
5
0
133
172
1 173
110
1
15
0
0
0
4
0
75
95
1
96
211
2
22
0
0
14
9
0
158
205
3
208
108
4
21
0
0
10
3
0
69
107
7
114
237
1
4
0
0
30
5
0
184
224
0
224
82
1
2
0
0
6
0
0
73
82
0
82
311
5
2
0
0
63
1
2 224
297
2
299
110
0
8
0
0
14
3
0
85
110
1
111
68
0
16
0
1
3
5
0
43
68
2
70
224
3
51
0
0
12
10
0
133
209
8
217
241
2
50
0
0
16
7
0
154
229
5
234
234
3
48
0
0
6
15
0
157
229
10
239
434
14
113
0
0
31
43
0
222
423
24
447
191
2
53
0
0
5
11
0
117
188
17
205
340
2
88
0
0
8
16
0 218
332
8
340
358
4
92
0
0
15
14
0 231
356
19
375
180
4
46
0
0
14
17
0
97
178
8
186
100
0
28
0
0
7
5
0
58
98
2
100
217
1
76
0
0
6
22
0
96
201
15
216
90
0
7
0
0
8
0
0
77
92
2
94
520
2
30
0
0
63
13
2
375
485
3
488
537
1
14
0
0
123
5
2
369
514
3
517
321
1
22
0
0
40
8
0 233
304
0
304

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128 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Prov.
IME
INE
ISI
ITM
KOR
LKC
MDG
MEG
MEM
MOR
MOZ
MYM
PAR
PER
PLE
PLN
PLO
PLS
POR
SLK
SLO
SBA
SBI
SLE
SMA
SSE
SVA
SUE
SUO
THA
UNG
URU
VEN
VIE
ZMB
UPS
RMG
Tot.
Ep.
TOT.
Tot.
2010
Temp. Professed
L
S
D
p
Perp. Professed
Tot.
Tot.
L
S
D
P Professed Novices 2011
241
0
14
0
0 26
9
0 184 233
3 236
400
3
19
0
0 74
4
1 280
381
3 384
230
0
8
0
0
18
4
1 189
220
2 222
191
24
69
0
0
9
9
1 69
181
21 202
125
4 25
0
0 20
6
0
63
118
0 118
65
2
16
0
0
4
2
0 40
64
2
66
99
5 29
0
0
6
7
0 48
95
7 102
195
4
19
0
0
13
2
0 149
187
6 193
163
4
15
0
0
11
11
1 113
155
3 158
107
1
7
0
1 11
4
0 84
108
1 109
62
4
16
0
0
4
2
0 31
57
1
58
75
6 32
0
0
1
2
0 30
71
6
77
92
5
16
0
0
4
5
0 61
91
4
95
155
3 28
0
0
9
9
0
89
138
2 140
271
2
14
0
0
14
4
0 236
270
4 274
289
0 23
0
0
7
10
0 241
281
3 284
205
1 24
0
0
2
7
0 159
193
6 199
216
0 21
0
0
6
3
0 179
209
4 213
102
0
0
0
0 26
2
1 72
101
1 102
218
3
12
0
0
15
10
1 174
215
4 219
102
0
5
0
0
7
1
0 85
98
0
98
162
0
1
0
0 25
0
1 132
159
0 159
173
0
1
0
0 45
5
1 119
171
0 171
203
2
0
0
0 64
0
0 132
198
3 201
272
0
3
0
0 65
7
0 191
266
1 267
209
1
6
0
0 22
7
0 164
200
2 202
144
0
3
0
0 21
7
1 108
140
0 140
179
1
9
0
0 31
2
0 125
168
4 172
97
0
3
0
0
19
3
0 72
97
2
99
91
2
8
0
0
12
5
0 63
90
0
90
39
0
2
0
0
1
6
0 28
37
0
37
100
1
5
0
0
4
2
0 80
92
3
95
200
3
32
0
0
14
5
0 137
191
5 196
309
28
71
0
0
24
39
0 118
280
20 300
80
1 26
0
0
6
3
0 37
73
7
80
134
0
0
0
0
8
0
0 124
132
1 133
79
0
0
0
0
17
0
0 61
78
0
78
15643 262 2090
0
5 1609 608
18 10433 15025 414 15439
119
121 <*)
121 O
15762 262 2090
0
5 1609 608
18 10433 15146 414 15560
Note C) ■At 31 December 2011 there are 121 SDB Bishops (not counting Daniel Sturla Berhouet, not yet consecrated)
** The column D indicates permanent Deacons

14.3 Page 133

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 129
5.8 Our dead confreres (4,hlist 2011 and 1st list 2012)
“Faith in the risen Christ sustains our hope and keeps alive our communion with our
brothers who rest in Christ’s peace. They have spent their lives in the Congregation, and
not a few have suffered even to the point of martyrdom for the love of the Lord... Their
remembrance is an incentive to continue faithfully in our mission" (C. 94).
Deceased 2011 - 4thlist
NOTE: tVe print a 4thlist of the dead for 2011, news of whose death came after the publication
ofAGC n. 412.
SURNAME AND NAME
P ANDUJAR ROMERO Eusebio
P BIRRI Ermes
P BORELLI Piero
P B0RR0NI Gian Paolo
P CONTI Gaetano
P DOPHEIDE Hans
P ESCOBAR GARZON Jorge
L FRIGO Giorgio
P GOICOECHEAITURBE Fermin
P LEO MARINO
P MARINELLI Ulrico
P 0TT0B0NI Mario
L PENNAPARAMBIL Anthony
P ROSSI Pietro
P SARTORI Silvio
P TINKA Karel
P ZULIANI Vinicio
PLACE of death
DATE
AGE PROV
Sevilla (Spagna)
15/12/2011 84 SSE
Castello di Godego (Italia)
19/12/2011 82 INE
Vercelli (Italia)
31/12/2011 69 ICP
Passirana di Rho (Italia)
17/12/2011 70 ILE
Messina (Italia)
25/12/2011 95
ISI
Ferntree Gully, Victoria (Australia) 25/12/2011 75 AUL
Cuenca (Ecuador)
24/12/2011 98 ECU
Castello di Godego (Italia)
25/12/2011 93 INE
Logrono (Spagna)
14/12/2011 83 SBI
Salerno (Italia)
31/12/2012 97 IME
Roma (Italia)
30/12/2011 101 ICC
Porto Viro (Italia)
27/12/2011 86 INE
Kuravilangadu (Kerala, India) 26/12/2011 72 INM
Venezia-Mestre (Italia)
26/12/2011 87 INE
Campo Grande (Brasile)
22/10/2011 91 BCG
Zlin (Rep. Ceca)
20/12/2011 91 CEP
Stony Point, NY (USA)
29/12/2011 84 SUE
Deceased 2012 - 1st list
•k ft ft
SURNAME AND NAME
P ADAMS Louis
P AGUIAR SERVIN Felix Enrique
P ANDREOLETTI Pietro
L AO Joseph
P ARMINANA GARCIA Jaime
P AYERS John
P BALDAN Giovanni
P BARRA Alessandro
P BARUFFA Antonio
P BEDON Sante
PLACE of death
DATE
AGE PROV
Herentals (Belgio)
16/02/2012 91 BEN
Fernando de la Mora (Paaraguay) 19/04/2012 92 PAR
Torino (Italia)
17/02/2012 77 ICP
Hong Kong (Cina)
09/03/2012 85 CIN
San Juan, Alicante (Spagna) 10/03/2012 77 SVA
Alafua, Apia (Australia)
04/04/2012 83 AUL
Americana (Brasile)
15/01/2012 92 BSP
Torino (Italia)
14/01/2012 62 ICP
Roma (Italia)
20/03/2012 73 ICC
Torino (Italia)
07/02/2012 81 MOR

14.4 Page 134

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130 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
SURNAME AND NAME
P BENNETT John
P BONACELLI Guglielmo
Fu Ispettore per 4 anni
L BONATO Bernardino
P BROCCOLI Gaetano
P BYRNE Laurence
P CADROBBI Luigi
P CALAMA Gregorio
L CAPO Oscar
P CAPORALI Paolo
P CARRILLA Jesus
P CASALS Esteban
L CASTRO ANTOLIN Jose
L CAVEDON Beniamino
P CHIOFALO Domingo
P COGLIANDRO Mario
P CONCA Pietro
L CORTESI Giovanni
P CREMASCHI Pietro
P CUVA Armando
P De la CAL ARENALES Amado
P De PARSCAU Xavier
L DESTEFANIS Giovanni
P DVORAK Vaclav
P FERNANDO Peter Mathew
P GARCIA COLADO Marcos
L GAZDIK Jan
P GERMANI Rino
P GIACOMINI Salvatore
P GIANOTTI Saverio
P GIULIANI Alessandro
P GfcUCHOWSKI Leszek
L GRZNAR Jozef
P GUZMAN GUZMAN Macrino
Fu Ispettore per 6 anni
P HAJDUKIWSKYJ Stanislaw
P HERIOT Leo
P HORVATH Ignaz
P ILARI Giuseppe
L IRIARTE UNZU Santiago
L JUGMANS Leon
P JURANYI Ferenc
P KETELSLEGERS Maurice
P KMOTORKA Stanislao
S LARRANAGA Raul Edgardo
P L’HOSTIS Frangois
P LOPEZ Juan Ignacio
PLACE of death
Manchester (Gran Bretagna)
Roma (Italia)
Torino (Italia)
Salerno (Italia)
Oakland (USA)
Castello di Godego (Italia)
Cadiz (Spagna)
Barcelona (Spagna)
Arcadia, CA (USA)
Barcelona (Spagna)
Barcelona (Spagna)
Foz, Lugo (Spagna)
Torino (Italia)
Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Messina (Italia)
Ivrea (Italia)
Dovadola (Italia)
Milano (Italia)
Roma (Italia)
Avila (Spagna)
Toulon (Francia)
Torino (Italia)
Rumburk (Rep. Ceca)
Polur (India)
Barcelona (Spagna)
Roma (Italia)
Bologna (Italia)
San Franciso (U.S.A.)
Pordenone (Italia)
Bologna (Italia)
Pita (Polonia)
Beckov (Sloovacchia)
Guadalajara (Messico)
Roma (Italia)
Melbourne (Australia)
Laxenburg (Austria)
Messina (Italia)
Logrono (Spagna)
Bruxelles (Belgio)
Budapest (Ungheria)
Gent (Belgio)
Firenze (Italia)
Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Guingamp (Francia)
Buenos Aires (Argentina)
DATE
AGE PROV
18/02/2012 94 GBR
09/02'2011 101 ICC
16/022012 81
IME
04/03,2012 86
IME
03/03,2012 89 SUO
02/022012 89
INE
28/012012 80 SSE
09/032012 75 SBA
06/032012 88 SUO
19/042012 89 SBA
29/012012 98 SBA
13/04/2012 77 SLE
04/04/2011 86
ICP
17/02/2012 87 ARS
11/01/2012 95
ISI
08/01/2012 100 ICP
15/04/2012 77
ILE
16/01/2012 96
ILE
24/03/2012 91 UPS
07/01/2012 78 SMA
13/02/2012 85 FRB
24/01/2012 67
ICP
11/02/2012 78 CEP
05/02/2012 86
INM
04/04/2012 83 SBA
27/01/2012 84 UPS
09/03/2012 87
ILE
18/01/2012 88 SUO
24/01/2012 90
INE
21/03/2012 47 AET
01/02/2012 60 PLN
11/03/2011 90 SLK
03/04/2012 78 MEG
23/02/2012 88
ICC
24/02/2012 80 AUL
02/03/2012 77 AUS
25/03/2012 67
ISI
12/03/2012 97
SBI
26/03/2012 99 FRB
28/03/2012 91 UNG
18/01/2012 82 BEN
27/02/2012 82
ICC
23/04/2012 30 ARN
27/04/2012 92 FRB
27/02/2012 89 ARS

14.5 Page 135

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DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 131
SURNAME AND NAME
P MAAR Zoltan
P MACHACEK Miroslav
P MALDONADO ABAN Jose Never
P MALGARINI Giuseppe
P MAQUIERA Prudencio
P MARITANO Lorenzo
P MAROSA Martin
P MARUOKAYustoShusei
P MAZURKIEWICZ Stefan
P MIGGISCH Alfons
P NARDELLITercilio Jose
P NEDUMALA Scaria
Fu Ispettore per 6 anni
P NUNEZ SALGUERO Narciso
L OCHOA ALDASORO Joaquin
P OMENACA Jesus
P PAGLIETTA Domingo
P PAOLONE Antonio
L PIA Salvatore
L PICOTTINO Carlo
P RECA Andrzej
L REYNDERS Gerard
P RONCAL LOYOLA Jose Luis
L RUARO Giuseppe
P SALVUCCI Ezio Olivio
L SAMELE Michele
P SAMOTYI Romano
L SANCHEZ PEREZ Pedro
P SCALABRINO Pietro
Fu Ispettore per 6 anni
P SCHMIDT GAZZANO Luis
P SOLIS HERNANDEZ Jesus
P SPADARO Giorgio
P SZOKE Janos
P TASSINARI Clodoveo
Fu Ispettore per 6 anni
L VALENCIA LOPEZ Julian
P VALENTINI Bartolomeo
P VAN LOCHEM Jan
L VAN PELT Maarten
P WAGNER Werner
P WOLFRAM Francis
P YVINEC Andre
P ZAMORA Carlos
Fu Ispettore per 6 anni
P ZIE^BLA Waclaw
P ZUBIZARRETA Jose Maria
PLACE of death
DATE
AGE PROV
Szekesfehervar (Ungheria)
21/02/2012 90 UNG
Ostrava (Rep. Ceca)
09/03/2012 86 CEP
La Paz (Bolivia)
26/03/2012 69 ANG
Castelfranco Veneto (Italia)
06/02/2012 100 INE
Barcelona (Spagna)
09/02/2012 83 SBA
Giaveno (Italia)
30/03/2012 81 ICP
Verzej (Slovenia)
25/04/2012 99 SLO
Beppu (Giappone)
14/03/2012 82 GIA
Bukowice (Polonia)
08/02/2012 92 PLO
Modling, Niedosterreich (Austria) 26/01/2012 77 AUS
Joinville, SC (Brasile)
08/02/2012 89 BPA
Imphal, Manipur (India)
15/03/2012 73 IND
Sevilla (Spagna)
12/03/2012 87 SSE
Avila (Spagna)
09/03/2012 70 SMA
Barcelona (Spagna)
26/04/2012 79 SBA
Cordoba (Argentina)
02/03/2012 81 ARN
Civitanova Marche Alta (Italia) 20/04/2012 93 ICC
Roma (Italia)
22/02/2012 71 ICC
Torino (Italia)
26/02/2012 89 ICP
Sycow (Polonia)
13/02/2012 81 PLO
Heusden (Belgio)
28/02/2012 89 BEN
Valencia (Spagna)
05/01/2012 77 SVA
Quito (Ecuador)
10/03/2012 84 ECU
Cordoba (Argentina)
05/02/2012 84 ARN
Salerno (Italia)
08/02/2012 92 IME
Roma (Italia)
05/04/2012 94 ICC
Sevilla (Spagna)
31/01/2012 83 SSE
Torino (Italia)
10/01/2012 83 ICP
Montevideo (Uruguay)
Mexico D.F. (Messico)
Roma (Italia)
Budapest (Ungheria)
Beppu (Giappone)
18/04/2012 75 URU
27/02/2012 91 MEM
28/02/2012 84 ICC
06/01/2012 84 UNG
27/01/2012 99 GIA
Arequipa (Peru)
Manique (Portogallo)
Soest (Olanda)
Someren (Olanda)
Munchen (Germania)
Bronx, New York (USA)
Caen (Francia)
Barcelona (Spagna)
10/03/2012 95 PER
12/02/2012 99 POR
26/03/2012 89 BEN
08/01/2012 90 BEN
03/04/2012 59 GER
25/01/2012 79 SUE
02/02/2012 81 FRB
04/04/2012 79 SBA
Tolkmicko (Polonia)
Barcelona (Spagna)
24/01/2012 91 PLE
06/02/2012 81 SBA