ACGRM409


ACGRM409

1 Pages 1-10

▲back to top

1.1 Page 1

▲back to top
of the general council
year XCll
january-april 2011
N. 409
official organ
of animation
and communication
for the
salesian congregation
Direzione Generale
Opere don Bosco
Roma

1.2 Page 2

▲back to top

1.3 Page 3

▲back to top
of the General Council
of the Salesian Society
of St John Bosco
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF ANIMATION AND COMMUNICATION FOR THE SALESIAN CONGREGATION
N.409 year XCll
january-april 2011
1. LETTER
1.1 Fr Pascual CnAVfZ VtLLltiUEVn
OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
"Come and see, (Jn .l,39)
THE NEED FOR VOCATION MINISTRY
3
2. GUIDELINES
AND POLICIES
(none in this issue)
3, RULINGS AND DIRECTIVES
(none in this issue)
4, ACTIVITIES
4.1 Chronicle of the Rector lvla1or
49
OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 4.2 Chronicle ol the General Councillors
59
5, DOCUMENTS
5.1 The "Salesian Propef of the Liturgy of the Hours
u
5.2 Decree on the heroicity olthe virtues
of the Venerable Fr Giuseppe Quadrio, SDB
85
5.3 New Salesian Cardinal:Archbishop Angelo AMATO
92
5.4 New Salesian Bishops
93
5.5 Our dead conlreres
96

1.4 Page 4

▲back to top
Editrice S.D.B.
Edizione extra commerciale
Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco
Via della Pisana, 1111
Casella Postale 18333
00163 Roma
Tipolitografia lstituto Salesiano Pio Xl - Via Umbertide, 1'1 - 00'181 Roma
Te1.06.78.27.819 - Fax 06.78.48.333 - E-mail: tipolito@pcn.net
Finito di stamparc: gennaio 201 I

1.5 Page 5

▲back to top
1. LETTER OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
Kcome and seet,
(Jn 1,39)
THE NEED FOR VOCATION MINISTRY
Sovz"a. 20l I
- Pnetttss: Some significant events in the second hall of 2010 ConuelraRy or rxe Srneruu 2011:
- 1. Returning to Don Bosco. How did Don Bosco carry out this task of promoting vocations?
2. A prior need: to create and develop a vocational culture. Life is vocation - Open to God
and to others - Lived as a gift and as a task. - 3. Aspects which have a special significance in
vocational animation and proposal. Promoting a vocational culture: the essential task of Youth
Ministry. - Education to love, to chastity. - Education to prayer - Personal accompaniment. - The
centrality and the role of Ieligious consecration in the mission of the Salesian Family. - The Salesian
Youth Movement, a special place for vocations. - 4. Conclusion.The beauty and the relevance of
the Salesian vocation. - The caravan in the desert. - The dance of life.
Rome, 25 December 2010
Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord
My Dear Confreres,
Wherever you may be, may my greetings bring you my very
best wishes for a beautiful, joyful and fruitful celebration of the
mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. Obviously it is not
a mere declaration of faith with nothing to do with our life. On the
contrary this confession of faith becomes the revelation of the
mystery of the human being and therefore a plan of life. In fact He
became man, fully like us, sharing our poor human condition in
everything, sin excepted, so that we might become children of
God. He did not come to consecrate our human nature, but to
transform it from within, and to make it new by taking it fully up-
on himself. This is our vocation: to reproduce his image faithful-
ly in ourselves (cf. Rom 8,29), and also our mission: "we educate
and evangelize according to a plan for the total well-being of man
directed to Christ, the perfect man, (C. 31).
Since my last letter, you can find accounts of the activities un-
dertaken in these months by reading the chronicle of the Rector

1.6 Page 6

▲back to top
4 ACTS oF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Major, even though ANS offers a regular service regarding all my
travels, visits, commitments and addresses. Nevertheless I think
it opportune to mention some of the more significant events
and/or celebrations.
First of all, the Extraordinary Visitation to the Delegation of
Malta, at the beginning of September, while my Vicar was visiting
Ireland, was an opportunity to have a fresh experience of being
close to the communities, not for some celebration or anniversa4r,
but to get to know the Salesian presences, the contexts in which
they find themselves as they live their Salesian life and carry out
their mission, the challenges they face and the projects they are
working on. Usually in the Congregation the Extraordinary Vis-
itations are made by the Regional Councillor or by other visitors
according to art. 104 of the Regulations which states: "Personal-
ly or through others the Rector Major may visit each and every
Province and local community whenever the need arises". I think
that for the confreres the visit was a breath of fresh air and for me
a real grace.
The World Assembly of the Past Pupils, at the end of Septem-
ber and the beginning of October, took place in an atmosphere of
great serenity and responsibility. Once again I was able to realise
the great energy we have available to us in this Association, but
from which we have so far scarcely managed to profit. I think we
are wasting a potential which could be of great importance if we
can help the Past Pupils to move on from simple anecdotes about
their being pupils in a Salesian school to realising the gift of a
Salesian education and therefore to their commitment to bringing
to their families and to society the wealth of the values learned
and working as real Federations and Confederation with clear
and effective projects. Here we as a Congregation have a chal-
lenge we need to take up.
Nevertheless, in my opinion, the most important event we have
celebrated in this period was the International Congress "Don Rua
in History", at which there was a marvellous world-wide repre-

1.7 Page 7

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 5
sentation of the Provinces of the whole Congregation, the distin-
guished presence of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and
some other members of the Salesian Family. As well as the Con-
gress organised a year ago by ACSSA (Salesian Historical Associ-
ation), this International Congress gave us as its most precious
fruit an image of Don Rua that was full of insights and I would say
quite novel. From now on it will no longer be possible to continue
to use the classic clich6 describing him as "the living Rule" or "an-
other Don Bosco", but he will have to be studied, in the knowl-
edge that he represents the stage in the history ofthe Congrega-
tion which is the most significant, that is to say that of transition
after the death of Don Bosco the founder. While I express the hope
that the Provinces will organise their own Provincial Congresses
or Seminars on the suject, I invite all of you to read and study the
texts of the two Congresses which have already been collected to-
gether. It will be the best way of setting in motion the prepara-
tions for the bi-centenary of the birth of Don Bosco.
Then I cannot fail to recall the meeting of all the Provincials
of Europe, gathered in Rome between 26 and 28 November, to
continue their reflections - already set in motion in the two pre-
vious meetings - on the "Project for Europe". This Project is in-
tended to bring about the re-vitalisation from within of the
charism in Europe; to launch and consolidate the process of giv-
ing fresh significance to, re-locating and reorganising the Sale-
sian presences in this continent; to take up the commitments of
the new evangelisation of Europe, also by sending "missionaries"
who will come from all parts of the Congregation. This third meet-
ing of the Provincials of Europe has helped to clarify better and
give concrete form to the objectives to be achieved in the two year
period 20ll-2012.
Finally, before presenting to you the Strenna for 2011, I re-
mind you that Fr Marek Chrzan was appointed Councillor for the
North F,urope Region following the resignation on health grounds
of Fr Stefan Turansky, to whom I publicly renew my gratitude
for the generous service undertaken in the two and a half years

1.8 Page 8

▲back to top
6 ACTS oF THE GENERAL C?UNCIL
following his election. In addition, I appointed as Postulator for
the Causes of Beatification and Canonisation Fr Pier Luigi
Cameroni in place of Fr Enrico dal Covolo, who was appointed
by the Holy Father Rector Magnifrcus of the Pontifical Lateran
University and then ordained Bishop.
And now I procede to present to you the Strenna for 2011. I do
so certain that I shall be offeringyou a welcome gift both on account
of the value which t]ne Strenna in itself has in our Salesian tradition
from Don Bosco's times, and also on account of the subject chosen
which concerns our life and our mission. I invite you to help young
people make the discovery that life is vocation, and in more practi-
cal terms help them bring to maturity apostolic life-plans through
their education in the faith, taking their place in the Church, lis-
tening to the Word, prayer, participation in sacramental life, spiri-
tual accompaniment and initiation in apostolic work.
,rCotne and see>>
(Jn 1,39)
The need for vocation ministry
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
members of the whole Salesian Family
and friends of Don Bosco,
I greet you with the great affection and esteem I have for each
one of you, wishing you a New Year full of the blessings the Father
wanted to give us in the incarnation of his Son.
I am writing to you to present the Strenna for 2011, certain
that it will be a welcome gift both for the value which the Strenna
as such has had in our Salesian tradition since Don Bosco's day,

1.9 Page 9

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 7
and because of the topic chosen which affects our life, our mission
and our ability to help in discovering that life is vocation, also
because of the times in which we are living as the Church and the
Salesian Family, especially in the West.
After the Strenna for 2010, "Lord, we want to see Jesu.s",
about the urgent need to evangelise, the most logical and natur-
al thing, it seemed to me, was to make a heartfelt appeal to the
whole Salesian Family to feel with us SDB, the need for voca-
tion ministry. In fact, we Salesians
"feel more strongly than euer the challenge of creating a uo-
cational culture in euery setting, such that young people may
discouer life as a call and that all Salesian ministry may be
truly uocational. This requires that we help young people
ouercon'Le an indiuidualist mindset and the culture of self-
fulfilment which urges them to plan their future without
heeding God; it also requires us to inuolue and form fami-
lies and lay people. There has to be a particular effort put in-
to engendering apostolic passion amongst the young. Like
Don Bosco we o.re called to encourage them to be apostles
among their own companions, taking on uarious kinds of
ecclesial and social seruice, being inuolued in missionary
projects. To encourage a uocational option for apostolic com-
mitment, these young people should be offered a more in-
tensiue spiritual life and o, nxore personal and systematic ac-
companiment. This is fertile ground where families capable
of authentic witness can flourish, as well as committed lay
people at euery leuel of Church and society. Vocations to con-
secrated life and to ministry can also flourish".'
Evangelisation and vocation, dear brothers and sisters, are
two inseparable elements. Indeed, the criterion for the authen-
ticity ofa good evangelisation is its capacity to give rise to voca-
tions, to bring to maturity evangelical life plans, to involve the
' GC26, Da mihi anirnas, cetera tolle, Rome, 2008, n. 53 "Apostolic Vocatiorus"

1.10 Page 10

▲back to top
8 ACTS oF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
whole person of those who are being evangelised, to the point of
making them disciples and apostles.
An historical fact in the life of Jesus, confirmed by all four
evangelists, is that from the beginning of his evangelising activi-
ty (cf. Mk L,t4-15), Jesus called some to follow him (cf. Mk L,l6-
20; Mt 4,18-L9; Lk 5,10-Lt; Jn 1,35-39). In this way, these first
disciples of his became "companions throughout the time that the
Lord Jesus went in and out amongst us, beginning from the bap-
tism of John until the day he was taken up from us" (Acl l,2l-22).
The vocation of these frrst disciples according to the Gospel of
John was the result of a personal meeting which evoked in them
an attraction, a fascination which changed their minds and espe-
cially their hearts, as they recognised in Jesus the One in whom
were being fulfrlled the deepest expectations, the prophecies, the
awaited Messiah. This experience tied them so closely to the per-
son of Jesus that they followed him enthusiastically and told oth-
ers about their experience, inviting them to share in it, by meet-
ingJesus personally. St Luke's Gospel also speaks about the group
of women who accompany and assist the Lord (cf. Lk 8,1-3) which
means that Jesus had women among his disciples, some of whom
were to be witnesses of his death and resurrection (cf. Lh 23,55-
24,1t.22).
Therefore, brothers and sisters, I am inviting you to be for
young people real spiritual guides, like John the Baptist who
pointed out Jesus to his disciples telling them: "Looh there is the
Lamb of Gofl,t" (Jn 1,36).In this way they followed after him so
that Jesus becoming aware that some people were following him
turned to them and asked them directly: "What do you want?"
and they, taken with the desire to really know who this Jesus is,
asked him: "Rabbi, where do you liue?" (Jn 1,38). And He invited
them as the first disciples, to have the experience of living with
him: "Come and see".It was something extremely beautiful that
they experienced from the moment in which "they went and saw
where he liued, and stayed u)ith him the rest of that day" (Jn 1,39).

2 Pages 11-20

▲back to top

2.1 Page 11

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 9
There you have the first of the characteristics of the Christian
vocation: a meeting, a personal friendly relationship which fills
the heart and changes one's life. This transforming meeting is
the faith, which animated by love, makes believers and the Chris-
tian communities into those who spread the Good News of the
Gospel of Jesus. St Paul in his letter to the community in Thes-
salonica puts it this way: "You received the word... you became an
example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia; by your
means the Word of the Lord has gone forth everywhere" (cf. 7 Ts
1,7-8). We are called therefore to renew in ourselves this voca-
tional dynamic: to communicate and to share the enthusiasm and
the passion with which we are living our vocation, in such a way
that our life itself becomes the proposal of a vocation for others.
Just as Don Bosco did, who rather than usingvocation campaigns
knew how to create at Valdocco a microclimate in which vocations
grew and matured, creating an authentic vocational culture in
which life is understood and lived as a gift, as a vocation and as a
mission, within a diversity of options.
l. Returning to Don Bosco
Invited to start afresh from Don Bosco in order to understand
ever better and to put into practice with greater fidelity the pas-
sion which burned in his heart and urged him to seek the glory of
God and the salvation of souls, let us imitate him in his untiring
labours to foster vocations in the service of the Church, the most
precious fi-uit of his work of education and evangelisation, the hu-
man and Christian formation of the young. His experience and
his criteria and attitudes can throw light on and guide our com-
mitment to vocations.
"Don Bosco, while working with tireless generosity in fos-
tering nxany hinds of uocation in the Church, also called
young men to stay with him permanently. For us too,
proposing the Salesian consecrated uocation to young peo-

2.2 Page 12

▲back to top
10 AcIs oF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
ple is part of our fidelity to God for the gift we haue receiued.
It is what driues our desire to share the joy of following the
Lord Jesus, staying with Don Bosco, in order to giue hope
to many other young people of the whole world".'
Don Bosco lived, let us not forget, in a climate which was
hardly encouraging and in some ways was opposed to the foster-
ing of ecclesiastical vocations. The Kingdom of Sardinia with its
new constitution, and the subsequent freedom of the press, of
conscience, of worship and the potential "laicisation" of the State,
had resulted in a growing opposition to the Church. Freedom of
worship and the active Protestant propaganda had disturbed the
ordinary simple people, projecting a negative image of the Church,
of the Pope, bishops and priests. This had created among the peo-
ple, and especially among the young, an atmosphere of national-
ism filled with liberal and anti-clerical ideas.
Don Bosco himself referring to those times wrote: "a frenzied
spirit developed against the religious orders, the ecclesiastical
Congregations; and then in general against the clerry and all the
authorities of the Church. This scornful outcry against religion
had the consequence of distancing young people from moral be-
haviour, from piety; hence from a vocation to the ecclesiastical
state. Therefore no religious vocations and almost none for the
ecclesiastical state. While the religious institutes were gradually
being dispersed, the priests were held in contempt, some put in
prison, others sent into forced exile, how ever could it be possi-
ble, humanly speaking, to cultivate the spirit of vocations?"'
But notice, my brothers and sisters, how Don Bosco responds.
He does not waste time complainingbut immediately sets to work
to gather together and to cultivate vocations and to promote the
formation of the young men left without their seminary looking
' GC26, Da mihi animas, cetera tolle, Rome, 2008, n. 54: "Accompaniment of can'
didates to Salesian consecrated life".
'Cenno s/orico sulla Congregazione di S. Francesco di Sales e relativi schiarimenti.
Roma. Tip. Poliglotta 1874. In OE )OC{ p. 233.

2.3 Page 13

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 11
after the good-natured boys and directing them towards an
ecclesiastical career. In the Oratory, together with the young
workers, orphans, Don Bosco very quickly gathered together good
spirited boys and young men who gave signs of an inclination for
the priesthood and religious life. He carefully devoted himself as
a priority in their formation, to an active and practical formation
with personal accompaniment in an atmosphere with a strong
spiritual and apostolic nature. From the '60s the "student" sec-
tion of the Valdocco Oratory was considered a sort of seminary.
Don Bosco himself writes in the Memoirs of the Oratory "We can
say that our Oratory house for almost 20 years became the dioce-
san seminary".* As Fr Braido writes, between 1861 and t87228L
boys from the Oratory entered the Turin Seminary.5
How did Don Bosco carry out in practice this task of pro-
moting vocations?
In the first place Don Bosco gave special attention to discov-
ering the possible signs of a vocation in the boys with whom
he came into contact when he went to preach in the churches
in the various nearby villages, and in the boys gathered in the
Valdocco Oratory. He noted that among the masses of his boys
in some of them there began to emerge the suitable conditions
for suggesting a possible vocation which until then were hidden
under a covering of coarseness and ignorance. In fact, in these
poor Oratory boys there was the combination of good behaviour
and awakening intelligence; he therefore tried them out as lead-
ers among their companions and on his part followed them with
special attention. Because Don Bosco did not wait for an almost
' Memoirs of the Oratory. Trans. Daniel Lyons SDB. Don Bosco Publications, New
Rochelle, New York 1989 p. 346. Putting his (new) private schools at the service of the
dioceses as minor seminaries was a major contributing factor in the expansion ofSale-
sian work, cf. A. J. LrNrI, Doz Bosco. History and Spirit. Vol. 5e: Institutional Expan-
sion, Roma, LAS, 2009, pp. 49-73.
'Cf. P Bneroo, Don Bosco, prete dei giouani nel secolo delle libertd. Vol. I, Roma,
LAS, 2003, p. 544.

2.4 Page 14

▲back to top
12 A3TS oF THE GENERAL C)UNCIL
automatic development of a vocation, he knew from experience
that youthful inconstancy can put it in serious danger. There-
fore he actively collaborated with the gift of God creating a suit-
able environment, maintaining a spiritual atmosphere which re-
sponded to the requirements for the development of a vocation,
and committing himself to being the support and guide of those
whom he recognised as called by God to the priestly and religious
life or to Salesian cooperation in the various ways this can be
expressed.
1. The first task for Don Bosco was that of creating an atmos-
phere, nowadays we would say aculture, in which the suggestion
of a vocation could be welcomed positively and brought to
maturity.
' An atmosphere of familiarity in which Don Bosco shared
everything with the boys. He is with them in the playground,
listening to them and creating an atmosphere of joy, of cele-
bration and trust which opens their hearts and makes the boys
feel as though they are in a family. The joy which emanated
from Don Bosco's whole being when he was carrying out his
self-sacrificing and enthusiastic apostolate was already in it-
self a vocational proposal. The boys in contact with Don Bosco
on a daily basis had a great exhilarating experience of being
and of really feeling themselves to be members of a family,
learning to open their hearts and to look to the future with op-
timism and hope.
. This joyful and family atmosphere is nourished by a strong
spiritual experience. The religious view of the world which Don
Bosco had and which gave unity to all his many varied under-
takings is almost spontaneously acquired by the boys who
learn to live in the presence of God. A God who loves them
and has for each of them a plan for their happiness and a full
life. In the Oratory a spiritual atmosphere is created which
leads to an interpersonal relationship with God and with one's
brothers and permeates the whole of life. This atmosphere is

2.5 Page 15

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 13
nourished by a simple but constant form of sacramental and
Marian piety. Prayer which leads the boys to a personal rela-
tionship of friendship with Jesus and Mary, and the appropri-
ate sacramental experience which supports and stimulates
growth in daily life, constitute the first resource in cultivating
vocations and bringing them to maturity.
a A third characteristic of the atmosphere created by Don Bosco
was the apostolic dimension From the beginning Don Bosco
involved the boys, in particular those who gave signs of a
vocation, in assisting him in his work of education and cate-
chesis. He entrusted to them some of their more mischievous
companions so that making friends with them they could
help them to feel at home and settle into the life of the Ora-
tory positively. In this way the boys learned to work for the
others with great commitment and total lack of self-interest.
They also learned to make themselves more and more avail-
able and open to the demands of the apostolate, maturing in
their own motivations and doing everything for the glory of
God and the salvation of souls. With careful and constant ac-
companiment Don Bosco ensured that this apostolic service
among their companions, lived with enthusiasm and readi-
ness, while being effective in bringing along the right path
those it was offered to, became also a practical "proposal" of
life for these boys he had himself chosen. In this atmosphere,
the Sodalities considered by Don Bosco a key element in the
experience and the education provided in the Oratory. began
and developed.
2. As well as the atmosphere, Don Bosco offers young people and
adults, who are looking for guidance in their vocation, a faithful
spiritual aecotnpaniment. The natural place in which Don
Bosco offers the help of spiritual direction is the confessional, but
not only there: Don Bosco arranges for and in various ways facil-
itates the possibility of a meeting and a chat between the "sons of
the family" and the "father", offering everyone a profound expe-

2.6 Page 16

▲back to top
14 A?TS oF THE GENERAL C)UNCIL
rience of education and of spiritual direction. He acts in various
ways, and in a personal way adapted to the needs of the young
people or the adults, aspirants to the ecclesiastical life, to reli-
gious life or simply to the life of a good Christian and upright
citizen. Likewise he is particularly attentive in his activity of
accompaniment with the Cooperators, the Daughters of Mary
Help of Christians, Salesians, etc.
One of the more striking features one notices in watching Don
Bosco acting as a spiritual director, is the discernment and the
prudence he shows in giving advice about vocation. Even though
in those days the Church lacked pastors and he himself had great
need of collaborators, Don Rua testifies under oath, that "never
did he advise anyone to enter (priestly or religious life) who did
not have the necessary requisites... I am aware that he dissuaded
various people in spite of their wishes".u
Always inspired by prudent discernment, he did what he could
to lead those who, while having the necessary gifts, had never
thought of becoming priests or religious to consider the possibil-
ity. Little by little Don Bosco put before them some ideas which
could help them to re-think their choice of life and none of them
ever regretted following his advice.
Don Bosco's spiritual direction was totally illuminated by "the
gift of counsel" which enabled him to guide safely those who
turned to him.
3. The intense work which Don Bosco undertook on behalf of vo-
cations was sustained by anintense loae for the Church.' with
total dedication, he devoted all his efforts to obtaining its good. It
is precisely this love for the Church that enables us to understand
the importance he gave to the apostolic activity of fostering voca-
tions and his insistence that all should work together and devote
themselves to obtaining for the Church the great treasure which
u Summarium, 676 par. 14.

2.7 Page 17

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 15
vocations represent. Thus he used to say: "Whenever we procure
a good vocation we are giving an inestimable treasure to the
Church; it does not matter whether this vocation or this priest
goes to the diocese, the foreign missions or a religious order. It is
always a great gift that we give to the Church of Jesus Christ".7
This view of the good of the whole Church never left him, not
even when it engaged all his efforts, all his time, the financial
means which cost his so much hard work, nor when it involved his
limited personnel or his houses.
"Run, run quich to saue those boys... !"t This appeal of the dyrng
Don Bosco we can consider as addressed not only to those present
at that moment in his room, but to the whole Salesian Family in
general. An appeal which is pressing and always will be, because
the young people of all times are in need of "salvation".
The dying Don Bosco addresses this invitation also to us. It is
an invitation to roll up our sleeves and to work hard so that
around us a good number of sound Salesian vocations bud, flower
and come to maturity, as they did around him. Taking up this in-
vitation requires that each one of us renews the holy passion for
the salvation of youth which Don Bosco himself had;this passion
will give us courage and enable us to overcome the fear of not be-
ing understood or of being marginalised or rejected by this secu-
larised and pagan world of ours, which rejects diversity, sup-
presses the supernatural and marginalises the believer.
Let us therefore fearlessly live a style of life which challenges
this world and this society which does not allow the holistic
development and promotion of the human person; a style of
life which provides the stimulus for living out one's vocation
with joy and enthusiasm and for proposing to young people and
adults, men and women, boys and girls, the Salesian vocation as
a suitable response of salvation to this world of today, and as a
plan of life capable of making a positive contribution to the
'BM XVII, p. 236.
'BM XVIII, p. 449

2.8 Page 18

▲back to top
16 ACTS oF THE GENERAL ))UNCL
renewal of present day society. This is what article 28 of the
Constitutions of the Salesians of Don Bosco has to say: "We are
convinced that many young people are rich in spiritual potential
and give indications of an apostolic vocation. We help them to
discover, accept and develop the gift of a lay, consecrated or
priestly vocation for the benefit of the whole Church and of
the Salesian Family". This commitment had been one of the pur-
poses of the Congregation even before its approval' and nowa-
days takes on an extraordinary urgency (cf. C. 6), as the Church
repeatedly reminds us.
2. A prior need: to create and develop a vocational culture'o
"It is necessary, therefore, to promote a culture of vocation
which will recognize and welcome this profound human aspira-
tion, which brings a person to discover that Christ alone can tell
him the truth about life"." Speaking about a culture of uocation,
as, for the first time John Paul II did, is nowadays not only perti-
nent, but also urgent. In fact we can see that sometimes there is
a gap between what people are doing generously and well-inten-
tioned and the collective mentality, between individual initiatives
and society's actions, between the practice and its foundations.
Thus in the Congregation, as in the Salesian Family, we see that
there can be a certain amount of work for vocations by individu-
als, the so-called Delegates for vocations, but at the same time, in
the communities or in the groups, one notices that a real culture
ofvocation does not exist.
' Even though there is no article on minor seminaries in the first exstant text of
the Constitutions, Don Rua's manuscript of 1858, one was introduced by Don Bosco in
the draft of 1860. Cf. G. Bosco, Costituzioni della Societd di S. Francesco di Sales
t 18581 - 1875. Edizione critica di Francesco Motro, Roma, LAS, 1982, pp. 76-77 .
'0 For this section I draw freely on the article "Cultura della Vocazione", by Fr
JuaN E. Veccnt, in Dizionario della Pastorale Vocazionale, Libreria Editrice Rogate,
Roma 2002, pp. 370-382.
" JoHN Palr, II, Message for the )OO( World Day of Prayer for vocations (8 Sep-
tember 1992).

2.9 Page 19

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 17
This culture in fact, requires not individual initiatives no mat-
ter how numerous, but a mindset and an attitude shared by a
group; it is a question not only of private intentions and good res-
olutions, but the systematic and deliberate employment of the
forces which the community has at its disposal. A vocational cul-
ture, understood in this way operates in three areas: the anthro-
pological, the educational and the pastoral. The first refers to the
way in which being a human person is seen and presented as vo-
cation; the second aims at fostering a appreciation of values con-
ducive to vocation; the third pays attention to the relationbship
between vocation and the underlying culture and draws conclu-
sions from this for vocation work.
Life is uocation
We know that underlying all educational and pastoral activi-
ties there is a particular view of mankind, one that is either spon-
taneous or the result of reflection. For the Christian it evolves in
the course of life, with the mental effort to understand its signif-
icance and with the enlightenment provided by faith. The three
elements - personal lived experience, a search for meaning and
faith discernment - are indispensible and inter-connected. Reve-
lation should not be understood as something external, superim-
posed on experience and on human understanding, but precisely
as a revealing of its more profound and definitive signifcance. In
the first place, therefore. it is necessary to overcome a way of
thinking and speaking about vocation as though it were anextra,
an incentive only for some, an aid to recruitment procedures for
some states of life, rather than something fundamental to a per-
son's fulfilment. The crisis of vocations in fact may also be due to
the style of life they represent. But on a deeper level, it is due to
a view of human life in which the aspect of the "call", that is to say
of one's personal fulfilment depending on listening to another and
conversing with him, is not only in fact excluded, but is not even
taken seriously into consideration. This happens with those views
of man's nature which put the satisfaction of an individual's

2.10 Page 20

▲back to top
18 Acrs oF THE GENERAL couNClL
needs before anything else, proposing personal self-fulfilment as
the only goal in life or seeing freedom as mere autonomy. These
views are very widespread nowadays having a certain attraction,
and even when they are not fully subscribed to they are reflected
in what is being communicated and influence some aspects of ed-
ucation.
A first task then ofa vocational culture is to draw up and pro-
mote a view of human life seen as "a call and a response", which
is the considered conclusion following a serious reflection on the
nature of man. Leading to that conclusion will be the experience
of relationships, the moral demands that flow from them, ques-
tions about the meaning of life. These then are the paths to be
pursued in order to identify some of the factors of the vocational
culture we are considering. People are conscious of their own in-
dividuality. They recognise that their life is unique, quite distinct
from anyone else's and from the world itself. It belongs totally to
them, but it does have the characteristics of a gift, something that
precedes any desire or effort on their part.
Open to others and, to God.
At the same time, man is conscious of being part of a network
of relationships, not optional nor secondary, among which that
with other people is immediately evident and occupies a special
place. The first thing a person notices is not his own EGO with its
potentialities, but the inter-dependence with others who need to
be accepted as they are and recognised in their dignity. From this
point of view, acting responsibly is seen as an ability to recognise
the signals which come from others and to respond to them. It is
a moral issue because it involves the demands of responsibility
and commitment. A man wakes up to his own personal existence
when he stops seeing others merely as instruments to be made
use of for his own benefit.
A vocational culture needs to lead a young person away from
a subjective view of life which makes the individual the centre

3 Pages 21-30

▲back to top

3.1 Page 21

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 19
and the only criterion for self-assessment, which sees personal
fulfilment in defending and seeking his own interests, rather than
in openness and self-giving; and likewise from that view of inter-
personal relationships as tied simply to pleasure-seeking without
their moral dimension being perceived. The experiences of rela-
tionships and their moral element lead people towards the Tran-
scendent, because in them is to be found something that is un-
conditional and immaterial. In fact, other people are not simply
objects of passing acquaintance or things to which one reacts in-
stinctively. It is necessary to recognise the mystery within them
as persons, which implies respect, selflessness, love, the promo-
tion of moral and spiritual values.
But this reference to trascendence becomes even more evi-
dent when people are able to face up to the fundamental ques-
tions about life and appreciate it. Then their openness to the
Other, already perceptible in its positive aspects and in its limi-
tations, becomes clearly apparent. They understand that they
cannot stop at what is immediately perceptible nor be confined
to the here and now. Individuals are an infinite mystery who on-
ly God can explain and only Christ can satisfy. Therefore they
are naturally inclined to seek the meaning of life and to find their
place in history. Being faced with various alternatives they have
to decide their own long term goals. You can't live your life twice
over: you have to take the plunge! The real quality of life and
salvation itself depend on the values pursued and on the choices
made. Jesus puts it very clearly: "Whoever would save his life
will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's
will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world
and to forfeit his life?" (Mh 8,35-36). The task of a vocational cul-
ture is to encourage people to want to listen to such questions, to
enable them to reflect deeply on them. The role of a vocational
culture is also to help people to grow and to make the right choic-
es regardingthe Bonum, theVerum, and the Pulchrum, since it
is in responding to and appreciating these that a person's full de-
velopment consists.

3.2 Page 22

▲back to top
20 Acrs oF THE GENERAL couNctL
Liued as a gift and as a tash
All this requires a deeper reflection on vocation the name a
person gives to his life when perceived as a gift and a call, con-
ducted with responsibility and freely planned. The most fruitful
source for discovering this foundation are the Scriptures, read as
the revelation of the meaning of human life. In the Scriptures the
nature and the significant relationships of human beings are
defined by their condition as creatures, which does not imply
inferiority or dependence, but God's gratuitous and creative love.
Man does not possess within himself the reason for his own ex-
istence nor his own fulfilment. He owes it to a gift, and he enjoys
it when he makes himself responsible for it. The gift of life has
within it a plan; this is gradually revealed as he reflects on it in
the light of his own experience, of history of God, and it requires
a personal response. This determines a man's place in relation to
the world and to all the things existing within it. These cannot
satisfy his desires and so a man is not subjected to them.
A typical example of the way life is contructed is the covenant
between God and his people as it is presented in the Bible. This
is a gratuitous, freely-made choice on the part of God. Man has to
recognise it and take it up as a plan of life, guided by the Word
which challenges him and forces him to choose. In Christ, the
truth about mankind which reason perceives vaguely and the
Bible reveals, finds its complete manifestion. Christ, with his
words but especially through the power of his human-divine ex-
istence, in which he shows his self-awareness as Son of God, opens
a person up to the full comprehension of himself and of his des-
tiny. In Christ we are made God's children and we are called to
live as such in history.
The Christian vocation is not an optional extra in man's per-
sonal fulfilment. Rather it purely and simply complements it. It is
the indispensible condition for authenticity and fulness, satisfy-
ing the deepest desires, those which flow from our essential na-
ture as creatures. In the same way being a part of the building of

3.3 Page 23

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 21
the Kingdom to which Jesus invites his disciples, is the only form
of existence which corresponds with man's destiny in this world
and in the next. In this way life is revealed completely as a gift, a
call and a plan.
Taking all this as the basis and the inspiration for all activity,
spreading it in such a way that it becomes the mindset of the
educative pastoral community and especially of those involved in
vocation ministry with the relevant practical educative conse-
quences constitute this "culture" of which pastoral ministry has
urgent need.
Here then are the fundamental attitudes which give life to a
vocational culture and to which we want to give priority:
. The search for meaning. Meaning is closely related to an
understanding of the immediate, the medium term and espe-
cially the ultimate purpose of events and things. It is also an
intuition of the relationship which exists between reality and
events and man and his well-being. Coming to an under-
standing of meaning implies the use of reason, an effort at in-
vestigation, a contemplative and interior attitude. It is grad-
ually discovered in various contexts: in a person's own expe-
rience, in history in the Word of God. Everything comes to-
gether in an acqusition of individual and community wisdom
which is expressed in a trusting and hope-filled attitude to life.
"We know that in everything God works for good with those
who love him" (Rom, 8,28).
It can take a long time to grasp the real meaning. It is im-
portant not to give up the search nor to be put off at the
prospect of further and even more fruitful discoveries. Mod-
ern culture is the domain of those who ignore, when they do
not actually deny, any meaning which transcends immediate
and subjective experience. This leads to an only-partial view
of reality which makes a person incapable of coming to grips
with the thousands of everyday events, of going beyond what

3.4 Page 24

▲back to top
22 ACTS oF THE GENERAL couNctL
is skin-deep or experienced by the senses. Cultural maturity
implies a synthesis, a frame of reference that goes beyond one
individual's knowledge so as to be able to look further and
not remain imprisoned by events. The quality of life declines
when it is not supported by a certain view of the world; and
with the quality so too decline the reasons for committing
oneselfto the service ofnoble causes.
a Openness to transcendence, to that beyond the human, to
an acceptance of limitations, to welcomingmystery welcoming
the sacred in all its subjective and objective aspects, to reflec-
tion and to a religious approach.
This then is something which appears in everything that a
person does until it becomes an essential element: in the use
of intelligence, in the exercise of will, in seeking one's hearts'
desires, in the nature of relationships, in the carrying out of
enterprises. A person's life is open to the infinite and so too
to the perception of reality. Nowadays there are some kinds of
culture which, consciously or not, Iead to an exclusive con-
centration on the "rational" and the temporal, and make it
impossible to recognise one's life as mystery and as gift. Tak-
ing transcendence into account means accepting unanswered
questions, going beyond the visible and the rational. Experi-
ences, needs, immediate perceptions can be the starting
points in an opening up to deeper values, demands and fur-
ther truths even more demanding which are not seen as a de-
nial of one's own impulses but rather as a way to freedom
and their fulfilment. As Jesus said to the Samaritan woman:
"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you
"Give me a drink!" you would have asked him and he would
have given you living water" (Jn 4,10).
a Arr "ethieal" rnerrtality capable of distingushing between
good and evil and of directing oneself towards the good. This
culture is enlightened by a moral conscience, centred on
values rather than on means, and assumes as its basic foun-

3.5 Page 25

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 23
dation the primacy of the person. Culture always has within
it an ethical impulse and is in itself a moral value, because
it seeks the human qualities of the individual and of the
community. But human limitations can be an obstacle to
this.
Some of its tendencies and achievements, and sometimes its
whole system of values, are invested with moral ambiguity,
both objective and subjective. This becomes a very serious
matter when, in the evolution of the culture, ethical criteria
are ignored or are subordinated to others. Every reference to
good or evil is lost sight of, and other criteria are used such
as utility, pleasure or power. Recently, a series of expressions
have been coined which illustrate in a contrasting way the pri-
macy or the total absence of any valid ethical criteria in the
evolution of a culture: a culture of being or of having; of life or
of death, of the individual or of things. Developing a culture
with an ethical mindset will mean not allowing it simply to
develop unchecked, but challen$ng its views and expressions
with a conscience enlightened by faith so as to purify it and
rescue it from ambiguity and move it forward in the direction
of values.
Aplanning mentality. Lack of concern about meaning often
becomes indifference about the future. Without a sense of
history there are no goals attractive enough to work for apart
from those connected with personal self-interest. In former
times ideologies, with their utopian overtones, were the dri-
ving force for social planning and this encouraged people to
become personally involved in an historic project.
Nowadays there can be a sense of the future contracting and
the present expanding, which leads to a culture of the imme-
diate. Projects are implemented in the short-term and form
part of a limited personal experience. Even beneficial projects
can be limited to a desire to correct something, to a search for
personal fulfilment, to a passing enthusiasm. Planning means

3.6 Page 26

▲back to top
24 ACTS oF THE GENERAL C)UNCIL
organising resources and time according to the great pressing
needs of history and the demands of the community in order
to reach goals and ideals worthy of man. This requires a crit-
ical conscience in order to be on the watch for apparent im-
peratives, and the capacity to discern in order to reveal psy-
chological pressures, self-motivated generosity so as to go be-
yond these immediate horizons.
a Commitment to solid,aritSt, as opposed to the culture which
leads to a concentration on the individual. Generous person-
al projects can come to the fore only when people accept that
their own personal fulfilment is linked to that of others. Soli-
darity is a widespread aspiration which is deeply embedded in
consciences, at the heart ofhistorical events and reveals itself
in unsual and sometimes unexpected ways. It appears as a re-
sponse to large-scale problems which are a cause for concern
such as under-development, hunger, exploitation. It inspires
practical initiatives such as aid plans, voluntary service, pub-
Iic opinion which change the previous relationships between
the individual and society. And all of this in circumstances
near at hand and far afield. Consequently, it engages the spir-
it of service and motivates it.
But the culture of solidarity is often side-lined or weakened by
strong economic and cultural currents. It presupposes a view
of the world and of the individual person which considers inter-
dependence as the key to interpreting the positive and nega-
tive phenomena of humanity. Nothing has its complete expla-
nation, or a rational solution if considered in isolation. Pover-
ty and wealth, hunger and waste are co-related phenomena.
Between these contradictions what is involved is not only sym-
pathy and compassion, but human responsibility. The indi-
vidual person cannot be considered as someone who first of
all exists in isolation and only at a second stage, is concerned
with others. The individual can only be himself when accept-
ing responsibility for the destiny of his fellows human beings
in a spirit of solidarity.

3.7 Page 27

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 25
3. Aspects which have a special significance in vocational
animation and proposal
Promoting a vocational culture: the essential task of Youth
Ministry
All ministry and in particular youth ministry is at its roots
vocational: the vocational dimension constitutes its main driving
force and its natural culmination. Therefore it is necessary to give
up any minimalist idea of vocation ministry which only concerns
itself with looking for candidates to religious or priestly life. On
the contrary, as was said above, vocation ministry ought to create
the suitable conditions so that every young person may discover,
take up and follow in a responsible manner their own vocation.
The flrrst condition, following the example of Don Bosco, con-
sists in creating the circumstances in which a real "uocational
culture" is lived and transmitted, that is to say, a way of under-
standing and facing up to life as a gift freely bestowed; a gift to be
shared at the service of the fullness of life for everyone, overcom-
ing a mindset which is inividualistic, consumistic, relativistic, and
the culture of self-fulfilment. Living this vocational culture de-
mands making an effort to cultivate certain attitudes and values,
such as the promotion and the defence of the sacred value of hu-
man life, confidence in your self and in your neighbour, an inner
life which enables you to discover in yourself and in others the
presence and the action of God, being ready to feel yourself re-
sponsible and to allow yourself to become involved for the bene-
frt of others with an attitude of service and of giving freely, the
courage to dream and to have desires on a large scale, solidarity
and a sense of responsibility for others especially those most in
need." Within this context or vocational culture youth ministry
ought to propose to the young the different uocational paths - mat-
rimony, religious or consecrated life, priestly service, social and
" Cf. JottN Peul II, Message for the X)O( World Day of Prayer for vocations (8 Sep-
tember 1992).

3.8 Page 28

▲back to top
26 A?TS oF THE GENERAL coUNcIL
ecclesial commitment -and accompany them in their process of
discernment and choice.
Every educative-pastoral community needs to be aware of the
characteristics of its own cultural surroundings and of the ed-
ucative-pastoral activity it undertakes in its daily work with the
young. All of this with the aim of promoting and developing the
typical elements of a vocational culture, which is often not ac-
cepted in the surroundings in which the young people themselves
are living.
Here I mention two things which could help in the develop-
ment of a vocational culture:
. Giuing the educatiue-pastoral community a family atmosphere
including significant uocational witnesses.
Young people are living in a standardised environment, in
which they don't feel recognised or listened to; they have to
earn or fight for everything, so that the weaker ones or the less
prepared remain marginalised and forgotten. In this sort of
environment it is almost impossible to live life as a gift to be
shared; instead it appears to be a fight for survival or a race in
order to win prosperity and personal fulfilment. In a typical-
ly Salesian family atmosphere young people feels freely ac-
cepted and appreciated; they have the experience oftrusting
relationships with significant adults; they feel involved in the
life of a group; they develop the ability to take the lead and to
take responsibility; they learn to help to build the educative
community and to feel co-responsible for the common good;
they find room for moments of reflection, of dialogue and calm
discussion. This is the best kind of environment for the de-
velopment of a vocational culture.
' Ensuring guidance and accompaniment for people.
In a standardised environment or one in which relationships
are only functional, it will be very difficult to develop a voca-
tional view of life. In fact, such a process requires the pres-

3.9 Page 29

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 27
ence and the closeness of educators among the young, espe-
cially in the more spontaneous and informal moments; famil-
iarity with and interest in their lives; the capacity for person-
al relationships; moments of conversation and reflection to-
gether which help them to see life from a positive and voca-
tional point of view; space and time for more organised meet-
ings for personal accompaniment.
Education to love, to chastity
In vocational guidance and direction education to love has
a very important role. It is necessary to help the adolescents to in-
tegrate their affective-sexual development with the educational
process and also with the process of education to the faith. And
this so that they can live their affectivity and sexuality in har-
mony with the other fundamental dimensions of their personal-
ity, maintaining attitudes of openness, service and self-giving.
Nowadays adolescents have to cope with a cultural and social
climate which is highly sexualised and which continuously sends
out its messages in the street, on television, in cyberspace. It is a
question of suggestions which encourage a consumeristic form of
sexual behaviour and advocate immediate satisfaction in the
pusuit of pleasure. Permissiveness is the dominant social feature
in this area, and the sexual appetite sadly becomes commer-
cialised. It all gives rise to confusion with regard to values and to
great moral relativism. It often happens that a premature practice
of sexual relationships in the course of friendship is advocated or
the satisfaction of simple compulsive pleasure seeking. Young peo-
ple place great store on love, often challenging prejudice and crit-
icism, anxious to respond to their own affective needs, sensitive to
the value of a relationship which is open and unlimited. But very
often in this area they do not have any guidance nor anyone to
help them to understand their own affectivity and sexuality ac-
cording to an holistic view of the person, presenting in a contin-
uous and clear way a plan for education in love which might guide

3.10 Page 30

▲back to top
28 ACTS oF THE ?ENERAL couNclL
them towards the formation of their personality which is harmo-
nious and makes it possible to see life as a gift and as service.
Already several years ago the GC23 pointed out to the Sale-
sians that education to love was one of the three important key
issues around which the synthesis faith-life becomes possible and
is put into effect. "It is not a matter of particular points, but
rather of areas where the signifrcance, strength and contrasts of
faith can be found".'3
Nowadays this is even more important especially when one
wants to develop in a effective manner the vocational dimension
of life and to create an atmosphere in which it is possible for a
young person to bring a vocational plan to maturity, especially
when it is a question of vocations of a particular commitment,
which often include the choice of celibacy. In fact many young
people find themselves in an atmosphere which is of little help
for an integral and positive view of love. Many of them are living
with considerably difficult problems which the educator needs to
know in order to help them to overcome them.
For many of them there is a lack of any experience of selfless
love in their family, in which they have to cope with tensions and
conflict between their parents which not infrequently leads them
to opt for separation or divorce. The friendly relationship they may
experience among themselves is superficial, and the result of all
this is that instead of resisting the temptations presented by their
environment they zrre overcome by them. In this way, very quick-
ly, some of them form a close relationship with each other as a cou-
ple which cuts them off from the others and from the life of the
group. The need they feel to have a full relationship with their
partner leads them to disordered sexual practices. Certainly in all
ofthis one sees the effects ofa lack ofany real education to love:
either the subject is avoided or it is treated in a moralistic and neg-
ative way, which instead of being a help is rejected by adolescents.
s cf. GC23, 181.

4 Pages 31-40

▲back to top

4.1 Page 31

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 29
Our Preventive System and the family spirit, a characteristic
feature of our centres, can create the conditions for happily
putting it into practice.'n
Education to prayer
Prayer is an essential and primary element in guidance and in
the choice of a vocation, since this gift of God freely offered to
man can be discovered and followed only with the help of grace.
Therefore an effective and profound vocation ministry for the
young is not possible without introducing them to and accompa-
nying them in the assiduous practice of prayer.
The first Christian community was waiting in prayer on the
day of Pentecost, the day of the birth of the evangelising Church
(Acts L,t4). Jesus himself prayed before choosing the apostles
(Lh 6,12ss) and taught them to pray so that the Kingdom of God
might come (Mt 6,7ss). The command "Pray therefore the Lord
of the harvest that he may send labourers into his harvest" (cf. Mt
9,37ss; Lk 10,2) is understood in all its weight and urgency in the
light of the example and the teaching of Christ. Prayer is the best
path to follow and the best form of vocation ministry.
Considering this centrality of prayer in the faith journey it is
important to help the young and introduce them to and initiate
them into a really deep life of prayer: only in this way will they be
able to bring to maturity a possible vocation in them of special
consecration.'u
Young people nowadays are often living in an environment
which hardly favours the spiritual life. They are immersed in a
culture of consumerism and profit, of personal enjoyment and the
'n A simple, but still relevant, programme for education to chastity was proposed
by the 23 General Chapter: cf. GC23, 195-202.
" "Fostering consecrated vocations demands certain fundamental choices: con-
stant prayer... We should be committed to daily prayer in our communities and involve
young people, families, lay people, Salesian Family groups" (GC26,54).

4.2 Page 32

▲back to top
30 ACIS oF THE GENERAL coUNcIL
immediate satisfaction of desires; the superficial view of life is
dominated by subjective ethical-moral criteria, very often in con-
trast with each other and even contradictory. The environment in
which they move fosters a agitated rhthym of life, in which they
have a great variety of experiences without being able to really
savour any of them. "The crisis of the family, a widespread rela-
tivist and consumerist mentality, the negative influence of media
on consciences and behaviour are a strong obstacle to a vocation-
al culture".'6
On the other hand, we do find in adolescents and young peo-
ple a search for an inner life, an effort to discover their own iden-
tity and an openness to and real seeking after an experience ofthe
Trascendent. Even though, often, this process is perceived in a
subjective light and as corresponding to their own needs, it has to
be said that it is a good opportunity to help them to discover the
God of Jesus. Groups and movements are on the increase which,
in very different ways, promote experiences of spirituality, and
young people are present in large numbers in these groups. Just
think for example of the Taiz6 community!
All this constitutes a favourable situation in which to offer
young people the possibility of beginning an educational process
towards an inner spiritual life which gradually leads them to dis-
cover and to savour Christian prayer, especially that which gives
it its unique nature and makes it so precious: the meeting with
the person of Jesus who reveals to us the love of God, who invites
us to and offers us the grace of a personal relationship with Him.
This is why in a world so imbued with secularism and superfi-
ciality, there is an urgent need to promote this education to an in-
ner life and to offer our young people a strong and profound spir-
itual life. "Today the times demand a more explicit return to
prayer... It is a kind of prayer which is in harmony with the re-
awakening of faith; to be committed believers and not just peo-
ple of habit, implies a dialogue with the Lord which is more ex-
n GC26,57

4.3 Page 33

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 3'I
plicit, more frequent and more intense. In an atmosphere of sec-
ularism a pressing need is felt for meditation and a deepening of
faith"."
Education to prayer ought to foster the conditions which lead
young people to become true to themselves. These are: silence,
reflection, the ability to interpret one's own life, a readiness
to listen and to contemplate, gratuity and trust. Young people
who live agitated lives full of activities will not easily succeed in
creating within themselves the silence in which to cultivate an
inner life which leads them to a real meeting with themselves.
This too should be one of the aims we try to achieve. Hence the
importance of beginning prayer moments with a short period
of calm, of silence, of serenity, which will allow our young people
to become conscious of themselves, and starting from this expe-
rience, to accept their own lives and to place them before the
Lord.
At the heart of Christian prayer is listening to the Word of
God. This ought to be the great teacher of Christian prayer, which
does not consist so much in "speaking" to God as rather in "lis-
tening to Him" and opening oneself to His will (cf. Lk L1,5-8; Mt
6,9ss). "In your groups, dear young people", John Paul II wrote,
"multiply the occasions for hearing and studying the word of the
Lord, especially through the lectio diuina. You will discover the se-
crets of the Heart of God and will derive profit for discerning sit-
uations and transforming reality"." Normally the young person
needs to be initiated into this process of listening, helped to un-
derstand the meaning of the Word as it is heard or read. It also
needs to be recognised that the Word of God is effective in itself
and therefore it will sometimes be necessary to allow it to act on
its own in the heart of the young person without forcing it too
much with our own schemes: very often it will itself guide them
to a personal dialogue with Jesus.
" EcIDlo VIcANo, "Our prayer for vocations", AGC 341 (1992) p.27.
" JoHN Peul II, Message on the occasion of the XII World Youth Day (15 August
1996).

4.4 Page 34

▲back to top
32 ACT9 oF THE GENERAL C)UNCIL
Another great school of prayers is the liturgical and sacra-
mental life of the Church: the young person needs to be helped
to take part in these more and more consciously, understanding
the signs and the symbols of the liturgy. An education to the
faith which forgets or neglects t}re sacramental encounter of the
young with Christ, is not the way to find him and even less will
it indicate the possiblility of following him. "Like us the young
find the Lord in the ecclesial community. However, in its life
there are moments in which he reveals himself and communi-
cates himself in a singular way: these are the sacraments, in par-
ticular of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. Without the experi-
ence to be found in them, knowledge of Jesus becomes inade-
quate and limited, even to the point of not being able to recog-
nise him among men as the Risen Saviour... Rightly is it said
that the sacraments are the true memorial of Jesus: of what he
did and still does today for us, of what he means for our life; re-
kindling therefore our faith in him, so that we see see him bet-
ter in our life and in events.
They are also the revelation of what seems hidden in the
recesses of our life, through which we become aware of them... In
the sacrament of Reconciliation we open our eyes and we see what
we can become according to God's plan and will; we receive the
Spirit which purifies and renews us. It is said that it is the sacra-
ment of our future as sons, rather than of our past as sinners. In
the Eucharist Christ incorporates us in his offering to the Father
and strengthens our gift of ourselves to our fellow men. It inspires
in us the desire and it gives us the hope that both the love for the
Father and love for our brothers and sisters may become a grace
for everyone and in everything: we announce his death, we pro-
claim his resurrection, come Lord Jesus".'n
Among the many forms of initiation into prayer, Salesian
Youth Spirituality offers us its own precious contribution and a
" JueN E. VECCHI, "Lo riconobbero nello spezzare il pane", NPG 1997, n. 8 (no-
vembre) pp. 3-4.

4.5 Page 35

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 33
specific style of spiritual life, with a characteristic style of prayer
and a way of organising life around some insights of faith, value
options and attitudes. In it are to be found certain characteristics
that belong to Salesian prayer: it is prayer which is simple with-
out unnecessary complications, part of everyday life, which is pre-
sented and offered to the Lord; a prayer full of hope, which fosters
a paschal view of life, in personal conversation with the Risen
Lord, alive and present among us; prayer which leads on to the
celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist in which
one has a personal encounter with Jesus; prayer which helps us
to discover the presence ofJesus in every young person, especial-
ly in the poorest ones, and leads us to commit ourselves to edu-
cation and evangelisation.
It is important, therefore to give particular attention to these
characteristics in our process ofeducating to prayer, helping the
young to live them and in this way introducing them to Salesian
Youth Spirituality: It is a way of Christian life which can lead even
adolescents and youngsters to the great goal of holiness.'.
We need to be certain about this: only with a life of prayer
which is more and more centred on Christ will young people be
able to clarify and consolidate their choice of vocation, particu-
Iarly if it is a question of a vocation of special consecration.
Personal accompaniment
Another fundamental element in vocation ministry is the reg-
ular personal accompaniment of the young person. It ought to
be respectful, taking due account of the maturity and the spiri-
tual progress of the person being accompanied. It is a form of ac-
companiment which helps people to absorb and make their own
the experiences they have had and the suggestions they are giv-
en; it encourages and guides them in an introduction to person-
^ Cf. GC23, 158ss and particularly 173-177

4.6 Page 36

▲back to top
34 ACTS oF THE GENERAL coIJNcIL
al prayer and to the celebration of the sacraments;it directs them
towards a personal plan of life as a practical means of discern-
ment and vocational maturing. The grace of the Spirit Who is
working in the hearts of people needs the collaboration of the
community and of a spiritual director. For this reason at the side
of every saint there is a spiritual director who accompanies and
guides him.
Accompaniment is even more important within the Salesian
educational system, which is based on the presence of the educa-
tor among the young and on a personal relationship based on
them knowing each other, on understanding and trust.
When we speak about accompaniment, we are not referring
only to a one-to-one dialogue, but to a whole uariety of personal re-
lationships which help the young person to assimilate the values
and experiences lived personally, to relate the general suggestions
to his own concrete situation, to clarify and deepen motivations
and criteria.
This process includes the Salesian community providing erc-
perieruces at progressiue leuels to ensure that there is a educative
environment, capable of fostering the personal approach and vo-
cational development. By way of example:
t a presence among the young, with the willingness to get to
know them and share life with them with a trusting attitude;
tr encouraging groups, in which the young are given the support
of the leaders and of their own companions;
n brief, occasional contacts which show an interest in the young
people and their world; and at the same time, a readiness to
provide instruction at certain times of special significance for
the young person;
D moments of personal conversation short, frequent, systemat-
ic, according to a practical plan;
D contact with the Salesian community, with the experience of
sharing their life of prayer, fraternity and apostolate;

4.7 Page 37

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 35
D the frequent offer of the sacrament of reconciliation; in which
the attentive and friendly observations of the confessor often
prove decisive in guiding people to their vocational option.
In the practice of accompaniment, especially in personal dia-
logue, it would be well to ensure that attention is paid to some
fundamental points for the human and Christian development of
the young person and to discerning the signs of a vocation. In
particular, here are some of these:
' Educating to self-knowledge, in order to discover the values
and the qualities which the Lord has given to each one, but al-
so the limitations and the compromises in one's way of living
and thinking. How many young people have not responded
to the call of a vocation, not because they were lacking in gen-
erosity or were indifferent, but simply because they were not
helped to know themselves and to discover the ambiguous
and unChristian roots of certain mental and affective pat-
terns, or because they were not helped to free themselves
from their fears and self-defence in the face of the vocation it-
self.
. Bringing to maturity the recognition of Jesus as the Risen Lord
and as the ultimate meaning of their life. Vocational motiva-
tions need to be based on the recognition of the initiative of
God who loved us first. As Pope Benedict XVI explained to the
young people of Rome and Lazio: "The Lord is ever present
and looks at each one of us with love. Except that we have to
find this gaze and to encounter him. How can we do this?
I would say that the frrst point for an encounter with Jesus, for
an experience of his love, is getting to know him... To know a
person, above all the great person of Jesus, God and Man, also
requires reason, but, at the same time the heart. Only by open-
ing our heart to him, only by knowing all that he said and did,
can we, with our love, our movingtoward him, gradually get to
know him a little better and thus also experience being loved.
...In a true conversation we are increasingly able to find this

4.8 Page 38

▲back to top
36 ACrs oF THE GENERAL couNCtL
way of knowledge which becomes love. Naturally it is not only
thinking, not only prayer, but also doingthat is part of the jour-
ney to Jesus: doing good things, taking trouble for our neigh-
bour"."
a Educating to interpret the experience of one's own life and his-
torical euents as a gift of God as being called to place oneself
at the disposal of the mission for the Kingdom of God. For this
purpose to help the young to throw light on their lives through
the Word of God, with constant reference to Jesus Christ, felt
as the Lord of life who proposes a particular plan for each one
of us. "My life has been willed by God since eternity. I am
Ioved, I am necessary. God has a plan for me in the totality of
history: he has a plan specifically for me. My life is important
and also necessary. Eternal love created me in depth and
awaits me. So this is the first point: to know, to seek to know
God and thus to understand that life is a grft, that it is good to
be alive. Then the essential is love. To love this God who has
created me, who has created this world, who governs among
all the difficulties of man and of history and who accompanies
me. It means loving my neighbour... Hence there is a funda-
mental will of God for us all, which is identical for us all. How-
ever its application is different in every life, for God has a spe-
cific project for each person... not to "possess" life but to make
life a gift, not to seek for myself but to give to others. This is
the essential".22
a Deepening the personal assimilation of the euangelical ualues
as the permanent criteria which guide them in the choices
which are made in daily life. In this way it will be easier to
resist the temptation to conform in following the crowd. As
I said earlier, one aspect to which we will need to pay special
attention in this area is education to love and to affectivity.
" BpNroIcr X\\rI, Meeting with the young of Rome and Lazio, Feast of the Annun-
ciation (25.03.2010).
,, Ibid.

4.9 Page 39

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 37
The centrality and the role of religious consecration in the
mission of the Salesian Family
The Salesian mission is an educative mission (the holistic
development of the individual) and the mission of the evangeli-
sation of the young. These two dimensions of our Salesian mission
(the educative and the evangelising) are essential, and need to ex-
ist together mutually complementing and enriching each other.
The Salesian Family, while respecting the charism of the
different groups of which it is composed, is the subject of the
mission and needs to ensure that this organic unity is preserved
intact; on this account it is a great benefit that in it there is a
significant presence of the two complementary forms of living
the vocation, the secular one and the consecrated, and in this
latter the lay and the priestly form.
But it is essential to recognise and to emphasise the funda-
mental ualue of consecrated life in the carrying out of the Sale-
sian mission. "Don Bosco" - GC24 declares - "wanted consecra-
ted persons at the centre of his work, persons oriented to the
young and their holiness"."
The lay form of the Salesian vocation, in its various expres-
sions within the Salesian Family, recalls the values of creation
and of the secular state, it is particularly sensitive to the world of
work, pays special attention to the local situation, underlines the
need for a professional approach; the lay condition of the mem-
bers of the Salesian Family, religious, consecrated or not, shows
everyone how, through these values and secular occupations, to
live a total dedication to God for the sake of the Kingdom. The
other form is that of the priesthood, which recalls the ultimate
purpose of all educative activity; the priests belonging to the dif-
ferent groups of the Salesian Family exercise a priesthood fully
involved in a commitment to education: offering the Word of God
* GC24, t50.

4.10 Page 40

▲back to top
38 ACIS oF THE GENERAL C)UNCIL
not only in catechesis, but also in their educational personal con-
tact and activity, they build up the Christian community while
building up the educative community.
The value of religious consecration needs to be rediscovered
in the Salesian Family. In fact it is a necessary sign, which, whi-
le it specifies the identity of those who have made a total choice
in the following of Jesus, at the same time indicates to the lay
people who share our charism, that their contribution to the mis-
sion is not simply an extra help, but rather a particular expe-
rience of God, in the sharing of the same spirituality and of the
same mission. "There is no future for a religious who does not
express immediately, and almost emotionally, a transcendent di-
mension - like an arrow pointed to the divine and to love of his
neighbour, which stems from the divine".'n
Not infrequently, in our view of the Salesian vocation and in
our presentation of it, we give the impression of emphasising the
functional aspects leaving to one side or taking for granted as
though clearly understood those belonging to consecrated life. "If
we are going to put religious consecration in parentheses, so as to
argue in terms of roles and actions, this not only changes the
terms of reference but completely alters the dimensions".'o
In its specific role the Salesian Family is enriched by the si-
gnificant and complementary presence of priests, religious, conse-
crated and laity. Together they form an unusually strong combi-
nation of forces engaged in witnessing and in the educative mis-
sion; the various different lay vocations enrich the witness value
of consecrated life with its animating function which, as such, it
has to carry out in the Salesian Family and Movement.
This relationship therefore is not based on the roles or on the
different functions which each one may have, (very often these
JuaN E. VrccuI, The Beatificotion of Brother Artemide Zatti: A sensational prece-
'zn
dent, AGC 376 (2001) p.44.
lbid. p. 43.
'z5

5 Pages 41-50

▲back to top

5.1 Page 41

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 39
roles are the same), but on the specific vocational gifts through
which each one makes a contribution to the common mission.
The fact of dedicating one's life ought to be identical because it is
total, not, however, the way of dedicating it.
The Salesian Youth Movement a special place for vocations
The Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) is an organisation full of
life and to be found in the five continents. It is a very significant
expression of the strong attraction which Don Bosco and his
charism have for the young. In various national and internation-
al meetings of the SYM there has been a lively and strong expe-
rience of a flowing current of communion which has its source in
the person of Don Bosco, in the values of his pedagory and in Sale-
sian Youth Spirituality.
This development of the SYM with its variety of groups and
associations, with the presence of a good number of leaders, the
diversity of the initiatives and formation programmes, for us
members of the Salesian Family is a grace from God, and at the
same time a call. The Lord is sending us all these young people so
that we may help them along the path of growth as individual
persons so as to reach the fulness of the Christian life.
A tendency to gather people together, the life of a group, the
inspirational value of community was an almost spontaneous ex-
perience in Don Bosco's life. He had a natural inclination to be
sociable - for friendship. Gathering young people together the-
refore is an indispensible part of the educational approach Don
Bosco wanted. Through a large variety of youth groups and as-
sociations we have the opportunity of ensuring a high quality
educational presence in the new places where the young sociali-
se. This experience becomes significant when the young people
are called upon to appreciate the existence of the living Church
and to commit themselves to it as living members of the "body"
of the Christian community.

5.2 Page 42

▲back to top
40 ACrs oF THE 9ENERAL couNClL
Sometimes it can seem that the young people in our centres
and in some of our groups are superficial, especially when they
are in their noisy and festive mode. In reality many of them are
profoundly good and spiritual. They demonstrate a great thirst
for God, for Christ, for the Gospel lived in the simplicity and the
normality of daily life. Don Bosco was convinced that a high pro-
portion of the young people that God sends to our houses have
the right dispositions, if they are properly motivated and ac-
companied, to follow a vocation of special commitment.26 Preci-
sely because they are often living in an atmosphere which is lit-
tle conducive to silence and to an inner life, they look to us for
help, for our support and our accompaniment on the path of
bringing their life to maturity. Salesian Youth Spirituality, the
style of Christian life lived by Don Bosco and the boys at the
Oratory in Valdocco, constitutes then a treasure to offer these
young people.
In a good number of places in the world many vocations to
religious and priestly life and also to a committed lay life in the
Salesian Family are flourishing in the groups and in the asso-
ciations of the SYM, especially among the leaders. It is so-
mething we have to take account of, appreciating and accom-
panying this group experience in a much better way. Perhaps we
need to be more convinced that our young people, especially the
young leaders, have the right to receive from us a stimulus whi-
ch leads them to see their lives and their commitment in a vo-
cational key; in their personal accompaniment we need to pro-
pose very clearly the question of vocation and encourage in
them a generous response.
This is an important and urgent task for every Salesian and
for every member of the Salesian Family in their daily contact
with the young people in the groups and in their various leader-
ship roles. When there is a suitable moment and when the young
person is potentially receptive that is the time to suggest a voca-
" Cf. BM Xl,p.248.

5.3 Page 43

▲back to top
THE RECTOR I,IAJOR 41
tional commitment. In making this suggestion we have to be free
and courageous, entrusting ourselves to the action of the Spirit,
Who will often surprise us with what He does.
Nowadays the age for making a decision about vocational
life-options is changing, and even though the seed is planted in
pre-adolescence or adolescence, often it is maturing later, when
the young people are at university or having their first expe-
rience of work. It is important to provide opportunities and
situations in which we are able to accompany them in these mo-
ments which are decisive for their future. Among these young
people we need to give special care to those who are closer to us,
the leaders, the volunteers, those working with us in our cen-
tres, generously sharing many of the aspects of the Salesian mis-
sion, who have a genuine desire to serve and are looking for a
meaningful plan of life. It is necessary to ensure that the expe-
rience of leadership and of voluntary service helps them to or-
ganise their Iives according to a line of enquiry and an openness
to vocation.
We notice how among the groups of the SYM, uoluntary ser-
ulce groups are developing in a wonderful way. These constitute
a first step in the formation process previously carried out in the
groups. Young people in opting for voluntary service, discover an
opportunity for initiative and service which becomes a coura-
geous challenge to the individualistic and consumeristic menta-
lity which pervades much of society. At the same time, it helps
them to bring to maturity a vocational view of life as a gift and as
service.
This "sign of the times" needs to be welcomed and the many
openings its provides exploited, especially in the education to
solidarity and the vocational opportunities included in it.
Don Bosco knew how to involve his boys, often very young,
in forms of voluntary service which were quite heroic. Just to re-
call the young "volunteers" at the time of the cholera epidemic
in Turin. By means of these responsibilities in service he helped

5.4 Page 44

▲back to top
42 Acrs oF THE GENERAL couNCtL
them bring to maturity a vocational option for life. The direct
co-involvement of these same boys in their own education and in
the transformation of the environment was for Don Bosco one of
the fundamental keys of his educational system, in addition to
its being a real school of citizenship and of holiness.
And we too today, through voluntary service, want to re-pro-
pose a vocational view of life inspired by the Gospel lived accor-
ding Salesian Youth Spirituality. The volunteers make a reality
of these values and this attitude characteristic of a "vocational
culture" as mentioned before, such as the defence and the pro-
motion of the sacred value of human life, confidence in themsel-
ves and in their companions, an inner life which enables them to
discover in themselves and in others the presence and the ac-
tion of God, being ready to feel themselves responsible and to al-
Iow themselves to become involved for the benefit of others with
an attitude of service and of free self-giving. These values need
to be cultivated during the formation of the volunteers and
should inspire their plans and their way of giving service in su-
ch a way that their experience of voluntary service shapes their
lives as citizens and as committed Christians and is not merely
limited to one experience among many during their youthful
years.
In this way voluntary service becomes a real school of life; it
contributes to educating the young to a culture of solidarity in
relation to others, especially those most in need. It helps them to
develop a spirit of welcoming, of openness towards others, and
quite naturally Ieads to an openness to the total and free gift of
themselves.
It is important, therefore, to promote voluntary service in
the Salesian Family. It is an option that should be made known,
appreciated and accompanied. In itself it is a typical experience
in which a vocational culture can be appropriately cultivated.

5.5 Page 45

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 43
4. Conclusion. The beauty and relevance of the Salesian
vocation
On my visits to the Congregation and to the other groups of the
Salesian Family present in various places I have been able to ob-
serve the enormous force of attraction and the enthusiasm aroused
by Don Bosco, among both the young and adults, among the ordi
nary people and also among the authorities, the politicians, social
workers, in the different cultures and also among people of other
religions. Speaking with many of them I have been able to appre-
ciate the gratitude they show for the presence and the work of
Salesians. They are all proud to be past-pupils and to have experi-
enced the Salesian method of education. Often the memory of Don
Bosco produced great enthusiasm among the people and mobilised
whole populations. This happens, for example, in Panam6 during
the novena and the feast of Don Bosco. We are seeing the same
phenomenon during the travels of the casket of Don Bosco, which
is going the rounds of the various continents. His teaching method
and style of education, especially when it is known and studied, is
considered a treasure which needs to be both known and pre-
served. In fact it represents a very suitable response to the chal-
lenges and to the expectations oftoday's young people.
All this encourages us to live our vocation with justified pri-
de and gratitude, as we feel ourselves to be the heirs and the con-
tinuers of a special charism which God raised up for the young
especially the poor and those at risk. In these 150 years of Sale-
sian history starting from the founding of the Congregation and
of the Salesian Family, we see Don Bosco's dream fulfrlled, of in-
volving a vast movement of people who sharing his spirit, com-
mit themselves to the mission for youth. We are all part and a
proof of this dream as it unfolds.
We therefore need to live our Salesian vocation with a great
sense of gratitude. And the first sign of our thanks is our own fi-
delity lived with joy and shining witness. We need to speak about
our vocation. We need to speak about Don Bosco and his mission.

5.6 Page 46

▲back to top
44 ACTS oF THE GENERAL C)UNCIL
We need to point out what the Salesian Family, through its grou-
ps, has achieved in the world and to encourage many people of
good will to offer not only their collaboration but their very lives
so that the Salesian mission on behalf of the young so loved by
God may continue in the world.
All of us have known and can remember brothers and sisters,
communities and groups who have lived and are still living their
vocation in an admirable and attractive way. Their lives attract
the esteem and the co-involvement of many people. I am just
thinking now of Fr Cimatti who with his pleasant kindliness and
his musical talent made Don Bosco and his work known and ap-
preciated in Japan, raising up numerous vocations; or Fr Car-
reflo who in India, together with other great missionaries, made
the Salesian vocation known and loved, involving large numbers
of young people and setting in motion a vocational movement the
abundant fruits of which we are still gathering today. I also re-
member Blessed Sister Maria Romero, a tireless apostolic woman
in Costa Rica, or the shining figure of Sister Eusebia Palomino,
or the Salesian Cooperator Attilio Giordani, or the Past Pupil
Alberto Marvelli, or Alexandrina da Costa, or Nino Baglieri.
Even in the most difficult situations such as those in commu-
nist countries, the members of the Salesian Family did not allow
themselves to be frightened or discouraged by the obstacles, and
they did not retire, waiting for better times, but tried to live their
vocation with fidelity, helping one another to persevere in almo-
st impossible situations and giving rise to new and creative ways
in order to carry out in a clandestine manner pastoral work ac-
cording to the Salesian spirit. In this way too, in such adverse
circumstances, they were able to foster numerous vocations to
religious life and to the Salesian Family.
I am sure that each one ofyou in the various groups and in
the Congregations and the Institutes of the Salesian Family, has
known brothers and sisters around whom numerous vocations
to religious life have developed. Others will have promoted the

5.7 Page 47

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 45
commitment to Don Bosco's mission among many lay people.
This kind of power of inspiration has its source in the person of
our great Father Don Bosco. Today too, whenever our lay co-
workers know Don Bosco well, with his Educational System and
his Spirituality, they become really enthusiastic about him and
they feel the desire to make him known to others.
Therefore we ought to be proud of our Salesian vocation; to
know Don Bosco better and better, and above all to live and com-
municate with enthusiasm his spirit and the Salesian mission.
As a sign of gratitude for the gift of the Salesian vocation we ha-
ve received, we commit ourselves to making it known to all, espe-
cially to the young. We will speak about it whenever it is possible,
to our co-workers and to the friends who come in contact with
us. Our life, our enthusiasm, our fidelity will clearly show that
we believe in the beauty and the value of the vocation we have
received. We believe in its relevance, and we live it with intensity
in order to respond joyfully to the needs and to the expectations
ofthe young and of society today.
The Lord Jesus and Mary Help of Christians have entrusted
to us this precious gift for the salvation of the young. It is a gift
we guard with love, we live intensely, we communicate with joy.
As usual I conclude with a fable which, it seems to me, will pro-
vide plenty of stimulus for the reflection which we want to make
on the theme of the sequela, the journey, the fundamental life-op-
tion, and the Lord as the only and highest good, and the truly pre-
cious pearl for which it is worth-while selling everything. They are
all aspects which are concerned with the idea of life as a vocation.
THE CARAVAN IN THE DESERT
In the Far East there used to live a rich and powerful Emperor. In
aII the courts of the world they used to sing the praises of his king-
dom, of his palaces, of his wisdom. But the bards and minstrels

5.8 Page 48

▲back to top
46 ACTS oF THE GENERAL coUNcIL
who travelled from castle to castle sang above all of his immense
wealth.
"The jewels alone in his diadem could support a city!" they used
to declaim.
As always happens, all of this provoked the envy and the greed of
other kings and other peoples. Some tribes of fierce and violent
barbarians gathered on the frontier and invaded the kingdom.
No one succeeded in stopping them.
The Emperor decided to find refuge among the faithful tribes who
were living in the mountains, beyond the terrible desert.
One night he left the imperial palace accompanied by a small
caravan which carried his fabulous treasure of gold bars, jewels
and precious stones. To hasten his march, he was accompanied
only by select guards and his pages who had sworn their absolute
frdelity even to death.
The track across the desert snaked between sand dunes scorched
by the sun, narrow passage ways and steep inclines. A track
known only to a few.
Half way along the journey, while they were climbing up an icy
slope, exhausted by fatigue and the slippery surface of the rocks,
some of the camels in the caravan collapsed gasping for breath
and did not rise again.
The strong boxes they were carrying rolled down the sides of the
dune, turned over and scattered all their contents ofcoins, jewels
and precious stones which slipped down among the rocks and the
sand.
The Sovereign was unable to slow down. The enemy was proba-
bly already aware of his flight.
With a gesture which was both a sign of displeasure and of gen-
erosity, he invited his pages and the guards to pick up what pre-
cious stones they could manage to gather together and to take
them with them. A handful of those precious objects would make
them rich for the rest of their lives.
While the young men eagerly threw themselves on the precious
spoils, and scrambled anxiously in the sand and among the stones,
the sovereign continued his journey through the desert.

5.9 Page 49

▲back to top
THE RECTOR MAJOR 47
However, he became aw€rre that someone was continuing to walk
behind him.
He turned round and saw that it was one of his pages, who was
following him panting and perspiring.
"And you" he asked, "didn't you stop to collect anything?".
The young man looked at him calmly with a gaze full of dignity
and pride, and replied:
"No, sire. I follow my king".
The story reminds us of that decisive passage in John's Gospel,
which is a watershed in the story of Jesus:
"Man! of the disciples of Jesus left him and stopped going with
him. Then Jesus said to the Twelue: "Do you want to go away
too? ".
Simon Peter answered: "Lord, who shall we go to? You haue the
ntessage of eternal life and we belieue; we know that you are the
Holy One of God.", (Jn 6,66-69).
Such a demanding decision to commit one's life into the hands of
God is only possible if, Madeleine Delbr6l writes, we are able to
dance allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us.
The Dance of Life
"To be a good dance4 with You as with others, it is not necessary
to hnow where the dance is leading. It is enough to follow the
steps, to be happy, to be light-footed and aboue all not to be stiff,
You don't haue to seeh explanations about the steps you like to tahe.
It is enough to be the extension, light and aliue, of You, and to
receiue from You the transmission of the rhythrn of the orchestra.
It is necessary not to want to make progress at all costs, but to
accept that you turn round, progress side by side- It is necessary to
hnow to stop, to slide rather than to walh. And these would only
be the steps of a fool were the music not to turn into harmony.
We h.oweuer forget the music of Your Spirit, and we make life a
gymnastic exercise; we forget that in Your arms life is a dance and
that Your holy will is a fantasy.

5.10 Page 50

▲back to top
48 ACIS oF THE GENERAL C)UN)IL
If only we could be content with You, Lord, we would net)er be able
to resist the need to dance which is spreading through the world,
and we would come to realise what dance You lihe us to dance,
espousing the steps of Your Prouidence".
Dear brothers and sisters, I pray that all of you may have this
exhilarating experience of allowing yourselves to be led by the
Spirit. Our life will be full ofjoy and of enthusiasm, and then we
shall be able to become, like John the Baptist, teachers who
know how to help their disciples to become disciples and apostles
ofthe Lord Jesus.
With my very best wishes, and may you have a peaceful 2011
rich in vocations for the whole Salesian Family.
E*ffi*"@7r

6 Pages 51-60

▲back to top

6.1 Page 51

▲back to top
4. ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
4.1 Chronicle of the Rector Maior
- July 2O1O
At the end of the Retreat at
Camaldoli (cf AGC 408, Chronicle
of the Rector Major, June 2010), on
Saturday 3 July, the Rector Major
returned to Rome with all the
Councillors.
Late in the morning on Monday
5 he met the members of the "Don
Bosco Mission Community" Asso-
ciation from Bologna.
On Tuesday 6 the meetings of
the plenary session of the General
Council, interrupted for the Re-
treat were resumed. On the after-
noon of the 6, with some of the
Councillors he went to the Vatican
for a Mass on the occasion of the
50'n anniversary of the priestly or-
dination of H. E. Cardinal Tarcisio
Bertone.
On Wednesday morning 7, at
Castel Gandolfo there was the usu-
al half-yearly joint meeting of the
SDB and FMA General Councils.
Then as always the meetings of
the Council alternate, when the
time is available, with meetings
and audiences of the Rector Major
with the Councillors, Superiors
and confreres, and other engage-
ments. Among his various audi-
ences in this week should be men-
tioned that with the Superior
General of the "Maria Auxiliatrix
Sisters" Sr Jeyarani, accompanied
by her Assistant Sr Josephine.
At midday on Saturday 10, the
Rector Major had a meeting with
the Commission which had been
making an external assessment of
the Faculty of Social Communica-
tion Studies at the UPS, at which
Fr Filiberto Gonzdlez, Fr Michele
Pellerey and Prof. Diego Contreras
were present.
The following week was devoted
exclusively to the work of the
Council, accompanied as always by
audiences and meetings.
On Friday 16, when the session
of Council was over, with his Vicar,
he left for Madrid to meet a fami-
Iy of benefactors; they are guests
of the community of the Missions
Office.
Having returned to Rome in the
afternoon of 17, on Sunday 18 he
went to Castel Gandolfo, where he
first celebrated Mass in the com-
munity of the FMA Novitiate and
met the novices; afterwards he
gave a conference to the new
Provincials and said Mass for
them, the Sisters of the house and
the FMA General Council.

6.2 Page 52

▲back to top
50 ACIS oF THE GENERAL coUNcIL
The week of 19 to 25 was occu-
pied with the ordinary work of the
General Council and the usual
meetings and audiences, including
one with Fr Pedro Aguado Cuesta,
Superior General of the Scolo-
pians.
During this week should be
mentioned the official information
the Rector Major gave to the com-
munity in the Good Night on
Wednesday 2I, of his having ac-
cepted the resignation ofFr Stefa.,
Turanskf from his office of Re-
gional Councillor for the North
Europe Region, on health grounds.
On Friday 23 Fr Enrico dal Co-
volo, recently appointed Rector
Magnificus of the Lateran Univer-
sity is present; the Rector Major
and the Councillors thank him for
the work he had done as Postula-
tor for the Causes of Saints.
On Monday 26, Fr Ch6vez went
to the headquarters ofthe UISG for
a meeting with the new President
of the International Union of Fe-
male Superiors General, Sr Mary
Lou Wirtz; after which he went to
the Curia of the Jesuits for a meet-
ing with Superiors General who
have Pontifical Athenei in Rome. In
the evening he presides at an ex-
traordinary meeting of the Council.
On Tuesday morning 27, he
spoke with Fr Marek Chrzan, the
current Provincial ofKrakow, and
appointed him the new Councillor
for the North Europe Region, to
take the place ofFr Stefa, Turan-
skf. Before lunch Fr Ch6vez intro-
duced him to the community of
the Generalate.
The work of the plenary session
of the General Council continued
in the following days and ended on
Friday 30 July with a final meet-
ing preceded by Mass.
- August 2010
Having spent the first days of
August in the house, with the usu-
al office work, on Thursday 5 the
Rector Major, with his secretary Fr
Juan Jos6 Bartolom6, left for San-
t'Agnello, in Campania, to spend a
few restful days in the local com-
munity of the FMA.
He returned to the Generalate
in Rome onWednesday ll August,
and took up his usual work again.
On Sunday 15, Fr Chixez, ac-
companied by Fr Adriano Bregolin
and a family of friends Mr. Ar-
mando Fontana and his wife Mrs
Franca, went to the Parish in Cas-
tel Gandolfo, where he concele-
brated with the Holy Father for
the Solemnity of the Assumption
of Mary. After the Mass they
stayed for breakfast together, dur-
ing which time they also wished H.
E. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone a
h.ppy feast for his name day.

6.3 Page 53

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 51
On Monday 16, with Fr Marco
Mazzant| the Bregolin, Tibaldini
and Fontana families, the Rector
Major left for the HoIy Land, on a
pilgrimage until the evening of
Monday 23.
On the evening of Wednesday 25,
with his secretary Fr Juan Jos6
Bartolom6, Fr Ch6vez left for
Brazil. Arriving at S5o Paulo, he
was welcomed by Bishop Hil6rio
Moser, Bishop Jo6o Corso and
some confreres from the Provincial
House in 56o Paulo. After Mass
and a short rest, he continued his
journey to Belo Horizonte, where
he was welcomed by the Provincial
Fr Nilson Faria, and some other
confreres of the Province.
On Friday morning 27, Fr
Chfxez received a visit from Arch-
bishop Valmor Oliveira De Azevedo
of Belo Horizonte, after which he
travelled to Cachoeira do Campo.
Before going to the Salesian house
he went to greet the FMA commu-
nity at 'Retiro das Rosas' and the
coordinators of the Salesian schools
network. In the afternoon he had a
meeting with the confreres of the
Province, attended by the Provin-
cial Councillors, the Delegates, the
Rectors of the communities amd
those in charge ofthe works.
On Saturday 28, he met and said
Mass with the Salesian Family and
with the young people from the
Salesian College, and then trav-
elled to Brasiliq.. At the airport he
was welcomed by the Regional
Councillor Fr Natale Vitali, by the
Provincials of the CISBRASIL, by
the FMA Provincials of the Belo
Horizonte and Rio do Janeiro
Provinces, and by other confreres
and sisters. In the afternoon he
held a meeting with the Regional
and the Provincials of the Cis-
brasil, followed by evening prayer
and supper, in which Archbishop
Jo6o Braz De Aviz also took part.
On Sunday morning 29, Fr
Chdvez took part in the pilgrimage
of the Archdiocese from the Sanc-
tuary of Don Bosco to the Erm.ida,
stopping on the way at the Cathe-
dral where the Rector Major
blessed the statue of Don Bosco.
Having arriving at the Ermida
Don Bosco the Archbishop of
Brasilia, Mons. Braz, presided at
Mass and the Rector Major gave
the homily. In the afternoon in the
"Israel Pifleiro" house, Fr Chrivez
met the Salesian Family and the
young people. Later he presided at
Mass at the Don Bosco parish in
the Nricleo Bandeirante.
On Monday 30, after giving an
interview for the TY Cangan Noua,
the Rector Major began the return
journey to 56o Paulo. He stopped
for some hours at the community
of Itaquera, where he had lunch

6.4 Page 54

▲back to top
52 ACTS OF THE GENERAL C)UNCIL
with the Provincial Council and
the confreres of the community.
Then he continued on his way
to Frankfurt and Rome, where he
arrived in the afternoon of Tues-
day 31.
- September 2070
He stayed in the house only the
one day Wednesday 1 September,
in the morning of which he spoke
to those taking part in the Gener-
al Chapter of the Dominican Order
of Preachers being held at the
'Salesianum'.
The following day, Thursday 2,
Fr Ch6vez left for Malta, to make
the Extraordinary Visitation of
this Delegation of the Irish
Province. On his arrival he was
met by the Delegate, Fr PauI For-
mosa and Fr Joseph Forte.
On Friday 3, he began the Visi-
tation talking with the Provincial
Delegate followed by a meeting
with the Council of the Delegation.
In the afternoon, he began his vis-
its to the communities starting
with that of Sliema-St. Patrick.
On Sunday 5, accompanied by
the Delegate, he visited the 'Hi-
pogeum' archaeological site. In the
evening he began his visit to the
community of "Savio College" in
Dingli, which ended on the morn-
ing of 7 with Mass at which the
postnovices Robert Falzon and
Kenneth Micallef renewed their
profession. In these days he also
visited the Grotto of Saint Paul at
Rabat.
In the evening of 7 September
he visited the "Osanna Pia Home"
(Sliema), a hostel for young people
in difficulty and the youth centre.
He concluded the visit to this
house on Thursday morning 9,
having also visited the "Salesiana
Press" and in the afternoon he
went to Senglea, to the "Saint
Philip Neri" community where he
stayed until the afternoon of Fri-
day 10 September.
On Saturday morning 11, he had
a talk with the Provincial Delegate
Fr Paul Formosa and visited the
two FMA who are in Malta. In the
evening he went to Berzebugia,
where he said Mass during which
the young confrere Clive Mifsud
made his perpetual profession.
On Sunday morning 72, he
left for Rome, to take up again his
usual work with a number of au-
diences and various meetings.
Among these, in the evening of
Thursday 16, was one with the
new missionaries who will be part
of the 141"' missionary expedition
at Valdocco on 26 September.
In the afternoon of 17 Septem-
ber he left for Venice, where he
was welcomed by the Provincial
Fr Eugenio Riva. At Mestre he

6.5 Page 55

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 53
greeted the confreres in the
"Artemide Zatti" community and
then went to the Provincial House
where among other things after he
gave the Good Night to the confr-
eres, he met a group ofyoung peo-
ple and a group of past pupils.
On Saturday morning 18, ac-
companied by the Provincial Fr
Chixez left for Padua and the Don
Bosco Institute of the FMA. He
met the boys and girls of the Insti
tute, and then gave a conference
on "Consecrated Life, Challenges
and Prospects" to the USMI of
Triveneto. Afterwards he went to
Monteortone for Mass with the
communities gathered together for
a day of recollection. After lunch he
returned to Padua, to the Don
Bosco Institute, where he met the
FMA for the opening of the cente-
nary of the Salesian presence in
the city. Later he returned to Rome
to take up his usual work again.
Among the people he saw in this
period mention should be made es-
pecially of Fr Francis Alencherry
former Councillor for the Missions
and now working in Bangladesh,
of a group of confreres from the
Provinces of India and Sri Lanka
who had completed their course in
Salesian studies at Bangalore, and
Bishop Francis Anthonisamy of
Kumbakonam, India, accompanied
by two priests from his diocese.
On Saturday morning 25 he left
for Turin, going to the Michael
Rua Oratory in the "Monterosa"
community for the festivities in
this significant Salesian centre
on the occasion of the centenary
of the death of its Patron. The
Rector Major met the various
groups, presided at Mass and
stayed for supper.
On Sunday 26, at 09.00 he met a
Iarge group of SDB, FMA and
young people taking part in the
Harambde and at midday in the
Basilica of Mary Help of Chris-
tians he presided at Mass for the
141"' Missionary Expedition Cere-
mony.In the evening he returned
to Rome.
On Tuesday morning 28, he
presided at Mass for the Consulta-
tive Committee of the Missions
Department.
On Wednesday evening, he took
part in greeting those arriving for
the IV World Assem.bly of the Don
Bosco Past Pupils.
On Thursday morning 30, he
took part in the Vatican Basilica
of Saint Peter's, in the Mass at
which H. E. Cardinal Tarcisio
Bertone presided. In the after-
noon he presided at the opening of
the World Assembly of the Past
Pupils and after supper and
evening prayer he gave the Good
Night.

6.6 Page 56

▲back to top
54 ACTS oF THE GENERAL coUNcIL
- October 2010
Fr Ch6vez began the month of
October taking part, for the first
three days, in the World Assembly
of the Past Pupils. On Friday t he
spoke with the three candidates
for the Presidency indicated by the
Assembly and the following morn-
ing announced the appointment
- by the Rector Major, according to
the Regulations - of Mr. Francesco
Muceo, who was thus re-elected as
President of the World Confedera-
tion of the Don Bosco Past Pupils
for a second mandate. On Sunday
3 October the Rector Major con-
cluded the Assembly presiding at
Mass.
On Monday 4 October, at 11.00,
presiding at the first meeting the
Rector Major opened the iruterme-
diate session of the General Coun-
cil, a busy and demanding session
with usually two meetings each
day, which ended on Friday morn-
ing 8. As always in between meet-
ings of the Council there a were
audiences and other meetings.
The same day, 8 October, Fr
Chdvez, with the Vicar Fr Adriano
Bregolin, left for Dublin, where
they were welcomed by the Provin-
cial Fr John Horan. The following
morning the Rector Major presided
at a meeting of the Provincial
Council and then the Vicar Fr Bre-
golin presented to the confreres of
the Provinces gathered together
the concluding report of the Extra-
ordinary Visitation of the Irish
Province. This was followed by
Mass and lunch.
In the afternoon the Rector Ma-
jor and his Vicar left for Madrid
and from there for Seville, on Sun-
day morning 10. They were then
accompanied to Rota. Arriving in
the city Fr Ch6vez greeted the
Salesian Family and the educative
pastoral community and then was
honoured by the Mayor and City
Council from whom he receives
the "Golden Key" of the city of Ro-
ta. Then in the parish of "Saint
Mary of the O" he presided at
Mass, at the end of which the Gold
Medal of the Patroness of the City
was conferred on him. Finally dur-
ing lunch he received another Gold
Medal from the "Fundaci6n Zoilo
Ruiz Mateos". He then left for
Sanhicar la Mayor. Here he
presided at Mass with the Provin-
cials and Rectors from the West
Europe Region, to whom the fol-
lowing morning - Monday 11 - he
gave a conference on the subject of
Consecrate Life in Europe. After
lunch he returned to Rome.
On Tuesday morning L2, the
Rector Major went to the UPS for
the opening of the Academic Year
20to-20t1.

6.7 Page 57

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 55
In the afternoon of Wednesday
13, accompanied by his Vicar and
his Secretary he left for a uisit to
Korea qnd the Philippines.
Arriving at Seoul on Thursday
14, he was welcomed at the airport
by the Provincial Fr Stephanus
Nam, and by some confreres, by
the FMA Provincial and other
members of the Salesian Family.
In the evening after supper he
paid a visit to the Don Bosco Youth
Centre and prayed with the young
people, the co-workers and the
confreres, ending with the Good
Night.
Early in the morning on Friday
15, the Rector Major and Fr Bre-
golin went to the hostel of the
community of "Shin Kil Dong" to
greet Fr Marc Cuvelier, former
Provincial of Korea. Afterwards
the Rector Major led a day of rec-
ollection for the Salesians in the
Seoul houses which ends with
Mass. After lunch with the Vicar
he had a meeting with the Rectors,
after which he left by train for
Kwangju, and the house of "Shin
An Dong", where he was wel-
comed by the postnovices and all
the confreres in the community.
The following day, Saturday 16,
still in Kwangju, ha spends the
morning in the community of "Il
Gok Dong", meeting the young
people the teachers and the confr-
eres. He then gave a conference to
the members of the Salesian Fam-
ily, which was followed by lunch
and some festivities. In the after-
noon he concelebrated Mass at
which the Archbishop of Kwanglu,
Mons. Igino Kim presided. Then
the Rector Major left for the
Provincial House of the Sisters of
Charity ofJesus, where he gave a
conference to the Delegates at
their General Chapter.
Having returned to Seoul, on
Sunday 17, he had a meeting with
the Salesian Family in Seoul and
with the Nuncio Apostolic, Arch-
bishop Osvaldo Padilla. After
lunch he took part in the Feast of
the Salesian Family and presented
the prizes to the winners in the
"Don Rua Art Festival" after
which there was Mass at which the
Nuncio Apostolic presided. After-
wards still in Seoul, he went to the
House of "Dae Rim Dong", where
he was welcomed by the commu-
nity of students of theolory, post-
novices, novices, prenovices and
youngsters from situations ofpsy-
cho-social risk.
Early on Monday morning 18, he
went to the Provincial House of
the FMA. There he presided at
Mass, had breakfast with the Sis-
ters and gave a conference to the
FMA. Having returned to the SDB
Provincial House, he gave an in-

6.8 Page 58

▲back to top
56 ACIS oF THE GENERAL coUNcIL
terview and then spoke with the
Provincial, and held a meeting
with the Provincial Council. In the
afternoon he went to the airport to
travel to Manila in the Philippines.
Arriving there he was welcomed
by the Vice Provincial and the Rec-
tor of the Provincial House.
Early on Tuesday morning 19,
he left for Pampanga, where he
was welcomed by the Provincial
Fr Eligio Cnrz,by CardinalJoseph
Zen, by the Salesian Bishop
Patrick Buzon, by Archbishop Pa-
ciano Aniceto of San Fernando
and by the confreres gathered for
the Province Feast and, for the
launching of the cause of beatifi-
cation of Fr Charles Braga. "Ihe
Rector Major presided at Mass
and gave a conference to the con-
freres. In the afternoon he re-
turned to Manila airport to travel
to Cebu, where he was welcomed
by the Provincial Fr George Mili-
tante and other confreres.
He spent Tuesday 20 at Lawa-
an. He was welcomed by the confr-
eres the novices and the aspirants.
He gave a conference to the confr-
eres and the novices, presided at
Mass for all the Salesian Family
and then in the afternoon with
Fr Bregolin he had a meeting with
the Rectors and the Provincial
Council. After supper they left for
Manila.
On Thursday morning 21, at
Paraflaque Fr Ch6vez presided at
Mass for the community of the
students of theolory, the teachers,
the Rectors and the confreres.
Then with Fr Adriano, he had a
meeting with the Rectors and af-
ter lunch left for Tuloy, where they
were met by the youngsters there
and whom he greeted. Then with
Fr Adriano, he had a meeting
with the Provincial Council and
then was given a reception by the
educative pastoral community of
the Don Bosco centre. In the
evening he went to the airport to
return to Rome.
Immediately the next day, on
Saturday morning 23, he left for
Madrid for the 50'n anniversary
of the magazine "Misi6n Joven"
and the 25'h of "Catequistas". The
event, which was attended by
Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco
Varela, Archbishop of Madrid, by
the recently created Cardinal Jos6
Manuel Estepa, by three other
Bishops from the Spanish Bish-
ops'Conference, by the Regional
Fr Jos6 Miguel Nrifiez and the
Spanish Provincials was held in
the afternoon at the Paseo di
Extremadura College, where Fr
Chdvez gave the commemorative
address.
Having returned to Rome on
Sunday 24, the following day the

6.9 Page 59

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 57
Rector Major went to the Auxili-
um for the formal opening of the
Academic Year 20L0-2011, in his
role as Grand Chancellor, and gave
the Inaugural Address.
Among the more significant
events in the following days were
Mass on Wednesday morning 27,
with the members of the Provin-
cial Chapter of the ICC Circum-
scription and the meeting with
H. E. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone,
with the Economer General, Bro.
Claudio Marangio, on Thursday
morning 28.
In the evening of the same day
28 he gave the opening Good
Night welcoming those taking part
in the International Congress
"Don Rua in History". On Friday
29 he presided at Mass in honour
of Blessed Michael Rua. Then he
took an active part in the Congress
on 29 and 30 and he brought it to
a close on Sunday 31 with a talk
summing up the occasion.
- Noaember 2070
The Rector Major began the
month of November presiding
at Mass in St Peter's Basilica on
the Solemnity of All Saints; this
was immediately followed by the
"Saints Run", a fund-raising event
promoted by the "Don Bosco in
the World Foundation". (this year
on behalf of Pakistan).
At midday on Tuesday 2 he left
for Johannesburg, in South Africa
where he arrived the following day.
Welcomed by the Provincial Fr
Frangois Dufour, and by the Rec-
tor of the Don Bosco Centre, to-
gether with the Provincial Sr Juli-
enne Munyemba and some other
FMA, he was taken to the Don
Bosco Centre, where waiting for
him were Fr Guillermo Basafles
and all the Provincials from the
Africa-Madagascar Region, with
the youngsters from the Centre.
The following day, Thursday 4,
the meeting of the Provincials of
the CIVAM (Conference of the
Provinces and Vice Provinces of
Africa and Madagascar), which
was to continue until midday on
Saturday 6, began. The visit on
Friday 5 by Archbishop Buti Tlha-
gale OMI of Johannesburg should
be mentioned,
In the afternoon of Saturday 6,
accompanied by the Provincial Fr
Frangois Dufour and three other
Provincials (ATE, AFW and MOZ),
the Rector Major left for Lesotho.
Arriving at Maputsoe he was wel-
comed by the Rector of the com-
munity, Fr Marian Kulig, by the
confreres, the FMA, the MSMHC,
by the local authorities and by a
large number ofyoungsters, young
people and adults from the various
sectors of the Work. After the re-

6.10 Page 60

▲back to top
58 Acrs oF rHE GENERAL couNctL
ception ceremony, he met a group
of people who were preparing to
make their promise as Salesian
Cooperators. This was followed by
supper, attended also by Bishop
Augustinus Tumaole Bane OMI,
and by evening prayer and the
Good Night with the SDB, FMA
and MSMHC communities.
On Sunday morning 7, the
Rector Major presided at Mass in
the parish church which was fol-
lowed by a concert and then lunch,
at the end of which he left again
for Johannesburg. In the evening
he began a Retreat for the Rec-
tors from the English-speaking
Provinces, together with some oth-
ers French and Portuguese speak-
ing. Our Bishop Mons. Gaston Ru-
vezi was present at the Retreat.
The visit on Wednesday 10, by the
Nuncio Apostolic Archbishop
James Patrick Green should be
mentioned.
On Saturday 13, after the Re-
treat was over, in the early after-
noon, the Rector Major, accompa-
nied by Fr Adriano Bregolin, - who
had returned to Johannesburg
after a visit to Angola -, by the
Provincial Fr Frangois Dufour and
the Rector of the Salesian house
in Manzini, drove to Swaziland.
Arriving at Manzini, they immedi
ately went to the house of the Bish-
op, Mons. Louis Ncamiso Ndlovu
OSM, who wished to express his
own appreciation for the Salesian
presence, so significant for the
city. Arriving at the Salesian house,
Fr Ch6vez was welcomed in formal
Swazi fashion; supper followed,
during which the Rector and some
of the more important co-workers
spoke. The Rector Major then con-
cluded with the Good Night.
On Sunday 14, Fr Chavez
presided at Mass in the Cathedral,
and then visited the whole com-
plex of the Salesian presence in
Manzini. After lunch he greeted
the Missionary Sisters of Mary
Help of Christians (MSMHC) and
then went to the airport to begin
the return journey to Rome, where
he arrived at 19.00 on Monday 15.
The following day Tuesday he
remained in the house and then
set off again on Wednesday 17
for the house of Macerata, in the
Marche, for the celebration of the
120'h anniversary of the start of
the Salesian work in that city. Im-
portant occasions during the visit
were the celebration of Mass for
the young people, parents and
staff, followed by a concert in the
theatre, and then the blessing of
the re-structured premises of the
Oratory. In the afternoon, in the
AuIa Magna of the University
Fr Ch6vez received the diploma
of Visiting Professor, and gave a

7 Pages 61-70

▲back to top

7.1 Page 61

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 59
conference on "Don Bosco and his
Educational System". The day
ended with another concert in
the Lauro Rossi Theatre, attend-
ed also by the Bishop Claudio
Giuliodori, the Mayor Dr. Roma-
no Carancini, Administrators,
Salesian Cooperators and Past
Pupils. Fr Ch6vez then returned
to Rome.
On Friday morning 19, the Rec-
tor Major went to the Vatican for a
meeting of the "Council of 16"
(composed of the two Executive
Committees of the USG and UISG)
at the Congregation for the Insti-
tutes ofConsecrated Life and Soci-
eties of Apostolic Life. On Satur-
day,20 he went to Nave, the post-
novitiate with a study centre affrl-
iated to the UPS, where he gave
the Inaugural Address for the for-
mal opening of the Academic Year
2010-20LL.
Having returned to Rome, on
Monday 2?hetookpart in a meet-
ing of the Executive Committee of
the USG in the Generalate of the
Sacred Heart Fathers. Between
Wednesday 24 and Friday 26 at
the'Salesianum' the Assembly of
the Union of Superiors General, of
which Fr Ch6vez is President took
place A specially significant event
was the audience granted by the
Holy Father to the Superiors Gen-
eral, on the morning of Friday 26,
in the Clementine Hall of the
Apostolic Palace.
The final days of November
were devoted to the meeting of the
Salesian Provincials of Europe,
called to Rome to continue the re-
flection - already set in motion in
the two previous meetings - on the
"Project for Europe", deciding on
the objectives for the two year pe-
riod 2011-2012. The Rector Major
gave a talk on "Salesian life in Eu-
rope today".
4.2 Chronicle
of the Genera! Councillors
The Vicar
of the Rector Major
At the end of the summer session
of the General Council (31 July)
the Vicar of the Rector Major, Fr
Adriano Bregolin, left immediate-
ly for Ecuador, where he preached
two retreats - at Macas and at
Cumbay6 - for the confreres of the
Province. During his stay at Macas
he had the possibility of visiting
two missions in the Amazon re-
gion:Yaupi and Sevilla Don Bosco.
Before returning on 14 August, he
paid a visit to the Provincial

7.2 Page 62

▲back to top
60 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCL
House, and to the Ongoing Forma-
tion Centre in Quito, meeting
those attending a course at the
time.
Having returned to Rome, on 15
August with the Rector Major he
took part in the Mass celebrated
by the Holy Father in our parish
in Castel Gandolfo, meeting the
Pope personally at the end ofthe
Mass.
Between 16 and 23 August, with
the Rector Major, some family
members and friends he took part
in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Back in Italy, on 30 August he
left for Tunisia, where he began
the Extraord,inary Visitation at the
house in Manouba, belonging to
the Prouince of lreland. Having re-
turned to Rome on 1 September,
he left for Ireland on 2, to contin-
ue the Extraordinary Visitation of
this Province (IRL).
The detailed calendar of the Vis-
itation: 3 September: a meeting
with the Provincial Council; be-
tween 4 and 6: visiting the Com-
munity of Dublin - "Rinaldi
House";between 6 September and
11: visiting the Community of Cel-
bridge-Maynooth; between 11 and
14: visiting the Community of
Warrenstown; between 14 and 19:
visiting the Community of the
Provincial House in Dublin; be-
tween 19 and 22 September: visit-
ing the Community of Pallasken-
ry; between 23 and 26 September:
visiting the Community of Limer-
ick. Then having returned to
Dublin, on 27 he left for the Gen-
eralate in Rome.
Between 29 September and 3
October he took part in the World
Assembly of the Confederation of
the Don Bosco Past Pupils.
During the following week he
was busy with the work of the In-
termediate Session of the Council.
On Friday afternoon 8 October,
he left with the Rector Major for
Dublin, where on Saturday 9, with
the Rector Major, he met the
Provincial Council and the Rectors
for the closure of the Extraordi-
nary Visitation of the Irish
Province. The same day he left
with the Rector Major for Spain.
On 10 at Sanhicar la Mayor he
met the Rectors of the West Eu-
rope Region and gave them a con-
ference on the role ofthe Salesian
Rector. The following day with the
Rector Major, after a meeting with
the Provincials of the Region on
the subject ofthe reshaping ofthe
Spanish Provinces he returned to
Italy.
On the afternoon of 13 October
with the Rector Major he left for
Korea. On 15 and 16 he accompa-
nied the Rector Major during the
various events ofthe visit, in par-

7.3 Page 63

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 61
ticular at the meeting with the
Rectors in Seoul on the afternoon
of 15, then at Kwangju for a meet-
ing with the postnovices and the
confreres in the community of
"Shin An Dong" . The following
day in the community of Kwanglu
- "Il Gok Dong" with the Rector
Major he gave a conference to the
members of the Salesian Family in
Kwangiu. In the afternoon he con-
celebrated mass with the Arch-
bishop of Kwangiu, Mons. Igino
Kim. Then with the Rector Major
he went to the Provincial House of
the Sisters ofCharity ofJesus and
attended the Conference the Rec-
tor Major gave to the General
Chapter of the Sisters. The follow-
ing day when the Rector Major re-
turned to Seoul, the Vicar stayed
on with this Community of the
Sisters of Charity ofJesus and on
Sunday morning 17 celebrated the
closing Mass of the General Chap-
ter ofthe Sisters ofCharity ofJe-
sus. Having returned to Seoul, in
the afternoon he took part in a
meeting of the Salesian Family
held at the Provincial House.
In the evening with the Rector
Major, he went to the Salesian
house of "Dae Rim Dong", where
he met the community of the stu-
dents of theolory, the postnovices,
novices and prenovices and the
youngsters with psychosocial prob-
lems. On Monday morning 18,
with the Rector Major, he went to
the Provincial House of the FMA
for Mass and a meeting with the
Sisters.
In the afternoon with the Rector
Major he left for the Philippines.
On Tuesday 19 at Pampanga with
the Rector Major he took part in
the launching ofthe cause ofbeat-
ification of Fr Carlo Braga.
Afterwards he left for Cebu, in
the South Philippines Province.
On Wednesday 20, in the house of
Lawa-an, after a meeting with the
confreres, novices and aspirants,
Ied by the Rector Major, in the af-
ternoon the Vicar had a meeting
with the Rectors on the subject of
religious discipline.
On returning to Manila, on
Thursday 21, with the Rector Ma-
jor he went to Paraflaque, where
he also had a meeting with the
Rectors, again on the subject ofre-
ligious discipline. After lunch he
left for Tuloy, a centre for the re-
habilitation of street children.
Here, with the Rector Major, he
met the Provincial Council and
then after supper left to return to
Italy.
Having arrived at the Gener-
alate, on Tuesday morning 26 he
celebrated Mass for those attend-
ing the Provincial Chapter of the
Circumscription of Central Italy

7.4 Page 64

▲back to top
62 Acrs oF THE GENERAL couNctL
(ICC). Then from Friday 29 until
Sunday 31 October, he took part in
the International Congress "Don
Rua in History".
On Monday 1 November he
went to St Peter's Basilica where
the Rector Major presided at Mass
on the Feast of All Saints followed
by the "Saints Run".
On Tuesday 2 November at mid-
day he left with the Rector Major
for Johannesburg, in South Africa.
At the Don Bosco Centre he met
the Provincials of the Africa -
Madagascar Region, gathered for
the CIVAM, with the Regional Fr
Guillermo Basafles. Fr Bregolin
took part in the meetings of the
CIVAM, and gave a talk on the
subject of religious discipline as
well as meeting some of the
Provincials personally.
On Sunday 7 November, accom-
panied by the Provincial Fr Filib-
erto Rodriguez, he left for Arugola,
to visit this Vice Province. On 8 he
was in the house in Luena, and
then on the afternoon of9 he visit-
ed the work at Lixeira with all its
satellite centres. On 10 he went to
Cabinda. On account of problems
and delays with the flight the visit
was very short: little more than
two hours. On 11 he went to Don-
do, where he met the prenovices
and also the confreres of the com-
munities of N'Dalatando and Calu-
lo. Returning to Luanda he stayed
for supper at Viana and met the as-
pirants. Finally on 12 he said Mass
for the conclusion of the academic
year at Luanda-Palanca, at the
postnovitiate and Centre for High-
er Studies, also open to lay people.
In the afternoon he left again for
Johannesburg and re-joined the
Rector Major, who was preaching
a retreat for the African English-
speaking Rectors.
At midday on Saturday 13,
at the end of the retreat and
after lunch, with the Rector Major
and the Provincial Fr Frangois
Dufour and with the Rector of the
Salesian centre in Manzini, Fr
Lawrence McDonnell, he was dri-
ven to Swaziland.
On Sunday 14, with Fr Ch6vez
he took part in Mass in the Cathe-
dral and then with the Rector Ma-
jor he visited all the sections of
this Salesian centre in Manzini.
After a festive lunch with the local
Salesian Family, he began the re-
turn journey to Italia via Johan-
nesburg and Dubai, arriving in
Rome on 15 early in the afternoon.
On Friday 19 he went to Verona,
where he preached a day of recol-
lection for all the Confreres ofthe
Salesian communities in the city.
Then after supper he went to the
city airport to welcome the Rector
Major, who had arrived there and

7.5 Page 65

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 63
together they went to Nave to the
postnovitate community where in
the morning of 20 the Rector Ma-
jor gave the formal address for the
opening of the academic year.
Between Wednesday 24 and Fri-
day 26 he took part in the Assem-
bly of the Union of Superiors Gen-
eral at the'Salesianum'.
From Friday evening 26 until
Sunday 28 he finally took part in
the meeting of the Provincials of
Europe studying the "Project for
Europe".
The Councillor
for Formation
The General Councillor for For-
mation, Fr Francesco Cereda, be-
tween 4 and 15 August was visit-
ing the East Asia and Oceania Re-
gion. In particular, in the Philip-
pines he took part in the "Curato-
rium" of the formation communi-
ty and the centre of studies at
Paraflaque and then visited the as-
pirantate, the prenovitiate and the
postnovitiate at Canlubang. On 9-
10 August with the Councillor for
Youth Ministry he chaired a meet-
ing of the Regional Commissions
for Youth Ministry and for Forma-
tion in the East Asia and Oceania
Region regarding the implementa-
tion of the third key issue of the
GC26 "The need for vocation min-
istry". Finally, on 11-12 August he
took part in the Regional Commis-
sion for Formation.
On 15 August at Colle Don
Bosco the Councillor presided at
the procession for the Assumption;
on 16 he celebrated the commem-
oration of the birth of Don Bosco;
he met the prenovices of Europe,
who were studying Italian before
starting the novitiate at Pinerolo
and Genzano. On 30 August at
Venice-Mestre he took part in the
Province Assembly of the Italy
North-East Province (INE) on the
subject of the Strenna for 2011
"Come and see".
On 1 September he began - in
the name of the Rector Major - the
Extraordinary Visitatioru of the
Middle East Prouince.
Having returned to Italy on
8 September at Colle Don Bosco
he received the first professions of
24 novices from Pinerolo and wel-
comed the new novices. On 10-11
September with the Councillor for
Youth Ministry he chaired the
meeting of the Regional Commis-
sions for Youth Ministry and for
Formation of the West Europe Re-
gion regarding the implementa-
tion of the third key issue of the
GC26 "The need for vocation min-
istry". On 12 September at Milan
he met the young confreres in ini-

7.6 Page 66

▲back to top
64 AcTs oF THE GENERAL ))UNCIL
tial formation in the Lombard-
Emilian Province (ILE) and re-
ceived some perpetual professions.
On 13 September he took part in
the Theological Commission of
the Union of Superiors General.
Then on 16 September until 22
Nouember, except for the interrup-
tion of the Intermediate Session of
the General Council, Fr Cereda
continued the Extraordinary Visi-
tation, passing through the vari-
ous countries in which there are
Salesian presences: Israel and the
Palestinian territories, Egypt,
Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Turkey.
Having returned to Rome at the
end of the Visitation, on 24-26 No-
vember her took part as facilitator
in the Assembly of the Superiors
General. Then between 26 and.28
November he took part in the third
meeting of the Provincials of Eu-
rope and on 28-29 November he
chaired the meeting of the Com-
mission for the "Project for Eu-
rope".
On 1 December with the Grand
Chancellor he took part in the
Academic Senate of the UPS; on
6 December he took part in the
Higher Council of Administration
of the UPS and on 12 December
he presided at the "Curatorium"
of the "Blessed Zephyrinus Na-
muncur6" Gerini formation com-
munity of the students of theolory.
The Councillor
ForYouth Ministry
During the period between Au-
gust and November 2010, the
main occupation of the Councillor
for Youth Ministry, Fr Fabio At-
tard, was that of accompanying
the Regions in the process of ani-
mation. For this purpose he held
meetings in Hong Kong, between
9 and 13 August 2010, for East
Asia-Oceania, and in Madrid, in
September, for West Europe,
which completed the cycle of meet-
ings held in conjunction with the
Department for Formation, and at
the same time continued the
process of reflection on youth min-
istry.
In a similar way the Councillor
chaired meetings for reflection and
study in the following Regions: in
the Africa-Madagascar Region, be-
tween 13 and 16 September 2010,
held at Lusaka, Zambia between
29 September and 2 October 2010
a meeting for the Delegates for
Youth Ministry in America South
Cone. After the session of the 'In-
termediate Council'there were al-
so meetings for Interamerica at
Quito, Ecuador, between Saturday
16 and Monday 18 October 2010;
for the South Asia Region at
Kolkata, India, between Monday 1
and Sunday 7 November 2010; for

7.7 Page 67

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 65
the North Europe Region at
Leopoli, Ukraine, between Thurs-
day 11 and Sunday 14 November
2010. At these last five meetings
the letter of the Rector Major on
youth ministry (AGC 407) was the
main topic for study and reflection.
As well as these meetings for the
Delegates for Youth Ministry the
Councillor gave a study seminar
on youth ministry and afterwards
a retreat in Lom6, Togo, between
20 August and 2 September 2010.
The letter of the Rector Major
was also the subject for a day of
study and reflection with the stu-
dents ofthe Faculty ofTheolory at
Turin-Crocetta, on 20 September
2010, at Colle Don Bosco.
There were other occasions for
reflection on the Strenna which Fr
Attard had with the Daughters of
Mary Help of Christians and their
pastoral co-workers: the first, also
on the subject of spiritual direc-
tion, at La Spezia, on Saturday 4
September 2010, the second, at Mi-
lan, on Saturday 9 October 2010.
Among other engagements to be
mentioned were the Lectio Magis-
tralis on BlessedJohn Henry New-
man - his thought and holiness -
on the occasion of the Dies Accad-
emicus at the studentate of Ratis-
bonne, Jerusalem on Thursday 14
October 2010. In addition there
was the meeting of the three
Councillors for the Mission with
the Provincials of the Interameri-
ca Region at Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
on 21 and 22 October 2010, on the
subject ofthe unified nature ofthe
Salesian mission and participation
in the first meeting of the SYM in
Interamerica, at Cumbay6, Quito,
between Saturday 23 and Tuesday
26 October 2010.
On Wednesday 17 November in
Brasilia, the Councillor took part,
as the representative ofthe Rector
Major, in the conferral of the Doc-
torate Honoris Causa on Fr Carlos
Garulo by the Catholic University
of Brasilia. This was a sign of
recognition for the work Fr Garu-
lo had done as the General Coor-
dinator of the IUS.
Finally on Saturday 20 and
Sunday 21 November 2010, Fr
Fabio Attard took part with Fr
Jacquinet, from the Pontifical
Council for the Laity, in a round
table discussion on youth ministry.
The young people taking part from
the Italian SYM had the opportu-
nity to discuss preparations for the
WYD in Madrid 2011.
The Councillor
for Social Communication
During the month of August, af-
ter the conclusion of the summer

7.8 Page 68

▲back to top
66 ACIS OF THE GENEBAL COUNCIL
plenary session of the General
Council, the Councillor for Social
Communication (SC), Fr Filiberto
Gonzdlez Plasencia, spent the first
days of the month editing the mag-
azine Salesiarus 2011. Afterwards,
between 6 and 24 he was in the
Province of Guadalajara, Mexico,
where he met the Provincial and
the Provincial Council, as well as
the Commission for Formation,
and also visited the theologate at
Tlaquepaque and the community
and work at San Luis Potosi. Then
for two weeks he was with his fam-
ily visiting his mother and having
medical checks.
Between 25 and 30 August, with
Fr Jaime Gonz{lez, a member of
the SC Department, the Council-
lor chaired a meeting of the direc-
tors of community Radio and TV
stations in America, held in the
Salesian House of Muyurina, Bo-
livia. At this meeting there was
discussion about the resources and
opportunities available and the
weaknesses and threats to these
important enterprises of Salesian
communication. At the same time
the synergies were sought between
the radio participants and propos-
als were made to implement the
SSCS with regard to community
radio and TV Taking part in the
meeting there were also two Sale-
sian confreres from Africa, who
are intending to install radio in
their Provinces.
Between the morning of 30 Au-
gust and the morning of 1 Sep-
tember, Fr Filiberto paid a visit to
the Province of Paraguay, meeting
the Provincial and his Council,
the Provincial Delegate for SC
and his team, and the personnel
involved with the Salesian Bul-
letin. He also met the aspirants,
the prenovices and the post-
novices with their superiors. He
visited the Publishing House and
the Don Bosco Bookshop; in the
Publishing House he had a meet-
ing with the editorial and graphics
personnel.
During the rnonth of September,
from the morning of 1 until 4 the
Councillor visited the Province of
Uruguay. During his visit he met
the Provincial and his Council the
Provincial Delegate for SC, the ed-
itor of the SB and the editorial
team and the Provincial Delegate
for Youth Ministry and a group of
young people involved in the pro-
duction of the Radio programme
called: "Piruetas... en la cuerda".
He visited the Prenovitiate and
the Theologate, speaking with the
staffand students about SC in the
Congregation, in the Church and
in society. Finally he visited the
"Colegio Pio" and the social work
at Tacurri.

7.9 Page 69

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 67
Between the morning of 4 and
the morning of 7 he visited the
Province of Chile. Here too he met
the Provincial and his Council the
Provincial Delegate for SC and his
team, those responsible for the SB,
the management of the Publishing
House EDEBE Don Bosco and the
personnel of the "Salesianos Im-
presores S.lt''. In Locaf,as he visit-
ed the Prenovitiate and the Post-
novitiate and spoke to the staff
and students. He paid a visit to the
Provincial House of the FMA in
Santiago and said Mass there.
Then he had a special meeting
with the team of the "Cetera tolle"
Media Oratory made up of SDB,
FMA, SSCC and young people, all
in Santiago.
Between the morning of 7 and
the morning of 10 he was in the
Bogot6 Province, meeting, as in
the other Provinces, the Provincial
and his Council the Provincial Del-
egate for SC and his team, the ed-
itorial team of the SB and some of
the local coordinators ofSC. In the
Leo XIII College he visited the ra-
dio run by the students. Then he
visited the premises of the 'Apos-
tolado Biblico" and the sanctuary
of the "Nifio Jes(rs" and the press
where the Salesian Bulletin is
printed. Finally at the "Santo
Tom6s" Theologate he met the
prenovices, novices and students
of theolory with the staff and ex-
plained to them the significance
and the organisation of SC in the
Congregation.
Between the morning of 13 and
the morning of 16 he visited the
Province of Central America, in the
city of Guatemala. In this city he
spoke with the Provincial and his
Council, the Provincial Delegate
for SC and his team, the team of
the Salesian Bulletin. Then he paid
a visit to the Mesoamericana Uni-
versity, holding a meeting with the
Rector and all the professors ofthe
Faculty of Social Communication.
At CRESCO he met the novices,
postnovices, brothers and students
of theolory with their staff. Having
returned to Rome on 17 Septem-
ber, he stayed at the Generalate
working in particular with Fr Ju-
lian Fox and Bro. Hilario Seo, on
the magazine "Salesians 20t1".
During the month of October,
from the afternoon of 1 until the
morning of 3 he took part in the
meeting of the Provincial Dele-
gates for SC from the Iberian Re-
gion at the Provincial House in
Lisbon.
Between 4 and 13 he took part
in the meetings of the "Intermedi-
ate Council".
Between 16 and 19 he visited the
Province of the Antilles. At the
Provincial House in Santo Domin-

7.10 Page 70

▲back to top
68 AoTS oF THE GENERAL C)UNCIL
go he met the Delegate for SC with
his team, the editorial team of the
SB and some of the local coordina-
tors ofSC; on another occasion he
went to see the prenovices the
postnovices and their staff. He paid
a visit to the "Instituto T6cnico
Salesiano - ITESA' and met the de-
sign and printing students. He
presided at the Sunday Mass in the
parish of "Maria Auxiliadora" and
met the Salesians-Cooperators.
Then he went to the premises of
the "Radio Juventus Don Bosco",
gave a radio interview and spoke
with the Director, the technicians
and the personnel ofthe Radio.
Between 19 and 22 atthe invita-
tion of Fr Esteban Ortiz, he took
part in the meeting for the Sectors
for the Mission with the Provin-
cials of the Interamerica Region
at Port-au-Prince (Haiti). At the
same time he visited the works of
Enam and P6tion-Ville and met
the Provincial Delegate for SC and
his team.
Between 22 morning and 25
evening he was in the Province of
Venezuela. In Caracas he visited
the works of Altamira, La Dolorita
and Petare. In Sarria he visited
the premises of the "Fundaci6n
Editoral Salesiana e Ia Libreria
Salesiana". At the studentate of
theolory in Macaracuay he met
first the staff and the students of
theolory and then the Provincial
Delegate for SC with his team and
the collaborators of the SB. Hav-
ing returned to Rome on the
evening of 26 he continued the re-
vision of the magazine "Salesians
20L1". With FrJulian Fox and Bro
Hilario Seo,
During the month of Nouem.ber
between the evening of 9 and the
evening of 13 Fr Filiberto paid a
visit to the Vice Province of Trop-
ical Equatorial Africa (ATE). Dur-
ing this visit there was a meeting
in Yaound6, at the Provincial
House, with the Provincial and his
Council, with the Provincial Dele-
gate for SC and his team and with
the personnel working with the
Salesian Bulletin. At the prenovi-
tiate in Mimboman he met the
staff and the prenovices. At the
InterProvince Studentate of The-
olory he met the staff and the stu-
dents of theolory. At Ebolowa he
visited the vocational training
centre and the Don Bosco Techni-
cal Institute and had a meeting
with the Rector and the senior
staff of the work. He also paid a
visit to the FMA from the school
and postulancy in Yaound6 and to
the Daughters of the Sacred
Hearts (HH.SS.CC).
Between midday on 14 the after-
noon of 17 he went to the Vice
Province of Angola. At Luanda he

8 Pages 71-80

▲back to top

8.1 Page 71

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 69
met the Superior and his Council,
the Provincial Delegate for SC and
his team, and the people involved
in the small Publishing House and
the SB. He visited the aspirantate
in Viana, the prenovitiate in Don-
do and the postnovitiate in Luan-
da-Palanca and the communitiy
and works at Luanda-Lixeira.
Between the afternoon of 17 and
the evening of 20 he was in the
Vice Province of Southern Africa
(AFM). In the headquarters he
met the Superior and the Delegate
for SC. He also went to Ennerdale
and Walkerville.
Between the evening of 20 and
the evening of 23 he visited the
Vice Province of English-speaking
West Africa (AFW). In the city of
Ashaiman, at the Provincial house
he met the Superior and the Coun-
cil, the Delegate for SC and his
team, and he blessed and opened
the multimedia centre "Article 43"
(referring to the SDB Constitu-
tions) and had a meeting with the
one in charge of formation and
those on practical training in the
Vice Province. Finally he paid a
visit to the Artemides Zatti voca-
tional training centre. He re-
turned to the Generalate in Rome
on the evening of24.
From the afternoon of 26 until
midday on 28 at the Salesianum in
Rome he took part in the meeting
of the General Council with the
Provincials of Europe concerning
the Project for Europe, and from
the afternoon of the same day 28
until the evening of 29 he took
part in a meeting of the Commis-
sion for the Project for Europe.
The Councillor
for the Missions
Immediately after the summer
session of the General Council, the
Councillor for the Missions, Fr V6-
clav Klement, left for Haiti for a
fact-finding visit; accompanied by
the Superior Fr Sylvain Ducange
he visited all five of the works in
the capital, the Rinaldi Founda-
tion, and concluding with a meet-
ing with the Provincial Council.
Then the Councillor spent al-
most the whole of the month of
August visiting the South Asia Re-
gion. Between 6 August and 1 Sep-
tember he visited eight Provinces
(INN, ING, INB INB, INH, INM,
INT, LKC) meeting the Provincial
Councils, the Commissions for
missionary promotion, and also
making a short visit to the frontier
works in Gujarat (INB) and Sri
Lanka (LKC). The high points of
the visits were the houses of for-
mation and the aspirantates (3
theologates, 4 postnovitiates, 5

8.2 Page 72

▲back to top
70 ACTS OF THE GENEBAL COUNCIL
novitiates, 4 prenovitiates, 6 aspi-
rantates), the missionary groups
in our works and the promotion of
synergy between the three sectors
of the Salesian mission.
The month of September was
spent on the accompaniment of
the new missionaries for the 141st
Expedition, in Rome (the Gerini -
Institute community) and Colle
Don Bosco, between 1 and 25 of
the month. The 38 taking part in
the course were accompanied by
the Department team and two oth-
er cultural experts. The presence
of six missionaries from Africa
should be noted and the great ma-
jority of the 24 new-missionaries
coming from the Provinces of Asia.
The second meeting of the World
Consultative Commission for the
Missions was held at the Gener-
alate on 28-30 September, attended
by 16 Salesians, one FMA and one
Salesian Cooperator. Among the
main topics for reflection were the
first drafts of the Frame of Refer-
ence for the Salesian Missions and
the Guidelines for formation in the
missionary dimension.
After the meeting there were
two short visits for missionary pro-
motion to the Provinces of Croatia
(Zagreb, Rijeka) and Slovenia
(Ljubljana, Celje) on 1-3 October.
Immediately after the meetings
of the Intermediate Council (3-12
October) Fr Klement was involved
in three meetings on missionary
solidarity held in Rome: the Coun-
cil of the DB Network (13 Octo-
ber), the General Assembly of the
DB Network (14 October) and the
Seminar for missionary NGO for
development (15-17 October). Tak-
ing part in the Seminar were 40
SDB, FMA, other members of the
Salesian Family and Lay co-work-
ers from the 21 NGO from four
continents. The Seminar focused
especially on the Salesian identity
of the NGO and their role within
the context of Salesian missionary
solidarity, in particular helping the
development of the PDO (Plan-
ning and Deuelopment Office) in
the Provinces.
On 19-24 October the Councillor
went to the Vice Province of Haiti
for a second time, following up the
coordination ofthe help needed for
the reconstruction and visiting the
four houses outside the capital. On
20-21 with two other Councillors
for the Salesian Mission he was in-
volved in the meeting of Provin-
cials from the Interamerica Region
taking place in Port-au-Prince.
In Cuba (24-28 October) Fr Kle-
ment, with the Delegate of the
Provincial met all the confreres
and all the candidates for Salesian
life, from Santiago, Cuba to Ha-
vana. The number and high quali-

8.3 Page 73

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 71
ty of the missionary groups in our
parishes, youth centres and social
communication centres is exem-
plary. In Guatemala (CAM) the
first fact-finding visit to the Vicari-
ate Apostolic of El Pet6n entrusted
to the Salesian Congregation (Bish-
op Mario Fiandri, SDB), together
with our missions in Carch6, in the
diocese of Alta Verapaz (29 October
- 3 November), was the final stage
of the journey in America.
Returning to Europe, the Coun-
cillor, together with Sr. Alaide
Deretti FMA, led the Days of Mis-
sionary Studies at Prague (CEP),
4-9 November, on the "First Chris-
tian Proclamation" in Europe.
Taking part were about 30 SDB,
FMA, a Salesian Cooperator and a
VDB, from the three European
Regions.
The visit for missionary promo-
tion in the four Provinces of
Poland (10-13 November) had
been well prepared in synerg, be-
tween the National Centre in War-
saw (PLE) and the Krak6w Centre
(PLS). Duringthe four day Fr Kle-
ment met all the Provincials, the
Delegates for Missionary Promo-
tion as well as the Delegates for
Youth Ministry and Social Com-
munication, and visited the Post-
novitiate in L4d and the Theolo-
gate in Krak6w. On 11 November
the anniversary of Don Bosco's
first Missionary Expedition, the
Councillor entrusted to the
Madonna of Czestochowa the let-
ter of appeal for the 2011 Mission-
ary Expedition.
The last stage was dedicated to
two countries in Asia. In the
Province of Vietnam (15-20 No-
vember) Fr Klement took part in
two events of the Province Mis-
sionary Day (Dalat amd Xuan
Hiep), meeting all the 200 young
confreres in initial formation, rep-
resentatives ofgroups ofthe Sale-
sian Family, evaluating with the
Commission for Missionary Pro-
motion and the formation teams
the discernment and preparation
process for the 65 missionaries
sent from Vietnam in the last 10
years. On the final days before re-
turning to Rome the Councillor
visited some works in Hong Kong,
China (21-24 November).
In this semester Fr Placide Ca-
rava (FRB) has taken the place of
Fr Dionisio Pacheco as Secretary
of the Department and the one re-
sponsible for the Course of Ongo-
ing Formation for missionaries
The Councillnr for the
Africa - Madagascar Region
When the summer plenary ses-
sion of the General Council was

8.4 Page 74

▲back to top
72 ACTS OF THE GENEBAL COUNCIL
over, the Regional Councillor for
Africa and Madagascar, Fr Guiller-
mo Basafies, left Rome on 30 July,
stopping at the weekend in Luan-
da (Angola), where he was able to
greet the confreres and also take
part in a session of the Provincial
Council.
On 3 August he began the Ex-
traordinary Visitation of the East
Africa Prouince (AFE), having a
meetingwith the Provincial Coun-
cil in Dar Es Salaam. This Extra-
ordinary Visitation fiIled almost
the whole of his calendar until 24
November, the date of the final
meetingwith the Provincial Coun-
cil this time in Nairobi.
In this period Fr Basafles was
able to visit each of the 27 houses
in the Province, including those in
the Delegation of the Sudan. He
met personally 253 of the confreres
for a chat, considering that the
novitiate at Morogoro (Tanzania),
the postnovitiate at Moshi (Tanza-
nia) and the theologate at Utume
(Nairobi) are interprovince forma-
tion houses and therefore contain a
good number of confreres not be-
longing to the AFE Province. To
reach all these houses the Region-
al Councillor covered 17.630 kilo-
metres in the Province, about
9,000 by road, the rest by air.
During the Visitation he received
the perpetual profession of two
confreres in the parish in Mafrnga
(Tanzania) and also presided at the
first professions in the novitiate at
Morogoro, on 15 August. On 15
September he took part in a meet-
ing for Rectors at DBYES (Nairo-
bi), followed by the celebration of
the Province Feastday. On 26 Oc-
tober in Nairobi he was able to ar-
rive in time for the funeral of the
Salesian Brother Alfonso Morcelli:
who had just begun his service as
Economer of the Delegation of the
Sudan and died quickly from a se-
rious attack of malaria.
The Visitation of the Delegation
of the Sudan began with a meet-
ing with the Council of the Dele-
gation on 20 August at Juba and
ended with a meeting of the Rec-
tors and the Council of the DeIe-
gation on 13 September. The
whole period of his stay in Sudan
was marked by the delicate politi
cal situation of the country which
is preparing for the referendum
on 9 January 2011.
The only parenthesis, which the
Regional Councillor had during
this Extraordinary Visitation, was
the 9th meeting of the Provincials'
Conference - CIVAM (between 3
and 6 November), followed by
the Retreat for English-speaking
Provincials, Provincial Councillors
and Rectors of the Region (be-
tween 7 and 13 November). These

8.5 Page 75

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 73
two important events were held
in the Salesian house of Daleside
(Johannesburg - South Africa)
with the presence of the Rector
Major and his Vicar. Fr Pascual
Chdvez presided at the CIVAM
and preached the Retreat.
The Councillar for the
Latin America - South Cone
Rcgion
After having taken part in the
summer session of the General
Council, on l August Fr Natale Vi-
tali travelled to Guatemala City to
take part - on 3 and 4 August - in
the "Curatorium" of the Regional
Centre of Formation for Salesian
Brothers (CRESCO), which is for
both the Regions of America. At
present the Rector ofthe Centre is
from the South Argentina Pro-
vince. The Councillor also has a
meeting with the six Brothers
from the Region.
On 7 August he took part in the
Provincial Council of Uruguay at
Montevideo to present to the Pro-
vincial and his Council the letter of
the Rector Major which brings to
its completion the Extraordinary
Visitation previously made.
On 10 August he began the Ex-
traardinary Visitation of the "Saint
Pius X" Prouince of Porto Alegre,
Brazil, with a meeting with the
Provincial Council at which was
read the letter of the Rector Major
explaining the significance and the
purpose of the Extraordinary Visi-
tation; in addition the programme
for the Visitation was considered.
At present the Province has 102
Salesians and 16 communities.
Interrupting the Visitation be-
tween 26 and 28 August Fr Vitali
took part in a meeting of the
Provincials of Brazil, in Brasilia,
together with the nine Provincials
of the Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians. Between 28 and 30
with the Rector Major he took part
in the celebration of the 50 an-
niversary of the city of Brasilia and
of the Salesizrn presence in this city.
On 31 he returned to the Porto
Alegre Province to take part in a
meeting of the 13 parish priests
gathered together to review and
revise the SEPP for the parishes.
On 16 September during a visit
to the Salesian house in Ascurra,
he also took part in the annual re-
union of the Salesian Past Pupils.
On his visit to Massaranduba, he
took the opportunity to visit the
birthplace of Fr H6lvecio Baruffi,
the previous Regional, with the
chapel where he was ordained
priest; it is a place which has given
to the Congregation three bishops
and more than 20 Salesians.

8.6 Page 76

▲back to top
74 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
On 24 September in Chile, he
took part in the Feastday of the
Province which has as its patron
the Archangel Raphael. On 29
he said Mass in the "Cardinal Raril
Silva Henriquez" Salesian Univer-
sity which was celebrating the 28
anniversary of its foundation.
The same d,ay 29 September
he took part in a meeting of the
Youth Ministry Provincial Dele-
gates of the Region in the city of
Santiago, Chile and between 30
September and 2 October in a
meeting of the Provincials of the
Region.
On 3 October he had a meeting
with the two Provincials of Ar-
gentina.
Between 6 and 10 he was pre-
sent at a meeting for those in
charge of Voluntary Service at Re-
gional level.
On 25-26 October he took part
in a meeting of the two Provincial
Councils of Argentina, in C6rdoba.
On 9 November he took part in a
meeting of the Provincial Council
of Manaus Province and visited
the prenovitiate and the postnovi-
tiate; on 12 he attended a meeting
of the Provincial Council of Campo
Grande and visited the novitiate
and postnovitiate.
On25 November he met with all
the Rectors and the Provincial
Council of Porto Alegre to bring
the Extraordinary Visitation to an
end with the final report.
On27 and 28 November he took
part in the expanded team ofthe
Salesian Centre for Ongoing For-
mation (CSRFP) in Quito, at
which a Salesian from the South
Cone Region was also present.
Afterwards he returned to Rome
for the winter session of the Gen-
eral Council.
The Couneillor for the
Interamerica Region
At the end of the summer ple-
nary session ofthe General Coun-
cil, Fr Esteban Ortiz Gonzdlez,
Councillor for the Interamerica
Region, on Saturday 31 July trav-
elled to Caracas to meet the
Provincial of Venezuela, Fr Lu-
ciano Stefani, and some members
of his Council, to discuss, among
other things the preparation for
the Extraordinary Visitation
which will take place in the first
part ofthe year 2011.
On 2 August he went to Gua-
temala (CAM) to take part in the
"Curatorium" of the Regional
Centre of Formation for Salesian
Brothers (CRESCO), which was
held on 3 and 4 August.
On Thursday 5 August he trav-
elled to Bogot6 (COB) to take part

8.7 Page 77

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 75
on Friday 6, in the "Curatorium"
of the Formation Community for
students of Theolory from the
Provinces of the Andes (BOL,
COB, COM, ECU, PER).
On Saturday 7 August he went
to Medellin (COM) and met the
Provincial Fr Vidal Niebles and
the Provincial Council in order to
present the letter with the recom-
mendations of the Rector Major af-
ter the recent Extraordinary Visi-
tation of the Proyince which was
in the frrst part of this year (2010).
On Sunday 8 August the Re-
gional Councillor travelled to La
Paz (Bolivia) and on Monday 9, be-
gan the inter-community meetings
to launch the consultation prior to
the appointment of the new
Provincial of Bolivia. On Tuesday
10 in Cochabamba he had a meet-
ing with the confreres of the area
and also with the Provincial Fr
Juan Pablo Zabala and his Coun-
cil. Finally he had the last meeting
at Santa Cruz on Wednesday 11.
In all, 125 confreres from the
Province took part in the meet-
ings.
On Thursday 12 he went to
Panam5 where the same day there
began a meeting of the confreres
from the Province of Central
America (CAM) to start the con-
sultation process for the new
Provincial. On Friday 13 he had a
meeting with the confreres from
the communities of Costa Rica and
on Saturday 14 with those from
the communities in Nicaragua. On
Sunday 15 Fr Esteban Ortiz went
to San Salvador and met the
Provincial Fr Luis Corral, and
some members of his Council,
while the following day there was
a meeting with the Salesians from
El Salvador. On Tuesday 17 he
went to Honduras to meet the con-
freres from this country, and so
had the opportunity to greet Car-
dinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga
SDB, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa;
he said Mass with a group of con-
freres who were attending a
course on Youth Ministry. Finally
on Wednesday 18 August in
Guatemala there was last meeting
for the CAM Province. All togeth-
er 157 confreres took part in the
meetings in the Province.
On Thursday 19 August he went
to New York to visit his family and
stayed with them until 26, when
he left for Guadalajara, Mexico.
Here in the name of the Rector
Major he began the Extraordinary
Visitation. of the "Christ the King
and Mary Help of Christians"
Prouiruce (MEG).
On Thursday 27 he was with the
Provincial Fr Salvador Cleofas
Murguia Villalobos and his Coun-
cil. In the evening of the same day

8.8 Page 78

▲back to top
76 AjTS oF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
with the Community of the The-
ologate (Tlaquepaque), the visits
to the houses (30) began.
On Sunday 17 October he inter-
rupted the visits to the communi-
ties to go to Port-au-Prince Garti)
and coordinate the annual meeting
of the Provincials of the Inter-
america Region. The meeting took
place between 18 and 22 October in
the house of the Bishops' Confer-
ence. Present duringtwo days were
the Councillors for the Mission (Fr
Fabio Attard, Councillor for Youth
Ministry; Fr Filiberto Gonzdlez
Plasencia, Councillor for Social
Communication; Fr V6clav Kle-
ment, Councillor for the Missions).
AIso present at the meeting were
the Rector of the CRSFf; Fr Jaime
Morales, and the Rector of the
CRESCO, Fr Santiago Negrotti.
The week began with a day of
recollection led by Bishop Pierre-
Andr6 Dumas of Anse-d-Veau and
MiragoAne (Haiti). At the end of
the meeting there was a visit from
Archbishop Louis K6breau SDB of
Cap-Hartien and President of the
Bishops' Conference of Haiti.
On Wednesday 20 all the Provin-
cials of the Interamerica Region
with the Councillors for the Mis-
sion took part in the blessing of
the foundation stone of the new
Provincial House which was done
by Fr Ducange Sylvain, Superior
of the "Blessed Philip Rinaldi"
Vice Province (HAI).
On Saturday 23 October the
Provincials paid a visit to the Sale-
sian houses (6) in the area ofPort-
au-Prince, and were able to see for
themselves the destruction caused
by the earthquake, as well as the
work the Salesians and lay people
are doing to re-launch the Salesian
presence.
In spite of the great difficulties
they are still having to face, the
confreres in Haiti were most at-
tentive to the needs of the Provin-
cials during the week.
On Sunday 24 October the Re-
gional Councillor left Harti and for
two days went to Mexico City
where he had a meeting with the
Provincial Council of MEM and vis-
ited the inter-province communi-
ties of the novitiate (Coacalco) and
of the postnovitiate (Huipulco).
On Wednesd,ay 27 he recom-
menced his visits to the communi-
ties of MEG, which occupied him
until 21 November, when he con-
cluded his rounds of the Province
in the Provincial House. Finally
on Thursday morning 25 he pre-
sented his final report ofthe Ex-
traordinary Visitation to the as-
sembly of the Rectors and confr-
eres numbering 159, who gath-
ered in the An6huac-Revoluci6n
College. In the afternoon there

8.9 Page 79

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 77
was a meeting with the Provincial
Council.
On Friday 26 the Regional trav-
elled to Quito to take part in the
first meeting of the expanded team
of the Salesian Regional Centre for
Ongoing Formation (CSRFP),
composed of: the two Regionals for
America, the team of the Centre,
the Coordinators for Formation in
CISBRASIL and CISUR, the Dele-
gates for the Departments for For-
mation and Youth Ministry.
On Sunday 28 November he be-
gan the return journey to Rome, to
attend the winter plenary session
of the General Council.
The Councillor for the
East Asia - Oceania Rcgion
The Councillor for the East Asia
and Oceania Region, Fr Andrew
Wong, Ieft Rome on 4 August
to undertake some visits in the
Region. Between 5 and 7 August
he visited the North Philippines
Province. Here on 7 he presided
at a meeting of the "Curatorium"
of the Region. For this occasion Fr
Francesco Cereda and Fr Chrys
Saldanha were present.
Between 8 and 13 August the
Regional took part in the joint
meeting of the sectors for Forma-
tion and Youth Ministry. Fr Fabio
Attard and Fr Francesco Cereda,
with their collaborators, led a Re-
gional meeting of Delegates for
these sectors.
Between 14 and 23 August the
Regional paid a visit to the new
Delegation of Indonesia. During
his visit he had the opportunity to
meet the Bishop of Surabaya,
Mons. Vincentius Wisaksono.
Afterwards between 23 and 27
August the Regional visited the
missionary community of Korea in
Yanji, China. Then between 23 and
30 he paid a visit to the Korea
Province.
On 31 August Fr Wong arrived
in Japan to carry out the Extraor-
dinary Visitation of this Province.
He continued with the visit be-
tween 1 and 18 September. On the
14 he attended the funeral of
Fr. Francis Drohan from the com-
munity of Miyazaki. Between 19
and 25 September the Regional
preached the Retreat to a group of
confreres. Then between 26 Sep-
tember and 31 October he contin-
ued with the duties of the Extraor-
dinary Visitation. On 20 October
he took part in the funeral of the
confrere Brother Stefano Romelli
from the community of Nakatsu.
Between 24 and 30 October the
Regional preached the Retreat for
the Provincial and his Council and
all the Rectors of the Province.

8.10 Page 80

▲back to top
78 ACTS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Then between 31 October and 3
November he continued the Extra-
ordinaryVisitation. On 4 and 5 No-
vember he had meetings with the
Provincial and his Council and aII
the Rectors of the Province, meet-
ings which marked the end of the
Extraordinary Visitation.
On 6 November Fr Andrew
Wong went to Manila to be with his
family at the funeral of his eldest
sister. Then between 7 and 10 No-
vember, he was in the theological
studentate of Parafiaque, Manila.
Between 12 and 16 November the
Regional was in Thailand to carry
out the consultation for the ap-
pointment of the new Provincial.
Afterwards between LB and 22 he
visited the Solomon Islands. On 23
November, while he was travelling
from the Solomon Islands towards
Rome, Fr Andrew had a severe
back pain which made him stop in
Manila, for hospital treatment be-
tween 23 and2T.Then on 28 and
29,he was in a small clinic in the
Province to continue the treatment.
On 30 November he returned to
Rome.
The Councillor for the
South AsiaRegion
Returning to the Region after
the conclusion of the summer ple-
nary session ofthe General Coun-
cil Fr MariaArokiam Kanaga took
part in the ordination of a con-
frere from the Middle East
Province (MOR), with the Provin-
cial Fr Maurizio Spreafico. Then
on 4 August he paid a visit to the
new theologate in Chennai; here
the following day he met a group
of confreres. The Councillor then
went to Bhopal to take a course in
Hindi for ten days. On 17 August
he visited the novitiate at Siliguri
and the new University Institute
in the same city. The following
four days were spent making the
canonical visitation of the houses
in Nepal, belonging to the Kolkata
Province. Then the Regional trav-
elled to New Delhi for a three day
to the SPCSA community.
On 25 August Fr Arokiam be-
gan the Extraordinary Visitation
of the Murnbai Prouince (INB).
This Visitation took him to four
States in India, - Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra and Ra-
jasthan - visiting 27 communities
canonically erected and 12 other
Salesian presences. He also visited
the community of Salmiya, in
Kuwait, belonging to INB, be-
tween 27 and 29 October. The Ex-
traordinary Visitation ended on
31 October with the final confer-
ence to the confreres gathered in
the Provincial House in Mumbai.

9 Pages 81-90

▲back to top

9.1 Page 81

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 79
During his Visitation the Region-
al met personally about 260 con-
freres and 40 lay co-workers, var-
ious groups, visited the houses of
the Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians and saw groups ofthe
Salesian Family etc. He also met
the groups of confreres in initial
formation, the lay confreres,
groups of confreres in various ar-
eas of the Province and the
Provincial Council etc.
In the month of September, dur-
ing the time of the Visitation, be-
tween 2 and,4, Fr Arokiam also
chaired a meeting of the Assembly
of the Provincials' Conference
(SPCSA); in addition he took part
in a meeting of the Principals of
Salesian schools in India between
24 and,26, with 165 confreres and
guests.
In the first two weeks of No-
vember, the Regional travelled to
the Provinces of Chennai (INM)
and Tiruchy (INT) and met all the
confreres in nine groups in vari-
ous cities while carrying out the
consultation for the appointment
of the new Provincial in these two
Provinces. Leaving for Rome on
17 November, FrArokiam stopped
for two days in the community of
Fujairah (UAE), and for 5 days in
the Province of Ethiopia and Er-
itrea. He arrived back in Rome on
26 November to take part in the
third meeting of the Provincials of
Europe on the "Project for Eu-
rope".
The Councillor for the
North Europe Region
Fr Marek Chrzan, after his
appointment as Councillor for the
North Europe Region in the place
of Fr Stefan Turansky, who had
retired on health grounds, and
after having taken part in the fi-
nal summer session of the Coun-
cil, returned to the Krakow
Province to tidy things up and to
hand over the government of the
Province to the Vice Provincial
until the appointment of the new
Provincial.
In August he paid a short visit
to some communities. On Sunday
8, in the Marian Sanctuary of
Szczyrk he presided at Mass being
broadcast on Polish TV At
OSwigcim on 17 August, he took
part in the patronal feast of the
'Saint Hyacinth' Province and
met the Provincial Council. He
then visited the Warsaw Province
meeting the Provincial Council
and taking part in the Youth Fes-
tival ("Camp Bosco") at Czer-
wif,sk. After this he took part in
the Youth Festival of the Pita
Province at Trzciniec; he presided

9.2 Page 82

▲back to top
80 ACIS OF THE GENERAL CoUNCIL
at the perpetual profession and
the renewal of temporary reli-
gious profession ofthe young con-
freres of the Pila Province; then
he met the Provincial Council. He
then visited the Wroclaw Province
where he took part in a meeting
of the Provincial Council and paid
a short visit to the novitiate at Ko-
piec. On 26 August he took part in
the SYM Youth Forum for the
whole of Poland held at l-6dz in
the Warsaw Province.
At the beginning of September
he went to London to attend an
English language course. In this
period he also visited the Salesian
communities in Great Britain.
On 1 October he presided at the
opening of the Academic Year at
the Polish Inter-Province Studen-
tate of Theolory at Krak6w.
Then in Rome he took part in
the intermediate session of the
General Council held between 4
and 13 October.
Afterwards he paid a visit to get
to know some of the Provinces. In
Poland he took part in the meet-
ings of the confreres for the con-
sultation for the appointment of
the new Provincial for Krakow. In
Hungary he took part in the bless-
ing of the new hostel for young
gypsies in our school. He also vis-
ited some of the houses in the
Hungarian Province and met the
confreres. Later he spent four
days in Croatia and another four
in Slovenia, getting to know the
confreres and introducing himself.
On 30 October he returned to
Rome for the concluding part of
the International Congress "Don
Rua in History". Afterwards he
paid a visit to some of the houses
in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech
Republic with the intention of get-
ting to know the confreres and in-
troducing himself. Between 14
and 17 November, he was present
at the end of the Extraordinary
Visitation of the German Province
meeting the Provincial Council,
the Rectors and lay people with
responsibilities in the works. He
took part in the solemn Mass at
the end of the Visitation at which
the Visitor Fr Tadeusz Rozmus
presided.
Then he paid a visit to the
Province of North Belgium, and
on 20 November chaired a consul-
tation meeting in view of the ap-
pointment of the new Provincial.
On 24 November he returned to
Rome to take part in the meeting
of the Polish Provincial Confer-
ence and the EST. Afterwards he
took part in the meeting of the
Provincials of Europe, which was
followed by the beginning of the
winter plenary session of the Gen-
eral Council.

9.3 Page 83

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 81
The Councillnr for the
West Europe Region
At the end of the summer ple-
nary session ofthe General Coun-
cil, the Regional Fr Jos6 Miguel
Nrifiez left Rome to travel to Turin
to take part in the International
"Campobosco" for Spain and Por-
tugal (and with the participation
for the first time of a French
group), held in the places associat-
ed with Don Bosco during 1-8 Au-
gust. On 8 August he travelled to
Madrid and then to Loyola (San
Sebasti6n) for a meeting with
young confreres from the Region
in the context of the "Project for
Europe", held between 12 and
15 August.
At the end of the meeting on L5
August Fr Jos6 Miguel went to
Granada to preside at the first pro-
fession ofthe novices from Spain.
On 17 he took part in the Curato-
rium of the novitiate.
Between 17 and 20 the Council-
lor made a short private retreat.
Between 2l and 28 August he
spent a week's rest with his family.
Between 31 August and 5 Sep-
tember he preached a Retreat to
the Salesians of the Gesir Maestro
community (Rome - UPS) at Fati-
ma (Portugal).
On 6 and 7 September he had
meetings with the Salesian com-
munities from Portugal at Porto
and at Manique to carry out the
consultation process in view ofthe
appointment of the new Provincial
by the Rector Major during the
winter session.
Between 10 and 12 September
the Councillor took part in the
meeting of the Formation and
Youth Ministry Departments with
those responsible in the West Eu-
rope Region in the house at El
Plantio (Madrid).
Between 13 and 15 Fr Jos6
Miguel took part in the meetings
of the Youth Ministry National
Centre in Madrid.
On 16 September the Regional
began the Extraordinary Visita-
tioru of the Valencia Prouince. The
Visitation lasted for two and a half
months with some breaks for oth-
er events in the Region and the
Congregation.
Between 8 and 12 October Fr
Jos6 Miguel took part in the meet-
ing of Rectors in the West Europe
Region at Sanhicar la Mayor
(Seville), at which the Rector Ma-
jor and his Vicar were present.
Similarly the Councillor went to
Madrid on 23 October to accompa-
ny the Rector Major at the cele-
bration of the 25'n anniversary of
the magazine "Catequistas" and
the 50'h anniversary of the maga-
zine "Misi6n Joven".

9.4 Page 84

▲back to top
82 ACT9 oF THE 1ENERAL couNCtL
Between 2 and 4 November he
chaired the meeting of the Iberian
Conference in Madrid, and on 19
November the Councillor took
part in the conclusion of the for-
mation course and the presenta-
tion of diplomas for senior school
staff in Spain, during which Fr
Jos6 Miguel gave a conference en-
titled "Educating in difficult
times".
Afterwards the Councillor re-
turned to Valencia to conclude the
Extraordinary Visitation with a
meetingwith the Provincial Coun-
cil and with the Rectors.
On 21 November he paid a visit
to the students of Theolory at
Martf-Codolar in Barcelona. On
23-24 he also visited the post-
novices in Burgos.
On 26 November Fr Jos6 Miguel
returned to Rome to take part
in the meeting of the Provincials
of Europe and later in the winter
plenary session of the General
Council.
The Councillor for the
Italy and Middle E.ast Region
When the summer plenary ses-
sion of the General Council ended,
Fr Pier Fausto Frisoli directed the
second stage ofthe Course for new
Rectors in the Region at Genzano,
Rome, between 31 July and 2 Au-
gust. Then he went to visit his par-
ents. Afterwards he met the young
confreres on the course of prepa-
ration for perpetual profession in
Turin-Valdocco and Messina'Saint
Thomas.' He then returned to the
Pisana to study and prepare for fu-
ture engagements. On 8 Septem-
ber he received the first profes-
sions of the novices in Rome - Sa-
cred Heart.
On 13 September he began the
Extraordinary Visitation of the
Circumscription. of Central ltaly
(rcC).In succession he visited the
following communities: Rome
Ss.Peter and Paul, Rome Saint
Laurence, Formia, Cagliari Sant
PauI, Cagliari Institute, Selargius,
Lanusei, Nuoro, Sassari, Gualdo
Tadino, Terni, Perugia, Florence,
Scandicci, Figline Val d'Arno, Colle
diVal d'Elsa, Livorno, Rome Saint
Callistus, Civitavecchia.
In the course of the Extraordi-
nary Visitation there were several
other engagements: the Provin-
cials' Conference of the Region
(Rome, 20-22 September), Forma-
tion Course for new Rectors - third
stage (Palermo, 15-17 November).
On25 November he returned to
the Generalate and between 26
and 28 November took part in the
III Meeting of the Provincials of
Europe.

9.5 Page 85

▲back to top
ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 83
The Secretary General
Implementing the guidelines for
the planned programme of the six-
year period, the Secretary General
Fr Marian Stempel in agreement
with the Rector Major and the Re-
gional Councillors organised in
this period o meeting of the Prouin-
cial Secretaries of the Latin Amer-
ica - South Cone Region held at
Santiago, Chile between2S and29
October.
As was indicated in the letter
calling the meetings, their purpose
was updating and an exchange of
ideas. Subjects on the agenda were
those of particular interest to the
Secretary and the Provincial Sec-
retariat with regard to documen-
tation, to the statistics, juridical
aspects, the archives and libraries.
Special attention was given to the
archives and to the various juridi-
cal issues. The active participation
of the Secretaries and the frater-
nal atmosphere of the meetings
should be mentioned, as well as
the value ofthe opportunity to get
to know the different situations.
After the meeting at Santiago,
thanks to the kindness of the
Provincial and several confreres,
the Secretary was able to visit
some of the houses in the Province
admiring the rich variety of the
works and the commitment of the
confreres.
A special word of thanks for
their hospitality is due to the com-
munity of the house of Santiago -
La Florida Theologate, who host-
ed the Secretaries and gave them a
Salesian welcome.

9.6 Page 86

▲back to top
5. DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS
5.1 The "Salesian Proper" of the
Liturgy of the Hours
We print below the preface writ-
ten by the Rector Major for the
book "LITURGIA DELLE ORE -
P RO PRI O SALE S IAN O " recently
published - for the present in the
official uersion in ltalian - an up-
date of the first edition produced
in 1994.
As the Rector Major writes, the
update has been. m.ade necessary
following the recognition by the
Church ofnew Blesseds and Saints
of the Salesian Farnily.
The work was undertahen in
the first place by a Commission set
up for the purpose by the Rector
Majoa then by the Councillor for
Formation jointly with the Procu-
rator General, in uiew of his role
of presenting the texts to the Coru-
gregation for Diuine Worship, and
receiuing from them suggestions
before the necessary approual.
The opportunity was also taken
to improue the layout and printing,
harmonisirug them with the texts
of the Liturgy of the Hours of the
Unuersal Church.
In these last few years the
Church has recognised a number
of new Blesseds and Saints be-
longing to various groups of the
Salesian Family. This has necessi-
tated an updating ofthe Salesian
Liturgical Calendar and also the
preparation of the proper liturgi-
cal texts for the Liturgy of the
Hours. Contributing to this work
ofrevision and updating has been
a Liturgical Commission which
I set up and which I sincerely
thank. Among the new Blesseds
and Saints introduced into the
Salesian Calendar have also been
considered some figures of note
who have had close links with
Salesian history such as for exam-
ple Blessed Pope Pius IX.
The Salesian Family has within
it a variety of vocations which
reflect the wonderful creativity
of the Holy Spirit in raising up
charisms in the Church and all of
which have Don Bosco as father.
We are grateful to God, because
we recognise that indeed the
Salesian Family is a "Family of
Saints". The different examples of
holiness offer us a multiplicity of
forms of Salesian spirituality,
which have their origins in the
same source and offer us the
possibility of choosing among so
many models of holiness. We
therefore have shining examples
to imitate and a great variety of
intercessors to invoke.
The Proper Calendar and Litur-
gy of the Hours have received on

9.7 Page 87

▲back to top
DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 85
the part of the Congregation for
Divine Worship and the Discipline
of the Sacraments a specific ap-
proval for each ofthe three groups
of the Salesian Family which have
requested it: The Salesian Society
of Saint Francis of Sales, the In-
stitute of the Daughters of Mary
Help of Christians and the Insti-
tute of the Volunteers of Don
Bosco. The respective decrees of
approval are reproduced.
These texts can be of help to all
the groups and the members of the
Salesian Family in livingto the full
the Gospel according to the style
which is proper to the charism
received, to celebrate the marvels/
wonders of God in his saints, to
continue the commitment to holi-
ness in the liturry of life. Al1,
therefore, can draw strength and
grace from these overflowing rich-
es of the liturry.
"In the various types and duties
of life, one and the same holiness
is cultivated by all who are moved
by the Spirit of God and who obey
the voice of the Father, worship-
ping God the Father in spirit and
in truth. These souls follow the
poor Christ, the humble and cross-
bearing Christ in order to be made
worthy of being partakers in his
glory. Every person should walk
unhesitatingly according to his
own personal gifts and duties in
the path of a living faith which
rouses hopes and works through
charity" (Lumen gentium 41). We
are all therefore called to holiness.
May this liturry inspire in us res-
olutions of holiness. May Mary
Help of Christians, Don Bosco and
the Saints and Blesseds of the
Salesian Family support us in our
efforts.
Rome, 8 September 2010.
Feast of the Birthday
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Fr Pascual CuiNsz VIn"eNr,nva
Rector Major
5.2 Decree on the heroicity of
the virtues of the Venerable
Fr Giuseppe Quadrio, SDB
Below in the original Latin uersion
and in an English translation
(frorn the ltalian) is the text of the
Decree regarding the heroicity of
the uirtues of the Seruant of God
Fr Giuseppe Quadrio SDB, pub-
lished on 19 December 2009. In
uirtue of this Decree the Seruant of
God is declared Venerable.

9.8 Page 88

▲back to top
86 Acls oF THE GENERAL C)UN2IL
I,ATIN TEXT
CONGREGATIO
PRO CAUSIS SANCTORUM
TAI]RINENSIS
BEATIFICATIONIS et CANONIZATIONIS
VENERABILIS SERll DEI
rosEPHr QUADRIO
SACERDOTIS PROFESSI
E SOCIETATE SANCTI FRANCISCI SALESII
(1921-1963)
DECRETUM SUPER VIRTUTIBUS
"Dorruin um Christum sanctifica-
te in cordibus uestris, parati sent-
per ad satisfactioruem omni po-
scenti uos rationem de ea, quae in
uobis est, spe" (1 Pt 3,15).
Haec beati Petri Apostoli adhor-
tatio idoneum ad intellegendam
vitam et opus spirituale Servi Dei
Iosephi Quadrio esse potest exor-
dium, qui totam vitam impendit,
praesertim vero in munere magi-
stri, quo enituit, mysterii Dei pul-
chritudine demersus, ad verita-
tem divinam, quam ut intimius
amplectaretur et aliis diligenter
tradere posset perquisivit, cum fi-
de et humilitate summopere acce-
dens.
Venerabilis Seryus Dei Iosephus
Quadrio Vervii prope Sondrium in
Italia die 28 mensis Novembris
anno 1921 e modesta agricolarum
familia christiana pietate penitus
informata natus est, in qua soli-
dam humanam et religiosam in-
stitutionem recepit. Infantiam in
scholae assiduitate, in doctrinae
christianae studio, in liturgicarum
celebrationum participatione et in
rusticis operibus degit. His in re-
rum adiunctis, humilitate atque
ima evangelica pietate suffultis,
puer Iosephus expressam iam ani-
madvertit peculiarem inclinatio-
nem religiosae vocationis. Prima
Eucharistica Communio, quam
nonum aetatis annum agens per-
cepit, et voluntarium votum per-
petuae castitatis, quod cum unde-
cimum annum implevit privatim
professus est, in honorem Beatae
Mariae Virginis emissum, huius
praecipui atque impensi spiritua-
lis provectus denotaverunt ini-
tium.
Vix duodennis, Servus Dei, post-
quam Sancti Ioannis Bosco vitam
et opera legerat, domino Aloysio
Sartorio parocho suscitante, apud
Institutum Missionale Salesia-
num Eporediense se recipi postu-
lavit, ubi enim mense Septembris
anno 1933 pervenit: quod paula-
tim fervens eius desiderium, iam
inde ab infantia tempore proces-
sum, omnino omnesque per annos
Domino inserviendi perfecit. Inse-
quentibus annis, professionem re-
ligiosam temporariam Iosephus
emisit ac dein in studia philo-
sophiae et theologiae sollicito ani-
mo incubuit; perpetuis demum vo-

9.9 Page 89

▲back to top
DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 87
tis professis, die 16 mensis Martii
anno L947 presbyteratu auctus
est. Exitus studiorum dissertatio
fuit ad Doctoratum assequendum
de Assumptione Beatae Mariae
Virginis, quam apud Pontificiam
Universitatem Gregorianam in
Alma Urbe disceptavit.
Illis institutionis annis, Servus
Dei non modo severo intellectuali
officio valde emicuit, sed etiam
fervida pro iuvenibus belli causa
vagis et derelictis pastorali navi-
tate. Hac in actuosa diligenti ope-
ra erga iuvenes egenos et afflictos,
Iosephus agentem efficacemque
spiritum Fundatoris se adumbra-
re posse ostendit.
Munerum fastigium, quibus
Servus Dei totam vitam functus
est, Theologiae dogmaticae magi-
sterium fuit: hic altus potissimu-
sque cardo ipse exstitit et testis
mirabilis Evangelii; in cotidiana
vicissitudine vitae virtutem prae-
stitit, qua officium suum religiosi,
presbyteri et magistri profunda ac
benigna suipsius abnegatione ser-
vare valuit, numquam otium seu
requiem sibi concedens et consen-
sum rationalis fidei investigatio-
nis cum actuosa theologia iugiter
persectans.
Vita Servi Dei ex ardenti qua-
dam mystica intellegentia etiam
hausit, acuta notione de primario
Christi ac Matris Dei loco in hi-
storia salutis signata. Omnis eius
conversatio constans fuit intentio
ad sanctitatem atque ad exerci-
tium modo heroum omnium chri-
stianarum virtutum. Dominus Io-
sephus, enim, omnibus in adiunc-
tis benignum, familiarem et ho-
spitalem se exhibuit. Licet univer-
sali scientia, praesertim theologi-
ca, eruditus, humilitate, simplici-
tate et mira morum humanitate
insignem se praebuit. Summum
ab ipso traditum praeceptum
praesertim in decursu eius ultimi
morbi patuit: nam, die 4 mensis
Iunii anno 1960, post aliquot si-
gna aegritudinis, diagnosis ei pa-
tefacta est tumoris granulosi ma-
ligni glandularum lymphatica-
rum. Servus Dei autem nuntium
hoc funestum renovato fidei impe-
tu accepit, qui eum virtutibus de-
coris et tranquillitatis animi ho-
nestabat, quas per omne acerbae
huius probationis insequens trien-
nium retinuit. Aspera enim infir-
mitas aequo vultu et iugi miseri-
cordiae Dei fiducia suscepta in eo
aditus spiritualis fortitudinis,
praemii supremi et sacrificii pro
necessitate fratrum facta est.
Temporibus quoque recessus
in valetudinario, Servus Dei Io-
sephus numquam ministerium
praeteriit, quin etiam visitabat fo-
vebatque aegrotos et medicos, in-
firmorum ministros atque omnes

9.10 Page 90

▲back to top
88 Acrs oF THE GENERAL couNCtL
nosocomii servitio addictos cohor-
tabatur. Receptaculum eius verum
consistorium fuit cuiusque ad
Evangelium accedere, consolatio-
nem excipere et remissionem pec-
catorum adipisci quaereret.
Dies protinus ante mortem do-
minus Iosephus pro pulcherrimis
faustissimisque habuit: exemplo
suo testimonium praebuit mortem
omnium non esse finem, sed ex-
spectatum reditum ad Christum.
Pace et tranquillitate circumfu-
sus, Servus Dei, quadraginta et
unum annos natus, die 23 mensis
Octobris anno 1923, Augustae
Taurinorum pie in Domino quie-
vit. Quae conscia misericordiae
Dei frducia vixit, in cordibus mul-
torum firmam persuasionem eum
plenae ac perfectae sequelae
Evangelii fuisse testem mors reli-
quit.
Hanc ob sanctitatis famam a die
21 mensis Ianuarii anno 1991
usque ad diem 10 mensis Novem-
bris anno 1993 apud Curiam Tau-
rinensem Inquisitio Dioecesana
Principalis et a die 2 mensis Octo-
bris anno 1991 ad diem 18 mensis
Iulii anno 1992 apud Vicariatum
Urbis Inquisitio Rogatorialis cele-
bratae sunt, quarum auctoritas et
vis iuridica a Congregatione de
Causis Sanctorum decreto diei24
mensis lunii anno 1994 probatae
sunt. Positione ex more confecta,
die 5 mensis Iunii anno 2009, in
Congressu Peculiari Consultorum
Theologorum prospero cum exitu
disceptatum est an Servus Dei
more heroum virtutes christianas
exercuisset.
Patres Cardinales et Episcopi in
Sessione Ordinaria diei 1 mensis
Decembris anno 2009, audita re-
latione Excellentissimi ac Reve-
rendissimi Domini Hieronymi
Grillo, Episcopi emeriti Centum-
cellarum - Tarquiniensis, Causae
Ponentis, professi sunt Servum
Dei virtutes theologales, cardina-
les iisque adnexas heroum modo
coluisse.
Facta demum de hisce omnibus
rebus Summo Pontiflrci Benedicto
XVI per subscriptum Archiepisco-
pum Praefectum accurata relatio-
ne, Sanctitas Sua vota Congrega-
tionis de Causis Sanctorum exci-
piens rataque habens, hodierno
die declaravit: Constare de uirtu-
tibus theologalibus Fide, Spe et
Caritate tum in Deum tum in
proximurn, necnon de cardinali-
bus Prudentia, Iustitia, Tempe-
rantia et Fortitudine iisque ad-
nexis in gradu heroico Serui Dei
Iosephi Quadrio, sacerdotis pro-
fessi e Societate Sancti Francisci
Salesiii, in casu et ad effectum de
quo agitun
Hoc autem decretum publici
iuris fieri et in acta Congregatio-

10 Pages 91-100

▲back to top

10.1 Page 91

▲back to top
DOCUMENTS AND NEWS /IEMS 89
nis de Causis Sanctorum Summus
Pontifex referri mandavit.
Datum Romae,
die 19 mensis Decembris a. D. 2009
t ANcmusAuaro, S.D.B.
Archiepiscopus Tit. Silensis
Praefectus
t MrcueEl Dr Rr,spnro
Archiepiscopus Tit. Biccarensis
a Secretis
ENGLISII TEXT
CONGREGATION
FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS
TIIRIN
BEATIFICATION and CANONISATION
OF THE !tsNERABLE SERVANT OF GOD
GruSEPPE QUADRIO
PROFESSED PRIEST
OF THE SOCIETY OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES
(1921-1963)
DECREE CONCEB.IING IIIE VIRTIIES
"Reuerence the Lord Christ in
your hearts, and always haue your
answer ready for people who ask
you the reason for the hope that you
all haue" (1 Pt 3,15)
This exhortation of the Blessed
Apostle Peter could be a suitable
introduction to understanding
the life and spiritual work of the
Servant of God Giuseppe Quadrio,
who spent his whole life, especially
in his role as a teacher, in which he
distinguished himself, immersed
in the beauty of the mystery of
God, drawing close with all his
strength, with faith and humility
to the divine truth, which he stud-
ied so as to be able to assimilate it
more deeply and transmit it con-
scientiously to others.
The Venerable Servant of God
Giuseppe Quadrio was born on 28
November L92l at Vervio, near
Sondrio, in Italy, into a modest
Christian farming family, of deep
piety, in which he received a sound
human and Christian education.
He passed his childhood going to
school, studying Christian doc-
trine, taking part in liturgical cel-
ebrations and in farm work. In the
combination of these duties un-
dertaken with humility and deep
evangelical piety, the boy Giuseppe
was already conscious of an explic-
it and special inclination towards
a religious vocation. His frrst Holy
Communion which he made at
nine years of age, and the sponta-
neous vow of perpetual chastity
which he made privately, in hon-
our of the Blessed Virgin Mary
when he was eleven, marked the
beginning of his remarkable and
intense spiritual progress
Scarcely twelve years ofage, the
Servant ofGod, after having read
the life and works of Saint John
Bosco, encouraged by the parish
priest Fr Luigi Sartorio, asked to
be accepted at the Salesian Mis-

10.2 Page 92

▲back to top
90 ACIS oF THE GENERAL coUNcIL
sionary Institute in Ivrea, which,
in fact, he entered in September
1933: gradually this event brought
to maturity the fervent desire he
had nourished since his infancy to
serve the Lord totally and for ever.
In the following years Giuseppe
made his temporary religious pro-
fession, and then seriously dedi-
cated himself to the study of phi-
losophy and theolory; after taking
his perpetual vows, on 17 March
L947 finally was ordained a priest.
The high point of his studies was
his obtaining a doctorate with a
thesis on the Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin Mary which he de-
fended at the Pontifical Gregorian
University in Rome.
In those years of formation, the
Servant of God not only greatly
distinguished himself for his seri-
ous intellectual application, but al-
so for his zealous pastoral activity
on behalf of boys poor and aban-
doned on account of the war. In
this active, diligent work for needy
and unhappy young people,
Giuseppe showed his ability to im-
itate the active and effective spirit
ofthe Founder.
The most important of the tasks
undertaken by the Servant of God
throughout his life was the teach-
ing of dogmatic Theolory: in this
he showed himself to be a major
and very important authority, and
an admirable witness to the
Gospel; in the events of daily life
he showed the ability to carry out
his duties as a religious, priest and
teacher with a deep and amiable
spirit of self-denial, never allowing
himself holidays or rest periods
and always trying to harmonise
the intelligent investigation of the
faith with an effective theologr.
The life of the Servant of God al-
so drew on a burning mystical in-
telligence marked by the penetrat-
ing understanding of the primary
place of Christ and of the Mother
of God in the history of salvation.
His whole way of life was directed
towards holiness and the exercise
ofthe Christian virtues to an hero-
ic degree. In fact, in every situation
Fr Giuseppe showed his benevo-
lence, affability and welcoming na-
ture. Although thoroughly well-
versed in all academic matters es-
pecially the theological, the way in
which he manifested humility, sim-
plicity and admirable human
warmth in his dealings with people
was quite extraordinary.
The best teaching he imparted
was especially that given in the
course of his final illness: in fact,
on 4 June 1960, after some signs
of sickness, he was informed that a
malignant lymphogranuloma had
been diagnosed. The Servant of
God received this devastating

10.3 Page 93

▲back to top
DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 91
news with a renewed expression of
faith which gave him the strength
of a dignified peace of mind which
he preserved throughout the fol-
lowing three years that this hard
trial lasted. In fact, the painful ill-
ness which he accepted with a
serene expression and constant
trust in the mercy of God, became
for him an occasion for spiritual
fortitude, a higher reward and a
sacrifice for the needs ofhis broth-
ers and sisters.
Also while he was in hospital,
the Servant of God Giuseppe nev-
er ceased to exercise his ministry
but rather he used to visit and en-
courage the sick and the medical
staff, giving support to the nurses
and all the ancillary staff of the
hospital. His room there became a
real meeting place for whoever
might be in search of the Gospel,
to receive comfort and the forgive-
ness of sins.
Fr Giuseppe considered the day
immediately prior to his death to
be among the most beautiful and
blessed: through his example he
bore witness that death is not the
end of everything, but the long-
awaited return to Christ. In peace
and calmly, the Servant of God, at
41 years ofage, on 23 October 1963
in Turin slept in the peace of the
Lord. With that conscious trust in
the mercy of God that he lived by,
his death left in the hearts of many
the firm conviction that he had
been a witness to the full and per-
fect following of the Gospel.
Because of this reputation for
holiness, between 21January 1991
and 10 November 1993 at the Cu-
ria of Turin the Primary Diocesan
Inquisitio was conducted and be-
tween 2 October 1991 and 18 July
1992 at the Vicariate of Rome the
Notary Inquisitio, the authority
and juridical validity of which
were recognised by the Congrega-
tion for the Causes of Saints with
a decree dated24 June 1994. The
Positio then havingbeen drawn up
as usual, on 5 June 2009 it was dis-
cussed in the special assembly of
the Theological Consultors with a
favourable result.
The Cardinals and Bishops, in
the Ordinary Session on l Decem-
ber 2009, having heard the report
of His Lordship Bishop Gerolamo
Grillo, Bishop emeritus of Civi-
tavecchia-Tarquinia, declared that
the Servant of God had practised
to an heroic degree the theological,
cardinal and other associated
virtues.
After the undersigned Archbish-
op Prefect presented an accurate
report of all this to the Supreme
Pontiff Benedict XVI, His Holiness,
accepting and ratifying the votes
expressed by the Congregation for

10.4 Page 94

▲back to top
92 Acrs oF THE GENERAL couNctL
the Causes of Saints, on today's
date declared that: "It is certain
that the theological uirtues of Faith,
Hope and Charity, towards God
and one's neighbour as well as the
cardinal uirtues of Prudence, Jus-
tice, Tenzperance and Fofiitude and
the other uirtues connected with
them were practised to an heroic
degree by the Seruant of God
Giuseppe Quo.drio, professed priest
of the Society of Saint Francis of
Sales, "in caslt et ad, effectum de
quo agitur" [in uiew ofeuentual be-
atificatio n and c anoni s atio nl " .
The Holy Father directed that
this Decree be published and pre-
served among the Acts of the Con-
gregation for the Causes ofSaints.
Given at Rome,
on 19 December 2009.
t ANonloAraro, S.D.B.
Titular Archbishop of Sila
Prefect
t Mtcrmm Dr Rusprro
Titular Archbishop of Biccari
Secretary
5.3 New Salesian Cardinal:
Archbishop Angelo AMATO
The Suprente PontiffBenedict )(VI,
in the public Consistory held on 20
Nouember 2010 in the Basilica of
Saint Peter in Rome, raised to the
dignity of Cardinal the Salesian
Archbishop Angelo AMATO, Pre-
fect of the Congregation for the
Causes of Saints.
Born at Molfetta (Bari) on 8
June 1938, Angelo Amato made
his first Salesian profession on 16
August 1956 in the novitiate at
Portici, near Naples. He studied
philosophy at the Salesian Pontif-
ical University in Rome, obtaining
a Licence in Philosophy. Perpetu-
ally professed on 28 June 1962, af-
ter the normal theological studies
he was ordained priest in Rome on
22 December 1967. Later he ob-
tained a Doctorate in Theolory at
the Pontifical Gregorian Universi-
ty inL974.
Holding the Professorial Chair
of Dogmatic Theolory at the Sale-
sian Pontifical University he was
also Dean of the Faculty of Theol-
og}, (1993-1999) and Vice-Rector of
the University 1997-2000.
On 20 December 2002 he was
appointed Secretary ofthe Congre-
gation for the Doctrine of the Faith
and consecrated Archbishop with
the titular see of Sila on 6 Decem-
ber 2003 by the Servant of God
Pope John Paul II
On 9 July 2008 he was appoint-
ed by the Holy Father Benedict
Y{I Prefect of the Congregation for
the Causes of Saints.

10.5 Page 95

▲back to top
DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 93
Now Benedict XVI has created
him a Cardinal of the Holy Roman
Church in the Consistory of 20 No-
vember 2010, assigning him the
Deaconate of Santa Maria in
Aquiro in Rome.
5.4 New Salesian Bishops
Below are some news items re-
garding Salesian Bishops, includ-
ing the appointment of a new
Bishop, Bishop Enrico dal Couolo
and the change of the see of two
other Salesian Bishops.
l. Bishop DAL COVOLO Enrico,
Titular Bishop of Eraclea.
On 15 September 2010 the Vati
can Press Office gave the news of
the appointment by the Holy Fa-
ther Benedict XVI of Fr Enrico
DAL COVOLO, S.D.B. as Bish-
op, assigninghim the titular see of
ERACLEA (Italy). The previous 30
June 2010 Benedict XVI had en-
trusted him with the role of Rec-
tor Magnificus of the Lateran Pon-
tifical University in Rome.
The Episcopal Consecration of
Bishop Enrico dal Covolo took
place on 9 October 2010 in Saint
Peter's Basilica in Rome, by H.E.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone SDB,
Secretary of State.
(In n. 408 of the A.G.C. details
can be found of the religious and
academic curciculum of Bishop
Enrico dal Couolo).
2. Archbishop VIAN MORALES
Oscar Julio, Metropolitan
Archbishop of Guatemala.
On 2 October 2010 the Supreme
Pontiff Benedict XVI, accepting
the resignation from pastoral re-
sponsibility presented by Cardinal
Rodolfo Ignacio Quezada Torufio,
according to the norms of the CIC,
appointed Mons. Oscar Julio
VIAN MORALES SDB, Metro-
politan Archbishop of GUATE-
MALA, transferring him to this
see from the Archdiocese oflos Al-
tos, Quetzaltenango-Totonicap6n
(Guatemala).
Born on 18 October 1947 at
Guatemala City, professed as a
Salesian on 7 December 1965 in
the Province of Central America,
and ordained a priest in Guate-
mala City on 15 August 1976,
Mons. Oscar Julio Vian Morales
was appointed Vicar Apostolic of El
Pet6n (Guatemala) on 30 Novem-
ber 1996, and given the titular see
of Pupiana (cf. AGC 358, p. 96). He
was consecrated Bishop at El Pet6n
on 1 February 1997. On 19 April
2007 he was transferred from the
Vicariate of El Pet6n to the Arch-

10.6 Page 96

▲back to top
94 ACTS oF THE GENERAL coLINcIL
diocese of Los Altos, Quetzalte-
nango-Totonicap6n.
3. Arehbishop TAFUNGA MBA-
Y O J ean- Pierr e, Met ropolit an
Archbishop of Lubumbashi.
On 1 December 2010 the Supre-
me Pontiff Benedict XVI, accepting
the resignation from pastoral re-
sponsibility presented by Archbish-
op Floribert Songasonga Mwitwa,
according to the norms of the CIC,
appointed Mons. Jean-Pierre
TAFUNGA MBAYO SDB, Met-
ropolitan Archbishop of LUBU-
MBASHI (Democratic Republic of
the Congo), where he had already
been Coadjutor Archbishop since
July 2008.
Born in Panda (Likasi), Democ-
ratic Republic of the Congo, on 23
July 1942, he made his first Sale-
sian profession on 28 August 1965
in the Salesian Province of Central
Africa. Perpetually professed on 20
February 1971, he was ordained
priest at Likasi on 16 September
1972.
On 6 October 1992 he was ap-
pointed by John Paul II Bishop of
the Diocese of Kilwa-Kasenga, and
consecrated Bishop at Kasenga on
31 January 1993, by Archbishop
Eugenio Kabanga of Lubumbashi.
On 10 June 2002 he was trans-
ferred to the see of Uvira (D.R.C.)
and then on 31 July 2008, to the
Metropolitan See of Lubumbashi
as Coadjutor Archbishop.
4. Archbishop EZZATI Riccard.o,
Metropolitan Archbishop of
Santiago, Chile.
On 15 December 2010 the Supre-
me PontiffBenedict XVI, accepting
the resignation from pastoral re-
sponsibility presented by Cardinal
Francisco Javier Err6zuriz Ossa,
according to the norms of the CIC,
appointed Mons. Riccard.o EZ-
ZATI SDB as Metropolitan
Archbishop of SANTIAGO,
CHILE, transferring him to this
see from the Archdiocese of Con-
cepci6n (Chile), where he was the
Ordinary.
Born on 7 January 1942 at
Campiglia dei Berici, in the
Province of Vicenza, in ltaly, Ric-
cardo Ezzati, following his Salesian
missionary vocation, in 1959 im-
mediately after secondary school
studies went to Chile, where he
made his novitiate a Quilp6, mak-
ing his first profession on 31 Janu-
ary 1961. He did his philosophical
studies at the Catholic University
of Valparaiso and his theological
studies at the Salesian Pontifical
University in Rome, obtaining a
Licence in Theolory. Perpetually
professed on 30 December 1966, he

10.7 Page 97

▲back to top
DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 95
was ordained priest on 18 March
Li 1970. Afterwards he obtained a
cence in Religious Studies at the
Irustitut de Pastorale Catdchetique
in Strasbourg.
Rector of the Salesian house in
Concepci6n between 1973 and
1978, then of La Florida, Santia-
go, in the philosophical-pedagogi-
cal studentate (1978-1983) and af-
terwards in that of theolory, in
1984 he was appointed Provincial
of the Salesian Province of Chile.
At the end of his term of office in
1991, he was called to Rome as a
collaborator in the Congregation
for the Institutes of Consecrated
Life and Societies of Apostolic
Life.
Appointed Bishop of Valdivia on
28 June 1996, he was consecrated
on 8 September the same year. In
July 2001 he was transferred to
become Auxiliary Bishop in the
Archdiocese of Santiago, Chile.
Later on 27 December 2006 he was
appointed Metropolitan Archbish-
op of Concepci6n. Now he returns
to Santiago, Chile as Metropolitan
Archbishop. Recently he was elect-
ed President ofthe Bishops'Con-
ference of Chile.

10.8 Page 98

▲back to top
96 ACIS oF THE GENERAL coUNcIL
5.5 Our dead confreres (3"d list 2010)
"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 lew 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." (Const.94).
SURNAME AND NAME
L ACCORSI Giulio
L ALVAREZAGUADoJuan
P ANDREOLETTI Mailo
P BAROSC0 Luigi Natale
P BECK Jean-Marie
P BERTOLUSSO Marcello
P BONACOSCIA Amaldo
P BORTOLOZO Angelo
P BOUCHERYMarcel
L BRIGNONE Giovanni
P BRIONES Juan Antolin
P BRhEz ESTIGARRIBIA Emiliano
P BUSATO Bruno
P CALCAGNO Raimondo
P CALEMARD Marius
P CELESTINOPedTo
P COLUSSI Luciano
L C0RDEIROTristio de Oliveira
P CBOCI Antonio
P DA SILVA Jo6o Batista
P DABBENE BemaTd J.
P DAMASP Edgar
P DAU HAWNG Lucius
L DE JUAN SUTIL Matias
P DEVITO Enrique
L DHo Giuliano
P Dl BIASE Camine
P DOBRSEKfuAN
P DROHAN Francis
P D'SOUZA Cdspin
P EKKA Raiesh
P ELEJALDE PANCORDO A|trcdo
P ELIZoNDO lsidro
L FAELLA Armando
P FELBEB Franz
L FERNANDES Lindolpho
P FIORE Carlo
L FOGAGNOLO Paolo
P FOLTN Stehn
PLACE of death
DATE
Milano (ltalia)
Madrid (Spagna)
Alassio (ltalia)
Trwiso (ltalia)
Toulon (Francia)
Bel6m (Brasile)
Massa Carara (ltalia)
Torino
Bruxelles (Belgio)
Torino
Bosario, Santa Fe (Argentina)
Fernando de la Mora (Paraguay)
Castello di Godego (ltalia)
Messina (ltalia)
Toulon (Francia)
Belo Horizonte (Brasile)
Calcutta (lndia)
Niter6i (Brasile)
Torino
Bel6m (Brasile)
San Francisco (U.S.A.)
Manique do Estoril (Portogallo)
Anisakan (Myanmar)
Bel6m (Brasile)
Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Sesto San Giovanni (ltalia)
Salerno (ltalia)
Stoney Creek (Canada)
Beppu (Giappone)
Fatorda (Goa, lndia)
Boko (Assam, lndia)
Bilbao (Spagna)
Barcelona (Spagna)
Caserla (ltalia)
Martkoberdorl (Germania)
Belo Horizonte (Brasile)
Rivoli (ltalia)
Torino
Beppu (Giappone)
02-08-201 0
1 9-08-201 0
28-1 0-201 0
1 3-09-201 0
20-08-2010
20-07-2010
02-1 0-201 0
06-1 1-2010
27-09-2010
09-12-2010
14-08-2010
04- 1 1-201 0
06-10-20'10
05-1 0-201 0
05-1 1-201 0
12-11.2010
1 1 -1 0-201 0
1 4-1 0-201 0
06-1 1-201 0
20-09-2010
09-09-2010
05-08-2010
1 7-09-201 0
06-08-2010
28-10-2010
03-12-201 0
21 -09-201 0
22-08-2010
1 2-09-201 0
1 3-1 1-201 0
28-08-201 0
24-1 0-201 0
02-1 1-201 0
06-10-2010
14-11-2010
1 6-1 2-201 0
08-08-201 0
20-1 0-201 0
02-08-201 0
AGE PROV
99
ILE
84
SMA
88
rcc
85
INE
88
FRB
76
BMA
92
rcc
91
rcP
86
FRB
88
rcP
75
ARN
89
PAR
75
INE
81
tst
89
FRB
84
BBH
86
tNc
92
BBH
u
rcP
51
BMA
73
SUO
77
POR
69
MYM
79
BMA
89
ARS
71
ILE
85
IME
98
SUE
90
GIA
74
INP
35
ING
55
sBt
77
SBA
79
IME
70
GER
89
BBH
89
rcP
q0
rcP
91
GIA

10.9 Page 99

▲back to top
DOCUMENTS AND NEWS ITEMS 97
SURNAME AND NAME
L FUENTEVEGAS Fermin
L GIANNINI Seralino
P GRoSSo Boberto Constantino
L GUGLIELMINO Carmdo
P HERGUETA TORREALBA Gustavo
L HEBBLER Corne|ius
P HEYSE August
P JENKOJanez
P KEIZENGERG Rudoll
P LABORDA FERREH Jes[s
P LANARoGiuseppe
Fu lspettore per sei anni
P LAUDATO Francesco
L LE FLOC'H Jean-Louis
P LENFEBTAhxander
L LIROT Michel
P MASPoLI lsidrc Edelmiro
P MASSIDDA Aldo
P MEIRELES Luiz de Andrade
L MoLLER BEMhAd
L MORCELLI Altonso
L MORE|RAManuel
P NEUME|ERAndreas
P OBIDZINSKI Stanislaw
P O'CONN0R Patrick Joseph
P OLEKSY Stanistaw
P PACE Ma]io
P PASCUAL LAPORTA Gonzalo
P PATRON Leonzio
P PAWLACZEKJAn
L PAZCARROLuiS
P PETRACCOGiovanni
P PINAFFO Giuseppe
P PLHAL Fedinand
P POSFAI Lrizl6
P PR|VoZN|KJosel
L PUTHURThomas Mathai
P OUAGLIAROLI Franceso
P QuERE Pierrc
P BEYES NIEVA Cados
P R|GO Flavio
P ROBREDO GALGUERA Cosme
Fu lspettore per sei anni
P ROLLETGhades
L ROMELLI Stetano
P ROSSI Giorgio (Facchini)
PLACE ol death
San Juan (Alicante, Spagna)
Alassio (ltalia)
Bahia Blanca (Argentina)
Pedara (ltalia)
Canasquero (Venezuela)
Benediktbeuern (Germania)
Heverlee (Belgio)
Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Bad Driburg (Germania)
Barcelona (Spagna)
Garbagnate (ltalia)
Manaus (Brasile)
Guingamp (Francia)
Neunkirchen (Germania)
Caen (Francia)
General Arenales (Argentina)
Selargius (ltalia)
Niter6i (Brasile)
Bonn (Germania)
Khartoum (Sudan)
Mogofores (Portogallo)
Wtizburg (Germania)
Pieszyce (Polonia)
Tralee, Co. Keny (lrlanda)
Czqstochowa (Polonia)
Ancona (ltalia)
Elche (Alicante, Spagna)
Torino
tublin (Polonia)
C6rdoba (Argenlina)
Tokyo (Giappone)
Torino
Starii Boleslav (Hep. Ceca)
Sz6kesfeh6rvdr (Ungheria)
Benediktbeuern (Germania)
Andheri (lndia)
Varazze (ltalia)
Marseille (Francia)
M6xico (Messico)
Venezia-Mestre (ltalia)
Lima (Per0)
Toulon (Francia)
Nagatsu-Nagasoe (Giappone)
Civitanova Marche (ltalia)
DATE
04-08-201 0
12-12-2010
1 4-08-201 0
1 4-08-201 0
1 9-1 0-20 1 0
05-10-2010
03-08-2010
30-10-2010
1 9- 1 0-201 0
1 3-10-2010
1 8-09-201 0
AGE PROV
94
svA
87
rcc
91
ARS
87
rsr
82
VEN
85
GEB
84
BEN
87 sL0
GER
67
SBA
90
ILE
21-09-201 0
29-09-201 0
03-12-2010
1 9-1 0-20 1 0
23-09-2020
06-1 1 -201 0
23-09-201 0
21 -09-2010
23-10-2010
07-12-2010
20-09-2010
04-1 0-201 0
1 3-08-201 0
22.11-2010
24.11-2010
29-08-201 0
01 -08-201 0
05-08-201 0
27-08-2010
1 5-08-201 0
04-09-2010
1 9-1 1 -201 0
22-10-2010
1 8-09-201 0
12-12-2010
30-07-201 0
06-09-201 0
1 7-06-201 0
28-08-201 0
06-1 0-201 0
BMA
FRB
GER
FRB
ARN
rcc
BBH
GER
AFE
POR
GER
PLO
IRL
PLO
tcc
svA
tcP
PLS
ARN
GIA
tcP
CEP
UNG
GER
INB
tcc
FRB
MEM
INE
PER
23-10-2010
86
FRB
18-10-2010
88
GIA
08-12-2010
72
rcc

10.10 Page 100

▲back to top
98 Acrs oF THE ?ENERAL couNCtL
SURNAME AND NAME
P SANTA MARIA Nicanor Garry
P SCHIASSI Pietro
L SCH|PKEWollgang
P SCHWARZGeoTge
L SCOLLARD Charles
P SHAKAlTarcisio
P SILLS Ricardo
P SILVANO Silvio
P TEIXEIRA Sirio Henriques
S TOPPOViiay
P TORRES MEZA Guillermo
P TRISOLINI John FiEgerald
P TSANG Peter Hing Sum
P VALLEJOCORONAPedTo
P VAN LAER Leopold
P VASSALLO Mario Ger6nimo
P VAZQUEZVicente
P VENTUBOLI Giorgio
P VIGANo Angelo
Fu lspettore per dodici anni
P V[0 HENRITCUEZ oscar octavio
L WLLIAMS John
L ZABRET Ludvik
PLACE of death
Pampanga (Filippine)
Arese (ltalia)
Memmingen (Germania)
Makati, Manila (Filippine)
Manzini (Swaziland)
Esmenaldas (Ecuador)
Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Torino
Belo Horizonte (Brasile)
Boko (Assam, lndia)
Quito (Ecuador)
Seoul (Corea del Sud)
Melbourne (Australia)
lrapuato, Guanajuato (Messico)
Leuven (Belgio)
C6rdoba (Argentina)
Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Sondrio (ltalia)
Arese (ltalia)
Santiago del Cile
Nairobi (Kenya)
Trstenik (Slovenia)
DATE
AGE PROV
07-09-2010
56
FIN
08-12-2010
95
ILE
26-08-2010
77
GER
10-08-2010
95
FIN
24-08-2010
90
AFM
27-08-2010
37
ECU
31 -10-2010
76
ARS
07-12-2010
97
rcP
26-07-2010
56
BBH
28-08-2010
28
ING
05-09-201 0
ot
ECU
22-11-2010
74
KOR
1 0-1 2-201 0
74
AUL
24-1 0-201 0
IZ
MEG
1 1 -1 1.201 0
74
BEN
30-07-201 0
u
ARN
07-12-2010
s2
ARS
02-1 1-201 0
80
ILE
21-11-2010
87
ILE
1 5-08-201 0
87
crL
01"09-201 0
AO
AFE
30-10-2010
87
SLO

11 Pages 101-110

▲back to top

11.1 Page 101

▲back to top

11.2 Page 102

▲back to top

11.3 Page 103

▲back to top

11.4 Page 104

▲back to top