Acts_1974_276.ASC


Acts_1974_276.ASC

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YEAR LV
OCTOBER-DECEIVIBER 1 974
No. 276
A$r$ [r iltt $llprH$il [0II[l[r1
OF THE SALESIAN SOCIETY
SUMMARY
I. Letter of the Bector Major (page 3)
"MWOBOIRI.IKTYAND SELF.RESTRAINT n: THE ANSWER TO UPWARD SOGTAL
The dream of Don Bosco - search.in.g questions for the 70's.
1. Work and solf.restralnt, the inseparables 2. Work, a school and
- prie-dleu: a_mission carried out joyfully; when work replaces prayor
- 3. The teaching of
- the field of battle;
the SGC
.practical
4.'lnvliation to
referencos in the
an hondst assbsshrent:
Regu{atlons 5. Time,
- an asset and
- of our work:
a liabillty: assisting; how to wasto tlme
evangellzation: spale tlme need not be
6. The alm
wasted time;
conclusion.
ll. lnstructions and norms (not ln this number)
Ill. Gornmunlcations (,page 44)
1. The Rector MaJor's strenna for 1975 2. Three documents of the
- Su,perior Coun,cll 3. The Delegation of
- - 5. Two deceased Salesian bishops.
Vietnam 4.
6. Activities
Atrpi p'souinptpmoertntosf
- - the Salesian Missions Centenary Z. The World ,Congress of Sblesian
- Brothers 8. Youth Formation Course for Latin America 9. The
- - spread of On-going Formation Courses 10. ,Course for Mlssionaries
- - 11. Solidarity Fund.
lV. Activities of the Superlor Gouncil and matters of general interest
(page 54)
V. Document5 ('page 58)
1. The First Years of Salesian Training 2. Aids for the PC'ZS
- - 3. The Enection of the ,Delegation of Vfutrram 4. ConfrnBres leaving
- the'priesthood.
Vl. From the Provlncial Newsletters [page 93)
1. Two schemes from the Pacific.Car.ibbean Region 2. Officlal
- plaudits in Thailand 3. Average age 84.25 4. Gourses for radlo
- - and TV announcers.
Vll. Pontiflcal Magisterlum (,page 97)
Vlll.
1. Missions Day and the
Obituarles (rpage 106)
Holy
Year
-
Thlrd llst fior 1974 (rpage 115)
2. The snares of secula,rlsm.

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8. G.8. - ROMA

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I. LETTER OF THE RECTOR IVIAJOR
( WORK AND SELF.RESIBAINT,': THE ANSWER TO
UPWARD SOGIAL MOBITITY
Rorne, October, L974
My dear conlrires and sofis,
I have been taking a close look at the situations that ob-
talrn today in the Congregation and I would like to &aw your
attention to a many-sided phenomenon that has serious impli-
cation for our vocation: the adoption of middle-class standards of
life.
In defence of the Salesian values that are at stake, not to
mention the religious and Christian ones, the Special General Chup-
ter declares uncompromising war on the soft and easy trife (v.
Otange Book, p. 433). And we arc all, invited (note the words)
"to renew in ourselves that assiduous and enterprising spirit
of work" inculcated by Don Bosco. (Inro., op. cit.) In
other words it is a summons to put into efiect the renewal to
which vre are bound in the spirit of "work and temperance"
left to us by Don Bosco. This was to be the distinctive sign
of the precious legary he made to the Congregation. And more:
it was to be the absolute condition for the progress, indeed, for
the very survival of the ,Congregation.
In the face of the climate created even among ourselves
by the ideas and attitudes of today (at least, under certain cir-
cumstances), I see very clearly the wisdom of what the Special

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General Chapter had to say, and likewise the vital importance
of the subject I am going to deal with.
I would like you to bear with me whfle we make some
I reflections together as Salesians. hope that these considerations
will serve to point and clarify certain values to which our con-
secrated life as sons of Don Bosco, in these days of change and
uncertainty, is inseparably bound; and also to pi,npoint ideas and
attitudes that suike at the rcots of our way of li[e.
The dream of Don Bosco
I think t'hat we all remenber the dream that Don Bosco
had at Lanzo and related to the confrbres on the L8th Septem-
ber, L876, as part of the summing-up of the themes of their
ferfear. (BM, L2, 4$-9).
The dreams of Don Bosco contain a marvellous spiritual
docuine, and it would be very harmful to the Congregation to
have them lost through ingnorance or sheer neglect.
And this brings me to a point of wide relevance. It has
been remarked, with sadness, that many confrbres, especially
the young, know very litde about Don Bosco. Some, it is said,
have not even read a short life of the saint. I say to all those
who can and should be concerned with this state of affairs
that this is no secondary consideration in the formation of the
Salesian.
Ignorance of Don Bosco, inconceivable in a Salesian, can
explain certain abemations and distortions of his spirit and
method that have occurred in our houses.
I know that in some places thete is concern about this, and
that practical steps are being taken to educate the confrbres to
the knowledge of Don Bosco and the spititual riches that have
theit source in him.
So I applaud these efforts in the fervent hope that they are
only the beginning and that they will not be halted before the

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inevitable difficulties: this is a matter of vital interest to the
Congregation.
And now for the dream of Don Bosco.
Escutcheoru, pass-uord, badge
In the third part of this dream, the mysterious guide who
accompanied Don Bosco invited him to look at the endless plain
that surrounded him. Tlrere were immense crowds of boys
converging on him from every point of the compass under tihe
guidance of Salesians.
\\Thilst he was gazing in wonder at this marvellous sight, the
mysterious personage said: 'Look at it alL and think for a mo-
,ment. You won't un'derstand now what I have to say to
you, but listen carefully z all that you have seen is the harvest
prepared for the Salesians. You see how immense it is? The huge
field in whid: you stand is the field where the Salesians must
work. The Salesians that you see are the workers in that vine-
yard ot the Lord's. There are many labourers, and you know
them. Now the horizons are widening under your very eyes and
people arc appearing whom you donlt know yet; and this means
that the Salesians will work in this field not only in this century,
but also in the next and in centuries to come. But do you know
what conditions must exist for this to come about? I shall
tell you.
Look: you must have these words spelled outz ''Vork and
sefi-restraint uill rzake tbe Salesian Congregatioru flourisb.' Th"y
are to your escutcheon, your pass-word, yout badge You will
explain them, tq>eat tJrem, again and agatn. Have a book prfurt-
ed to explain them, and make 'it clearly understood that wotk
and self-resffaint arc the heritage that you leave to the Conge-
gation, a heritage that will be its glory."
Don Bosco nodded his assent to the word of the guide, who
added, "So you are quite persuaded? You have gasped it tho-
roughly? This is the heritage you will leave to your sons; and

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tell them bluntly that, as long they comespond, they will atttact
followers from north, south, east and west." (Inro., 466-7).
." "As long as they comespond . . The mysterious guide does
not expand the point, but clearly he means it to be taken that the
future of the Congregation is conditional, and is, in fact, a pro-
blem of fidelty. From the insistence of the guide ("You must
. have these v/ords spelled out . . You will explain them, repeat
. them, again and again . . So you are quite persuaded? You
have grasped it thoroughly? . . . tell them bluntly . . ."), you can
judge of the supreme importance of this subject for the life of the
Congregation.
Searching questions for the 70's
Don Bosco did not have time to write the book as suggesred,
but he has done something much better: he has written in into his
own life, stamped it into the minds of his sons, instilled it into
the life and action of the Congregation. In the past this has been,
after the grace of God, the leading factor in the prodigious deve-
lopment of our work; and it still represents, paradoxically enough
with all that has happened over the years, a strikingly relevant
scheme of life, as we are coming to rcalize more and mofe.
In the face of this reality, the question we have to ask our-
selves, with a humble and courageous sincerity, is this: "Have
we, the Salesians of the 70's, been faithful to the programme left
to us by Don Bosco? Or are we perhaps squandering the precious
inheritance that has been jealously guarded, unstintingly built up
and faithfully passed on to us by our predecessors?
These are the questions that each one individual, com-
- munity, newly professed, seasoned worker must in conscience
- find an answer to at this precariously balanced point in the life of
the Society, and, having found the answer, he must assume re-
sponsibility for it.
The following pages are meant to be no more than an aid

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towards this, offered for personal reflection or consideration by
the community. It is a matter that involves a set of values
I essential to our genuine renewal, to our mission in the Church
and to our survival as a Congregation. For this reason, press
you with all urgency to bend your mind to these pages, as sons
of our mother, the Congegation, whose vitally important interests,
dependent as they are on our own attitudes and quality of li[e,
are very much in play.
1. WORK ANID SELF.RESTRAINT, THE INSEPARABLES
To understand better what is contained in our spiritual ra-
dition surnmed up in the binomial expression 'work and tenrpe-
rance', given us by Don Bosco as a motto, as our Congregation's
style of li[e, we must lay hold of his concept of the two virtues as
a single entity: they form an indivisible whole.
The
dassism',
i-epxlpyrrensgsiotnhe-
pardon the coinage 'anti-middle-
outight rejection of every form of natu-
ralism and enervating hedonism, and of a life conforming to the
standards of the consumer society, which snuffs out the vision of
I better and higher thing this expression, say, seems to be a
- good definition of the negative aspect of the 'indivisible whole'
mentioned above. The positive aspect consists essentially in a
complete, constant and practical devotion to one's apostolic mis-
sion.
. "The Salesian does not seek penance in itself . . His whole
]ife is a mortification and penance: his asceticism and his action
are interlocking. His ascesis is identified with the love he shows
for others in meeting the demands they make upon him, because
there is no love without sacrifice". (Josnnn Aunnv: Lo spirito
salesiano,T5). Looking for on easy life is only a sign, a symptom
of the weakening sense of mission in someone who, vocationally,
"is consecrated to the good of his pupils", and so "must be ready

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to face any inconvenience, any fatigue . . ." (It Sistema Preaenti-
zo, Chapter III). The life of ease simply adverrizes the fading
ayay of. the zeal of apostolic love in a man who is supposed to be
"prepared to suffer cold and heat, hunger and thirst, weariness
and contempt whenever the glory of God and the salvation of
souls is at stake." (Constitutions, L966, art. 188).
Don Bosco has pioneered all this himself. For this he gave
his life moment by moment; and this he has ransfused into the
Congregation as a lrg*y to his sons.
It is hardly to be wondered at, then, that this formidable
labourer in the Lord's vineyard should have wished to create a
Congegation chatacterized by work, seeing that he was able to
erect a whole ascesis, a mystique, an educational system on the
basis of work carried out for love and with love.
"Sleeues rolled up and ruodels of frwgality"
"As Don Bosco, son of the people, had gone out with his
attractive personality to restore children to their true dignity, so
the Salesian Congregation, assuming that same personality and
responding to similar needs, directed its efforts towards the
working classes and, for that matter, the whole of society, to
make its contribution to progress and social justice. Don Bo-
sco confronted a society that regarded religious as useless and idle
creatures with the image of the Salesian at work beside the man
in the s,treet, and parricularly side by side with the needy."
(Prrtno SrEuA, Don Bosco, II, j6g-70).
Is is in this framework that we can understand what Don Bo-
sco had in mind when he founded a congregation of lsligious
"with their sleeves up", who were also to be "models of fruga-
Ity" (BM, 4, Lg2). A working-class vocation required, if it was
to be any sort of witness at aJJ., a working-class sryle of life: fru-
gality and hard work. If "the motto of the Congegation, work
and self-resffaint, was a call to the members for the obser-
vance of an individual ascetic,ism, from the point of view of pub-

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lic opinion it assumed the significance of apostolic witness."
(Prrrno SrenA, op. cit.,37)).
I7'hat we are doing, in fact, is to return to our origins, to
the circumstances and motivations that led Don Bosco to found
his congregation and to charactenze it with the particular style of
life corresponding to the needs of the mission entrusted to him
by God. Now, I think that this reference to our origins must be
a recurrent feature of our lives: it should be for us a fruitful source
of reflection and inspiration. It is also a standard against which
we can judge of the genuineness of our own vocation and the fi-
deliry of our response as individuals and as members of a com-
munity.
2. WORK, A SGHOOL AND PRIE.DIEU
According to the mind of Don Bosco, however, this life of
joyful austerity and intense activity is not just something "ad ex-
tra", so to speak: that is, there are other values involved besides
that of external witness.
Not that I want to minimize the value of work as an act of
witness. At the 2nd Yatican Council it was accepted as part of
religious poverty and was proposed to all religious in the fulfil-
ment of their duties as obedience "to the cofirmon law of labour".
They are invited to procure in this way the "necessary provisions
for their livelihood and undetakings." (Perfectae caritatis, 13c)
\\[hat I want to stress here is that, for Don Bosco, work was not
merely this, but still more an educational medium and a form of
spirituality.
Lile for us is our daty, our uork, and our missioru
Don Bosco, the saint of boundless joy, who showed his boys
that the life of sanctity was "being very happy" (BM, 5, )56), was
not an accommodating saint. Life for him was a very serious

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aff.afu. In his infancy and adolescence he made very early contact
with the hardships of life. For him, it was no pastime, and cer-
tainly no amusement, but a serious obligation, a'dtJty', in the full
sense of a term that he held sacred.
\\7ork meant "fulfilling the duties of one's state of life,
whether they consist in studying or in learning an art or trade."
(Rules for the house attadted to the Oratory, in BM, vol. 4, 55),
Translation ed. D. Borgatello.) 'S7ork vras a task, a mission that
. God had entrusted to man, hence it was a " dtJty" Speaking to the
boys, he said: "Man is born to work." (Isro.) "The man who
does not work has no right to eat." (BM, 3, 354) Again: "He
who does not do the work that he is supposed to do, steals ftom
God and from those over him." (BM, Translation ed. D. Borga-
tello, 4, 553).
Partly because of his temperament and partly through his
profound conviction, Don Bosco held sluggards and parasites in
abhorrence, and he detested laziness, holding it to be the "fatal
source of all vices" (Il Gioaane Proaueduto, 45), and the epitome
of the evason of duty. He wanted his boys to get used to wotk,
because, as he said agun and again: "He who does not accustom
himsel{ to work in his youth will become an idler, to the shame
of his parents and his country, and perhaps suffer the irteparable
loss of his soul." (BM,Trunslation ed. D. Borgatello, 4,5fi.)
"He did not rest bimself, and. be kept eueryone else on tbe moue"
For Salesians, Don Bosco's recommendations on work pre-
sent various facets. It is not only the discharging of a duty, but
it is the rcaliz.ation of a mission of salvation received from God.
It is collaboration with Him in the work of the Redemption, a
tuning-in to His wave-length to maintain a continuous-action pro-
gramme in the world, the feeling of being constantly spured on
by His love. (Cf. II Cor. 5,l4).
Don Ceria could well write: "Inflamed with his zeal, Don

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Bosco never rested and he never let others rest either" (EucuNro
Cnnrr, Annali della Societ) Salesiana, L, 722).
Work: a rnission carried out with ioy
Don Caviglia, having pointed out that "ninery per cent" of
Don Bosco's talks to the confrBres are on "work, temperance and
poverty", adds: " austerity of life, then, would seem to be oppo-
sed to happiness." (Ar,aenr CAvrclrA, Don Bosco,93.) Yet no-
thing could be more foreign to the spirit of Don Bosco than work
done under compulsion or even suffered as something unavoidable:
this is work seen as a penalty for sin, work unredeemed by the
cross of Christ. For him personally work was not a hard grind,
but a passion.
Don Caviglia continues: "Austerity is implicit in our daily
round, in the will to sacrifice, the spirit of detachmenr, rhe whole
tenor of our life: we work, we take our knocks, we cheerfully do
without, because it is all a mattet of the heart. The spirit is so
attuned to high ideals, so strongly disposed to disregard the un-
necessary, that we achieve the maximum freedom of action."
The secret of this "servire Domino in laetitia" as Don Cavi
glia has pointed out, lies in the heart: it is the love that enters into
our dealings with God and with our brothers, into the relations
between superior and subject, between educator and pupil. It is
a rcal dictatorship of love that does not impose its law from out-
side, but frorn within the heart, prompting us to discharge our
duties spontaneously, generously and joyfully: in a word, to do
our job w,ith love, with all diligence, using all our resources of ini-
tiative and creativity.
Witb the spirit attu?ted to high ideals
The second aspect of this secret of Salesian joy, even in an
austere and demanding life, is the one alluded to by Don Cavi-
glia when he talks about the spirit being attuned to high ideals.

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The man who is fired by high ideals and this goes for tevolu-
- tionaries, as well is ready to sacrifice himself, to renounce every-
- thing in order to pursue those ideals; and this readiness for any-
thing that is demanded is with him for as long as the ideals re-
main fresh and unsullied, for as long as he has no doubts at all
about their value.
The day these ideals cloud over and thbir validity begins to
be questioned, the Salesian's avaiabi\\ty for any duty is dimi-
nished and he lapses into a way of life that is flatly "middle-class".
This is the sure sign that his ideals are on the wane.
The rfuthm of intense, enthusiastic work that Don Bosco
imparted to his Congregation is nothing more than the visible re-
flection of his own high ideals infused into his followers: deep
f.uth, a sincere love for the souls of the young, the calm assurance
of being on the path ttaced out by God.
Inspired by these ideals, the Salesians "became accustomed
to killing the pain of the thorns, which often sank in deep, with
the anodyne of faith and slogging work as a member of a de-
dicated team. In spite of inexperience and lack of qualifications,
the Salesian Society drove ahead with great enthusiasm. And
this derived laryely from the quiet assurance of having God on
their side, an assurance that, with Don Bosco, stemmed from the
certainty of being firmly gratted on to the vine of the Church; and
his calrnness was infectious." (Pretno Smr-e, op. cit.,lI, ,8)).
Vith tbe generosity ol "I'll do it"
In the family setting, as the demarcation-line between 'mine'
and 'thine' becomes blumed over into 'ours', there is also a
broadening of the concept of 'duty'. 'Doty' is not just what is
imposed by obedience to the rule or to a Superior, but it is what
a given situation requires of us as members of a team, Let us
get this point perfecdy clear: "Oh, it's none of my business!" is
pretty well a profanity in a Salesian community; and contrasts
sharply with: "I'11 do it", which sums up the whole spirit of

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willingness to take things on: and this is being a real Salesian.
"I've no idea what there is in it for me", adds Don Caviglia can-
nily, "but it's certainly a major triumph for the Congregation, which
has grown entirely on the sffength of its "I'11 do it" attitude, that
is, by dint of self-sacrifice: there is no other explanation for the
spread of the missions." (Ararr Cevrcrra, Conferences, 62).
Don Bosco wanted to forge religious who would be dispo-
sed to make sacrifices "not of health, nor of money, nor of mor-
tifications or penances, nor of extraordinary abstentions from
- food but of THE !7ILL." Religious who would be teady "now
to climb into the pulpit, and then to go down to the kitchen; now
to take a class and then to sweep; no\\r to teach catechism or to
pray in church, and then to assist in the recreation; now to stu-
dy quietly in their cells, then to go for a walk with the boys; now
to command and then to obey." (BM, 7, 47) In this sort of
school, "there is nothing entrusted to the layman that the priest
or cletic would not turn his hand to: they would simply be follo-
wing the example of their Father who, when necessary, could be a
tailor, carpenter, choir-master, iuggler, proof-reader, preacher,
writer, confessor, priest. It all added up to an interior disposi-
tion of avaiabi\\ty coupled to a versatiliry where the keen obser-
ver could discern a spirit of abnegation carr'ied to its furthest li-
mits.", writes Don Ceria, "a tradition the like of which was not
to be found anywhere else." (EueeNro Csme, op. cit., 1,724).
"Nevertheless", adds Don Ceria, Don Bosco feared "that,
as increasing numbers of members brought a grcatet division of
labour, a drift toward the easy life would set in". \\7ith this in
- mind he wrote the following grave warning indeed, it alrnost
amonnts to a thteat: "nflhen ease and convenience begin to get a
grip among us, then our Society will have had its day." (Inro.,
724-5).
If we are sincere, we must admit that his fears were in no
way unfounded. \\7ith the necessary division of labour, there is
noqr emerging to an ever-increasing extent the demand for a spe-

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cific qualifisation; but that should not militate aganst the Sale-
sian's versatility, or, more important still, against his availabiJity
whenever the need arises. Ifhen the indifference of "Thar's
no business of mine" becomes the rule in our communities, tJre
Congregation will be well on its way, as Don Bosco warns us, to
its decline.
In communion uitb tbe conlrires
The term 'communion' is not to be understood as discounting
all activities whatsoever camied on outside the community (a1-
though Don Bosco did not conceal his preference for communal
activity), but rather as excluding afly form of individualism.
Don Bosco's conception of his Congregation was strongly
unitary. His ideas on this are very dearly expressed in a confe-
rence given to the confrBres in March, 1869, aftet the Holy See
had given definitive approval to rhe Congregation. (8M,9,57L-6).
Don Bosco took the evangelical concept of the common life
as the basic principle for his own foundation ("How good and how
pleasant it is, when brothers live in unity!" Ps. L32f 3). Hence,
the requirement of living "in unity", w[,ich, in the iinal analysis,
means living "in one place, in one spirit and with one end in
view" (8M,9, 573),
After the approval of the Constitutions, Don Bosco filled in
the oudines
community'
of
as
his thought on the riangle
it affected the unity of Iife
w'fl1h1icgh- u/assutpoerbioer
-fo-
stered within the Congregation. In the conference for Rectors
held in January, 1876, he said: "If you want to work with all
good will but outside tlre framework of the Rule, eac]r one will
work, and perhaps work well, but it will be an individual effort
and not a collecdve one. Now the good that is expected to de-
rive from the religious orders lies precisely in the fact that they
work collectively . . . If we depart from the strict require-
ments of the Rule and continue to work, then one will go over
there, the other come over here, doing good work, mind you, but

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individually. This is the start of relaxation." (BM, 72, 80-1).
It should not be &fficult, in the light of what has been said,
to home in on the fundamental nucleus of Don Bosco's thought.
For him, it is not just a matter of the Congregation's having a pro-
foundly unitary structure: it has to \\7ORK that way as well, along
the lines traced by God, expressed by the Rule, and embodied by
the Superior. For further evidence of his aversion to individual
working, we have: "the spectte of individualism", the "quaetere
quae sua sunt", and "the first pang of the death throes of religious
Congregations". (BM, L2, 468).
Don Bosco wanted the action of his sons to be entirely per-
56nalized: the robot-salesian or pharisaical legalism were right
outside his line of throught. He wanted his Salesians to be sons
and brothers; he wantd them to have a lively sense of the problems
and interests of the teligious fan:Jy to which they belonged, he
wanted them to share in full its ideals and mission. So he wanted
them to carry out the task assigned to them, plying all theit per-
sonal resoutces with love and dedication, and ready to give a ge-
nerous helping hand to any brother in need.
In&vidualism is the complete antithesis of all this: its mani-
festation is a sure sign of a fa&ng sense of family, it is symptoma-
tic of a progressive dtifting away from one's own religious com-
munity, the abandonment of one's ideals and mission. Individua-
lism leads the religious to the pursuit of his own egoistic interests
independently of the communiry he belongs to, or u/61ss 5d11
- to the manipulation of it for his own ends.
- The prevalence of such individualism in our communities
would certainly mean curtains for the Congregation.
In intimate uruion with God
Make no mistake about it: the Salesian life, in the mind of
Don Bosco, was not possible without a deep spiritual life: a spiri-
tual life that was not tacked on to the workJife but was all one
with it; or, rather, that found concrete expression in work.

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Nothing else but a deep spirirual life can provide an adequare
driving force for a ltte that is intense, generous, absolutely dis-
interested, the deliberately chosen way of externalising a total
dedication to the young.
It cannot be denied that all. too often we have failed to un-
derstand both the theoretical and practical implication of the stern
demands of our spiritud tradition and reduced it to a twisted, ste-
rile clich6. It is easier to imitate Don Bosco in his feverish acti-
vity than in his intimate union with God. \\7e plunge into an all-
action routine without bothering to ensure that it flows from a
well-nourished interior [i[e.
lVe have to rcahze that, fi. the spiritual life of the idlers and
the self-seekers is suspect, as a Salesian thing, then just as suspect
is the work of the spiritually shallow.
If we are not working for God, we must be working for out-
selves. And if we are working solely or mostly for ourselves,
besides doing a work that is spiritually sterile ("I7ithout me, you
can do nothing"), we sfrall work for just as long as we enjoy suc-
cess or find personal satisfaction in our work; trhen, in accordance
with the law of quick personal returns, small spiritual ptofits, we
shall turn to that very accommodating ideal of maximun returns
for minimum effort. tUTe shall look for all sorts of compensa-
tions in coping with our &fficulties and in swallowing the disap-
pointments that inevitably attend upon work carried out in this
way.
If the phenomenon of upward mobility is too complex to
allow of reduction to this single cause, we cannot deny that
this is, in fact, the cause in many cases of dereliction of serious
obligations to our mission. And what have we instead? A sring
of completely individualistic activities offering any number of
highly questionable aspects.
'IJ7'e cannot deny that our work today as Christian educators
is much more arduous and frustrating. Well, then, we have just
so much more need of the profound sense of God that draws sus-

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tenance from contact with him to see us through to the fulfil-
ment of our vocation.
It has been stated by someone whose views command respect
that, without the vital contact with God, without His presence in
our lives, it is a difficult thing under present-day conditions to
keep one's faith intact. How is it possible for anyone to pass on
the Good News from the Lord if he himself, for one spurious rea-
son or the other, has no contact with God and does not even
it? bothet about
There is no other source of evangelical action.
The Special General Chaptet knew what is was about when it
stated: "To help people both young and old to encounter Christ
through the Salesian communities, it is necessary to have encounte-
red h'i!m7epmerusosnt ahlalyvefirtshteocfouarfa'"ge(OtoranfagceeBtohoekt,r)u0th6)and ask our-
selves: in the course of our working day, how much time do we
really spend in direct contact with God? How often do we use
the more prolonged periods of prayer as breathing-sPaces in which
to recover from the lassitude and nervous tension that are the ine-
vitable biproduas of modern life and of the work we do?
When work replaces prayer
In this matter the Constitutions and Regulations offer us
good advice and practical guide-Iines, the fruit of yeats of expe-
ii.n.. not only in the Congregation but in the Church as a whole.
To reject, ot at any valg rrculvalize such invaluable aids amounts
to a form o{ spiritual and apostolic suicide.
The effects would be still more serious if this reiection or
disregard took place at communiry level. fn this case, there
would be every reason for calling to account the superiors of the
house, because they are responsible in this very field of cteating
the conditions in which Salesians "may have life, and have it mote
abundantly".
\\7e Italians have every reason for calling the superiors of
a community "animatori". In fact,it is a matter of the true Chri-
2

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stian life. The Constitutions do not demand any form of forma-
listic observance of vapid and barren practices of piety, but what
they do ask is that the Salesians should have the spiritual provi-
sions that are absolutely necessary not only for the religious or
the apostle, but for anyone at all who believes.
To deny this reality with some pseudo-argumentation or to
ignore it in
is to stand
- practice
opposed
this is distasteful, but it must
ro the \\ford of God and the
be said
Gospel,
-to
Chutch and Council, to rlre Congregation and Don Bosco (who
never for a moment &eamed of eliminating the sustenance of
prayer from the lives of his sons, so that they dropped from ex-
haustion rn a fuenzy of activity bearing no resemblance wharever
to the apostolate as he meant it to be).
f know, I hear it said too often: these Salesians cannot pray,
they cannot come together for prayer, because they are *orki.rg
flat out all the dme. I would like to say in all sincerity that-,
jrdgrng from what I have seen on more than one occasion, this
simply is not the case. The ones who give up or neglect prayer
are not always weighed down by exma-heavy workJoads; on the
I contrary, know some first-class Salesians, tireless workers, true
apostles, who can find time for prayer without smaining them-
selves.
There is perhaps another explanation for this flight from
prayer, and this has to be said to keep the record straight, with-
out indulgence in vain illusions: sometimes it is a matter of plain
laziness. Generally speaking it needs more effort to pray rhan
to bury oneself in external work (this is what Chautard says, and
he knows what he is talking about). But it must also be said
that not infrequently laziness is engendered by a sickly, arro-
phied faith. A feeble faith certainly cannot susrain prayer: faith
and prayer vary in direct pfoportion.
Ihen we have not the courage to admit that such a situa-
tion exists at af., and from there it is but a short step to theora-
ing about the uselessness or imFossibility of prayer, which is a

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more serious and obvious manifestation of a f.uth that is languish'
ing, even moribund. In this case t'he only remedy is a 'conver.
sion' in depth, which involves a review of our current thinking
with the object of giving faith a chance to reassert itself.
When work is too absorbing
I However, acknowledge that cases can arise where prayer
really is crowded out of a Salesian's life by pressure of work. To
I the con{rEtes who are affected in this way, should like to speak
frankly, without fear of. expressing a merely personal opinion.
A multiplicity of activities, even though they are in line with
what is required by obedience, cannot be allowed to overwhelm a
Salesian, crushing out his soul, whidr is one of those he has to
save. \\7ork must not, like Saturn, devour its children. St Char-
les Borromeo, who could hardly be accused of living in a state
of cosy, self-centred inertia, had this to say to the priests of his
time (and we all know what they were like): "Do not give your'
sel-f to other things so completely that there is nothing left for
yourself; infact, you must keep in mind the souls that you guide,
but without forgetting yourself" (Acta Ecclesiae Mediae, L559,
LL77-8), Looking at it the other way, as a Protestant Pastor
says: "Ptayet is action, since it gives an opening to the only
really effecdve action, which is the realization of the wotd of
" God. This Iflord-Action, he adds, is realized "v/hen I listen to
it, take it seriously, and set it moving across the world though my
life of obedience." (S. Rrceuo, inVie Spirituelle, October, 1968,
165).
There are two cases, then: either the work really is too much,
and needs to be scaled down and evened out; or the work is
badly organ:zed and distributed. \\Vhat is wanted hete is a
restructuring of the duty-roster so that the Salesian is not robbed
of his sacrosanct right to time dedicated to prayer, which is cer'
tainly as inviolable as his right to food, rest and study. (Cf. Reg.
51) It was not by chance that the Special General Chapter laid

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down in an. 53 of the Regulations: "Each community at rhe be-
ginning of the year, taking into consideration the various works
in on hand, shall fix a time-table such a way as to secure for the
confrbres their right to time for prayer."
I should like to round off this point with an observarion
that I found in a work written by a scientist and scholar on the
mises of ideology of priests and religious today. The author is a
layman who has made a thorough study of over 700 of these
cases. At the end of his syntlesis, he concludes the work with
this unexpected question: "I7ould it not be fitting to remind ec-
clesiastics, and laymen as well, of the Grand Absentee of our age:
prayer?" And he goes on: " Alexis Carrel pointed out that the
fall of the great civilizations has always been adumbrated by the
loss of the sense of the sacred and of prayer. Could it be that we
have now reached the eve of the break-up of our 6qm siyilization? "
(Mencer. EcK, L'uono prete, L45).
\\7e may not accept the writer's vision, which is rather pessi-
mistic, but such a question put by a man of his calibre should give
us something to think about. On the other hand, it is a source of
encoufagement for the future to see how many souls there are
(and this includes a great number of our own confrdres all over
the world) who, even in our own toubled times, are living wit-
nesses to the necessity of prayer. They don't make a great song
and dance about it, but they work away for their fellow-men with-
out stint; and they cannot do without prayer, because "prayer is
life and breath" , both for themselves and for those they work for.
3. THE TEACHING OF THE SPECIAL GENERAL CFIAPTER
Let us take a look at what the SGC has to say about work.
From a quick survey, it is immediately obvious that the accent of
renewal in this line falls heavily on the faithful conrinuiry of our
tadition. In the new Constitutions, undoubtedly the best thing
to come out of the SGC, we find a little compendium of our tra-

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dition in the matter. Article 42 states: "(persevere in) 'I7ork
and temperance and the congregation will flourish"', and then
goes on: "On the other hand seek comfortable surroundings and a
life of ease and we shall cease to exist. The Salesian gives him-
self to his mission with a ceaseless energy. For these reasons, work
in the apostolate for us has a mystic value: it has a divine quality
t. and is ,rtg"t To achieve the end we should be ready to suffer
cold and heat, hunger and thirst, fatigue and reiection whenever
the glory of God and the salvation of souls requires it."
A contribution to the constructioru ol tbe uorld
The Acts, then, after declaring that, for the Salesian, work
is the complete gift of himself to his apostolic task and "is at one
and the same time a mystical asceticism (in plain language, the
acceptance of every sacrifice to further the wotk of God), and
an obligation of consecration in joyous freedom", concludes: 'lThis
attitude puts the Salesians in sympathy with the man of today,
who is conscious of being 'homo'faber', ffansformer of the world,
and actor in history. \\7ith his labour, as a workman of the king-
dom, he undertakes to do his part to animate in a Christian man-
ner this movement (sic)" (Orange Book, 97), It is the briefest
of sketches, but it will serve to set our field of operations into
the vast context of human labours and of the Church's contribu-
tion to the construction of the world so tfiat "in this way the
wotk of building up the earthly city can always have its founda-
tion in the Lord and can tend toward Him." (LG, 46).
It was, however, when it came to deal with the high-voltage
question of poverty that the SGC really began to turn up new
facets, especially with regard to our mission.
Work and solidarity with tbe poor
Article 87 of the Constitutions declates: "Untiring and self-
sacrificing work is a chatactetistic left us by Don Bosco and is a
concrete expression of our poverty. In our daily toil we aim to

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be one with the poor, who live by the sweat of their brow and
we bear witness to the world of today that work has a human and
Christian value."
The theme of 'work-temperance', understood as a witness to
solidarity with the poor, which rras the way Don Bosco and his
eatly helpers lived, tended to become a little submerged in the
old Constitutions. Now it has been brought up into full view
because it "is especially expressive of real witness to poverty in
a generous service" (Orange Book, 59)).
It must be first oI all a personal uitness, through "a way of.
lrte on the personal leuel that is simple and austere, which refuses
those comforts and conveniences that are commonly associated
with the middle class; . . . and he (the Salesian) is ready to share
in some way that insecurity which accompanies the life of the
really poor". This witness is also to be borne through "tireless
wotk, that takes on the appearance of total commitment to the
mission." (op. cit., 605).
Then there is lis collectiae uitness, which in practice means
lwing"in aru austere style of common life: we must feel that we
are closer to the poor by being frugal in food, by refusing all, that
is superfluous, md by aiming at functional simplicity in our
building." (op. cit., 606) This should be a source of joy,
of Iiberation from the slavery of things, and of complete openness
to love of our neigh;bour. The process of true liberation gene-
- rates its own energies and who knows how much can be pro-
duced by a Congregation whose members train young people to
look on life as a serious undetaking, as service, as \\7ORK?
This again must be approached in the right way; certainly not as
something to be suffered as a punishment or haggled over as abar
gaining point, but as a task embraced as an instrument of libera-
tion and social reconstruction, as a wellspring of human pfogress,
as a personal contribution to the building-up of a more humane,
more fraternal gsmmunity.
These are the prospecrs opened up for us by SGC with re-

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gard to the spiritual heritage left to us by Don Bosco. It is by
no means a matter of pretentious rhetoric. Not at all. \\[e are
dealing here with ahfe-ided, set up for us by the God who yester-
day called Don Bosco and today calls us to carry thrcugh the
same mission of the salvation of youth.
They can hardly fail to be impressed by "such a witness in
the midst of a world that presents the acquisition of money, the
satisfaction of the senses and nosing ahead in the ratiace as the
normal signs of success." (JoseeH LBcuren: Report to tbe General
Superiors on 'Eaangelization and the religious life', t974) \\7e
have to nourish these gand ideals, which enable us to see the
way our mission in the wotld should go; only these are capable
of refloating us off the shoals and sand-banks of the middle-class
life so that we can get back on our course with all sails set.
4. INVITATION TO AN HONEST ASSESSMENT
A renewal is always something of a conversion; and a con-
version imFlies a ftqnk assessment of what ls compared to what
ought to be. It needs a dear grasp of a situation that has become
mud&ed up, and a strong resolve to do something about it.
I think, dear confrBres, that this whole lettet can present an
opportunity for maLing this honest compatison. The question is:
seen in the light of our vocation and our tradition, what is in
fact our daily life; and then what should it, and could it be? But
I what have to say now is meant to be a help in surveying the
darker corners of our fidelity.
The fears of Don Bosco
Here again Don Bosco can be of great help to us. Of course,
what he shows us how to identify is not so much the evil itself,
which lies at a deeper level, but the symptoms. But if the symp-

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toms are discernible, there is no doubt about the cause; and the
honest recognition of them, in itsel{ a sign that the malady is tak-
ing a tur,n for the better, perrrits prompt comective action to be
taken.
In a talk with his sons on the evening of the L4th of. August,
1876, shortly after the final apptoval of the Constitutions, Don
Bosco was discussing the ruin of religious congregations, and he
mentioned some of the causes: "The first . . . is idleness, not
working enough. The second . . . is the departute 1t6a simFli-
city and to much food and drink. The third . . . shall we cal it
egoism, the spirit of reform, murmuring? It is all the same to
me." He concluded: "Always remember that rt divisions creep
in amongt us, things will not go well with the Congregation.
United in one single spirit we shall do ten times as much and
work better." (BM, L2, 383-4).
In the September of the same year, when he was preaching
the closing serrnon of the annual retreat, Don Bosco brought ttrre
matter up again in his account of the dream of the four nails.
These represent the four scourges of religious congregations.
Each of the nails had one of the insciptions: "Their god is their
stomach"; "They ate doing their own thing, not Jesus Christ's";
"Their tongues spit poison"; "They live for their armchar and
slippers" (BM, 12, 466-7). A comparison with the preceding
paragtaph will reveal the resemblance.
But Don Bosco reats more fully elsewhere of the dangers
that f.ace the Congregation in the famous dream of the mantle
(at San Benigno on the 10th September, 18812 cf. BM, L5, t8)-7).
This letter is not the place to make a detailed analysis, but it
will suit our present purposes to try, from Don Bosco's descrip-
tion of the syndrome, to penetrate the mysterious malady that
threatens the Salesian Sociery.
FundamentalTy, it is a misis of. futh, an eclipse of the sense
of God, with a corresponding acceptance of a concept that is entire-
ly horizontal and hedonistic, bound up with the pursuit of self-

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interest ("'!Vhat is on earth is good enough for us"; " They are
all out for themselves and not for Jesus Christ"). The rest of the
symptoms are only the spin-offs of a life lived without reference
to fundamentals. The are:
distaste for prayer ("negligence of the things of God");
- 5sn5uality ("concupiscence of the eyes", "licentiousness,
- "gluttony", etc.)1
the easy li,fe ("indolence", "sleep", "bd", "money" etc.);
- pride and self-seeking ("pride of li[e", and the absolute
- negation of obedience). (BM, L5, L83-7).
All things considered, it is impressive to note how the vari-
ous manifestations of the ills described by Don Bosco corre-
spond very closely with our present-day definition of "middle-
classism". This fact should make us think seriously: allowing
for the extraordinary nature of the dream, it is still a lesson, a
warning, mansmitted to all generations by our father Don Bosco,
who was undoubtedly inspired by the Spirit of God.
The scene of the struggle
At the back of the move into the middle dass, then, is a
cisis of values, which for us is a crisis of faith. It is here that
we have bring about a profound renewal if we are to take the
remedy to the seat of the disease. Conversely, once faith has re-
established itself, it sets up, so to speak, an electron-bombard-
ment of our interior attitudes; and, given the deep integration
that exists amongst our various parts, drere is an inter-action
between our faith and our li[e: faith renews life, the renewed life
sffengthens faith.
So, to wage war successfully on upward mobility, we must
first of all re-discover our sense of mission-vocation, and THAT
means a change of attitude at depth.

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Now for the second aspect of the matter. Let us pick our
way tfuough it, keeping to the practice rather than the theory.
You have seen how Don Bosco presses home his warn-
ings ,about a number of {.atal flaws in the Congregation: eating,
ddnking, dress, sleq>, and all of it exmemely topical.
There are certain interpretations of the religious life that are
professedly liberu\\izing but are really permissive, because they
distort the following of Christ or drain it of its real content.
Then there are the enticements o{ the consumef society, which,
ever more cunning and aggressive, whet the appetite for comforts
and pleasutes and luxuries, even in the poor countries. In this
sott of milieu, it is hardly surprising that, in tftre religious life
itself, it is easy to adopt standards and styles that arc in strident
contrast with our consecration, ,not to mention our profession
of poverty.
And the consequences of all this? Our work in the Church
is turned topsy-turvy and tqristed out of all recognition. The very
ones who, by their austerity and detachment from worldly goods,
should be the shock-troops in the struggle with a society that has
for its ideals the confortable life and mateial pleasures, are in
practice seen to be tagging along with that society's hedonism.
The most important thing here is to have clear ideas about
the fundamental realities of the religious li[e, which can only be a
translation into practice of the teachings of Christ. One con-
stant theme of these teachings is 'renunciation', the complete
break with the ideas and attitudes of a world entfuely taken up
with material interests.
Tbe perennial need lor asceticisrn
"If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, take
up his cross and follow me." "For whoever would save his life
will lose it." " . . . the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,
and men of violence take it by force." "Enter by the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction

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. . . For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to li[e."
"If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it
away." This is tough talking: hardly the formula fot a life that
dodges every form of renunciation. AIl these quotations point the
same way: the comdortable life is simply not on.
Now surely the words that Jesus addressed to all Christians
have lost none of their pertinence, especially for those who have
left everything to follow Him closely: and we have done just that.
In all reason, there is no escaping from these conclusions.
\\7e would be seriously wrong to think that nowadays we no
longer have any need of what our Fathers called asceticism and
moftification. "Pethaps never before", says Fr Voillaume, "has
ascesis been so badly needed as today." And then he adds: "It
holds good at any time, for instance, that we must practice self-
discipline in the use of drink, telwision, and amusements that
excite the sensual appetites." (RENE Vorlr-eurvrB, La aita religio-
sa nel rnondo attuale,22L).
The same writer, discussing the compromises, more or less
covert, that religious can yield to, makes some very telling points.
He says: "They allow themselves any number of little compensa-
tions that they shrink from acknowledging to themselves: it hap-
pens with shows, reading-matter, riotous imaginings, with friend-
ships in which they seek emotional compensations that are not
without a certain ambivalence; and finally it shows in materialistic
attitudes. Attention must be paid to these attitudes, because
the temptation to materialisic excesses comes to a head at the age
when, nor,mally, there is a desire to have children." (Isro., 178).
\\Vhat we have to do, then, is to make our revision of life,
using the Gospel, sound modern doctrine, and especially the ad-
vice of Don Bosco. And we must not be afruid of getting down to
the details of what is involved in the virtue of temperance, which,
as we have seen, has much more to it than meets the eye at first
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The practical requirements of the Regulations
Certain articles of the new Regulations need to be reread
It and digested. should be noted, in passing, that the Regula-
tions represent the interpretation and practical application of the
Constitutions. Instead of toning them down, or, worse still, dis-
regarding them, we have to put then into practice, recognizing
the authentic values that they contain. To cut down the R.go-
lations or toss them off lightly would be tantamount to emptying
the Constitutions of their contents, accepting all these splendid
principles in theory but fighting shy of the logical consequences in
the practice of them. I'11 give a few examples.
Article )6 is a firm reminder of the moral obligations of
confrEres and superiors with regard the use of radio, television,
and the rest of the mass media.
futicle 39 draws the distinction between openness to one's
neighbour, and the indiscriminate admittance of people from out-
side the community, which has the right and the need to enjoy
the privary that is proper to religious.
Article 50 speaks of doing something definite about com-
munity mortification. I would like you to take a steady look at
afiicle 61 as well. This makes specific and very practical sug-
gestions, couched in the clearest of terms, about the practice of
temperance as part of our authentic tradition.
Then there is no.62, which is about the use of money, and
no. 70 on the use of ransport. But I think the one that is of
special importance is article 7L: "The community, whether local
or provincial, should periodically examine its own state of pover-
ty." This really is a salutary ptovision, and should be made
operative for the good of the community and of the individual
member.
My dear confrbres, let us not underestimate the importance
of these practical suggestions. Don Bosco used to say that the
big things are made up of the little things. Self-resuaint, auste-

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rity, mortification . . .th.y all mount up to become the one rea-
sure, evangelical, religious, and profoundly human.
A certain scientist has something worth-while to say about
this, and I was much impressed by his words. He is a Nobel
Prize winner, and not usually preoccupied with religious matters.
Having taken today's young people to task fot demanding pleasute
instead of searching for happiness, he describes the deficiencies of
a "ltfe without pain, a life of pleasure"; it "has no hills and no
dales, it is like a plain with no light and no shade, and is there-
fore boring". And that's not all. The writer-scientist, Kontad
I-oteru, concludes, with the historians, that the decadence of rulers
and subjects can be atuibuted to affluence and the lack of
something to smuggle with.
It is a voice that, from a different viewpoint, confirms the
wisdom contained in the call of the Gospel to asceticism, and
underlines the depth of realism and insight in the warning of our
Father mentioned above: "\\flhen the easy life takes root among
us, our Society will have finished its course." (BM, 17,272).
5. TIM,E, AN ASSET AND A LIABILITY
In a life devoted to self-discipline and work for the Kingdom,
time is naturally seen as an extremely valuable commodiry. IDTe
have only to look at the intensity with which Don Bosco filled
every moment of his day "Lrte is too short", he used to say, "we
have to do what little we can before death takes us by surprise."
(BM, L7, 409) "lt is necessary to aim at more than we can mar.rige,
then there is some chance, perhaps, that we shall do all we can."
(BM, t2,38)).
Fill in time "right ap to tbe brim"
In the spirit of our Father, we should be able to repeat every
day, not with our lips but with our lives, this beautiful prayer of
Michel Quoist:

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"There is no need to waste time, fritter it away, kill it.
Lord, time is a gift from You,
but a perishable gift that cannot be kept.
Lotd, I have time, I have my time,
all the time You give me.
The years of my life, the days of my years,
the hours of my days: they are all mine.
It is for me to fill them, serenely, without fretting,
but to fill them all, right up to the brim, to offer them to You,
so that You can make their tasteless water
into rich wine,
as you did long ago at Cana tor the human nuptials.
(Mrcnnl Quorst, Preghiere, 1.0)
What is difficult is not so much filling in the few moments
that arc solemn or exciting or extraordinary: it is turning all the
rest to good account, the ordinary, the humdrum, in fiact, most of
the time.
Crauing for tbe unusual
In this age of ours, completely under the spell of the mass
media as we are, we have lost our sense of wonder in the nor-
mal, and, in this state, we bid fair to lose interest in life itsel{. Our
malady is a craving for the unusual and the exceptional. Mil-
lions, who are steadily building society by doing their obscure
daily duty, are much less news-worthy than a gang of kidnappers
or the lunacies of a cellophane goddess or of a song trying to
climb the charts.
I7ith a distorted vision of teality such as this, we run the risk
of living in a constant state of flight from daily life, which is seen
as normal, and therefore dull, and we stand an excellent chance
of being caged in by resdessness and dissatisfaction, always on
the hunt for something to break the monotony of our day. And
so we find ourselves chronically addicted to the puerility of wait-

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ing for life to start, with tihe risk, strange to say, that life will
never staft.
The Salesian service called << assisting u
A word on assisting is indicated here. This, the most cha-
racteristic of Salesian occupations, is (or should be) part of the
Salesians' daily service to youth, their "presence among the young."
The Salesian educator is there with the boys as their friend,
breaking down the barriers of superiority, age, culture: he talks to
them, plays with them, discusses, comects. This is one of the key
constifuents of the educational method of Don Bosco and our
Family.
It's quite true: to be there among the boys at this time and
-tthhaetdyteiommueannddgui.nrgiAnginndthpeiattdieiasnycpeise, rdpheeamrpsasenvhdeiernargnec-eth, aaittndcwaiennbhaeavsaienrcebeaerleehnlaoffvua-elslihfnoirgrt
down, with the result that, in some places, the boys have been
left alone, deprived of the presence of their educators, with conse-
quences lhat ate certainly not positive.
I hnow well enough that such negligence is occasionally jus-
tified in the name of certain theories. But the best Salesian ma-
dition and exprerience, based on hard fact, bears out the wisdom
of Don Bosco in what he wrote to his Salesians at Rome in 1884.
I have the impression that much of the advice of our Father could
usefully be repeated today in our various fields of activity, where
ure seem to be losing the sense of the Salesian identity.
I would invite you, dear confrBres, to read that letter again:
it appears in the appendix to the new Constitutions. You will find
most valuable advice on Christian and Salesian educational theory;
and it will convince you of the enormous educative influence, in
the richest sense of the word, that the Salesians exert by their
inlslligent, friendly and pastoral presence, with nothing of Or-
well's Big Btother about it, among the youngsters of today.

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Many ways ol wasting time
The futl exploitation of the time available in a day, and assi'
sting is one of many items, demands heroism. It is easy to see,
then, why we yield to the temptation to waste our time in one
way or the other. And there are so many v/ays of doing it.
First, taking it easy
The first way is to be work-shy. Quite ftankly, I don't think
that danger exists in the Congregation today. From what I have
seen for myself and from the teports I have received from all over
the world, I can state, with considerable admiration and at times
with some apprehension, that the Salesians are formidable work-
ers and that this is the image they present to the world. Th.y
pfess on even when, for reasons of health, they ought to ease up a
little in their intense round of activities. On the missions and
in the schools, in the parishes and the youth-centes . . . if there is
any danger, it is from too much work.
Unfortunately, however there may be the exceptions, who,
protected by the men in the front line, find various excuses for
coasting commodiously along, doing iust what they want. This
sort of anomaly is thrown up when the confrEre is not motivated
by chaity, which leads us to do from love what others do from
the necessity of earning a living. This explains the phenomenon
of what may be called "the religious functionary", who downs
tools when his hours are up and prompdy retires to attend to his
own things, completely impervious to the call of community needs
and fraternal charity.
It is obviously a form of unjustifiable egotism, evidence of
an absolute lack of f.arrl:Jy sense: the fellow lives in the commu-
nity and enjoys what it has to offer, not as an active member, but
as a stfanger.

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Secorud, traaels and studies
I wish to make what seems to me to be an apposite rematk
about this business of work and time: time that is not 'ours', but
is at the disposal of the mission we have embraced and of the
community we serve. Dealing with the operational trend-lines
for the renewal of Salesian poverfy, the SGC "recommends . . .
that . . . amongst our plans for readjustment in the next six years,
a pimary place must (sic) be found for the cultural, professional
and pastoral qualification of our confrEres, who constitute out
only riches". (Orange Book, 6L8.) The same SGC, however, on
the subject of the administtation of temporal goods, affirms that
the Salesians "will act as custo&ans of the goods of the Church
and will not allow any arbittary or personal use of them", and
recalls "t"hat what they are administedng is the precious fruit of
the work of the confrEres and a tangible sign of that providence
which, through
all calculation
(Ibid. 726.)
the generosity and sacrifices 5smslimes beyond
- of our benefactors enables us to catry oi".
-These are words that the confrBtes, whatever
their line may be, should never forget.
If the Congregation is facing considerable financial bur-
dens (and what is involved here is the labours of the other mem'
bers of the student's Province), it is certainly not to enable the
student to follow his personal bent without any reference at
all to the needs of the community or to the openings that arc
available; or that he can waste time and money on pseudo-
cultural travel, or indulge in the luxury of degrees taking
years of study that could have been devoted to something mudr
more valuable. Outs is a poor f.amiy this must be kept in
mind. And our studies are af, part of the mission to which
we afe sent.
T bird, self-seroice' cbarisrns'
Don Bosco, as we have heard, enumerating the negative items
in the life and future of the Congregation, speaks of those who
3

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"love and seek their own thing, and not Jesus Christ's". I think a
word or two on this would not be out of place. It may be the
case today that we are palming off our desire for personal suc-
cess as self-fulfilment, or even as the expression of our charisms.
\\7e have to remember that charisms (given that we are
dealing with true charisms, and not with self-will or caprice)
are in the service of the mission, and that the discerning of them
and the right use of them are entrusted to the "superior, with
the help of the community" and not to the individual (d. Const.,
no.97).
The fact is that Christian self-fulfilnenr is simply the perfect
fulfilling of the will of God. It is a process of allowing ourselves
to be shot through with the love of the Father, which breaks
the batriers of our egoism and makes us capable of a perfect gift
to God and to our brothers. This gift, stifled by the presence
of sin within us, can start to be effective only through close
participation in the pascal mystery. For anyone who entertains
a progralnme of self-fulfilment apart from what is proposed by
faith, there is the natural tendency to self-seeking and the pursuit
of his ourn success rather than doing the will of God. In such
a case it can happen that a confrBre, who is engaged on our
mission and finds the going laborious, with few perks for the
ego and the nagging necessity of working with his brothers,
resorts, for various specious reasons, to evasive tactics and bran-
ches out into private enterprise.
With such considerations as these in mind, the question
that arises is: instead of objecting to certain types of work on
the grounds of the validity of the apostolare, would is not be
more to the point to object to our own incapacity, inetia and
actual counter-witness? So, our work for youth is abandoned,
for example, and replaced by the formation of small groups,
preferably with a strong female element. This is done without
real necessiry, without authorization from the competenr parties,
often without adequate preparation. The results? Often extreme-

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Iy questionable. And the cost? One casualty, among others,
is the community and religious li[e, which falls foul of conflicting
duties and time-tables. This situation is all the more serious
when confrBres in formation are affected.
In this way, the young people we are responsible for are
abandoned whilst we seek out a more congenial apostolate outside,
less onerous and yielding more job-satisfaction. \\7e may even
abandon the humble, the little ones, the poor people deprived of
culture, daitrh, and moto,r{ars, to attend to a group where the 'in'
things are discussed: under-development, hunger in the world,
sex, political involvement, and all this regatdless of places, times,
. persons, situations . . \\7e arc ea1et to collaborate with everyone,
.*..pt our own brothers; we jump at the first opportunity to offer
our iervices, provided they are sufficiently 'way out; but just
dare to ask us to do the smallest job for the community, alrd see
how many dificulties and excuses we can find.
The tale of such evasions could go on indefinitely, but I think
that what has been said already is enough for a serious exami-
nation of conscience. Dear confrEres, we must be convinced that
any apostolate not in line with our mission, not blessed by the
cordial 'Amen' of our community (which all too often has to
accept a fait accompli for the sake of peace in the house), is
not the will of God. As such, it will be something or other,
but it will no longer constitute an apostolate. The apostle is
sent by God; but in these deplorable cases, it is the individual
who sends himself, and represents himself: which is a sad state
of. affairs.
F ourtb, spiritless uork
I would say quite bluntly: it can well be that some of
us finish up with a work that is entirely profane; I'm referring
to the confrbres who work, certainly, and at times work hard:
BUT THEY ARE NOT EVANGELIZING. For example, they
conduct their classes, competently, but in such a way that the faith

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)6
nevef comes acfoss: an atheist could do it just as well. To teach
in this way shows that they could never have developed the sense
of what it means to be a religious. A similar artirude to his
work in a non-religious is understandable enough, but it is noth-
ing less t'han scandalous in a man that has publicly made his
religious profession, and in the Salesian Congegation.
The secular mentality today can also penetrate into other
types of activity that arc supposed to be specifically religious.
There is, for instance, the 'lay' catechesis, in whicl those who
take part are introduced to an ideology that is purely humanistic
but dressed up as Christiantty. And to do this, no scruples at all
are entertained on the part of the 'catechists' about mutilating
and counterfeiting the TTord of God and turning it to t{refu own
ends, so as to form false consciences.
Not even the liturgical celebrations have escaped these con-
taminations. For some the celebration, instead of being the
place to meet Christ and their brothers in Christ, is just a pally
get-together or a discussion forum, where it has not aTready deterio-
rated into a platform for polemics or confrontation. You do not
have to delve very far into the profundities of the mystery that
is celebrated in the liturgy to see the dangerously misleading
absurdities of such celebrations. But there ,is somerhing of still
greater moment on this subject, whidr concerns individuals as
much as communities.
6. THE AIM OF OUR WORK: EVANGELIZATION
I think that everyone will a9ree, at least in principle, that
our whole work is directed towards evangelszation, which for
us means education and Christian formation. To reach this goal,
of coutse, a number of factors have to be taken inle 26ssun1
- places, persons, age, social class, etc. since they are part of
- "education to the Gospel." This ought not, however, to induce
us to dose or retrench our work of general education or character-

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training, such as cultural and social activities: which, unfortuna-
tely, has sometimes happened. This side-tracking phenomenon
would rob our mission of all significance, and it has its causes.
Here is something of an ideological one: the essential mission
of the Church today, and therefore our mission, is "the liberation
of man from the evils of this world". V.ry true: but the Church
on the universal plane and the Congregation at SGC level claim
that the two fields of action afe not mutually exclusive but must
blend harmoniously. Apropos of this, the SGC quotes the felici-
tous formula of the General Catechetical Directory: "to evangehz.e
is to civilize and to civilize is to evangelize" (Orange Book,
276).
The next question is: what do we have to do in our indivi-
dual works to convert the ideal into reality, given the present-day
requirements and, in particular, the needs of the young? ft is as
well to recall that the SGC made evangehzation and catecfiesis
cenffal to our mission: it was not by chance that two documents,
the third (Evangehzation and catechesis) and fourth (Pastoral
renewal), wete devoted to it.
Today there is a lot of talk, and for good reason, about coura-
geous ventures, renewal in depth, new experiments, the qualifi-
iation and requalification of Salesians. All well and good! But is
it not ptecisely in the sectors under discussion that we have to
reneur, up-date ourselves and put ourselves in the vanguatd?
) I invite you to reread documents and 4 with their 'guide-
lines for action': it is along these lines that we have advance with
courage and constructive creativity, if we wish to make Christ a
reality for the new generation. The readjustment, an operation
that has so often been misinterpreted, must set its sights on
creating the conditions in which the Congregation will be equal to
the mandate of evangeltzation that is woven into its fabtic.
I shall pass on to you now tfuee powe#ul ideas that will
serve as a tii-rlrt for the generation of the urgently needed
evangelical 'New Look' in our apostolic activities.

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38
1. "For the Salesian, the existence of young people living
without Christ, and a Christ unable to find a welcome among
young people, is not just a cause for regret, but is also a challenge
and incentive to renew himself and to discover new ways and
take any risks in order to proclaim efficaciously the salvation
of God . . ." (Ibid., 306).
2. "Oat work of renewal should follow the lines marked out
for us by the Church, and we musr carry it out in the practical
way expressed by Don Bosco in these simple words: 'Make
upright citizens and good Christians' ". (Ibid., 3LG).
3. "... Salesians ... will consider the religious education
of youth as the first apostolic activity of the Salesian apostolate;
it asks therefore for a rethinking and for a reorgantzation of. aJ7
Salesian works so that they may have as their main purpose
the formation of the man of faith". (Blue Book, L87, quoted in
the Orange Book,279),
Vbat importaflce do ue attacb to catechetics?
As a matter of immediate pracricality in the field of cate-
chetics, we can ask ourselves a few questions to enable us to
evaluate the situation in our various circumstances.
tU7hat importance do we attach to catechetics at the provincial
and local level? I7hat stage have the deliberations of the Special
Provincial Chapter reached in this matter? rU7hat positive steps
have been taken to make catechetics an effective instrument of
evangelization? tD7ho is it entrusted to in the various works?
What remote and immediate prcparutions are made for it? \\7'hat
modern methods and aids are used? What scheme has the
Province afoot for the up-to-date preparation of men for this iob?
And further: what part do tle ITord of God and the Eucha-
rist play in our formation of the young and of the souls in general
that arc otr responsibility?
I know, and it is a source of great consolation, that in many

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places intelligent and generous work is going on to provide the
nourishment that is so badly needed. I wish it were like that
everywhere.
'Voe is unto me il I preacb not the gospel!
I don't see how you can possibly call a community 'Salesian'
.where, through negligence or, worse still, false educational ideo-
logies, the people we are supposed to be working for are left
I without the nutriment of the'\\7ord of God, of the Blessed Eucha-
.rist, of the sacrament of teconciliation. think of our Father,
who, wherever he was, in the Oratory, in the train, in the sffeet,
with the powerful or with convicts, could always spread the
Gospel. \\trith Don Bosco we
pf St Paul: "And how terrible
should take
it would be
to
for
heart the words
me if I did not
I Breach
the gospel! "
am not unaware
of
the
&fficulties
that
hinder
our
work
of evangelization today. For example, the question is asked:
what do you do when you have thousands of boys whose schooling
consists of part-time attendance so tightly scheduled that the
sessions follow on w,ith hardly a breathing-space in ,between?
I !7e11, would answer that with another question: given that
the object of our mission is not class or games but teaching the
Gospel, how much Christian life can get through to these s\\trarms
of boys who ate in contact with our work for only a few hours
before being oowded out by the next shift?
I don't think we can duck this question. In each case we
have to ask ourselves: what can we do in these situations to
make a concrete reality of the mission to which we have con-
secrated our lives?
The presence of laymen who have been suitably prepared
and who reeli,e that they are collaborators in a work of Christian
and Salesian education certainly eases the problem. But we have
to look after them, and at the right level, these co-workers who,
thanlrs be to God, arc avarlable.

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Consideration for parents, who in many ways become collabo-
rators, also helps to make the work a better-integrated effort.
It is also plain to see thar the few hours spent in the
dassroom are quite inadequate if we are to provide Christian
education of the effectiveness demanded by present-day conditions.
The supplementary activities of cultural value, such as
extra-mural activities, arc of the greatest importance in any real
educational work of a pastoral nature. As you know, in many
counties these activities are obligatory for the schools and form
part of the teachers'duties.
I would like to say this, dear confrtsres: in many cases, we
no longer take boarders; and, what's more, school hours are
confined to the morning, leaving the whole of the afternoon free.
So, freed from the duties of teaching and assisting, what is done for
the day-boys in the line of educational and religious activities in
the afternoons? What about youth cenues and boys' clubs?
How is all this free time used apostolically? Again, many countries
have the long week-end, with Saturdays as well as Sundays com-
pletely free. \\7hat do the Salesians do about their apostolate?
Honest and realistic answers must be given to these questions.
I know that there are any number of works that are, in fact,
being done by confrEres on these two days. But it would be
a .very sad thing to have to report that there are Salesians who
spend the time as a middle-class leisure week-end.
How many souls in need of the good Samaritan arc Teft
abandoned? How many confrBres, aheady up to their necks in
work, are looking for a helping hand on these days? And how
can their appeal be left unheeded?
Free time does not mean wasted time
Obviously, even Salesians have to have their moments of
relaxation. Don Bosco, the realist saint, alive to human needs,
knew that the taut bow can snap. But when his men took a rest,

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he did not want them to be idle, carried along spinelessly by the
prevailing current. He wanted them to have 'active retrrose':
rather, a change of occupation than a state of vacuity.
Better than abstract description for conveying the idea of
what Don Bosco meant by the use of spafe time is the account
of the highly original and imaginative walks that he used to
organtze for his boys in the autumn. Th"y were a mixture of
apostolate, adventure, cultural enrichment, in which the boys were
it alternately actors and spectators; and underneath a1l was the
serene happiness that Don Bosco could infuse into anything he
touched.
Free time for the Salesian, then, must not be time wasted.
I am thinking, for example, of how the holidays can be enriched
by courses for extta qualifications or refreshet courses in the
various fields of interest to the conftEre. I know that not a
few Provinces have organized very successful courses offering a
good choice of material, which have proved to be most useful
and have elicited general satisfaction. So let us see many more
of these.
But holidays become time lost when there is a break not only
from our daily occupations, but also from our daily duties as
religious.
Today, when we absorb secularism and relativism into the
subconscious as easily as we breathe, we can just as easily slip
into the tendency to treat rest and telaxation as time for free-
wheeling, as a parenthesis (big or small, what's the difference?),
and sometimes as a complete hiatus with our consecration and
the duties that always accompany it and admit of no break of
any sort.
Dear confrEres, I would like you to reali.e the deep
contadiction that this attitude denotes. The religious life has
become a dead weight and is made tolerable only by a periodic
escape into the lost patadise of the 'world', which cannot be
renounced. In this situation, the identity of the religious has

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lost definition and he is living, whether he is conscious of it or
not, a double li[e.
And now for the holidays that only the real bourgeoisie can
take: first, they must be of a decent length; then, of course,
one must see a bit of life as lived by the other, the ,better hal-f;
inevitably this means some travelling around, but rhen there's
no lack of funds; and we all, agee how important dialogue is:
think of all the people one would never dream of meeting in the
ordinary run of things. As for the evening's entertainment, u/e11,
one has to be broad-minded: if it turns out to be a little scurrilous
or salacious, you know what to avoid next time . . . you see, we are
Christians, and religious as well.
Such is the mentality that spa\\rns the desire for social contacts
with women, an exercise that strongly resembles, even when the
pfospects ate at. their rosiest, the antics of a high-wire acrobat
who is so sure of himself that he does not use a net. Hence
also the reading of books, periodicals and papers that arc anyrhing
but sober and constructive. These finish up by fatalTy blunting
the moral sense, or, at the very least, developing attitudes and
sensibilities that entertain values quite contrary to those inherent
in religious profession or Christian witness.
I hope and pray that these hypothetical situations always
remain that way, and that every Salesian feels day by day that
"consecration to God is a singular dignity that involves a total
commitment. It is impossible to live in mediocrity or compro-
mise; otherwise it amounts to fenouncing the totil, gtlt and
reneguing on the practice of perfect chastiry for the love of God.
The end-product is a colourless celibacy". (RENE Vorlleuvrc,
La oita religiosa nel mondo attuale, L78).
Ve are full-tirne Salesians
Dear ConfrEres, we are indeed full-time Salesians. The obli-
gations we took on when we offered our whole heart to Christ
ate with us every moment of our li[e.

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And it is ptecisely this gift Iived without parentheses or
reservations or looking back, seen clearly and interpreted radically,
that will make all the time put at our disposal by God a happy
time and a constructive one for ourselves and out btothers.
Gonclusion
As you have seen, the subject of this letter, summed up
in the two words 'work' and 'self-restfaint', has shown many
facets and been the source of some reflections on the fundamental
values of our life as Salesians "consecrated for a specific mission".
These values mean that each one of us adopts certain attitudes
that, in a cettain sense, are the distinctive mark of our identity,
as Don Bosco left it to us. This identiry we wish to remain intact
and unsullied to continue for generations to come the work
assigned to the Congregation by Ptovidence.
To this end, I invite you to look back over the pages, even as
a community, to make a practical examination: it will be a good
thing for everyone.
And, to spur us on to the task, let us look not only at the
Salesians who have gone before us but also at the marvellous
example of our present confrBres, the great and the lowly, many
of them very old men. In all sorts of situations, hetoically, silently,
they live the words repeated by our Father to Don Fagnano for
the benefit of his sons in any agei "Constantly remind all our
Salesians of the motto we have adopted: 'work and temperance'.
ITith these \\reapons we shall be able to conquer everything and
everybody". (EucrNro CenlA, Epistolario, Letter to Mons. Fa-
gnano, dated 14.10 .1877).
I send you my fraternal geetings, which I would give you
personally if I could.
Let us pray for each othet.
Fn. Lurcr Rrccenr
Rector Major

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III. COUIMUNICATIONS
l. Rector Major's strenna for 1975
For 1.975, whioh will s€e the celebration of tlre Holy Year and
the opening of the Centenary of the Salesian Missions, the Rector
Major, by *uy of inspiration for the double event, has given the
following strenna:
ln the light of the Gentenary of the Salesian Mlsslons,
the Family of Don Bosco,
responding to the invitation of the Pope for the Holy Year,
binds itself to make 1975 the year of
CONVERSION TO GOD,
discovering anew the values of the Salesian and Ghristian
vocation;
RECONCILIATION WITH OUR BROTHERS
in the communion of faith, love and apostolic action;
EVANGELISATION
drawing inspiration from the great mission
given to Don Bosco by Our Lady, Help of Ghristians.
To promote these values of "conversion, reconciliation and
evangelization," the Rector Major sent out in Sq>tember, along with
the Strenna, a "Letter to the Salesian Family." Copies were sent
to Provincials, to editors of the "Bulletin" and to other interested
people.

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2. Three directives from the Superior Gouncil
In the summer session, the Superior ,Council issued three direc-
tives.
Dated 24th luly, 1974, a docu'ment entided "Le prirne tappe
dell,a lormazione sal.esiana" (The first steps in Salesian formation) was
sent to Provincials and Formation Teams. Prepared by the Fotmation
Department, and ap'proved by the Rector Major and his Council, it
contains directions and advice on the immediate preparation for the
novitiate, the novitiate itself and the period of temporary vows.
On the 27th July, 1974, the Rector Major sent the Provincials
a letter on a subject that is, as ,he says, a most painful business:
"l il confratelli cbe lasciano non solo la Congregazione ma ancbe sa-
cerdozio".
On the 28trh July, 7974, a short document was issuod containing
"facts and suggestions for the Provincial Chaptets of. L975" ("Preci-
sazioni e orientarnenti per i Capitoli lspettoriali !975"). The Regionals
sent it to their Provincials with a lettet suggesting applications for
each Region
These documents are given here in {u11 in the appropriate section.
3. The new Delegation of Vietnam
The Rector Maior has issued a decree to lorrn a Special Del.egation
lrom tbe Salesian houses in Vietnam.
See "Documents" fot details.
4. Appointments
A,ppointed by the Rector Major:
Prouincials:
English Province, Fr. BBnNe,np HrccrNs.
Province of Bogot), Colornbia, Fn. 'Meuo Jrurxrz.
Thai Province, Fr. Mrcrurl PnepuoN.
Peruvian Province, Fr. Joncr Sose.
Province of Hong Kong, Fr. Jonu \\7eN.

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Delegate:
Delegation of Vietnam, Lurcr MassrMrNo.
Rettor Magnifico:
Universiti P,ontificia Salesiana, Fr. Prnrno Bneroo.
5. Deaths of two Salesians bishops
On 31st May Bisho,p Mauricio Magliano, Bishop of Rio Gallegos,
died at Pico Truncado, Argentina. There is an obiruary in this
nurnber.
On 14th August Mons. Antonio De Almeida Lustosa, former
Archbishop of. For.aleza, died at. 'Catpina, Pernambuco, Brazil. He
was 88 years old and had been a priest for 60 years. He was in
episcopal office from 1924 to L963,
6. The latest developments in the Salesian Missionary Gentenary
For the centenary year of the Salesian missions a number of
ideas are being worked out {or the Family celebration of rhis im,portanr
event.
\\7e are going to examine the past with the object of extracting
some useful lessons for the future and renewing our commitment
to spreading the Good News.
The Rector Major will be writing about the Centenary in next
January's letter, but here is a rough sketch of what is going on.
T,here are three fields of action: cultural, pastoral, and intemal.
Cur.runer. The Missions' History Centre (Cenro Studi di Storia delle
Missioni ,Salesiane), which was set up by the Recor Major in 1973
in the Faculty of Theology at the U.P.S. (olim pAS), is preparing
a series of scientific works. Some of rhese are nearly ready for
publication.
Specifically: "Miscellanea di studi missiologici, storici, etc.,, for
the period 1875-1975t a reference work in 2 volumes;
"Gli inizi delle Missioni salesiane in Argentina": 2 vols.
"Bibliografia generale delle Missioni salesiane"l

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"fndice bibliografico del Bollettino Salesiano"; also anthologies
of writings, and biogmphies of outstanding fi,gures.
There is to be a Theological Institute at Shillong, in India, and,
all being well, a Chair of Missiology at the U.P.S. Some existing
Missionary Museum will be refurbished.
PisanPaefsorromniessr,io:nIatreiems so-nly; An On-going Formation Course at the
- a "spirituality Veek" for the whole Salesian Family, dedioated
to the missionary theme;
- a meeting of Salesian missionary bishops for an exchange of
ideas on ,better co-operation amongst Congregation, bishops and mis-
sionaries;
- the
catechists;
promotion
of
cenres
for
the
preparation
of
missionary
the
s-olidthaeritCyeontfenthaery
Missionary Expedition,
Congtegation with the
intended to
Missions.
demonstrate
It will also
have the aim of helping existing missions that ,have an urgent need,
and of creating a new presence, not so much in the geographical
sense as in the way of a fresh pastoral approach.
- INtsnNlr, This concerns the youth apostolate, the Cooperators
and Past Pupils, and all the confrBtes, especially the younger ones.
At the Centre mentiond above various items:
-
Asia,-
the Poster Competition (see
dsgurnsntary films in colour
Africa and South America;
trhe last num,ber of the Acts);
made by teams of Salesians in
pictu-re
a commemorative volume, which is an account
of the Salesia.n missions yesterday and today,
in word and
appearing in
five languages;
-
-
a history of the Salesian missions in Italian;
a collection of shot missionary profiles.
Material will be sent out from the Cenme to be used as required
in the Provinces, with the detailed a'pplication to be left to the men
on the spot. This is where traditional Salesian initiative and
resourcefulness will have full scope.

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-48-
There is one year to go before the anniversary, whicJr will be
commemorated by the Rector Major in November, 1975 at Turin.
One year, then, in which to show how much we owe to the missio-
naries and their work.
7. The World Congress of Salesian Brothers
til7ith the Congress taking place in August next year, preparations
are taking on a more urgent look.
RBcrouer, CoNvrutroNs
A useful assortment of ideas is expected to pour in from the
Regional and Inter-Provincial Conventions, which have been going
polnea'sferosmenldasint
July. A plea here from
your report for processing.
the
C,entral
Commission:
Tns DTLScATES To rrre \\tr7onr,o CoNcnBss
Yet another plea from tlre Cenral Commission: this time for the
names of the Provincial and Regional Delegates to the !7orld Congrcss
and theit Substitutes, elected in accordance with the instnuctions
contained in Doc. CMSC 02L, dated l5th Apfil, 197).
Tnn lrexr MEETTNG oF THE Crurner, CorurvrrssroN
To be hald on the 26th October, 1.974, at the Generalare ro
study the organtzation of the !7orld Congress in detail. The fol-
lowing items are on the agenda: rules, programme and time-table,
assignment of duties for the preparation and running of the Congress,
provision of hard-wear and soft-wear, languages (verbal and written
translations).
There will be other meetings of the Commissions.
SuccestroNs AND pRoposAr,s
If the Preparatory Commissions for the Provinci,al Congresses,
or, for that matter, individual confrBres have any suggestions to
make for the better running of the Congress, the Central Commission
will be pleased to receive them.

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49
A rrnsr REcKoNTNG
A quick sizing-up of the work done so far suggests that all over
the Salesian world some impetus has been given to t[re ptocess of
re-establishing the Salesian Brother, which is taking place, as presaged
by the Rectot Major, "through a closer fidelity to Don Bosco's plan
and deepening of our sense of community as Salesians."
This will be helped along by the !7orld Congress, but the
individual Provinces have yet to finish their tasks. Expedition and
much prayet are indicated.
8. fhe Second Gourse of the Youth Apostolate in Latin America
At Chosica, Peru, from the 5th to 24th August, with 63
Salesians attending, mostly Provincial Delegates for the Youth Aposto-
late, Vocational and Scholastic.
The object was to provide a short-term answer to the need for
beter prqraration to tackle the problem of evangelization today. It
was presided over by Fr. Giovenale Dho, who also did a teaching
stint. In 1,32 hours of lectures and seminats, six university teachers
worked away at the problems of youtilr, which had been divided into
ten disciplines.
The
concerned
ccohuiresfely-witthhethseecsointudastiionncefathceingonyeouhtehldininSoLu9t6h9
- was
America
today. To ,quote: "!7e Salesians of South America are carrying out
our youth apostolate in a period of transformation on tlre South
American continent. The outstanding featurcs of the situation are,
fundamentally, dr.r,bious national viability and a vety broad-based
population.pyramid. All our pastoral work must take ofl from this
reality of ,history if we are not to lose sight of the whole pattern..."
9. More and more On-going Formation Gourses
At Rome and in other parts of the Salesian world, Continuous
Formation Courses are going ahead steadily, as decreed by the Special
General C,lraptet.
1

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-50-
At the Salesianum, Rome, the third four-monthly course will
be held from the 19th October to the end of February. It is meant
chiefly for confrBres of the English-speaking Region, and the nu-bers
will be made up to 35 from the other Regions. Other coutses at the
Salesianum for Missionaries and Co-operatots are being planned at
the moment.
Meanw,hile in the Regions, similar courses are being arranged.
fIrnomJultyh-AeuPguasctificth-CeareribwbaesanonRe eingiGouna.teInmatlhaelosrar3n8e
Salesian Brothers
Region a Centre
for On-going For-rnation has been formed (see p. 9l: VI - From the
Provincial Newsletters).
Two enterprises have been stated in Spain. At Salamanca there
is a course going on {or Salesian Brothers, lasting for three years,
chiefly in theological training. The other is the On-going Formation
Course at the Marti.Codolar Institute in Batcelona, where there are also
courses in the Youth Apostolate.
Preliminary studies are also being made fot similar courses in
the Italian, Argentine, Uruguayan and Paragaayan Provinces.
It is an interesting point that a number of conftBres who have
been through the courses held at the Salesianum in Rome are involved
in these other courses in difierent parts of the world. In fact, the
Salesianum courses are for training future organizers of similar courses.
10. The Salesian Missionary Gourse for the expedition o+ 1974
Held at the Generalate from 8th September to 7th October,
t974. The course was organized by the Counsellot for the Missions
and was qun ,by Fr. Antonio Altarejos. Fifteen or so members of
the 104th missionary expedition took part.
The course consisted of: mornirug, lectures in Missiology held
at the Spanish College in Rome; afternoon, practical talks on Salesian
afiairs given by the Director and experts at the Pisana. Included
uerei ai audience with the Pope and a visit to the Colle Don Bosco.
It was rounded ofi by the Farewell 'Ceremony in Turin.
I

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-5L-
ll. Fraternal solidarity (l4th report)
The Fund is now approaching the target of 300 millisa li1s,
which is a sign that the con{rBres are taking it seriously. Cf. the
Constitutions, art. 84: "In generous solidarity and brotherhood we
share what we have with the houses and provinces of the Congregation
and my to alleviate the needs of the Church and of the world."
A ptovincial from Asia writes: "By contributing to the Solidarity
Fund, we feel that we are sharing responsibility fot the work, needs,
sufierings, joys and efiorts of our confrBres who are worse ofl than
we are."
Sometimes it is large-scale disasters that spark off the generosity
of the conftEres. Here is a missionary from South America, himself
in need of aid, writing last April: "The news from Africa about
the extreme hunger and misery of thousands qf our brotlers thete
is heart-rending. Please pass on this money, which was collected
for my own mission, to those most in need. This is aid to Christ
dwelling in those poor people, aid given by the poor to their brothers
who are poorer still."
a) Pnovrxcrs rHAT HAVE coNTRTBUTED
Irer,y
Ligurian
Roman
Sicilian
Venice, St. Mark
Arnrcl
Central
Avrr,mce
Antilles
Argentina, Bahia Blanca
Bolivia
Brazi., Porto Alegre
Central
Lite 1.000.000
3.r00.000
570.000
,.150.000
1.000.000
1.876.500
2.600.000
680.000
1.r00.000
1.995.000

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-52
Ecuador
Mexico, Guadalaiara
U.S., New Rodrelle
U"S., San Francisco
Asre
lap,^
India, Madras
Middle East
Total receiued, 1.0tb June - l2th Septeruber, 1974
Balance b /f
Total as at 12 Septenber, 1974
202.000
L07.200
2.722.510
665.000
1.396.500
850.000
270.000
26.184.710
1.366.789
27.551.499
b) Drstnrnurrou
Eunopp,
Italy, Codigoro: oquipment for a poor patish
Jugoslavia, to I-.,jubljana Prov. from the Province
of St. Mark
Jugoslavia, Zageb: bursary for a Course of On-
going Formation (C.O.F.)
Jugoslavia, Ljubljana: ditto.
Poland, North: ditto.
Poland, South: ditto.
Asrl
Bangladesh: to Card. Rossi ,for flood victims
Philippines: butsary for CO.F.
lapm mission chapel equipment
India, Gauhati: for agricultural development at
Maligaon.
India, Gauhati: bursary fot a Master of Novices
Course (M.N.C.)
India, Madras: to the Archbishop (from Japanese
Prov.)
India, Madras: bursary fot M.NC.
200.000
1
500.000
500.000
500.000
500.000
500.000
2.000.000
500.000
250.000
1.000.000
135.000
400.000
135.000

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-5r-
India, Madras: new dispensaty
India, Madras: repai,rs to the mission-house at idrni
Korea, South: bursary for M.N.C.
Thailand: ditto.
Vietnam: ditto:
Central Province: bursary for M.N.C.
1.r00.000
2.000.000
135.000
135.000
135.000
135.000
Arvrcnrce
Bolivia: bursary for C.O.F.
Bolivia: (from Central African Ptov.)
Brazi,, Manaus: promotion of vocations and social
works in patish of S. Jos6 Obrero
Brazi,, Humaitd: hoqpital treatment for a mis-
sionary.
Chile: 5 bursaries C.O.F. & MNC.
Colombia, Contrataci6n: lq>rosatium
Colombia, Bogotri: bursary C.O.F.
Ecuador, Mendez-Lim6n: electrical generator for
a mission
Guatemala: Social \\[ork
Nicaragua, M,anagoaz tools for the Youth Centre
Parugoay, Asunci6n: despatch of material to the
Technical School
Pamgaay, bursary for C.O.F.
Uruguay: bursary for MN.C.
Per6, Lima: oquipment for the Catechetical Centre
Uruguay: (from Bahia Blanca Prov.)
Total, lO Jurle - 12 SePtember, 1974
Balance cf d.
Total
500.000
1.000.000
,00.009
489.000
2.135.000
2.000.000
500.000
1.500.000
1.r00.000
1.000.000
1.000.000
500.000
1r5.000
1.000.000
2.600.000
27.519.000
32.499
27.551.499
c) Cesn FLo\\r oF FUND
Receipts
Disbursements
Fund as at 72tb SePternber
281.317.368
28t.284.869
32.499

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IV. ACTIVITIES OF THE SUPERI,OR COUNCIL
AND IUATIERS OF GENERAL INTEREST
In July, August and September the Superior Council was in
session, and there was equally intense activity at Departmental level.
The following will give some ided of what has been going on.
1. Gouncil Meetings
In July the items were as follows: Departments and Regional
feports on the fact-finding meeting of last spring;
the appointment of new Provincials and the confrmation of
the election of the new Rectorsl
-
of.
the coming visitation of the Far East, tJre
L975, the meetings at Continental level with
Provincial Chapters
the provincials, etc.
The following are the most iryortant of the matters discussed:
the erection in Vietnam of a Delegation dependent on the Rector
Major;
the !7orld Congress of Salesian Brothers;
new openings for the Missions' Ofice and Salesian Catechetical
Centre, Madrid;
the Generalate after its settling-in period in Rome;
training young Salesians;
ptlblicity for the Centenary of our Missions, etc.
The documentation of all this will be found in the appropriate
section of this number.
2. Other activities of the Hector Major and his Council
At the beginning of September, fhe Recror Major and the Regional,
Fr. Ter Schure, went to the celebrations of the fortieth anniversary
of the work in Berlin. At the end of the month, Fr. Fiora was

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-55-
present at the National Council meeting of the ltahan Past Pupils
held at Selargius.
The Salesian Formation Department has prepared a document on
"The fust stages of Salesian Formation." (see Section V).
Fr. Egidio Viganb took part in meetings of the Provincial
Council and of the Rectors to discuss the problems connected with
personnel taining.
Fr. Joseph Aubry
stitutions. Although
has
not
published
oficial, it
a commentary
is a notable
on the new Con-
contrirbution. (J.
Aubry: Una via che conduce all'amore, LDC).
The Councillor for the Youth Apostolate, Ft. Giovenale Dho,
presided over the Second Course in the Youth Apostolate for South
Amedca, which was held in Lima, Peru, in August.
He also presided at a three-day meeting fot the Superiors of the
Spanish aspirantates, and in Septembet at a similar one in Italy.
The themes were: what an aupitantate is supposed to be; its vocational
slant; training.
The ,Department of the Adult Apostolate collaborated in the
preparation of "The Agreement between the Salesians and the F.M.A.
on the Salesian Co-operators" ("Convenzione fra i Salesiani e le Figlie
di Maria Ausiliatrice sui Coo,peratori Salesiani"), which has been
approved for three years by the reqpective Maiot Superiors.
In Septem er there was a meeting at the Pisana of the Steering
Committee, who are wotking on the programme for the European
Congress of the Salesian Past Pupils.
The Councillor, Fr. Giovanni Raineri, went to Freiburg at the
end of August for the Salesian Jalks, which this year were on "The
Co-operator in the world today." He also took part in the meeting
with the President of the Past Pupils for Switzerland, who are engaged
in fighting the ,policy of expelling ,foreigners.
The Missions' Department orgarized the annual Salesian Nlissionary
Course in preparation for the Missionary Expedition of L974.
Councillor Bernard Tohill went to Po1and to meet the young confrBres
there, whose contribution to the Salesian Missions is unexpectedly
large. He then went to Bishop \\Uforku, Salesian, of Adigrat, Ethiopia,
to explore the possibilities of starting Salesian work for the impo-
verished youth of a country that has recendy sufiered from wide-
spread natural disasters.

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Some Regionals have left Rome for short meetings with their
confrBres. In August Fr. Antonio M6lida attended the Regional
Congress of Co-operators and met the Provincials of the Region at
Tibidabo in Barcelona.
Fr. Ter Schure finished his visitation of the Dutch Province,
and paid flying visits to North Ger,many, Belgium and Ljubljana. In
Germany he and the local superiors studied a problem aflecting the
whole Region: the necessity of employing an ever-increasing number
of. Iay assistants in our schools and hostels. The teachers as such
slot in well enough with our style and general ethos; but rhe ones
who accept a wider range of responsibilities, such as counselling and
assistiag, run into considerable dificulties in assimilating and practising
our system. The preparation of these people, which is an urgent
necessity in the other Provinces as well, has become the subject of
an intense study.
At Brussels Fr. Ter Schure presided at the funeral rites of the
first Salesian priest in Rwanda, who had been killed in a motor-
accident at the early age of 34. Then he attended the commemorarion
of the L0th anniversary of the Youth Today Movement.
In August Fr. Henriquez went to Bogoti and Lima to meet
the new Provincials, then to Quito, Caracas and, in September, to
Mexico fot meetings with communities.
3. Programme for the coming months
The 30th Soptember sees the start of a new round of visits in
various pafts of the world. Among them are:
Hong Kong, 3-9 October: the Superiors (the Rector Major, the
four Departmental Heads, Fr. !7illiams) meet the Provincials of the
Far East.
Korea, Japan, Pbilippines, g - about 20 October: dre Rector Major,
Frs. Viganb, Raineri and Dho hold meetings.
Perl, November: Fr. Gaetano Scrivo, the Vicar General, will
preach the annual retreat for the Provincials of the Atlantic Region.
Vietnan, India, Israel, 20 October - beginning of November:
Fr. Vigand, finishing up at Cr€misan.

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Tbailand, India till the end of October: Fr. Raineri.
Rome, Salesianum, 30th October-5th November: Fr. Raineri
will pteside at the Study ITeek for the raining of Co-operators,
with Salesians and qualified Co-operators taking part. The object is
to deepen the qpiritual life of the lay Salesian.
Tbai:l.and,, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, United States,
Ireland, and Great Britaiu Fr. Dho.
Hong Kong, Burma, Gaubati in India: Ft. Tohill.
Qaito: 12-14 November: Fr. Ruggiero Pilla, dre Economer
General, will preside at the meeting of the Provincial Economers of
the two Americas. It is on adminismation.
The movements of the Regionals within their own Regions:
Ligurian Prouince; Fr. Fiota on canonical visitation.
Nortbern France, probably nortbern Belgium: Fr. Ter Schure.
Uruguayan Prouince: Fr. Vecchi.
Philippines: Fr. Williams.
Cbile, Colontbia: Fr. Henriquez on canonical visitations.
Barcelona; Don M6lida will take part in the 10th National
Assembly of Past Pupils.

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V. DOCUMENTS
1. The first few years of Salesian training
Policies and instructions approoed. by the Superior Council, 24tb
Jaly, 1974.
LrrtBn oF eREsENTATToN FRoM rur Rrcron Ma;on
To the Provincials and their Council, members of the Provincial
Commissions for Formation, the Novice-masters, and those concerned
with pte-novitiate, novitiate, and post-novitiate training.
Dear ConfrEres, a problem that. rcally worries me these days
is that of Personnel Training. Article 106 of t}e Constitutions loads
the Provinces with responsibilities demanding sound judgement and
great discretion. Each Province must see what its discussions have
produced and decide on a course of action ,by the end of this year.
Provincials and confrEres involved in formation have asked for
guide-Iines. To meet these requests much work has been put in and
this paper is the result of it. It is my pleasure to present it to you.
fn contains some directives on the initial stages of personnel
training. I think it will be a great help for wery Province in handling
the complex responsibilities that go with decentralization.
docuI",eonut gishtbtaosepdooinntthoeuto-fficiaalnddoctuhmisenists
iomfptohretaCnthu-rchthaantd
this
the
Congregation, and on experience.
It has been inspired by the policies and general mind of the
Council, the documents o{ the Magisterium and of our own Special
General Chapter. It is the result of tlre combined efiorts of many
confrtres: the Formation Department, all the Provinces consulted
bthyeit3, 8suNpoevriiocers-mfraosmterdsi-wfiehreontmtreatinaintgth.ceomGmeunneirtaielsa,teanfrdomparttihceula4dtyh
March to the 4th April last for an intensive spate of meetings. The
Superior Council also wanted to contribute and turn to best account

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- )<,o, -
it. a17 that had been put into They examined, discussed and completed
the text, and approved the draft as you have it. This approbation
sets an oficial seal on the document "for the good of the whole
Society," because we "are concerned with the unity, growth, and the
development of the entire Society." (Const L31).
The contents revolve around the Novitiate and the stages tlat
immediately precede and follow it. Its impottance derives from the
nature of basic training today.
The present process of decentralization in the Congregation
undor:rbtedly demands a dynamic that is multifotm yet balanced. It
is a matter of urgency that the Provinces take over their new respon-
sibilities courageously and competently. I invite. you to reread my
letter of last October (cf. Acts, no. 272, October-December, 1971),
In it I stressed that "it is necessary that the &versities of plurality
should be subsumed harmoniously into the centripetal movement
towards uilty." (That is, it is fine having diversity; but there must
be a cornmon trend toward the cenffe, towards unity.)
Each Province, in so f.at as it embodies the one vocation, must
be the Congregation... No Province can be truly loyal to its members
if it fails to take them beyond itself and into the unity of the world
otgantzation."
'\\U7hen we come to think about the identity that we share in
our Salesian vocationJ we see straight away the necessity of conveying
a sense of Salesian consecration, and of strengthening it in the younger
men, since this is what constitutes the unity of the Congregation
and makes it a union of men with diIlerent social and cultural
backgrounds. Now, this unity will be built up through training
courses, provided all over the Salesian world, that can put the right
stress on whatever binds us togethef.
The Novitiate is there precisely to foster the values that arc
proper to the religious vocation. It cannot fotm part of a current
course of studies, nor a grounding in pastoral techniques. tilfihat it
trS supposed to do is to concentrate on the unity of the Salesian
vocation, and keep the cultural diversities firrrly in their place.
If, to cope with the new situations, new novitiates are required
in the Congregation, we must recognize the urgency of the need for
a mor€ efiective "Salesian identity." There is no antithesis between

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-60-
our differences of culture and a clearly defined vocation common to
us all, and there should not be any imbalance, either. But if the
case arises that the development of the local genius is being overdone
or that the formation facilities are basilically not up to it, then we
must be able to restore to the Novitiate its capacity for turning out
Salesians. '!7e can't have a fragmentation that undermines the whole
set-up'W! e moan about falling numbers of vocation and go to great
lengths to invite youngsters in to join the ranks with Don Bosco.
Fine! But what's the use of having a crowd of vocations if they
are not going to be genuine Salesian vocations and if we canno$ keqr
them because of the superficiality of the training we give them?
These indications of strategy and tactics that I am presenting
here are meant to impart some degtee of enlightenment and unity
of approach to the ttaining programmes so that their efiectiveness
may be assured.
I am quite sure that they will give added depth to the transfor-
mation process in the life of young Salesian.
Dear confrBres, let us remembet that Don Bosco taught us to
be com,petent in our teaching methods. Let us ask Our Lady, Help
of Christians, to help us in the delicate task of formation, which is
basic to the future of the Congregation. !7ith best wishes from
F. Luror Rrccrnr
Iurnonuctroll
Pbases in the training process
"The difierent phases of for,mation should be linked one with
the other," says parag,raph 69L of. the Orange Book. In the Consti-
tutions tfuee necessary phases are given for a candidate to be finally
incorporated in the Congregation:
Preparation for the novitiate,
Novitiate,
Period of tem,porary vows (Const. 108).
These directives are concerned only with the immediate prE)ara-
tion for the novitiate, the notiviate itself, and the period immediately
after the novitiate.

7 Pages 61-70

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-61 -
Common basic training
This document is for future clerics and brothers alike: "each
in his own way, all share in a fulI and identical manner rN THE
seuB Ser,rsrAN REt,rcrous vocATroN." (Orange Book, 660; d. t46;
Const. 103; Reg. 81).
In practice, however, therc will be diflerences in the basic
training. It is necessary to know and cultivate the personal vocation
of each candidate, developing his individual bent so that the full,
harmonious development of his personality as a man and as a religious
may be assured. (Cf. Orange Book 660).
This assumes that every novice will get a cleat picture of what
he is supposed to be and do as a Salesian at least before profession.
Then he
the best
wadilvla'nbteagienina
position to
the various
plan his subsequent training to
fields of his choice: religious,
scientific, professional, technical, etc. Section 660 in the Orange
Book is worth quoting here: "for the brothers it is a matter very
often of building up, or of even creating a formation procedure..."
1. IirarurnrerE pREpARATIoN FoR THE NovTTIATE
Official source textsl
693,--662HS,ao6ll.y6C5S.oeneg:.:RCeno.nCsta. u1s0a8m,:
4; L}-II'
109; Reg.
1"1;
72,
12.
73;
Orange
Book
1,.1 IxrnonucrroN
1.1.1 Preparation for the novitiate, in the comprehensive sense
used by the SGC, involves a numbet of activities and obligations
that cover the whole field of vocational maining and various types
of aspirantate.
Here we are dealing with the definite period of time that
immediately precedes the novitiate and requires a more precise
preparation. This is the phase called "Postulato" in the "Renovationis
Causam."

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62
1.1,.2 The provision of a stage of immediate preparation for
the Salesian novitiate is founded on articles 108, 109 and 110 of
the Constitutions. The SGC did not vrant to use the term 'Postulato'
because it wanted to avoid certain implications of a juridical and
structural nature: c'f. Orange Book 662. However, articles 109 and
110 of the Constitutions do require a specific preparation for the
novitiate, indicating what is needed in the way of general atmosphere,
objectives, methods and a suitable place.
Comparing these articles with the recommendations of 'Renova-
tionis ,Causam,' we have: "Pteparation for the novitiate is all the
more necessary as the world grov/s more and more resistant to
Christians values... It follows that all Religious Families must
attach importance to this preparation ... even when the 'Postulato'
does not apply." (RC 4)
L.L.3 Experience teaches that the omission of a period of
immediate pr€paration has bad efiects on the novitiate taining and
reduces the chances of giving Salesian formation.
The pro'per structuring of this pr€paration involves the inclusion
of much that is new in the Congegation, especially since the changes
that have been tried out in the vocations' apostolate, and since
the numbers of aspirants in the Provinces began to drop ofi.
1,1.4 The SGC did not fix any particular srructure for this
preparatory period. It is a matter of urgency, then, for the Provinces
to think seriously about how to tackle the problem and how to
check up on its effectiveness.
1.2 Tbe ndtare ol tbe immediate preparatioru to the Noaitiate
1.2.1 It is logical to keep a steady eye on what is required
in the novitiate itsel,f, which is dealt with in the second part of
this document.
The Novitiate is the beginning of the religious life (cf. RC 13),
and comrprises three dimensions:
- the personal
evangelical life;
encounter
with
God
within
a
given
plan
of

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-63
-
God.-
a deliberate break with the spirit of the world;
a presence in the wodd, embodying apostolic obedience to
Further: the period immediately preced.ing the noviciate must
be a preparation for the Salesian community life (cf. RC 12, I - II):
which means something difierent from what has gone beforc. At
this stage there is a maturing process within terms of reference
more definite than those of the aspirantate proper, with its wider
prospects and mote general interests.
L,2.2 Eeach Province must prepare a framework that retains
the characteristics of this stage as mentioned above, and at the same
time is adaptable to .persons and places. ft must be clear-cut and
ofier to candidates, who have formally expressed their desire to enter
the Congregation, the opportunity for weighing up and seeing round
their decision to enter the noviciate.
1.2.1 For the candidates who live in an aspirantate, this final
stage can coincide with the last year of studies, but it must have
an atmosphere and progfarnme of its own.
L.2.4 The immediate preparation for the noviciate is necessary
everywhere: it will t}ere,fore have to be planned as an offcial stage,
so to speak, which is to constitute a well defined, though general,
initiation to life in the Congregation.
1.3 Objectiaes ol tbe irnmediate preparation to tbe nouiciate
1.3.1 Since it is the noviciate that is the immediate goal in
view, every efiort should made to round ofi the personality of the
candidate culturally, psychologically and spiritually. The Constitu-
tions clearly require (art. 109) that the candidate should be put
"in the possibility of discerning his own particular vocation in life
and of
in full
maturing"
avrareness
to the extent
of what he
of
is
being able
doing" in
"to rcach
becoming
a
a
decision
Salesian
teligious.
1,.3.2 "Only those candidates," according to Constitutions 110,
"who give evidence of the qualities and the maturity considered

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necessary for the Salesian life are admitted to the novitiate." Hence
the following conditions and criteria must be met before admission:
1.3.3 Of suitable personality. Knowledge of family backgtound:
it must be physically and psychologically sound and morally good.
-befoFreit
enough physically and sane:
the noviciate, there must be
a
medical
check-up;
the determination of his state of mind must be made under
optimum ccnditions, above all through personal contact with the
candidate and in accordance with the spirit of section 673 of. the
Orange Book.
-
-of
Of adequate intellectual capacity and sound judgement.
Of sexual and emotional maturity ptoportionate to agei
suficient sexual self<ontrol to enable him to enter the novi-
tiate in a state of interior caln;
conduct in the presence of women sr,ficiently well oldered to
permit of a clear choice of celibacy (for these two,points cf. 10-11,
and the recent "Orientamenti educativi per la formazione al ceLibato
sacerdotale" of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 11
Apil, 1974);
how-to
Able to
accept
live
his
the community life, to work
own limitations and those
in
of
a grou,p,
others:
knowing
sense of
responsibility, loyalty and genetosity;
spirit of work (intellectual and manual) and of temperance.
1.3.4 Of suitable
with his age, to judge
Cristian
persons
development.
and events in
-theAli,gblhet,
in
of
accordance
the Vord
of God.
-
-
-
[ s2s1z6ental and prayer-life of suficient depth and regularity.
A certain experience of qpiritual direction.
A life of Christian joy with some sense of apostolate.
for
13.5 Of sufficient capability for the Salesian
doing some sort of job in the Salesian life.
life.
-
Capacity
his
- Deliberate
confessor.
choice
of
his
way
of
life,
aftet
consultation
with
1.r.6 The immediate preparation for the novitiate does not
mean that the candidate has to be able to satisfy all the requirements

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of the novitiate immediately. But he must be considered capable of
making the grade as he goes along (RC 4).
1.4 Vays and nteans
1,4.L It is very important to bear in mind that 'Renovationis
Causam' insists on advancing the age of candidates for admission
to the religious life: "It must be admitted that the age of acceptance
into the novitiate will have to be higher than it has been hitherto"
(RC 4).
Each Province, dren, will need to find its own answer to the
requirements of art. 80 of the new Regulations.
1.4.2 Normally this preparation is made outside the novitiate
house itsel,f (cf. RC 12, III). The candidates are entrusted to the
care of €xperts in personnel training, who exercise their restrrcnsibility
in conjunction with the novice mzrster (cf. R,A L2, IV). This is
done "ordinarily ... in close contact with one of our communities"
(Const. 109), which will have been approved by the Provincial
and his Council as suitable fot the punpose.
I.4.3 Especially in the case where the preparatory period coin-
cides with the last year of the aspirantate, it may be considered ad-
visable, in the case of particular need, for the candidate to spend
some time outside the aqpirantate, if he needs this to help him to
mature (RC 4; 12, III).
Contact with his own family plays no small part in the candidate's
formation.
It is as well to recall here what the SGC has to say about
about this in section 693 of. the Orange Book.
1.4.4 There are many difierent \\pays of arranging the fust
stage. It is up to each Province to make t-he arrangements that
best fit its situation. And the more intractable society is towards
Chtistian values, the tougher the programme will have to be.
All this is uncpNr.
1.4.5 !7ith regard to the duration of the ,fust stage: ordinarily,
one year and not less than six months (cf. RC 12, lI).
5

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2. The Noviciate
2.1 Conditions and uiteria for adrnission
2.1.t The preparation described above is needed to ensure
that the candidate is properly equipped for admission.
2.1.2 To admit a candidate to the noviciate, the conditions
given in nos. 1.32, L.33, L.34, 1.35, 1.36 have to be met, and
com,pare the Orange Book 695 on admission to first profession.
2.2 Aims and essential content ol the Salesian noaiciate. Offcial
soilrcesi Holy See: RC 4, 5, l3-I, l3-II, 15, 3L, )2.
Congregation: Const. art, L}l, and more particularly 110 and
111 (inspired by RC 4 and 32-II). Reg. 74 and, 76 (apostolate);
77-78' (studies). Orange Book 670 and 695 (criteria for admission
to profession, responsability for entry into the Congregation).
2.2.1 Specific aims of tbe Salesian notiuiate.
the
c2a.n2d.iLd.a1te'-s
To enable the Society
vocation, judging from:
to
be
morally
certain
about
his various capacities (physical, intellectual, motal, spiritual,
practical),
his motivation.
Likewise to enable the candidate to be morally cettain about his
vocation with the Society.
tice
o2f.2t.hLe.2co-nsecTroateindtraopdouscteolitchelifceanodfidaatSe atleositahne atshesopriyritaunadl
prac-
expe-
rience, comprising the mentality, virtues and interior dispositions of
the true Salesian.
The development of the more directly intellectual and pastoral
side can for the most part be left to the subsequent years of
training.
of
2.2.L.3
himself to
-GodToinhtehlpe
the canfidate to
Salesian Society,
make the total dedication
deli,berately and freely, at
his fust tem,porary profession, and with a view to perpetual profession.
The ideal to be proposed is: to serve Christ in youth, totally,

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-67
according to the Salesian spitit and the common life. This ideal
is drawn from our two basic works: the Gospel and the Constitutions
(cf. Const. 101). Vhat {ollows in the next five sections has to
happen if the above is to be rcaliznd.
2.2.2.1 God, to whom the Salesian consectates himself and
his mission.
Aim: to deepen the candidate's knowledge of the three Divine
Persons and his intimary with them; to sharpen his sense of
abandonment to their love, praise and service. This comes about
chiefly through the following:
of
Re--conchceeillaeiarbitniroagnti;aonndomf ethdeitaEtinugchoanristth, eth\\e7oOrdfficoef
God;
and the
Sacrament
-
Chris-t
the 'lifurgy of life,' especially
education to docility to the
(cf. Const. 63);
the apostolic life;
Holy Spirit, and
union
with
- a strong,
2.2.2.2 The
filial devotion to Mary (cf. Const. 65).
young people to whom we have dedicated
our
lives and mission.
Aim: to give the candidate a working knowledge of modern
society and what is needed to procure its salvation. To get him
used to carrying the major burdens of today's youth, especially the
poor, in the sense of "Give me souls." To exercise him, through
contacts in an apostolic context, in being a "sign(s) of and beareds)
of the love of God for young people" (Const. 2).
And all has to be done in the spirit of participation in the
mission of the Church and 'in close co-operation with local apostolic
action.
2.2.2.3 Community.
Aim: to give the candidate the experience of sharing with his
brothers. To develop the qualities that go with community life
and action: community sense, afiability, patience, willingness to 'muck
in', cheerfulness, awareness that this is a communion of fellow-
Christians and fellow-Salesians.
2.2.2.4 The Evangelical Counsels and total commitment.

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Aim: to enable the candidate to explote tfie deeper implications
of, and practise, chastity, poverty and obedience as means to the end
of serving God, his brothers in religion and the apostolate. (Cf.
Const. 70-72).
To impart the sense of the cornplete break that is iruplicit in
the act of self-surrender to God.
2.2.2.5 Following Don Bosco.
Aim: the study and experience of Don Bosco, the Salesian spirit,
the local Salesian wortr<, the Salesian Famfly in the fulI sense of the
term; to develop the feel for the Salesian way and a sense of
belonging.
!i -gr
23 Setting up tbe noaiciate
2.3.1 ,Responsibility of the Province. The notiviate of a
Province incory>orates its candidates into a congregation that is world-
wide. So the merely provincial product will not serve the purpose;
and the novitiate has the tricky job of striking a balance between
the local variant and the unity of the Salesian vocation in its historical
development.
Besides attending to the unity of the Congregation, the Pro-
vince, in setting up a novitiate, has the serious responsibility of
providing the men and material that arc suitable for the task in
hand. (cf. 3.3.4).
2.3.2 The need for the greatest carc in organizing a noviciate
has the sanction of the Constitutions:
cons-ent
the Rector Major himself sets
of his Council (Const. 110);
up
the
noviciate
with
the
conse-nt
the novice-master is appointed
of his Council and the approval
by
of
the Provincial with the
the Rector Major (Const.
112); this approval is,required for every three-year period of ofice.
233 The,basics. The large variety of types of novitiate
precludes the fixing of any standard pattern of development, but
three main fypes can be distinguished:
- completely separate;

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-69
- co-existing with another formation group (for example, post-
noviciate);
schoo-l
co-existing
or parish).
(in
various
'ways)
with
a
Salesian
work
(e.g.,
a
The basic requirement for the siting and structuring of a novi-
ciate is that it can produce the right sort of men.
2.3.4 Specific requirements. Theredore what is wanted is:
2.3.4.t ,salesian community. See articles 111, 100 and 105
of the Constitutions, especially 111.
2.3.4.2 Openings for apostolic work. The community must
ofler opportunities for a rcal work of the Salesian apostolate (cf.
OrangaBook 670 and Reg.74), that will do no harm to the nature
of the noviciate nor to that of the work undertaken.
2.3.4.3 The stafi. The formation of novices demands constant
attention and dedication on the part of
The stafl has to be of the right
the stafi.
size and
calibre.
At
least
tlree members of the House Council must belong to the stafi.
In the noviciates that are separate the Master of Novices should
be the Rector as well. In the other cases, the Frovincial and his
Council must see to it that the Novice Master, whether he is Rector
or not, must be in a position to run the noviciate propetly.
2.4 Stal.ies dairtg the nouitiate
Official source texts. Holy See: RC 15, IV (five themes covered)
and, 29 (orientation of srudies).
Congregation: Const. 101: the Gospel, centre of all formation.
Reg. 77: three sectors: ,Christ (RC 29, I), religious life, Const.
,nJ Don Bosco; art. 78: Salesian spirituality and the history of the
Society; aft. 90: training in general: education, youth apostolate
and catedretics.
2.4.1 General principles educed frorn the aboae.
2.4,t,L Studies are not pursued for their inttinsic interest, nor
for any specific qualification, but simply in relation to the noviciate
training.

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2.4.L.2 Consequently these studies, serious though they may be,
are not directed towards the acquisition of new ideas as such, but rather
towards an enlightened faith, the deepening of convictions and the
enrichment of noviciate life. This affects:
-
-
-
the choice of subjects,
the choice of instructors,
the method of instruction.
2.4.L.3 Preparation for exams and other qualifications is ex-
cluded, because they do not meet the stated requirements. A check-
up on the study programme is indicated to insure that there is
stimulation without overloading on the intellectual-scholastic side.
2.4.1,.4 The novice mastef and stafi must take care that the
studies have real-life value for the novices: knowledge of self, relations
with God and with others, pruyer, apostolate, practice of the vows,
sense of ,belonging to the Chuch and the Congregation.
2.4.1.5 For the choice of instructors, serious consideration must
be given to aft. 104 of. the Constitutions.
2.4.1.6 Considerations for planning and merhod:
-
-
-
the cultural Ievel of the novices;
the general scheme of studies in the Province;
the impoftance of the active method.
2.4.2 Planning guid.e.
2.4.2.1 Bible studies, especially the Gospel, to put the novice
in close touch with the person of ,Christ:
- the mysteries
themselves, and also
of
Christ,
the
community,
the
apostolate,
in
- in their personal application for the 'putting on' of Christ.
to
2.4.2.2 Theological
Vatican II) to ena,ble
and spiritual studies (with
the novice ro see how his
special reference
life fits in with
Christian life in general:
- designs
Christ: the theology
for the world today;
of
the
mysrery
of
Christ
in
the
Father,s

8 Pages 71-80

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8.1 Page 71

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-7L-
missi-on
Church:
to men;
the
theology
of
the
mystery
of
the
Church
in
its
- the Christian: the theology
tized Christian and apostolic action;
of
the
spiritual
life
of
the
bap-
Life
a-nd
the 'worshipping'
prayer in general;
Christian:
the
theology
of
the
liturgical
conse-ctattehdelicfeonisnecthtaetdChCurhcrhis. tian: the theology and spirituality of
2.4.23 Salesian studies to enable the novice to integrate easily
with the Congregation:
Life and spirituality of Don Bosco;
- History of the Congregation; the gteat Salesians; the Salesian
- Family;
---2.4tCI.ht2aoe.ln4iasStnPaitlaue(stsaiitosaonnrtsahslaepsnirkdruietdRyiaeentsgodutloaqStpiaoeilrnenitssau;ibaatlnlheiteysto;hAuercctesnso)o.vfictehetoSGmCa; nage his
own essays in the aPostolate:
- teaching theory (preventive method);
- catechetics.
2.4.2.5 Studies in the humanities and general culture (cf' nos'
2.4.2.1 - 2.4.2.4 above):
- psychology;
- sociology;
-
-
-
grourp dYnamics;
national, social and religious problems;
use of the mass mdia.
N.B.
training in
The educational
self-control and
programme outlined above
renunciation, since it has
is
to
in itself a
form part
of a balanced time-table.

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2.5. Apostolic practice during the noaiciate
Offi.cial soarce textsi Holy See: RC I, 13, ll , 25 md 31.
C,ongregation: Const. 111; Reg. 76; Orunge Book 620.
2.5.1 The aims ol practice in tbe apostolate.
2.5,1,.1 Apostollc actiaities in this context must be seen as a
genuine apostolate, on a suficient scale, "the better to enable them
(the novices) to find out ... what the religious vocation means in
practice..." (RC ,). A middle course has to be steered between
another yeat of. tirocinium at one extreme and complete ,,isolation
from real Salesian liife" (Ora"ge Book 670) at the other.
2.5.L.2 Apostolic spiritaality. The great thing in all this is to
put the novice in the way of understanding the vltal link between
contemplation and acrion through actually living it, so that the
underlying unity spoken of in article 48 of the constitutions becomes
a rcafuy. (Also cf. Orange Book 127).
Iife (2R.5C.12.5) ,SIa;lesRiaeng.sa7a6o)ir;-feaxirpee:,riefintnceessoffothr ethSealSeaslieasniamn eatphoosdtoloicf
education (RC 5; Orange Book 670); maturity to make a firm decision
on a Salesian vocation (RC 5).
2.5.L.4 Mature personality. (RC 2r, I; ,Reg. 76). The candidate
needs:
25, I-); adjustment to the communiry thtough group activiry (RC
of
II
- gradual
himself and
growth in
of others,
and III);
knowledge of the capabilities and limitations
and an acceprance of the siruation (RC ,1,
-
-*
strengrhening of his will (RC 25, I);
devdopment of personal responsibility (RC 25, I);
a grasp of what it is to be poor and to have to work (RC
25, I).

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-7r-
2.5.2 The time to be giaen to the exercises.
2.5.2.1 General criteria. The novice master and his stafi fix
tlre dme to be spent, having considered the following;
-
-
-
-
the overall needs of the noviciate;
the capabilities of the novicesl
the environment;
the training value of the apostolic works.
2.5,2.2 Two ways of carrying out the exetcises:
a
pe--riodaaoss fasoinmrteeegntuhsliianvrge
thing duting the year;
outside the ondinary tims-1sSle, and requiring
activity: see art. 76 of. the Regulations.
2.5.3 Otber conditions and modes ol procedure.
2.5.3.1, Cboosing tbe exercises:
-
conte-nt
preferably forming part of
in aoy case, constituting
and style;
the work of a Salesian community;
a valid Salesian experience as to
- with the novices in a subordinate role.
2.5.3.2 Vays of doing the exercises:
rcg. -76);the novice master is responsible at all times (RC 23, III;
mem-b-erstthhoeefentxhoevericcicseoesmswamroeurnkpitlyaanswneahdetrweeirttnhhertyhaetahrneeor vttiohceastnaakinneddpivtlhaidceuea;inltlye;rested
guida-ncetho"fyanareexppereriecnecdedd
by ur adequare preparation, under the
Salesian (preferably one of the novitiate
stal[), and they are subject to a regular review;
- th"y are carried out gradually and continuously.
3. Tnr TMMEDTATE posr-NovrrrATE pERroD
L9-2-0.
Official souce texts:, Yatican
Holy See: ET 30-41.
Council
II:
PC L8 OT 4-12;
Congregation: Const. lt4-lL7; Reg. 81-92; Orange Book 673-
688; 695;697.

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3.L Introduction
3.1.1, After the noviciate the third phase of maining begins.
This is longer and more complex: the Constitutions call it the "period
of temporary vows" (art. 108), the time when "the process of spiritual
development with perpetual profession in view" (Const. 114) is
completed.
Those candidates "who do not give hope of ever being admitted
to perpetual profession, should not be allowed to renew their temporary
vows." (Orange Book, 597).
Ordinarily it lasts fot
a
total
of
six
years:
it
cannot
be
less
than thtee and may be extended to nine (Const. 117).
).L.2 This whole phase is described only in general terms by
the SGC, and needs to ",be developed by the various provinces in
agreement with the norms of the local churches and the needs of
the various countries" (Orange Book 658).
During the period of temporary vows the tirocinium takes place.
This has an important function of its own, having an "educational
and pastoral character" (Const. 116), and providing the young Salesian
with "his fust opportunity of getting to grips with Salesian work."
(Ree. 88).
3.1.3 11 is imFortant to provide a proper run-up to the tiro-
cinium with an intetmediate stage between. it and the noviciate.
The conciliary decree Perfectae Caritatis requires that the newly profess-
ed "should not be assigned to apostolic works immediately after
the novitiate" (PC 18). And our own Regulations lay down that,
before the tirocinium, there should be an an adequate period of
training in teadring or youth work, theoretical and practical (cf.
arr. 88).
Here we ate dealing precisely with this intermediate stage.
).1.4 In fact there are in the Congregation today a number
of ways of amanging this training period, lasting from a mimumum
of one year to a maximum of four ot five years, acconding to
the curricul a that have to be completed before the start of the
tirocinium.
3.1.5 The noviciate is only an initiation, important though it

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is, and has to be followed up by all the rest (cf. RC 4; Orange
Book 691). The fitst of these follow-up periods is the immediate
post-novitiate, and each Ptovince must make definite provisions for it.
'!il7e ofier some guidance on this at three levels: persons, struc-
tures, and content.
3.2 Persons; training staff artd young conlrires
3.2.1 The maining stafi for the post-novitiate should be chosen
with great care (Reg. 89; cf. Orange Book 672);
that ---exemcsrocpeimisrneiptuoetathfelenamtfiyaemobnuei,lnniwtg,y;,iothwar nhaadot dtlceheaaeenpsytcfsowahnievotlhelu-rilsndaefnobdwremSliiteeahdvlee,tshioaiennn ystot}ehuenensgepn;;teocbelsesmitys
of continuing the work of the noviciate.
3.2.2 There should be liaison between the novice-master and
the post-noviciate men to ensure continuity of training.
3.2.3 The young confrltes, singly and collectively, should share
the responsibility for running the community, as given in Reg. 83
and 85; also cf. Orange Book 555.
3.2.4 Every young member should ,be looked after and helped:
Reg. 84 and 86.
3,3 Structures
3.3.1 It is vitally important to form a community that is a
training unit in a true Salesian environment: family spirit, enthu'
siasm, a wisely selected range of external contacts.
3.3.2 Three types of structure seem to be workable:
confrE-- resathnaettaesutnutddoiennnogtmaetoexute(sRrnceaoglm. s8mt1uu)d;nyitycosurusietes;d to the needs of young
whils-t
groups
attending
of young conftEres
external courses. In
livine in
this case,
an active community
it is necessary to have

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someone whose specific responsibility it is to look after the students
(and not a vague community action with no one really responsible).
Moreover, they must form part of the community, and not merely
physically or as parasites or as fringe groups.
3.3.1 A sudden and violent change of rdgime for the post-
noviciate group must be avoided, because this may cause a fa[ing
away from ,peak form, psychologically and spiritually qpeaking.
3.3.4 A number of cond.itions have to be present together if
proper ttaining is to be given: someone responsible and capable,
community li[e, serious instruction, salesianity ... Such conditions
cannot always be rnet by each Province. In certain cases it will
be necessary for Provinces with a common social and cultutal back-
ground (cf. Orange Book 679, b) to merge their resources.
3.3.5 Environmental factors will also have to be considered:
place and space enough to live decently; facilities for a community
Ii[e in religion: chapel, library facilities, technical uaining facilities ...
3.3.6 Every community must study ways of applying art. 87
of the Regulations with regard to admission to profession.
3.4 Content
The general lines are determined by th. definitive commil6gn;
of the Society. It must be borne in mind that the following aspects
are always pfesent together and everything must be Salesian-oriented.
Reg.38.34,.186Sa)l.es'liafon rpkerosonntahliety
d,eoelopment (Const.
following qualities:
100,
102,
105;
3.4.1.1 discipline - freedom - personal responsibility (e.g., ,per-
sonal time-table, use of TV etc., regularity, deportment ...);
3.4.7.2 relation with the community (e.g., geniality, care of
the house, Iooking after the sick and elderly, spirit of initiative,
acceptance of things, abfity to get on with people ...).
3.4.2 Salesian spiritual formation (Const. ll4, cf. 117; 59-67;
Orange Book 605, 621,607).

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lt
-
The object here is to complete "the process of spiritual develop-
ment with perpetual profession in view" (Const. 114). Basilically:
to nurture the sense of consectation to God through the young.
This presupposes:
,.4,2.1 a genuine prayer and sacramental life, as indicated in
Const. 59-67 and Reg. 44-49 and. 5); in particular, a continuance
of the noviciate-training in meditation, petsonal and communal, and
in the use of the sacrament of reconciliation; and full participation
in the Days of Recollection.
3.4.2.2 The spitit of work and renunciation ("work and self-
restraint"), with insistence on serious intellectual work as the chief
form of renunciation.
3.4.2.3 Loyal practice of the rr'ows, and especially the rejection
of the middle-class life (Orange Book 605, 62L) and the acceptance
of a hard life of poverty; this practice should be the object of
personal examination and community reflection (Orange Book 607).
3.4,2.4 Education to the 'apostolic sense' as main-spring of the
day's activities. It is worth pointing out here that serious study
is supremely important in a course of maining for a future apostolate.
3.4.2.5 Deep reflection on the Salesian vocation; a continuation,
tlerefore, of the coutse in Salesian culture (see the ap'pended
bibliosraphy).
3.4.3 Intellectual formation (Const. 103; Reg. 81, 88, 90).
3.4.3.1 Training in the discipline of study, without dilettantism
(method, atmosphere).
3.4.r.2 Reg. 81 provides for general formation:
- philosophy, theology: according to the programme laid down
by the Province;
- teacher-maining for the apostolate (Reg. 88, 90): psychology,
sociology, teaching theory and practice, religious education, cateche-
tics, preventive system;
the
a-bovseci(eCnotinfitc.,
technical and
103; Reg. 81).
professional:
to
be
integrated
with

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-78-
3.4.3.4 The study of languages is to be encouraged, especially
Itahan, which is the lingua f,ranca among all Salesians: for use at
international gatherings, in contacts with the Superiors, in reading
documents.
3.4.3.4 Seeing that the teachers are the key men at this stage,
they should be carefully selected and well prepared (d.3.2.1), and.
they should always be conscious of their responsibility for trans-
smitting Salesian values (cf. the report of Fr. E. Viganb to the
Convention of teachers of dogmatic tJreology, held at the UPS, Rome,
2 Jantary, 1974, Bollettino d'informazione della Facolti di Teologia,
n. 2).
).4.4 Training for the Salesian apostolate (Const. 116).
3.4.4.t Each one should be found some suitable work in the
apostolate.
3,4.4,2 These activities must have value as training: good pre-
paration is needed, and latet a check-up should be made with the
help of a competent Salesian.
3.4.4.3 Opportunities for outside contacts should be arranged
so as to ensure gradation and balance.
3.4,4.4 During the holidays, which are often wastd when they
could and should be utilized for training purposes, experience in
the apostolate should be provided.
4. Apprmrx: PnocnauuE oF sALEsTAN cuLTURE
'lVhat a Salesian should know before his perpetual ptofession
(cf. Reg. 77-78).
4.1 The facts
4.L.L Don Bosco (Reg. 77): Iife and works; a founder inspired
by God; the apostle and man of spirituality; Don Bosco and St.
Francis of Sales.

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_79-
4.1.2 The Congregation (Reg. 77):
-
-
Domi-nic
history and development;
history of the Salesians missions;
the great Salesians: our saints and servants of
Savio, Blessed Michael Rua, Fr. Andrew Beltrami,
God (St.
Fr. Philip
Rinaldi, Bro. Simon Srugi...); the great missionaties: Cagliero, Fa-
gnano, Costamagna, Mathias, Cimatti; any typical Salesian;
the
r-elevtahneceproefseonutr:
the Congregation
wotk.
in
the
Church;
types
of
work;
4.1.3 The Salesian Fanily:
oPtuh-peilr--s;instthhtieteutppioarenssst:e, hnthits:etothPryeasoFtfMPtuhApei,lsFt.hMeAV, oolfonthtaedCeod-oipeDtaotnorsBoasncdoPaansdt
4.L.4 In tbe bomeland:
- Salesian
history
Family
and present situation of the Congregation
in the various Provinces and countries;
and
the
- outstanding Salesians.
4.2 Values
4.2.1 Oar mission (Const. 1-39):
-
-
-
-
Cons-t.
the Salesian charism in the Church (cf. Const. Sect I);
those we work {or (cf. Const. Sect II);
what we work for (cf. Const. Sect. III);
principal works (cf. ,Const. Sect. IV);
collaboration with the local Church and civic bodies
Sect. V).
(cf.
4.2.2 Our spirit (Const. VI - Reg' 76):
-
-
-
at the centre: "pastoral love" (cf. Const. 40);
derived from the Gospel (Const. 41);
expressed in:
our work (Const.' 42-44);
our relations with others (Const. 45-47);

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80
our relations \\pith God and the saints: spirituality of action
(Const. 48, 67), use of t}e Sacraments (Const. 23, 6L-62), devotion
to the Blessed Virgin (Const. 21,c, 65);
-Aspseucmt mtoafeym: pShaalessisiaen;
sanctity.
centrality
of
the
Eucharist,
membership
of the Mystical Body, Marian spirituality.
4.23 Our netbod (see Const. L6, 25; Reg. 88, 90): the pre-
ventive system of Don Bosco and its present-day applications.
4.2.4 Our cornnunion and consectation (Const. 34-38; 50-98):
-
-
-
-
the Salesian community; the fraternal life of co-responsibility;
the Salesian priest and the Salesian brother;
our consecration as "religious and apostles" (Const. 68);
the evangelical counsels in the life of the Salesian.
4,2., Our organization (,Const Sect. V):
-
-
-
-
-
juridical situation of the Congregation in the Church;
principles of its organization (Const. lD-L27);
structufes at top level;
structures at Provincial level;
structures at local level.
4,3 Sources
4.3.L Salesian uritings:
guide--linefmsoerfothtrhoedintsoetrufpdrryeetsaoetfiaorDnc)ho; n(teBcoosmcmo eannddedthreeaCdoinnggreogaftitohne; sources;
- Salesian authors (esp. Lemoyne, Amadei, Ceria, Caviglia .,.);
- Salesian bibliography.
N.B. There follows a suggestd allocation of the literarure for
the various stages of training:
4,3,2 Pre-nooiciate: Iife of Don Bosco; the extent, scope etc,
of the Congegation.

9 Pages 81-90

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9.1 Page 81

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81
4.33 Noaitiate Proqeri
-
4.L,4-,
serious study of Don Bosco (4.1.L); some of the Biog. Mem's;
introduction to t}e subjects iudicated in nos. 4.1.2, 4.L3,
4.2.3, based on the Constitutions, Regulations, and Acts of the
SGC.
4.3.4 Post-noaitiate: the following are merely suggestions for
the guidance of the responsible superiors. Two phases are envisaged:
f.rstt the themes in nos. 4.1.7, 4.L.2, 4.1.r, 4.L'4, 4.3.1;
second,t nos 4.2,1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4, 4,2.5.
4.3.5 Tbe year preceding perpetual profession: 4.1.1,4.2.2,
4.2.4.
4.4 Essentia:|, bibliography in Italian
4.4.L Source ruaterial
S. GIoveNln Bosco: Mernorie dell'Oratorio 1815-1855, EAtz'
Ceria - SEI, 1946.
S. GrovnNxr Bosco: Vita del giottanetto Saaio Domenico, To-
rino 1859.
S. GroveNNr Bosco: Epistolatio, Ediz. Ceria, 4 volumi, Torino
sEI 1955.
DoN Grov. BoNerm: Cinque lusni di storia dell'Oratotio sale-
siano..,, Torino L892, 744 PP.
Lwtonve, Arvtnnu, Cenrl: Memotie Biografi'che, San Benigno
Canavese e Torino, 20 volumi, 1898-1948.
4.4.2 History ol Don Bosco and the Congregation
[Jna aita di Don Bosco: Lpr,rovm (l9ll-1l.); Selorrr (1929);
Aveonr {1929); Aurpnev (1929); Crnre (t949\\; Hpunr Bosco
(re64).
(Jna uita di Don Ruaz Aw.*ou (me volumi, l93l-r4) Aurrnev
(1,%2); Cpnre (L949).
E. Crnre: Annali della Societh Salesian, Torino SEI, 4 volumi
t94t-5L.
6

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82
M. \\7rnru: Don Bosco e i Salesian. l5O anni di storia. Torino
LDC, 1970.
M. Mor.runnrs: Don Bosco ined.ito. Colle Don Bosco 1974,
485 pp.
nel
Urrrcro Srevpe
rnond, Torino, l
Direz. Generale Opere
Edlz. 1956, 3u Ediz,
Don Bosco:
L964.
Don
Bosco
4.4.3 Various stud.ies ol Don Bosco and, tbe Salesian aocation
-
LDC-
Eucelrro Crnre: Don Bosco con Dio,
F. DesneMAUT: Dart Bosco e la
1968.
Colle Don Bosco 1947.
uita spirituale, Torino
PAS--VerlPag. ,SVroplr..tIl,.
Don Bosco
1968; Vol.
nella storia
II, 196g.
della
religiositd
cattolica,
ma 1-96IP. . Bnerpo: Religiosi nuoui per il mondo del lauoro, Ro_
Costi-tuziJo.niAruinnnnoyv:atUen. aTouriainocbLeDcoCnd1u9c7e4a. ll'amore. Commento delle
4.4.4 Don Bosco, tbe educator, and bis method
1943-,
A. Cevrcr,re:
609 pp.
Sauio
Domenico
e
Don
Bosco,
Torino
SEI
sco, -l95lP-5.2R.rcnLDoNE: Don Bosco educatore, 2 vol. Colle Don Bo-
Lag, 2-
P. Bneroo: Il sistema preuentiao d.i Don Bosco, pAS-Ver-
E&2, 1964 (edizione ,breve: Don Bosco, Brescia, La Scuola,
t96e).
- AA.W.: Il metodo preuentiao (Settimana di studio).
4.4.5 Tbe Salesian Family
sEI,-195E2.. CBnle,: I Cooperatori Salesian. Un po' di storia. Toftno
Sales-ianoJ,.
Aunny: Una uocazione concreta
Roma, Ufficio Naz. Cooperatori
nella Cbiesa: Cooperatore
Salesiari, 1972, )Zt pp.
- Nuouo Regolarzzeruto dei Cooperatori Salesiani, Roma, 1974;
Commento di Don Mario Midalr,, 1974.

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_8r_
Rom-a
Costituzioni e Regolameruti delle
1971, (Tre volumetti di Studi a
Volontarie di
cvra di Don
Don Bosco,
S. Maggio).
LDC-
La
1973.
Famiglia
Salesiana
riflette
sulla
sua
oocazione,
Torino
2. Focus on problems facing the Provincial Chapters '75
l. Nature ol the PC'75s
1.1 According to art 178 of the Constitutions, the Provincial
Chapter should be called every 3 years. The Chapters in question
fall into this categoiy.
L.2 Again, in accordance with no. 761.10 Ec 12 of the Acts
of the SGC, the Provincial Chapters '75 have definite aims that
are common to all the Provinces, although they may treat of othet
business as well (See Const. 177).
2. Aims ol tbe PC'75s
2.1 These aims are: to see how far the recommendations of
the Special Provincial Chapter have been put into efiect, and hence
to judge how the recommendations of the SGC on renewal are
working out in the Province.
2.2 It follows that is quite futile for the PC'75 to be teduced
to a second run-through of the SPC. There is a double risk.
2.2.1 It would be a waste of an opportunity for honest
thinking and straight talking: in fact, a massive waste of time.
2.2.2 Then the whole process of renewal would become utterly
discredited in the eyes of the confrEres, by now saturated with fine
theories and disgruntled at continued failure to get something positive
ofi the ground.
'S7e are at the critical stage now where one good, solid step
forward will be worth a hundred steps on 'paper.

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3. Methods
3.L The PC'75 may decide to confine its attention to the tfuee,
fow or five areas that seem to be the most important, instead of
dealing with everything enacted in the SPC. If this is done, the
choice of agenda can be made by the Provincial and his Council,
and/or an ad hoc committee meeting before the Chapter.
Specimen priority areas would be: renewal of prayer life in the
Salesian community; new forms of youth apostolate; pastoral work
in the schools; the training system, etc.
One thing, however, cannot be omitted from the proceedings,
and that is, the changes and general reshufling mentioned in the
Act of the SGC, no. 398. Howevsr the SPC decided to set about
it, this is a priority arca and cannot be shelved.
3.2 The lines of action and resolutions of the SPC should be
worked up fot the PC'75 either by the Provincial and his Council
ot by an ad hoc committee.
3.3 These shquld decide on the key-men or key-groups (e.g.
formation teams, delegates for particular sectors, consultative bodies,
etc.) who, at the SFC, were made responsible for executing the policies
mentioned in the last parugraph.
3.4 They should also examine the difficulties or resistance en-
countered in the course of getting things moving after the SPC.
3.5 And how far the objectives set for the SGC renewal have
been teached.
3.6 It is then a matter of ,making definite proposals for
ptoceeding with the renewal process for the next period in the light
of what vill have emerged fuom 3.4 and 3.5.
4. Tbe report ol tbe Prouincinl and bis Council on PC'75
at
4.1 In Document
no. 761.12: "At a
20
conv-e'Pnioesntt-ctiampeitutlhaer
RPerocgtorarmMmagjo' -r
\\rs 1s2d
and some
members of the Superior Council will arrange meetings with the
Provincials of the difierent regions to take stock of the progress

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85
that has been made in the implementation of the directives of the
General Chapter. Before this meeting takes place the Ptovincials
must send t; the Superior Council a report prepared by them and
their Council and approved by the Provincial Chapter, setting out
how the demees of the Special General Chapter are being applied in
theit Provinces."
4.2 There are a number of ways of combining the report with
the work of the pC (cf. no. 2 above). Here are some suggestions:
4.2.L The report can be prepared as indicated in no. 3 of the
present docu,ment and submitted to the PC'75 for discussion and
modiEcation. The separat€ parts will be voted on fust, and then
tlere will be a vote for the whole package.
4.2.2 The second possibility is that Provincial and his Council
base the ,report on the ebb and flow of discussion in the PC and
submit it for approval, fust piecemeal and then as a whole, as the
work of the Chapter proceeds.
4.2.3 A thitd alternative is for the Provincial and his Council
to consider the Acts of the Chapter itself as the report' The voting
figures should be induded.
3. The erection of Vietnam as a Special Delegation
Tbe Rector Maior bas issued tbese two documents, dated' l2tb
July,1974.
a) Drcnm oF EREcrroN
The Rector Major, whereas
- for various reasons of a geographical, historical, social, political,
cultural, etc. nature, the ends for which the Delegation of Vietnam
was constituted part of the Ptovince of Hong Kong have not been
achieved;
Provi-ncethoef
Delegation of Vietnam is
Hong Kong with regard
at pr€sent independent
to finances, vocations,
of the
supply
of personnel and the general lines of the apostolate;

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-85-
do n-otthpeerdmifieitretnhceesfoarnmdathtieondiostafncaestrsueeparPartionvginthceiatlwCoomcomuuntnriiteys,
as required by article L62 of the Constirutions;
situa-tionf;otrhaellSthaelesseiarneawsoonrsk
it is undesirable to maintain the present
in Vietnam has not yet developed far
enough to be erected into a Vice-province;
frEres-
in view of the result of
of the vietnam Delegation
t}e consultation between the con-
and the provincial and provincial
Council of Hong Kong, and
Coun-cil,
a favourable vote
which has srudied
having been
the problem
obtained from the
with grear care,
Superior
- has decided to constitute the Salesian houses of Vietnam
a Spgcial. Delegation directly dependent on rhe Rector Major, according
to the prescription and conditions to be determined in due course.
b) Tns JURTDTcAL srATUs oF THE DELEGATE ron VrBrNeu
l. Designation: he is appointed by the Rector Major with his
Council (cf. Const. 166).
2. Powers: he governs the Delegation on behalf of and with
powers delegated by the Rector Ma,jor, with whom he is expected
to keep in close contact through the Regional Councillor. He should
keep the Regional well in-formed on how the Delegation is faring
and seek his advice in fficult cases.
3. Corupetence:
a) General principle: the delegate's coryetence is similar to
a Provincial's. He will therefore exercise all the pour€rs proper to
a Provincial, except those which are expressly limited or excluded,
either from the nature of the Delegation itself or because it is spe-
cified below.
b) tbe Delegatiorz Coancil: this is set up as a Council com-
posed of four members, appointed by the Rector Major with his
council from a short list prepared by the Delegate after consultation
with the members of the Delegation. This Council operates along
the same lines as a Provincial Council, and must be consulted in all

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-87 -
those cases where the Constitutions and Regulations require the vote
or the opinion of the Provincial Council'
c) Adrnissionsi the Delegate, with a favourable vote from his
council, may aA'nit candidates to the novitiate, and can also dismiss
them; further, he can admit candidates to ptofession, either temporary
or perpetual and to orders. He must always have tle consent of
his Council.
4. Sorne lirnitations.
a) Rectors are atrrpointed by the Rector Major with his Council,
after consulting the Deiegate, who in turn will have consulted the
confrBres.
b) The decisions set out in articles 187 and 189 of the Con-
stitutions must be submitted to the Regional Superior for apptoval.
4. GonfrBres who leave the priesthood
The Rector Maior bas sent the followng letter, dated 27.7.1974,
to Proaincials about "our brotbers uho leaue not only the Congregation
but tbe priesthood as uell."
Dear Fr, Provincial,
I wish to discuss with you a subject that gives me great pain:
I mean out brothers who leave not only the Congtegation but the
priesthood as well.
Unfortunately, these cases are no longer the rare events they
were not so long ago. They happen tlrroungh a combination of
causes that affect certain people.
Clearly, with our pastoral responsibility we cannot stand by
idle in the face of t}is serious pr€nomenon which our Congregation
has not been spared.
So what do we do? There are obviously no specific remedies
for the malady, and sometimes it is hap,py release for the community
and the person. But I think that ttrere are certain things to be

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_88_
taken into consideration and acted upon, so that we can say, in all
conscience, that we have done all we can to avoid these misiortunes.
In praptice I should say that a generul preventive measure is
to make su,re that there is a strong spiritual life in the community
and the individual confrEres. This needs patience and perseverance,
but the qpiritual life is as important
blood to our bodies: without it we
to our vocarion as air and
find very grear fficulty in
ovetcoming the hazards that confront us with a subtlety and blatancy
un-known in other tines.
This seems ro me to be a fundamental point: for confumation,
you just have to look at the sad petitions put in by so many of
these confrbres, I won't go into details here, but I do not hesitate
to repeat: only by establishing and maintaining real spirituality can
we hope to ofler the confrBres adequate support to face the strains
and .ti{ficulties of life today.
But there is more to it than a filtd, relationship with God
expressed in communify and personal prayer: there must be fraternal
charity in pulling together to perform the duties of our consecrated
life.
I think that whatever labours each Provincial puts into his task
will be an invaluable service to the Prov,ince. Here I want to stress
the absolute necessity of personal contact between the provincial
and every single confrBre. I,f such contact is to create a dimate
of confidence, friendship and trust, the Provincial must make his
stay with the community long enough. Frequent flying visits to
deal with this problem and the other do nothing for such contacts,
which require a calm assessment of the situation on the part of the
Provincial. I know that the Provincial has a hundred and one problems
on his mind. True; but the problem on t}e Provincial's plate that
has absolutely top priority is that of his men. Other matters can
be delegated to others, but who, apart from the Provincial, is
going to study and solve the problems of the Salesian? But surely
thete's a Rector in the house? Of course there is; and goodness
only knows how often he himself needs rhis conract and help. I
repeat: the Provincial bears a very heary burden, but I cannot
srress too heavily that his absolute priority is the interests of the
confrEre, who are the chief assets of the Province.

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-89-
If. any furthet conf,rmation is required, I may add that I have
had all this personally from the confrEres themselves, who have
shown how much they appreciate the good that is done by visitations
carried su1 s4lmly, with individual interviews and participation in
the various acts of community life.
For the rest, I would point out that the direction of the Provincial
Community
Regulations
a- nd
not chiefly about
and this comes out strongly in the Constitutions,
the Orange Book
administration and
-businisesess, sbeunttidalilryecptlaysotor rinadl.ireItcdiys
about souls.
It is of the greatest importance, then, that the Council should
be a generator of pastoral plans for the Provincial Community, pro-
viding the objectives to aim at and the ways to achieve them. One
cannot help wondering if certain frustrations, failures and desertions
are not evidence of a lack of a well-defined pastoral poliry.
I acknowledge the dificulties that can crop ,up here and there
in putting all this into efiect, but together we need to face the fact
that there is simply no other way of asserting the highest values and
interests. \\ilfe have to get our teeth stuck into it decisively and
courageously; ev€n though results are not immediately forthcoming,
it is quite certain that the work will be richly blessed.
I leave it to you and your Council to see what practical steps
can be taken along these lines in the Province.
Then thete are the cases where, in spite of everything, deep
personal crises suddenly come to a head and there is no way of
fielding the situation. In such cases, the question is: was it really
unforeseen? Surely eruption-point was reached only after a con-
siderable period of agonizing with all sorts of warning-signals going
unheeded. lV'hat can one say to this except to teitetdte to Provincials
and Rectors how important it is to keep a ,brotherly eye on the
confrBres? This means trying to understand them, helping them
over the d;ffcult periods, keeping t}em out of siruations whidr, fot
one reason or the other, could become embarrassing ot equivocal,
and pulling them up when undesirable elements cr€ep into their
conduct or activities.
It happens all too often that there is a fine old traffic in ctiti-
cism of a certain confrBre going on among the community, but no

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-90-
one, ce,rtainly not the Superior, bothem to tell the man himself!
And when he's gone, they wonder why.
But even when the crisis is really serious, it is the Superior's
duty to do his utmost to avoid the maling of precipitate decisions.
So we talk things over patiendy with the confrBre and invite him
to reflect and pray; then there should be every opportunity for a
spiritual retreat under the guidance of a suitable mentor.
In short, as I said before, we must be in a position to say
prtehrceaovtmeenmvtaeetrniyvdtehfioansgrdph6ranise-sbtseetahnlasdotoigntoeies-s
eqpecially in the way of. timely
our serious duty to do. !flhat I
for confrEres who are asking for
a dispensation from their vows, especially perpetual ones. I often
feel that, given the proper attention in time, a number of these
confrbtes would have been saved for the Congregation.
For priests seeking lucizaion, I would like it to be known
that the Holy See turns down some requests because the rea.sons
given are not good enough.
Iflhich all goes to confum, I think, what I have been saylng
in this letter, and invites us all to reflection.
Vhilst we are on this point, here is a recommendation. When
the Provincial has done all he can and he has to forward the
details of the case, he should make sure that there is a full account
of what he has done, either personally or through others, to help the
confrEres to overcome the crisis. \\7e are Fathers and Pastors dealing
with out confrEres: we cannot be mere functionaries requiring a
signature on the dotted line.
There is another matter often coru:ected with the subject under
discussion: that is the status known technically as 'absentia a domo.'
First let us be quite clear about the li,mitations placed on this
concession when it is ganted to the Provincial by the Rector Major:
it applies only to priests.
But this permission in the mind of the Church is granted ron
THE GREATER GooD oF THE AppLrcANT. And so, according to the
provisions of the Holy See, the con-frBre, who is absent but still
a Salesian, should receive spiritual help from his Superiors, who
must maintain contact with him for that purpose.
Now, I don't see how absence from th" hoor", with all it

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implies, especially in certain highly dubious situations which are
already compromised anryay, can possibly ofier a solution that is
for the greater good of the confrEre, at least in certain types of
spiritual crisis. And I don't know any comforting examples of men
returning from this limbo.
But this means that such an absence cannot go on indefinitely.
\\7ell, what sense is there in it? (Note that Provincial grants it for
one year only in each case). There arc situations here that are quite
irregulat, and, undortunately they reflect badly on the confrBres and
the communities. I know that one cannot generalize, but it is as
well to remember the purposes for which the Church grants these
exceptions, whilst trying to prevent abuses.
And now we ar€ back again on the subiect of the vpcations
crisis and its root causes. rJTe complain about the scarcity of
vocations. But what about our own witness, individual and collective?
This, after all, is one of the critical sectors in the business. If our
witness
entirely
inseagamtivuet,kyanadfraarLdt,moirtasbelyrioaudsalyptleadcktiong,croerat-ing
vp'sa1i5nsfusl dclrlis-es
for the memibers of the community, it will hardly contribute much
to attracing vocations. Youngsters are generous, but they are very
demanding when it comes to crcdibility and sincerity.
Finally I want to draw your attention to a danger stemming
from the scarcity of Vocations. There may be a temptation to widen
the mesh to allow through candidates with various deficiencies.
This woutrd be a serious mistake and a source of great harm
to the Province and the Congregation. Today more than ever the
screening must be very stringent. The Province will not be revitalized
by large numhrs entering in job lots, but by the careful training
of ,men who who are suited to the vocation.
But it is quite useless to make a first-class personnel selection
at the outset if these same people are to be neglected during the
training period. At this moment in the Congregation's history this
is a really vital point. It has been discussed in all the meetings
of Provincials; the standards to be set have been clarified and worked
over. IJTe deviate from these standards at the risk of wrecking, in
one way or the other, vocations 'that were perfecdy good at the
start. A check must be made to see if this is happening in the

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Province. There are reports of yorrng confrBres in training being
placed in situations in which nothing is ,being done for them. It is
a gtave responsibility.
Today morc tlan ever our young men have need of solid for-
mation, which is subordinated to an overall plan. The com,m,nity
entrusted with its working-out will set the genuine Salesian stamF
to it, largely through t}e presence of trained instructors, who will
see to it that their products measure up to the needs of our mission
tday.
I invite you to think over tlre contents of this letter with your
Council. I think you will find it useful for the aposrolate in the
Province and, above all, of service to the confrErcs.
I would like to receive your ideas and suggestions on the
subject.
May the Lord help us and strengthen us in our com-on work.
Fr. Lurcr RrccBnr

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VI. FBOM THE PROVINCIAL NEWSI-ETTERS
Publication of an item in this news-exchange section (cf. Orange
Book 763, 3 b) does not necessarily imply a value-judgement on
the part of the Superior Council.
l, Two enterprises in the Pacific-Garibbean Region
A "Regional Continuous Forruation Centre" and a "Salesian
Reflection Group" haae been set up in tbe Region. See Central
Arnerican PN, July '74, p. l).
The Continuous Formation C,enue: this lively organization provides
training in salesianiti and impoftant services in this field. It will
operate in Quito, the fust course to run from December, 1974, to
lanuary, 1975, arrd another from
Salesian Refection Gtoup:
July to
this is
September, 1975.
a sort of 'think-tank'
on
Salesian themes, which will then be usd for discussion at meetings
held for the purpose, with a view to publication.
The group will study the life of Don Bosco to find leads on
Salesian life today; the lives of the outstanding membets of the
Salesian f.areily will be presentd in a new light and in a way avuTable
to Latin-American youth. One of its activities will be the translation
and adaptation of studies carried out in other Regions.
The Director of the Centre and Co-ordinatot of the Group will
be Fr. Peruza.
2. Thailand Province - a bright spot in a soinbre landscape
Tbe ILO {International Labour Organization), in a recent report
on "Tbe Technical Scbool in Thailand," painted a generally bleak
scene, but rnade an exception ol tbe Don Bosco Scbool in Bangkok.

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94
Here is a samrrary ol tbe report giaen in the Tbai Neusletter (July,
1974).
Broadly spealing, very few of the pupils turned our by the
technical schools in Thailand go on to become specialized operarives
in industry; and those who do make it want to ger into a white-
collar job as soon as possible. The result is that precious litde
use is made of technical-school training.
Jt is rliferent, however, at the Don Bosco Technical School,
where the pupils who pass out with their diplomas go into industry
as specialized technicians. This is due to a number of factors that
are dificult to reproduce in other schools.
To begin with, the Don Bosco School selects its pupils. Th.y
must be poor orphans, and they must we willing to work. If
their status is wrong, they are not admitted; and if they don't
knuckle down to work, they don't stay. In spite of these requirements,
the number of applications always far exceeds the number of places.
Secondly, besides the instruction in trade theory and practice
required by the law, the School meates the worksiruation, in which
the pupils are engaged in actual production organized on ,a semi-
commercial basis, with the orders being accepted by the head-master
as part of a regular contract.
Thirdly, the instructors are Past Pupils of the School who have
akeady had industrial experience. Fourthly, the members of the
stafi bring an exceptionally high degree of porsonal dedication to
their task, and they try to pass on to their pupils the spirit of
work. If visitors pass through their work-shop, the boys are not
distracted. And if some are called away from their benches to ralk
with the visitors, they go straight back to their work.
Many fir,ms in Thailand demand a guarantee in hard cash that
their new employees will not indulge in absenteeism or orher evasive
action; but not with the boys from the ,Don Bosco School, because
word has got about that the Salesian boys are "very good at their
job and want to work."
Next, there is efficient machine-maintenance: when a machine
breaks down, the instructors and the pupils repair it rogether. In
patent contrast with the govefirment institutions, at the Don Bosco
School the water-supply, plumbing and drains acfually work.

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And finally, the School continues to maintain close contact with
its past ,pupils. Furthermore, it welcomes suggestions from its cus-
tomers for the improvement of its work.
3. Bilbao Province - average age 34 years, 3 months
The aueraqe age ol tbe confrlres ol tbe Bilbao Prouince uill
doubtless be tbe object of enuy in not a lew Prouinces {PN tor
lune, L974, p. 12).
At the time of the General Chapter there was a calculation
made of t}e average age of the Society. It worked out at 42
yea,rs.
In the age groupings, our Province was in the first group with
the average age at under 35.
The most recent calculation was made fot the Provincial's report
to the Superior Council, and it stands at 34.25.
- 4. Province of Buenos Aires Gourses for radio
and TV announcers
Since L968 tbe Higber Institute lor' Social Cornmunications,
"Cos6l," has been operating at tbe Prouincial House in Baenos Aires
under tbe direction ol losd Calao, S.D.B. There follows a risurni
ol the account ol bis work publisbed in the Buertos Aires PN for
June, 1974, pp. 12-14.
In 1970 the Cosal Institute was recognizud by the competent
department of government and its students can now obtain the
professi,onal qualiGcation for the Federal Broacasting Committee. This
year the course has been extended from two to three years. Included
in the course are: Spanish morphology, syntax and phonology, the
phoneticts of the principal (European)
English, French, German and Italian,
- languages (except Russian)
practical uaining in the tech-
niques of radio, TV and filrn-dubbing. There is also an introductory

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course in the philosophy of comm.unications and a course of theology
extending over the tfuee years.
In L969 the Institute awarded its first five announcers' diplomas,
and the numbers increase each year. Today 65Vo of the total number
of qualiEed announcers working professionally in the country are
accounted for by the Institute. It is equipped with a complete
wireless studio, where the students practise their techniques and also
record programmes for commercials. There is a television studio
with limited resoulres, but enough to give the srudents experience
with closed circuit TV. The Institute is supported solely by the
fees of the students, who gain experience in handling money by
collaborating in the administration through a committee set up for the
purPs€.
The object of the Cosal Institute is to introduce into the world
of the mass media a band of competent professionals who will not
be afraid of being Christians.

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VII. PONTIFICAL MAGISTERIUM
1. World Mission Day 1974 in view of the Floly Year
In bis lfiessage lor "Vorld, Mission Day 1974," Paal VI rerninds
as that, il ue are to becorne really nissions-conscious, ue naust undergo
a radical spiritual rcneual (frona "L'Osseroatore Ror?zatuo," Veekly
Edition, 'L5tb Augast, t974\\.
Introduction
Once again, in the light of the mystery of Pentecost, whidr
signalled the beginning of the mission activity of the Chutch, we
wish to announce Annual Mission Day next October.
This celebration is set like a jewel in the crown of Holy Year,
which proposes, with its theme of renewal and reconciliation in
Christ, an objective of universal dimensions. But this is achieved
only to the extent that mankind knows and recognises Christ. As
an action which makes Christ known to the peoples and aims at
renewing and reconcfing them with him and in him, evangeLzaion
means extending t}e range and degree of knowledge and acceptance
of his Person and his Message. It broadens the vista of lggsacilisdon
in justice and charity.
As we disclosed in the BulJ,, Apostolorum Limina, declaring Holy
Year L975, these fundamental reasons for the Jubilee demand, as a
necessary consequence, a more vigorous apostolic and mission activity
of the Church: "It is therefore necessary that during the Holy Year,
a noble gemmitmsng be again atoused in promoting evangelization,
which is unquestionably, consideted as the first point to be achieved
in the total picture of such activity. In fact, 'sent by God to men to
be the universal sacrament of salvation,' the pilgrim Chui& is mission-
ary by its very narure. Indeed as it renews itself along its historic
path, it prepares to welcome and deepen in faith the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, Son of God, and from it give the salvific ,nnouncement
with the word and the testimony of life."

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98
If, when declaring the Holy Year, we have asserted that "it
must reflect the Catholic character of lhe vocation to the Gospel,"
and that "it must give world dimensions to the heart of the Chrrrch,"
what better occasion is there actually to carry out a similar purpose
than in the celebration of Mission Day, called by its first promotors
"the true feast of apostolicity, the great day of Catholicism"? (cf.
Letter of Cardinal Van Rossum, former Prefect of the Sacred Congrega-
tion for the Propagation of the Faith, dated 8 Augusr, L927).
Missionary significance ol conoersion arud, reconciliation
Conversion, as required by baptism, does not present only the
negative aspect of removing and taking away sin, but also and
especially a positive aspect as is confumed by its etymological
- derivation of turning towards and approaching God and, in the name
- of God, onefs neigh'bour. For a true Christian, glorification of God,
love for him and the coming of his Kingdom are the principal objective
of li[e, in perfect harmony with the basic requests of the Our Fatber.
At this time, it is truly thanks to the Church's missionary activity
that "God is fully glorified when men in a conscious and whole-
hearted 'manner welcome t]re work of salvation it has fulfilled in
Christ. Thus, thanks to it, God's plan is being realised. Christ
consecrated himself to it in a spirir of obedience and love for the
glory of the Father who had sent him, so that all mankind may
form a single People of God, may reunite in the only Body of
Christ, and be built-up in the only Temple of the Holy Spirit.
And this, while reflecting fraternal harmony, is. a response to the
intimate desire of all men" (Decr. Ad. Gentes, 7),
This universal brotherhood, since we are members of the same
family together with Jesus Christ, as an older brother, under the
very same Father who is in heaven, calls for a conversion, an openness,
a drawing close to all of our brothers. And conversion obliges
usr.in tJ:e fitst place, to know them, since rile must love them and
Iikewise share with them the good things of a material as well as
of a moral and spiritual kind. One cannot, in fact, conceive of a
family in which some members starve and otlrers have everything;
in which.:some:.live exposed to the elements and others in comfortable
homes; in which some have never heard of Jesus Christ aad others

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have at hand all the means of salvation possessed by the Church.
If we form a single family with all men, brotherly love obliges
us also to reconcile with brothers of all races, languages, cultutes
and living conditions. To our "account" there are truly 'many sins
of omission and injustice, for which we should ask forgiveness from
our neighbour.
Reconciliation with our brothers includes the redress of such
lack of ,justice and charity, besides constituting the clearest sign
of our reconciliation with God: "If we love one another, God
abides in us" (L lo 4,7; cf. also Mt 4. 25).
The necessity and importance ol a reneual ol missionary forms
This concern for all men when we feel their problems as our
own, when we are profoundly awarc that "every man is our b'rother,l'
this keen desire to make amends for the selfishness of our coultries
gaendnuoinuresleylveevsan-geltihceasl eseanrscea,71a, espsaesnttoiarlaleleemfioenrttsof(orcopmlavnenrisnigon,
in a
and
reconciliation which necessarily flows towards a renewal in the entire
Church.
The formation of an authentic missionary consciousness must
rest upon a deep-rooted spiritual renewal: before preaching the Gospel,
it must needs be lived! It is the life of a Christian or community
that formulates its m,issionary announcement (cf. Act 3,44;5, 14).
If one has not fust personally proved to himself that Christ is the
Saviour, he will hatdly feel the necessity of making it known to
hoCithshueE,rrcnshr.y"cS(lAiinccAaelSFCi4adt9eh,iolDLic9oisr5um7u,m-p-.
as Our Prcdecessor Pius XII says in
i1 "*1s principal mark of the true
237), this Catholicism, which means
universal missionary spirit, should be a principal element in the
pastoral work of the individual Churches, in which subsists, alive
and working, the very being of the Church, and should itself shape
the whole pastoral action which it intends to renev/. "Nor must
it be forgotten," adds the same Encyclical, "that this spiritual mis-
sionary fervour, stimulated in your dioceses, is a token of renewed
religious vitality with which they will be kindled... If, then, supernatural
Iife consists in charity and is increased by the commitment to give

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of oneself, we can rightly state that the Catholic life of any counrry
it whatever is ,measured by the sacrifices that spontaneously assu-es
and sustains by mission work" (ibid., p. 243).
This ,principle finds confirmation in Vatican Council II: "The
gtace of renewal cannot develop ,in the communities if every one
of them does not broaden the extent of its charity to the ends of
the earth, showing for those who are f.ar away the same concern
it has for those who are their own members" (Decr. Ad Gentes, 37).
Necessity and. urgency ol eaangelization
Our incorporation rinro the life itself of the Christ, begun in
Baptism, growing with Confumation and perfected in the Eucharist,
commits us totally to the divine plan of salvation which he came
to accomplish on earth. Yes, it ,is true that God "w.ants all men
to be saved and to arrive at knowledge of the trurh" (l Tirn 2, 4).
But this plan, revealed in a progressive way and reaching its cuLnina-
tion in Christ "mediator and fullness of all Revelation" (Dogm. Const.
Dei Verburu, 7), presents two specific characteristics. The salvific
plan is extended not only to some men or some groups of men,
burt to all men and all pmples. On the orher hand, "rhe call ro
faith and the response of the believer do not come about in an
isolated fashion and exclusive of any reciprocal tie," but in the bosom
of a people "that acknowledged him in the truth and faithfully served
him" (Dogm. Const. Lurnen Gentium, 9, cf. Decr. Ad. Gentes, 2).
This People of God, the communitarian subject of the faith and
supernatural life, is the Church, to whose keeping the Revelation
has been entrusted, not to be sa,feguarded underground but placed
at the disposal of all men (cf. Decr. Ad Gerltes, l, 29, 35; Dem.
Apost. Actuos., 2; Dogm. Const. Lurnen Gentiunt, '13). Ve hope
and trust that, during the Holy Year, all the faithful and all the
communrities will take cognizance of dris universal missionary com-
mitment, which, deriving from the very missionary narure of the
Catholic Church, is also proper to all the Churches and local com-
munities, as well as to each and every Christian.
We consider, furthermore, rhat the HoIy Spirit, which always
works in perfect harmony wi,th the salvific plan of the Father and

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the essentially missionary nature of the Church, at the same time
performs a converging two.fold movement. On one side, it urges the
non.Christian peoples towards the Church, and, on the other, infuses
the souls of the baptised with the missionary spir'it, Christ from
heaven
in the
-worthlde,
Cinouonrcdilerstatotesle-ad
th,rough the Spirit "works unceasingly
men to the Church" (Dogm. Const.
Lunen Gentium, 48). "The Holy Spirit unifies the entite Church,
animating the ecclesial institutions and instilling the same missionary
spirit in the hearts of the faithful, which he was charged to do by
Christ Himself" (Decr. Ad Gentes, 4).
Now is tbe time
The work of evangelization, ,besides ,being necessary, is urgent:
fust of all, because of divine charity, which is the supreme reason
which motivates it, and then also as a reply to the great spiritual
need of the present-day world. Caritas Cbristi urget lrot (2 Cor 4,
4). From the time that St. Paul expressed that precept, the religious
panorama in the world presents characteristics ,that worry and sadden
us. The growth of the missionary activity of the Church is too
slow. It is customary to say by way of excuse that the Church
should imitate the patience of God. This is true: God is patient
because
profess
he
to
is eternal; God has his hour, nor can we in our anxiety
advance God's hour. !7e do, however, forget that it is
we, with our guilty selfishness, our indolence and lack of missionary
zeal, who force, so to speak, God to show himself patient, almost
as if maintaining the pace ,that we ourselves wish to keep.
God is love, and, as such, he earnestly wishes to com,municate
with men. Perhaps these words did not flow fiom the Heart of
Christ, burning like volcanic lava: "I am come to send fire on the
earth, and how I wish that it were abeady blazing"? (Lk 12,
49). Similarly, today's world, by the signs of our times, turns to
the Church to hasten to its aid and to respond fully to its increasing
disquiet and aspirations, Iike the Macedonian of St. Paul's vision:
"Come to Macedonia and, help us!" (cf. Acts 16, 9-10). Those
of us who are ,sons of the Church can and must reply as did the
Apostle of the Gentiles and repeat with him; "For though I preach

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the gospel, I have norhing of which to glory for necessity is laid
upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1
Cor 9, 16).
(Here the Pope declares thar the Pontifical Mission S7orks are
"an efiecdve,instrument for aiding evangelization," then he concludes):
We would like to terminate our Message by repeating the prayer we
read in the liturgy of the feast of the Patron Saint of Missions,
St. Francis Xavier: "O Lord, let your Church find her ioy in the
evangelisation of all peoples."
2. The insidious danger of secularism
Tbe greatest tenptation ol today is to stop at the 'borizontal'
wbilst denying tbat there is any
ignoring it. Religious are also
sucb thing as tbe 'aertical,'
liable to be caugbt up in
or
it,
iust
and
the Pope bad tbis to say about it in a general audience hetd 77th
July, t9742
In the school of the Council, a sdrool that should leave its
imFrint on the Cristian life of our time, we afe educated to look at
the world in which we live with optimism, ,respec and sympathy;
we believers, we Christians, we ,members of the Church. And by
wodd we mean here the real life of mankind, as it is, as it could
and should be, without for that reason hiding from our eyes its
ailments and its needs. On the contrary these negative aspects
of the human scene should be an incentive to approach it more
closely, to serve it more, because love is at the basis of our Christian
conception of the wodd. Love can discover a reason for its interest
where good exists, to recognizc it and enjoy it; and where evil
exists, to treat it and find a remedy for it.
This is a gteat "maturation" of Christian conscience and of
the general attitude of the Church in time and in society. !7e will
do well to cpnform our mentality with this view, whidr we can
say is, ,in a certain sense, a nevr one, with regard to the evalution
of the eistential panorama by which we are surrounded, without
thereby losing the deep and real sense of good and evil that is in

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the dramatic situation of our lives, and without departing from the
discipline of the Gospel and the Cross, which must guide to salvation
our pilgrim path on earth.
Secular and ciail progress
This view entails many consequerces, among which we will
note one now. First, the recognition, of a relative but real autonomy
of the secular world, that is, the world in which religion, or rather
the Church, does not exercise any direct authority; second, the
recognition of the "values" of this same secular world, the qualities,
vittues, works, institutions, in which it abounds and to which it
has given a prodigious development, in our times, with scientific
studies and politico-social organtzaions; third, we will have no ffi-
culty in recognizing that great advantages can be derived from mod-
ern culfure for better adherence to and a more eflective profession
of our faith.
I.et no one, therefore, believe that we are opposed on principle
to secular and civil progress in the wotld. Let no one accuse us
of religious "integralism," in the sense of wishing the natural woild
to be directly subordinated to the religious sphere in doctr'ine and
practice. I,et no one judge us as alien to everyday life, out-ofdate
as regards the evolution of history, an anachronistic supporter of
the past, blind and hostile to the aivilization of the future.
Let us bless the Lord, who, f,rom the very first 'page of the
Bffooibrrlehth,isetawcuoogstmhkto, suj,usdfog-rinegvweiitrtyh"tghtiohnogedts"ha(atcitsffi.ascG, trieoennfleltc,htian2tg1t,ihn2e5itC)sr-eeaxtisoatrdemnschireoawtaioenndd
essential composition the power, the wisdom of God, the planner,
the creator, the supporter of everything.
And let us bless the Lord for the subsequent revelation of
goodness, presence and love, which He deigned to ofler mankind
with the mysterious plan of salvation and with the intervention of
God's own 'Word in the magic and glorious history of man, and
then with a supernatural animation of the Spirit, through which a
"new creature" is to emerge from the plan of redemption (d. Rom
8,21; 2 Cor 5, 17).
But let us be careful, beloved brothers and sons!

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-L04_
Cornplete aiew ol tbe trutb
Let this optimism not rbetray us! Once more: let not the
view of a truth make us forget the complere view of truth. IThat
are we teferring to now? !7e are referring to the most dangerous
temptation of our time, the t€mptation to limit ourselves to the
"horizontal" sphere, as is said nowadays, neglecting, forgetting, and
fioully deying the "vertical" sphere; fixing our attention on the visible,
experimental, temporal and human field, while abdicating our vocation
for the kingdom of God, which is invisible, ine{tabli, eternal and
superhuman. ,Modern atheism has its most seductive and dangerous
origin in this choice, exclusively positive for things of this world,
and radically negative dor religious and specifically Christian things.
You certainly know the expressions, proudly concnete and unhap-
ptly tot^lltarian, at whid: this aberration of modern thought has
arrived. ft afirms with aggressive virulence that ",man is the supreme
being for man" (Marx), that anthropology must replace theology
(Feuetbach), that mankind is to be put in the place of the supreme
Being (Comte), that "God is dead" for modern man (I7. Hamilton,
etc.). Religion has no longer a raison d'6tre, for these prophets of
materialism, positivism, and social phenomenalism.
That rend of thought that claims for purely earthly and human
values their reality and their legitimate and rightful cultivation, is
called secularaation today. So far so good. But let us repeat: let
us be careful. If this mend is isolated and breaks loose from the
philosophical and religious foundations that are indispensable in the
construction of the whole truth, of real Reality, it advances along
a line where balance is impossible. ft ar once falls under the pull
of a negative gravitation; from secularization it tends to beco,me
secularism, from the distinction of particular positive values it tends
to lead
Thus it
to
is
denial of every other philosophical
swallowed up, in its fatal slide, by
and religious value.
agnosticism, laicism,
atheism, where thought lacks absolute and transcendent principles,
aonrdrempulascteeiitthewritrhenoaulinecneatainglosguicbasldatunrdesoobjfecwtieveaksypshtielomsoopfhitersutho,r
formidable revolutionary voluntarism: stat pro rutione uoluitas.
Allow us to repeat: let us be careful. The danger that we
ourselves, ilready raised to the level of Christian wisdom and to

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the firmness
victims of
of faith, may be swept away towards this
the fascinating weakness of secularism,
horizontalism,
derived from
an ,imprudent and yielding secularization, this danget exists and presses
hard on persons and movements that would seek to promote justice
in the world and man's liberation from so many sufierings. The
danger of considering valid the formula that limits adherence to
Chri t to the tact that He is "for others" (cf. Bonhoefier), as if
that were enough to recognize in Him the teacher and saviour,
without proclaiming the mystery of his divinity. The danget of
attributing absolute and exclusive rights to paftial values. The- danget
of accepting social formulas which,
,truggl. inlo a syst€m, inevitably
for example, by
tranform it into
erecting the class
class hatred, and
class'-hatted into a possible inhuman exercise of class power (cf'
Gulag Arcbipelago), with the eventual inability, for a follower of
Chril to urrig' to tlre love of God the first place in moral dynamics,
and to establish on this love an inexhaustible and pressing love
for his neighbour, for the man in need of elevation and equality.
And so on. There would be a great deal more to say; but let
it be enough for us now' to recall a sentence from a great teacher
of our civilization, St. Benedict: "Nihil amor Christi praeponere,"
put nothing before Christ's love.

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VIII. OBITUARIES
Fr. Jacobus aan Brakel
o* fZawgoel;le3, 6Neptrhoefr.lia2n8dsp: r2ie5s.6t;.t79L1R.ecttoNr, ijmegen, Netherlands: 1.4.1.1974. 50 years
He
then in
left for
Mexico,
the
he
missions soon after ondination. First in Cuba
worked tireles'sly for the good of religion and
and
the
peo,ple. For health reasons he rerurned to the Netherlands, where he
worked for Spanish immigmnts. On the l4th of last January he was
saying
us to
grace with the com,munity: "May
the banquet of everlasting life,"
the King of eternal
when he collapsed
glory
and
lead
died
from angina pectoris.
Bro. Felix Bilrger
t *-Bitawa, Upper Silesia, Poland.29.8.188l. Lima, peru: 25.7.L974.92 years
of. age, 66 proi.
he
H9 Iived
could still
his 56 years of Salesian Iife in work and
be of use to others, he went on working.
p- rAanyderw. .hIeflhnilhset
became too old for the active life, he spent his time in prayer and
rcading. An insatiable reader, he prefemed to read about the Congiegation.
Bro. Victor Clitberoe
* Siam, India: 4.8.1895. f Cape Town, South AIrica: 12.6.1974. 7g years
of age; 54 prof.
_ Except for th-nee years of teaching ar San Benigno, he spent his
salesian ltfe at the Institute in cape Town, where he did ouistand.ing
work as head of rhe printing department. He was a great personality]
open, simple and exemplary. He had a grcat attachment to Don Bosio
ayd
tlre
-baoyhsa.ppCyarsdipniarlitMthcCaat nmnahdiemhseimlf
well loved
presided at
by
the
everyone, especially
funeial, ar.d,-a large
number of past pupils were rhere as a last token of their gratituJe.

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-107-
Fr. Natale Dottino
* Turin, Italyl. 25.12.L887. t Modena, Italy: 29.6.1974. 86 years of age, 70
prof.; 61 pdest; 34 rector.
A long life spent in faithfully carrying out the commitments that
he had entered into as a youngster, once for all, and without grumbling.
He was a self-poosessed man who cultivated friendship as a form of
apostolate. He was a good teacher and for many years supetior, putting
his considerable abilities at the service of the com,munity. He was in
harness to within two days of his death.
Fr. Rufino Encinas
t * Geieuelo del Barro, Salamanca, Spai'3 22.5.1909. Deusto-Bilbao, Spain;
28.2.7974. 64 years old, 42 prof.; )2 piest; 22 rector; 6 vice-provincial.
His oustanding chatacteristics were his kindness (just before he died,
he was able to say that he had never wittingly harmed anyone) and
his total commi.tmetrt to the Congtegation. For ,many years he was
Rector in various houses, had charge of the Co-operators and vocations,
for which he had ofiered his life. His end was zudden, but it was a
long time coming, and painful. He had a malignant tumour that was
his Calvary. He wanted to die, and yet he had a great desire to
continue working.
Bro. Joseph Ferrari
t * Pittsfield, Massachusetts, U.S.A.: L0.7.1940. Newton, U.S.A.: 26.4.1974.
13 yars of. age; 14 prof.
He was known by all as 'Brother Rey,' and uras an artist by tem-
perament and ability. His gifts he used vell, especially for the boys,
with whom tre was the reaL Salesian. He went suddenly, but not befote
the conftdres had come to know of the vicious head-aches he had
carried about with him with Christian fortitude.
Fr. Francesco Ferrarino
t * Grazzaao, Asti, Italy: 2L.3.1914. Madrid, Span; 24.2.1974. 61 years old;
4) prof.; 3l priest.
He brought to his work as educator and priest a complete dedication,
leaving in the houses where he had worked an example of kindness,

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understanding and readiness for anything. He worked steadlily and
unobtrusively as ,spiritual guide in the confessional. A malignant ttunoru
interrupted his exemplary life.
Fr. loaquin Franga
f * Queluz, Sao Paolo, Brazil: 11.11.1896. Sao Jos6 dos Campos, Brazil:
26.6.1974. 77 years old; 58 prof.; 50 priest; 32 rector.
!7hile he was still a young priest, God placed on his shoulders the
heavy cross of infumity, which kept him on a li'mited round of activities
for 47 years till his death. He poured great efiort into spreading
dsvotion to our Lady arLd Don Bosco in the town, and ran a lively
C,o.operators'Centre. Death overtook him while his confrBres and friends
were preparing to celebrate his golden jubilee of ordination. His body
rests alongside that of the Servant of fu Fr. Rudolph Komorek.
Fr. Bernard Gaffney
f * Newcastle-on-Tyne, Englandt 4.9.L901. Sliema, Malta: 5.6.1974.72 yeas old;
45 prof.; 37 priest.
He came to the Congregation as a late vocation. He taught music
and history, and for three years taught English at Quito. On his return
to England, his services as confessor in Spanish proved to be very useful.
For the last four years of his life he was priest-in-charge of the Salesian
church of St. Patrick's at Sliema. He died suddenly, after only two
days of illnsss.
Mons. Mauricio Magliano
f * S. Isidro, Buenos Aites, fugentina: 22.1.L920. Pico Truncado, fugentina:
31.5.1974. 54 years old; 36 ptof..; 25 priest; 6 rector; 13 Bishop of Rio Gallegos,
Argentina.
As Rector and Parish Priest of Rio Gallegos he had shown great
capabilities as pastor and organizer, and when Rio Gallegos was made
into a diocese in 1961 he was appointed bishop. He laboured diligendy
and selflessly for his flock scattered over the 100,000 sq. miles of his
diocese. He worked with the parish-priests, the Salesians and the Salesian
Sisters, organizing Eucharistic and Marian congresses in their houses and

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meetings of superiors and boys. He preached unity, peace and faith
to all. He was loved and respectod by everyone for his warmth and
understanding, and for his constant concern for the poor and the lowly.
God called him to his reward while he was going round his diocese.
His unexpectod death caused deep gtief everywhere.
Fr. Teodoro Mattiel
f o Villanova, Motta di Livenza, Treviso, Italy: 10.1.1913. Pordenone, Italy:
L5.5.1974. 61 years old; 42 ptot.; 32 priest. .
His put his lively disposirion generously at the disposal of Don
Bosco in his preaching, teac-hing and vork for the Past Pupils. He
retained a lively awarenss of the long sacrifices made by his mother
for his sake, and he was always attentive to her needs in her widowhood.
Fr. lanbo Mernik
t * Galusak, Slovenia, Jugoslavia: L.r.l9L4. Ramos Mejfa, Argentina: 12.5.1974.
60 yeam old; 39 prof.; 30 priest.
As a young priest he was teacher and assistant, aod he worked very
hard for orphan boys and indigent families. After four years in con-
cen*ation camps, he was sent to the Province of Buenos Aires to look
aftet the ,many Slovenian immigrants who lived there. He spent most
of his life at Ramos Mejla, working for his fellow- countrymen, especially
the young, for whom he procuted schooling and jobs. He orgadzed
the ,magnificent Ateneo Don Bosco, which the people hold in high regard.
He was responsible for inspiriry and guiding many vocations to the
priesthood and the religious life, the fruit of his own example of a
Li,fe spent for others.
Fr. Michele Molineris
" Bibiana, Turin, Italy: 28.L.1909. t Chieri, Turin, Italy: 12.7.1974. 65 years
old; 48 prof.; 38 priest.
He did much carefrrl research on the life of Don Bosco, and for
twenty years he was editor of the megeeine "Il tempio di Don Bosco,"
in which he published his material to supplement that of the Memorie.

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He later gathered tlle material into separate volumes on, e.g., the charism,
the miracles of Don Bosco. He had another rwo volumes ready for
publication on Dominic Savio. Poor health had robbed him of the
fulfil,ment of ,his missionary ambitions, but he made up for it by living
his Salesian vocation with great fidelity: rrork, as health permitted, good
example, cheerfutrness, union with God h sufiering and prayer.
Fr. Virginio Mondini
f * Cislago, Vatese, ltaly: 27.3.1908. Parma, ltalyz 25.L2.1973. 65 years old;
48 prof.; 36 priest.
He did administrative work for a number of years, and was attentive
to the needs of the coofrBres and exact in performing his duties. S7hen
ill health forced him into inactivity, he accepted it with faith and re-
signation. Among his qualities were: simpliciry of soul, strong spirituality,
a deep love of the liturgy, devotion to Mary, loyalty to the Pope, to
the Magisterium and to the Congregation.
Fr. Cesare Moretti
* Sarezo, Btescia, Italy: 19.12.1942. f Gavardo, Brescia, Italy: 18.4.L974.
31 yeam old; 14 prof.; 4 priest.
Even as an aspiraflt he ,made his ,mark for his ability to liven up
the liturgy on feast-days. This he carried over to his work among the
students of philosophy at Canlubang. As a teacher he was greatly ay
preciated for his ease of communication. His life ended tragically io
a motor accident, which cut short the bright proqpect for our work in
the Philippines.
Fr. Luigi Pirondini
f * Gonz,aga, Mantua, Italy: 5.10.1920. Genoa, Italy: 10.8.1974. 53 yeas old;
37 prof; 27 ptiest.
A man of sensibility and refinoment, he vas always available on
call fot his priestly services. As a teacher and educator, he worked con-
stantly for the good of the boys, for whom he made heavy sacrifices.
\\[hen it came to working for qualifications, he was as ready and

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enthusiastic as ever to spend himself in bringing Christ to his brothers'
And, in the grip of the illness that s'as killing him, he continued to
spread the Good News, ofieting up his sufierings for the advance of
the Kingdom.
r,
Fr. Felix Radnaan
t * prysnik, Ctvatia, Jugoslavia: L0.2.1892. Prvig-Luka, Croatiaz D.7.1974. 82
years old; 57 prof..; 50 priest.
He was a good friend, a ,man of great simplicity. Most punctual
in everything
zealous priest
-witqh/sa1ftv,opcraatciotinctsthoaft
piety,
could
the
not
common life, he was a
be shaken. His death
was sudden, but with a long life of preparation to precede it.
Bro. Luigi Noa
t * Monza, Milan, Italy: 9.7.1905. Valsalice, Turin, Italy: L9.6.1974. 68 years
of age; 40 prof.
At home he was brought up to be generous and considerate towards
the ,poor. After qualifying as an accoutrtant, he spent a few years as
a banL+letk. Then one of his sisters became a nun, and he decided
to enter our house at Ivrea as a clerical aspirant. He was thet 25.
However, he chose to become a Brother, and for more than 40 years
he worked in the adminisEation of several of our houses, whete he
completed his ofice routines with speed and precision. In the end,
laid ,low by the pains of asthma and a weak heart, he ofiercd to God
a sacrifice of prayer and patience. He was all Don Bosco wanted of
a Brother: poor, hard-working, a man of prayer.
Fr. Clenent Rusbton
f * Birkenhead, Cheshire, England: 28,4.190L. Colne, England: 14.5.7974. 73
years of age; 47 prof.; 38 priest.
He entered the Congregation as a late vocation, aged 26. He was
a kind and simple man. Having a flair for adminisration, he was
bursar in several houses. His ser,rices in the confessional were much
in depand. He was at Malta fot a while as military chaplain. He died
suddeoly at Colre in the house of the Salesian Sisters, where for four
years he had been chaplain and spiritual director.

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_LL2_
Fr. Mario Ruuon
t * Ca'Bianco, Chioggia, Venice, Italy: 24.8.1906. Trieste, Italy: 8.7.1974. 67
yeas old; 49 ptof..; 40 priest; 9 rector.
His apostolate was among the poor people of our centres and parishes,
preferring the sufiering and the sick. He was a zealous priest, a great
worker, always ready and generous, and he won the friendship of everyone
with his simple style.
Bro. Carlo Salamanca
f * Tenza, Boyac6, Colombia: 1,2.8.1912. Medellln, Colombia: 14.8.1974. 62
years old; 39 prof.
This confrEre, vho died suddenly, was cooking with great efficiency
to within 3 years of his end. For 20 years the ssm6rrniry of the
Sufragio at Medellln has benefited from his example of industry and
caln spiri'nrality. The crowd that attended his funeral was witness
enough to the great afiection in which he was held.
Bro. los6 Santpna
f * Felizberto Caldeira, Minas Gerais, Bruzil 193.1917. Missione Salesiana Sa-
gtada Familia, Maraui6, Rio Nego, Brutl: 7.6.1974. 57 yars of age; 29 prof.
As far,m assistant and sacristan in the houses where he worked, he
brought to life the words of his request for admission to the noviciate:
"... lil7ith the help of God and the protection of. Mary, I want to be
a holy Salesian." And indeed he ilrad a great spirit of sacrifice and
a tender devotion to Mary.
Fr. Paul Schindelholz
t o Courtelle, Jura Bernois, Swizerland: 6.10.1908. Lyons, France: 16.4.1974.
65 years ol age 39 prof.; 31 priest.
He was a late vocation. His grip on good health had always been
tenuous, and \\7orld lVar II wrecked his neryous system. So for 20
years he had to forego his active work with the young, except for the
rare periods of improvement in his health: a peculiarly poignant cross
for a Salesian. His own deep spiritual life and the help he rcceived
from his con{rBres at Lyons helped him to bear his rials. Soon after
Easter he was called home vrith a heart-attack.

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Bro. Fernando Sibrian
t * San Juan Opico, La Libertad, El Salvador: 27.4.1912. Quezaltenango, Gua-
remala: 11.7.1974. 62 yeas old; 25 ,prof..
He spent most of
where he taught music
his Salesian
and art. It
life in
was a
the
life
house at
dedicated
Quezaltenango,
to making his
pupils good Christians. He died suddenly and unexpectedly after a
very short illaess, which cut lrim ofi in the midst of his activity.
Fr. Nicola Stanziani
t * Mirabello S2nnifi66, Campobasso, ltalyt 26.4.1905. Vomero, Naples, Italy:
24.8.L974. 69 years old; 51 prof..; 43 priest; 9 rector.
He was faithful to the Rule, an exemplary religious and. a great
optimist. His dominating personality was used for drawing to God
anyone who made friends with him, which uras no dificult accomplish-
ment, or who sought his help as a priest. His uncertain health did
not keep him away from his work. Even the period of excruciating
pain leading up to his death ,he did not waste: he made it his dury
to presont a cheerful face to the world, whilst Lre oflered up his sufierings
as a holocaust for vocations.
Fr. Jdzet' Szlek
f * Sietesz, Leopoli, Poland: 24.9.1913; there: 2.6.1974. 60 years of. age; )9
prof.; 28 priest.
He is remembered by his confrBres as a zealous, hard-working
priest. He was a good musician. As parish priest for many years he
was well loved by the people, especially the young. An aheurism
accounted for him at last.
Fr. Ferdinand. Tbibault
f * Rennes, Ille et Vilaine, Ftance: 6.4.1888, Giel-Putanges, France: 29.4.1974.
86 years of age 65 prof.; 52 priest; 9 rector.
A teacher for many years and parishpriest at St. Jean Bosco in
Paris, he was outstanding for his unquenchable apostolic 7eal. He was
exemplary in his spirituality, ,morlification and contempt for comfort.
His was a strong will that was expressed in the tough progtamme he
imposed on himself and in his diligence in training the boys to be
real men.

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Fr. Nicola Vitone
f * Sepino, Campobasso, Italy ll3.l9L3. Rome, Italy 70.6.1974. 61 years old;
45 ptof.; 35 priest.
Mindful of the teaching of Don Bosco, his grear desire was to be
a priest, always and everywhere a priest. His spirituality had a luminous
quality: and the rosary was his favourite prayer. He taught our own
students at Turin, Padua, Messina, and Castellammare, where he was
able to exetcise his rare musical talent, Held in high rcgard in the
world of the arts, he taught at the Conservatorio at Bati, and recendy
had accepted the chair for new for.ms of liturgical music at the Pontifcio
Istituto Superiore di Musica Sacra. !7ith a grounding in the disciplines
of traditional music, he brought to the music of the renewed liturgy
the lyrical and artistic genius of polyphony and Gregorian chant. His
memory will live on in the Chuch and the lirurgy, in his own com-
munity, among the boys and in the world of music.

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3" Elenco 1974
-Lt5-
78 Sac. BRAKEL Giacomo van t Nimega (Olanda) 1974 a 60 a.
79 Coad. BURGER Felice t Lima (Pern) 1974 a 92 a.
80 Coad. CLITIIEROE Vittore t Cape Town (Sud Aftica) L974 a 78 a.
81 Sac. DOTTINO Natale f Modena (kaha) L974 a 86 a.
82 Sac. ENCINAS Ruffino f Deusto - Bilbao (Spaena) L974 a 64 a.
8l Coad. FERRARI Giuseppe l' Newton (USA) 1974 a 33 a.
U Sac. FERRARINO Francesco 'l' Courgnts (Torino - Italia) 1'974 a 60 a.
85 Sac. FRAIICIA Giacomo (Santiago) f Madrid (Spag"a) 7974 a 6L a.
86 Sac. FRANQA Gioadrino t S. JosE Dos Campos (Brasile) 7974 a 77 a.
87 Sac. GAFFNEY Bernardo t Sliema (Malta) 1974 a 72 a.
88 Mons. IrIAGLIANO Maurizio t Pico Truncado (Argentina) 1974 a 54 a'
89 Sac. MATTIEL Teodoro t Pordenone (Italta) 1974 a 6L a.
90 Sac. MERNIK Giovanni t Ramos Mejla (fugentna) 1974 a 60 a.
9L Sac. MOLINERIS Michele f Chieri (Todno - italia) L974 a 65 a.
92 Sac. MONDINI Virginio f Parma (kaba) 1973 a 65 a.
% Sac. MORETTI Cesare t Gavardo (Brescia - Italia) L974 a 1l a.
94 Sac. PIRONDINI Luigi t Genova - Sampierdarena (Italia) 1974 a 5) a.
95 Sac. RADMAN Felice f PrviE - Lttka (Croazia) 1974 a 82 a.
96 Coad. RIVA Luigi f Torino (Italia) 1974 a 68 a.
97 Sac. RUSHTON Clemente t Colne (Gran Bretagna) L974 a 73 a.
98 Sac. RUZZON Mario t Trieste (Italia) L974 a 67 a.
99 Coad. SALAMANCA Catlo f Medelltn (Colombia) L974 a 62 a.
100 Coad. SANTANA Giuseppe f MarauiA (Rio Negro, Brasile) L974 a 57 a.
101 Sac. SCHINDELHOLZ Paolo t Lyon (Francia) 1974 a 65 a.
lO2 Coad. SIBRIAN Femando f Quezaltenango (Guatemala) L974 a 62 a.
103 Sac. STANZIANI Nicola f Napoli - Vomero (ltalta) L974 a 69 a.
104 Sac. SZLEK Giuseppe t Sietesz (Leopoli - Polonia) 7974 a 60 a.
105 Sac. TIIEBAULT Ferdinando t Giel - Putanges (Francia) L974 a 86 a'
106 Sac. VITONE Nicola t Roma (Italia) 1974 a 6L a.

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