EAO Seminar on Brothers Vocation Promotion and Care – Cambodia 2006

Index of contributions to the EAO regional questionnaire about “Salesian Brother vocation promotion and care” (ACG 382, Fr. Francesco Cereda – Guidelines).

Introduction: EAO Salesian Brother Congress - resolutions (1986-1999)

1. AUL – personal contribution (October 2005)

2. AUL – personal contribution

3. AUL – personal contribution

4. AUL – personal contribution

5. AUL – formation delegate (April 2005)

6. CIN – group of Brothers

7. CIN – formation commission, provincial council

8. CIN – personal contribution

9. CIN – personal contribution

10. EAO – regional meeting of Formation Delegates (2003 - Jakarta)

11. EAO – regional meeting of Provincials (1980 – Kawasaki)

12. FIN – group of Salesian Brothers

13. FIN – personal contribution of Salesian Brother

14. FIN – personal contribution of Salesian Brother

15. FIN: PNG – SI Delegation: group contribution of confreres

16. FIN: PNG – SI Delegation: personal contribution of Salesian Brother

17. FIS – Formation Delegate (=Salesian Brother) contribution

18. FIS – personal contribution of temporary professed brother

19. FIS – personal contribution of missionary Brother

20. GIA – contribution of Brothers collated by one Delegate

21. GIA – provincial Council contribution

22. ITM – group of Salesian Brothers (Indonesia)

23. ITM – group of Salesian Brothers (Timor Leste)

24. KOR – formation Commission

25. KOR – good night talk at the GC 25 (2002) about Korean brothers

26. KOR – group of young brothers (initial formation)

27. THA – formation Commission (Salesian Brother – Delegate)

28. VIE – group of Brothers

29. VIE – personal contribution of missionary Brother (Mongolia)

30. VIE – provincial Council

31. VIE – group of Brothers (Postnovitiate)

32. VIE – group of Brothers (Specific formation)

33. VIE – group of Brothers (Specialization – Manila)

34. EAO – provincial meeting (2006-Hong Kong)

Introduction: Resolutions of the EAO Brothers Congress (1986-1999)

1^st Batulao 1986, 2^nd Hua Hin 1991, 3^rd Cebu 1995, 4^th Melbourne-1999 (AGC 382)

1. Awareness of vocational identity

   1. Courses, seminars on the complementariety of the Salesian vocation be offered both for Salesian Priest and Brothers (1986)

   2. Short and clear-cut definition of who the Salesian Brother is for the common people, to help us explain the nature of the vocation when asked by parents, students and lay collaborators (1991)

   3. Improve the understanding of the SB vocation in communities, by studying and using as jumping board the Salesian documents and Church’s trust for the laity as expressed in the Synod for Laity (1995)

2. Visibility of the person

   1. We encourage the personal commitment of the Lay Brotherhood (1986)

   2. The roles and functions of each confrere in the community be in accordance with his vocational status and capacity regarding the mission assigned to the community and the particular need of the Province (1995)

   3. Let the SB have a constant contact with our lay collaborators (1995)

   4. Possibly, let a SB be assigned in the formation teams at all levels (1995)

3. High quality formation

   1. A definite scheme will outline the plan for specialization& updating of SB (1986)

   2. Practical trainees be given adequate follow up in the field of specialization and religious formation (1991)

   3. Let the biennium be opened for the East Asian Provinces (1991)

   4. Let there be qualified formators to assist SB in their formation (1991)

   5. Qualified SB at regional level as resource persons for ongoing formation (1991)

   6. SB be relieved after a certain time of pastoral involvement in order to undergo ongoing formation in ones professional field (1995)

   7. SB discerns with the Superior his area of specialization after the novitiate (1995)

   8. The provinces will make available their resources for professional updating according the needs of SB (through a coordinating team) – 1995

   9. During the initial formation let there be a balance between the common salesian formation for clerics&brothers, with proper attention to specific formation (1995)

   10. Opportunities on regular basis for the SB to take up courses/ seminars in Salesianity and Spirituality(1995)

4. Vocational promotion

   1. Vocation campaign be centered on the Salesian vocation as such (1986)

   2. Applicants be encouraged to express their desire to be either priests or SB (1986)

   3. Each member of the community builds up fraternal communion as the environment for ongoing formation – it may contribute to the voc. Perseverance

   4. Let’s strengthen our personal and communitarian commitment to become joyful and enthusiastic witness of our own salesian life – as a basic condition for vocational promotion (1995)

   5. Let the SB learn how to proclaim their own vocation (1995)

   6. Let the Salesians also consider the adult vocation in the voc. Promotion (1995)

   7. Promote vocations through personal contact with the young, vocation camps, documentary figures, printed matter, posters on the life& work of EAO SB(1995)

5. Commitment of each Province

   1. Annual meeting of SB in every Province, designed according the needs (1986)

   2. Each Province does improve the idea of the person, role and work of the SB by organizing special activities:Seminar, Congress, Talks during the Retreats (1991)

   3. Produce different materials (printed matter) for the SB vocat. promotion (1991)

   4. SB Annual meeting at the Provincial level with delegates from other Prov. (1991)

6. Commitment of the Region

6.1 Encounter of all perp. professed SB of EAO every 6 years before the GC (1986)

6.2 Two week seminar on the SB identity, spirituality, mission on the EAO level for the SB – representatives; they will give echo-seminars to individual Provinces (1991)

6.3 Well organized ongoing formation of SB at regional level (professional and religious dimension) – 1991

6.4 Each Province will produce a video of the SB image and identity for eventual editing and dubbing in other languages (1991)

6.5 The Assembly will elect a Delegate that will coordinate/ monitor the SB affairs in the EAO Region (1991)

7. Commitment of the Congregation

   1. Superiors at all levels will mentalize the confreres about the lay dimension of the Salesian Vocation (1986)

   2. Promote the participation of the SB in the leadership and animation of the Congregation at world level as the expression of complementarity and co-responsibility (1995)

8. Prayer for vocation

1. AUL- personal contribution of Salesian Brother (Provincial Councilor)

RELEVANCE

I see the question of the relevance of the Brother, as necessary to the Salesians, has been raised! No wonder there is a problem if this is the attitude of some Salesians!!

Don Bosco, when he conceived his Salesians as an idea, included lay religious as an integral part. We therefore must ensure the continuance of Brothers as an essential element of the Salesian Society. There are still young people who want to follow Don Bosco but who do not want to become priests. Thank God it is possible to be a Salesian of Don Bosco without being a priest!

“The Salesian Congregation was born, as we have seen, with two components which intimately complete each other, and which appear as mutually necessary for the fulfilment of the original mission among the young and the poorer classes: priests and laymen.” <Par 168, The Salesian Brother, Rome 1989>

FAITH

The life of the salesian brother is a life of faith. If there is a crisis of faith throughout society generally, this impacts on the vocation of the Salesian brother also. It seems to me that particular expressions of faith are problematic. Some liturgical expressions appear meaningless to the young, they are so far from their world. In some ways the Church seems caught in another century! As salesians we must begin from the perspective of the young.

Is there the need for the church to move into the 21^st century? People’s faith is affected by their experience. The official Church, in some ways, has grown outdated in its expression. In this climate the young are not attracted to the Church. Intelligent and holy people are struggling with aspects of Church presentation. Some liturgical expressions are outmoded for the young. They appear drab in the extreme to the young. So they don’t come back to the church!

One young person aged 19 remarked to me after attending an Easter liturgy, “Well that was mind numbing!” She was a regular church goer at the time.

This aspect needs to be seriously examined if we are to have any attraction for the young, not only in attracting vocations.

VOCATIONS

Why are there so few “Brother” vocations?

Brothers will attract vocations if they are seen to be living a life of Faith while contributing to the lives of the young in some significant way. Perhaps they have become scarce and invisible, and perhaps some are not witnessing to their Faith effectively enough.

Could this shortage of vocations be linked to the style of vocation and formation programs, where there is a strong and sometimes exclusive emphasis on the priestly vocation? I have noticed this in our province although it has been addressed more recently. It is natural for the formation personnel to focus on their own lifestyle. They are all priests. Our only formation house is Salesian Theological College for the formation of priests. There is a plan to accommodate brothers in training there and provide them with a structured formation program in appropriate fields. This is progress as many brothers had little or no training, beyond the first three years, in the past. If the Brothers are given a high standard of formation including ongoing formation and totally prepared for their field of work, then their witness and visibility will increase.

Formation programs are in the ratio and need to prepare men for a life of holiness, community living and professional standards in their field of work with the young.

Potential Brother candidates need to be men who want to become holy by following Don Bosco in working for the good of the young. They require the basic abilities and skills necessary for an educative role with the young. This needs to be in the context of the 21^st century.

OUR WITNESS:

Of course anyone can do the work of the brothers at the professional or industrial level. The work we do is not the real point. However, the witness we give by being Salesian brothers is what matters.

Our life is our witness, our occupation is not so important. I have learnt many times from the young that they see what we are and sometimes they reveal that they understand our motivation. This affirmation comes from the very deprived and underprivileged and also from university students. This shows we have some relevance to them, I suppose. Perhaps we challenge them. In this context we give our witness to something greater than what the world has to offer. Like all religious, we embrace a life of contradiction to be a witness to the world of something greater. I think this witness of our life is our greatest gift to the ones we work for and with. This witness is quite different from the witness of the priest and from lay people. We give up the values of the world to serve God and man as consecrated religious. Perhaps it all boils down to our manner of relating to each other and to others. This is what people are most affected by, the kind of people we are. And if we are holy men, then this is felt by those whom we meet. This is the greatest challenge to others, our holiness. It invites others to follow our example. It is a witness to the greater Good.

We must be well trained and as professional as anyone but only we are salesian brothers and only we give this specific witness. This is obvious and adequately described in our Constitutions and Regulations and other documents such as the Ratio or the “Golden Book”.

STATUS

Perhaps there is a desire for enhanced social status for some. Even jealousy between brothers and priests! This is not a call to elevate the social standing of ourselves or our family! It might in fact mean the opposite. The desire to serve God and our fellow man as a Salesian brother has nothing to do with status in the eyes of the world. This chosen lifestyle is at odds with the values of the world and therefore seems irrelevant to the world and it does nothing for our social status. If status or relevance is raised as an issue, clearly that is missing the point completely.

Any inferiority feelings the brothers experience might reveal a skewed attitude by either themselves or their priest confreres. Perhaps our attitude of upward social mobility and always striving to improve our selves influences our thinking. Is the priest seen as socially superior to the brother? Does the priest see himself as superior and the brother see himself as inferior? This could reveal itself differently in different cultures. This could potentially create conflict within community. If community disharmony is evident to others then this would impact almost fatally on vocations.

SUMMARY:

The fall in numbers of brothers is possibly influenced by the world we live in, a loss of religious practice in society, in families and therefore in the young, and a loss of Faith, conflict within community and the style of presentation of Salesian life in our vocations and formation programs.

Any issues of status, relevance and authenticity can be resolved partially by returning to our basic documents and examining misguided expectations of all Salesians, such as desiring to gain social status, comparing brothers to priests or lay people and seeing brothers as irrelevant within the Salesian Society. There are many complex social and religious issues influencing this question. The attraction of the world is powerful.

2. AUL - The Salesian Brother (personal contribution of Salesian Brother)

It is my understanding from reading, reflection and life in the Congregation, that Don Bosco’s idea was the Priests and Brothers of the Salesian Society could be likened to the two blades of the scissors.

The Congregation has been numerically largely clerical; however the decline in SB vocations since 1970 has meant that the Congregation has become even more clerical.

Fr Cereda [Acts 382] accurately spotlights the current situation,

1. There is a crisis in vocations in the Church, especially in the western world;

2. There has been a sharper drop in non-clerical (Brothers & Sisters) vocations.

I submit that Don Bosco’s idea of the Salesian Brother was a unique concept and the Salesian Society would both “different” and “poorer” without the Brother.

1.Situation

1. In general I think there is sufficient printed material available on the SB vocation. The ‘problem’ however, is whether people really read and reflect on the insights in the literature.

2. Of course there is always room for new and better materials on the SB vocation that are relevant to the local culture. I’m not aware of material on the Brother that has been produced in the EOA Region.

3. From my observation the SB today has better formal preparation than previously. Formation, however, involves informal elements that include interest being shown in the individual as a person and support and encouragement of his work. I have a feeling that much more could be done in this ‘informal’ area.

4. Yes, I think Brothers should be more involved not only in the formation field but also in the Administration of the Congregation both at Province and World level.

5. In the Australian Province we have not had a meeting of Brothers for several years, certainly not in the past six years.

6. I sense that the vocation of the Brother could be better understood and appreciated by some of our formators/rectors.

7. Sadly, vocations are few and far between

1.8

9. Yes I am happy in my vocation as a Salesian Brother.

9. The cultural environment in Australia right now is not conducive to attracting vocations to Religious Life. Nevertheless I wonder whether there are “potential vocations” to be found in the ranks of those who volunteer to help us at various levels.

9. This Province has been blessed, over the years, with a number of very fine Brothers. While the overall atmosphere is supportive, I have noticed a growing tendency at the Provincial level in recent times to refer to the Brother as a Lay Brother.

2.Guidelines

1. Yes, the Guidelines are practical and spotlight key issues.

2. As the Brothers in this Province have not met as a group, the four practical lines of action have not been discussed.

3. In my opinion awareness of the vocational identity is most important.

2.4

5. I’m not aware of any changes.

5. As well as the formal preparation of the SB, there is a need at all levels (Province, House, individual) to informally support and encourage the Brother.

3.EAO SEMINAR 2006

1. I felt the Salesian Brother Congress in Melbourne in 1999 was a morale booster for Brothers in Australia and throughout the EAO Region. For many, as it was the first time they met Brothers from other Provinces, it was an opportunity to share ideas and experiences both in the formal sessions and informally.

2. I felt the overall impact of the Congress for Brothers in the Australian Province was positive.

My present work with the Missions involves other Provinces and often directly working with the Brothers whom I met for the first time in Melbourne in 1999. I feel we can provide mutual support.

3. From my observation, the vocation of a good number of Religious today, is fragile. Individuals have a need to be understood, encouraged and supported often in an informal manner both inside and outside the community.

As the world is becoming smaller and our EAO Region is successfully working together in other matters, I submit the Region has a role to play in helping to sustain the Brother vocation.

As well as providing mutual support for individuals, a Congress/Gathering can help promote the sharing of resources etc.

4. The Brothers within the EAO Region have the capacity to provide some worthwhile reflections on the Guidelines prepared by Fr Cereda.

From the responses to this questionnaire some key issues are likely to emerge. I submit they should be the basis of discussion at Seminar 2006.

With regard to the Process of the Seminar, I submit

1. Keynote Papers to be presented (with discussion questions) should be distributed to participants beforehand;

2. A significant proportion of the Keynote talks (about half) be

presented by Brothers.

3. AUL – personal contribution of Salesian of Salesian Brother

• Some of the greatest joys of the past many years have certainly been in communities were there have been many Brothers.

• Other great joys were where the Rector had great respect, value, admiration for the Brothers and treated us as essential in the mission; this was evident with the boys, families, and other staff. This often included having Brothers on the Council of the Community. I recall nearly all of the great sharing in Community Meetings over the years has been from the Brothers and those in practical training.

• The Brother’s weekend that we had was EXCELLENT. The formation, the discussion, the fellowship. There was not enough of this formation. It showed value for us as well as highlighted us to the other confrere as being valued.

• Given the above point – RENEWAL for ALL of the confrere on the Brother Vocation seems to be essential (superiors included, their enthusiasm for the SB vocation is crucial!)

• Provincial Chapters, though I have attended few, have seemed to be more geared towards the corporate, the cleric, and education fields.

• Some times there has been the experience of the Brothers as ‘add on’ rather than Essential/Important. If some confrere had this attitude, it came through with the staff and the boys.

• During Novitiate we studied the Special Chapter – World Brothers Congress 1975. It is such a shame that much of that died. There are issues from that congress that still need to be addressed today. I sadly feel that many of the drivers of those ideas are now gone or dead. Overseas in some places I met many of the older Brothers, it is like they have been put on the shelf to root. Very sad and undignified and a waste.

• Brothers Congress – We had this in Melbourne a few years ago (1999). It was for me a very strong and encouraging and life giving gathering. I was so hearted to meet the other Brothers, though there were some Brothers whom I felt were somewhat dead and living just a luxury life. Some Provincials that attended this were really encouraging also.
  I was particularly inspired by one Brother from Timor who spoke of his parish pastoral work where they did often not have a priest. Also, there was a video of a Brother working in India who was working on regeneration and regrowth of farming land.

• Superiors Struggle with the vocation: When Fr .X was my superior he could not cope with my interest in things theological and my questioning of when things were not right. He could not cope with a Brother doing this and suggested I become a priest or a permanent deacon. His suggestion was more to do with his lack of understanding I think, rather than my vocation. Some human reaction is that if they do not understand or appreciate something it’s better for it to go away.

• Brothers sometime treated with suspicion. I have had experience where sometimes Brothers are treated with suspicion if they question matters liturgical, spiritual, pastoral or managerial. Like that is the domain of the priest rather than that of the community. This has even been the case in the prayer life, this constant debate about rattling off the Divine Office because the priest HAS to say it, or actually praying.

• Statistics – many brothers drop out around mid life – I’m sure that there are others.

• FORMATION: The formation programs suggested by the Councillor for Formation were very interesting. Almost foreign to me. My initial formation was a little sketchy – perhaps not well planned. My ongoing formation was quite limited and something I had to often struggle to attain. Many confreres were not happy for me to study theology units, spirituality, welfare, counselling, ...... Rather, this should have been part of my plan.

• Left to root: I think in my case I should have had some more intensive ongoing formation sooner.

• Everyone has a real flame in the real truth: I think that every Brother, no matter whether articulate or not, has something to add to this discussion. Even my own humble self, I would not have become a Brother unless I valued it, unless I loved it, unless I saw a place for me in the real life, work and mission of Don Bosco in this day.

• Practical V Talk: Many Brothers whom I have known have spent their life practically doing the work of Don Bosco among and/or for the young. Some of us have not been good at talking about it. We haven’t written books, or papers or made speeches. But, for example, if a group of Brothers were to run a retreat for the confrere on spirituality, the way Brothers live their Salesian life all would be pleasantly surprised.

• Simon Srugi, Artemide Zatti: These men have been most inspirational. Also the other stories written about our own Brothers in Australia and around the world. Story is a great thing, we often find our place in a story. Keep telling the stories.

• Equality: Priest / Brother / Lay. There is a certain inequality in church structure that is damming to the Salesian Model. I do not know what the solution to this is. Too hard to change the model, but the mentality of its practice is important. Even when a priest leaves the order he is given much more.

• Dress: I wonder if there are some issues around dress codes for Brothers’ and Priests. I would hate to see the Salesian Brother with a habit – that is one of Don Bosco’s great strengths in his vision and dream. It’s just a thought. “in shirt sleeves” is something to cherish, but maybe now days when clerics are in shirt sleeves also, perhaps something is lost.

Brothers are not unlike mangroves within a river system. They are essential and precious to the whole working of the Salesian Family. I pray daily for this vocation, and for those who follow God’s call in this way. “ Listen those whose have ears”.

4. AUL – personal contribution by Salesian Brother