DAY FOUR – MIXED GROUPS – HIGH QUALITY FORMATION

Cambodia, August 24, 2006

Questions for workshops – mixed groups

1. Considering the three key-elements of the brother’s identity – consecrated, lay and Salesian – what in general are the aspects calling for greater attention today by way of formation, and what concrete steps would you suggest?

2. Considering the following three stages of a brother’s formation – the aspirantate, the prenovitiate and the novitiate:

• how do you find the actual situation of these formation stages in your respective Provinces?

• what are the difficulties they face?

• what are the reasons for the difficulties?

• what solutions do you propose?

3. Considering the following three stages of a brother’s formation – the postnovitiate, professional training and practical training:

• how do you find the actual situation of these formation stages in your respective Provinces?

• what are the difficulties they face?

• what are the reasons for the difficulties?

• what solutions do you propose?

4. Considering the following four stages of a brother’s formation – specific formation, preparation for perpetual profession, specialization and ongoing formation:

• how do you find the actual situation of these formation stages in your respective Provinces?

• what are the difficulties they face?

• what are the reasons for the difficulties?

• what solutions do you propose?

QUESTION 1:

CONSIDERING THE THREE KEY-ELEMENTS of the Brothers identity – CONSECRATED, LAY AND SALESIAN – what in general are the aspects calling for greater attention today by way of formation, and what concrete steps would you suggest?

Aspects calling for greater attention today by way of formation

1. All three aspects need attention.

2. Lay aspect.

This is proper of the Salesian brothers.

There is a need to focus on this aspect in order to know well how far can a brother go so as to be differentiated from the lay people.The present day secularism that has a strong influence today demands this focus.

3. Consecrated aspect.

The confreres have too much work that very little time is given to nourish the consecrated aspect of life.

The influence of secularism and individualism is strong so that there is a need to return to the gospel and Christian values as the foundation of consecrated life.

Specifically the aspect of servanthood of the consecrated life particularly in the Asian context that has high regard for hierarchy and superiority and the Christian witness of service and humility.

This is needed to be emphasized for both brothers and clerics. This would prevent any discrimination of the brothers by the priests.

There is a need in Asia to see the brothers, not only the priests, as men of God.

4. Salesian aspect.

To give unity to our life and work, there is a need to return to Don Bosco.

As in any corporate group, the specific identity must be clearly given to the candidates when they express their desire to enter the congregation.

Some priests are more priests than salesians. They simply use the Salesian life as a stepping stone to the priesthood. These confreres find it hard to understand the vocation of the Salesian brothers.

Concrete steps

1. To invite brothers of other congregations to talk to our brothers.

2. To ask the formators to accompany well the candidates in discernment.

3. To tell the boys that the brothers are not only social workers but religious.

4. To give to the brothers the time to nourish the spiritual aspect of their life.

5. To focus on the vows as expressions of our consecration.

6. To share the Word of God to deepen on the understanding of the

Christian values.

7. To witness to the gospel values with one’s daily life, the good example,

in order to be seen as men of God.

8. To insist on high quality service as Postnovitiate, Professional Training and Pactical training.

Emphasis on the Consecration:

1. Immersed in the world of work, the consecrated element of the Salesian Brother is either neglected or even forgotten. Many Salesian Brothers left the congregation because they do not see anymore the difference of their work from that of our lay mission partners.

2. Our consecration gives the difference between our work and that of our lay mission partners; the way we relate with the young, the time given to them and our total commitment spell the difference of our presence with the young.

3. Some of our lay mission partners may be dedicated and committed as the Salesian Brother but the dedication and motivation of the Brother has the aspect of consecration. They received a special calling from God in the Salesian Congregation different from the calling of the lay people.

4. The lay and the Salesian aspects in the Salesian Brother vocation is very visible, the consecrated aspect is not that visible. The challenge for the Salesian Brother is how to give witness to his prophetic consecration.

Emphasis on the Salesian aspect:

1. Our work was known for being SALESIAN. We have a different way of doing things, the preventive system. The preventive system is not just a system but a way of life. If we loose this aspect, we are not Salesians anymore. The practice of the preventive system makes our consecration more visible.

The three aspects should be given equal importance and they cannot be separated because the Brother vocation is incomplete without any of them.

Concrete Actions Needed:

1. The process that we are having right now in this Seminar should be done in the houses so that all confreres will have the same idea of the Brother vocation. This process should include clarification, discussion, reflection and concrete resolutions.

2. In the houses of formation, the presence of the Salesian Brother should be visible so that formands will have a clear view of this vocation.

3. The industrial world (particularly in Japan) follow a system which they call “kaizen” (plans---programs---implementation---feedback/evaluation---improvements of the plan) and they produce good results. In our Salesian Communities, many do not have an Ongoing Formation Plan or they might have plans and programs but we do not implement them. Evaluation of the plan equally is essential because without it growth will not take place.

4. In companies, if there is an employee who do not perform well, he/she is fired but for us, if a Salesian is not performing well we have to bear with him. So formation is really needed so as to produce quality Salesians.

5. Efficacy is different from efficiency but these two ways should go together and not to make efficacy an excuse to efficiency.

QUESTION 2: HOW DO YOU FIND BROTEHRS FORMATION: ASPIRANTATE, PRENOVICE, NOVITIATE:

• the presence of materials on lay brothers(like Zatti’s Life) helps in deciding. At these stages, life examples and stories are better than introducing theories.

• In any stage, the presence of a Brother in this stage of formation is a plus factor. At the same time, unique situations-which aren’t directly caused by communities-add to the difficulties and impracticality of introducing the Brothers (ex: Government rules on Education status, single child policies, and the likes).

• E ach country has its own form and definition of an Aspirantate, however the introduction to Salesian life comes first before distinguishing between priests and brothers is the same for all.

• One challenge facing one Province is that, there are candidates who come from DB Schools and some from other areas. Those who come from DB schools have ideas on the Lay Brother. Also, there is the problem of informing the parents of these candidates too.

• There are boys, though, that even at these stage already express strong interest of becoming Brothers. Again because of the presence of Brothers.

• Desire vs Capacity: when and where the line that limit candidates for Brotherhood/SDBs becomes clear in discernment.

• In selling lands the motto is ‘location, location, location’. For selling the Brotherhood it should be ‘presence, presence, presence’.

• In the Philippines, there is an increasing number of candidates who are already professionals or adults. They are usually sent to the houses (not formation houses) to know more Don Bosco. However, they are also immediately given duties and responsibilities. Occasions to know the Brother thus is diminished.

• The lack of competent formators who are interested but are not trained greatly affects discernment and promotion. At the same time candidates should also be taught proper discernment.

SITUATION:

a- Aspiranate: - All of them exist in our provinces. Difficulties: various according provinces: number decline, quality of accompaniment; not clear program;

b- Prenovitiate: the same situation

c- Novititate: various; various number;

Difficulties: - no clear program; waiting for too long for the program.

- change of vocations: Korea: definite negation.

- hard to combine with professional studies.

- Shortage of personnel, especially for those who stay too long in the office; Is there any time limit for novice master? so far, no; reality: 6 yrs, 3 yrs. Prepare future novice masters

SOLUTION:

- relaunch the vocation promotion program;

- We should stress to reverse the situation (favoring clerical vocation).

- SP have the responsibility to present SB because of their positions

- Province should hold gatherings for SB vocations for aspirants, postulants, etc.

- provinces should assign exemplary SB in formation houses

- Right roles for SB;

- Constant prayers for SB vocations (3 times)

- We must have the program for them as soon as possible;

QUESTION 3: CONSIDERING the following stages of a brother formation – the postnovitiate, professional training and practical training, How do you find the actual situation of these formation stages in your respective Provinces?

ITM – Stage of Professional training does not exist in the stages of formation.

THA – Big Problem: No Brothers Vocation.

VIE – There are suggestions or ideas about the formation of the SB, i.e. at the last year of the postnovitiate SB are given the opportunities to have Professional training. However, there are no actual implementations of the said suggestions.

CIN – The Professional training is not a clear formation step whether it will be after the postnovitiate or after.

FIN/S – The Professional training is a new thing in the formation stages of the SB.

AUS – There is no clear Professional Training for the SB.

• The Professional Training in the region is something new and needs to be seen in the upcoming plan.

• The period of aspirantate where the candidates have the possibility to study in the university/colleges can be the period considered as part of the Professional Training.

1. What are the difficulties they face?

• Focusing or identifying the SB on their profession (specialized field).

• No atmosphere of letting the SB vocation be known and for those who have the vocation form them.

• There are contrasting ideas on the formation of the SB’s regarding the Professional Training and Postnovitiate (taking philosophy vs. specialization).

• For the THA province, the bachelor’s degree for education is done before or after novitiate.

2. What are the reasons for the difficulties?

   • There are brothers but there are no programs but now, there are programs but no brothers. FIN/FIS

   • A requirement from the government (THA) as a graduate or bachelors degree for teaching

3. What solutions do you propose?

   • Close cooperation from each province in the region for the formation of the SB in their specific formation.

   • Stressing at the start of formation stage itself the SB is mentalized that he is not for the things he does but on his being a Salesian.

   • The balance of both religious and professional formation.

   • Taking the bachelor’s degree for education should be after novitiate for convenience of formation (THA).

QUESTION 4

CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING FOUR STAGES OF A BROTHER’S FORMATION- SPECIFIC FORMATION, PREPARATION FOR PERPETUAL PROFESSION, SPECIALIZATION AND ONGOING FORMATION: HOW DO YOU FIND THE ACTUAL SITUATION OF THESE FORMATION STAGES IN YOUR RESPECTIVE PROVINCES?

A basic problem in some provinces is the little number of SB. In Thailand, I am the last SB in Thailand; it is 15 years we have no SB vocations. The situation is similar in Japan and China.

In Indonesia-Timor, few SB vocations reach these later stages of formation. It may be a problem of vocational motivation. Some may go through the Novitiate etc. just to have the opportunity to study. Entering a religious society is the only way for some to obtain an advanced education. At present 5 SB have experienced the preparation for the perpetual profession, but only 2 have concluded the formation process up to specialization, for a variety of reasons.

In Korea the situation is this. All SB obtain a technical specialization. A problem is that the SB become Salesians in their adult age, so that in the last stages of formation they are already 35/40 years old. The added two years of specific formation in such context are problematic. The specialization has often been obtained before becoming Salesians. So the practical training is the beginning of their full Salesian life. For us, initial formation of SB ends with the practical training, or even with the post-novitiate.

In Korea we have done much about specialization of SB, but we have just begun to tackle the specific formation of SB. We have sent 3 SB to Manila for the two-year course of specific formation. Of course, there is the problem language, so that much time is devoted to the study of English. Regarding the Salesian content of specific formation, some subjects have been already given in the formation in Korea. We realize now that to study the two-year course in Manila we need one full year of English. We hope that our Specific Formation Course will be 1 year of English and 1 year of Specific Formation emphasizing Salesian Spirituality and Salesian Youth Pastoral.

In Vietnam, we began the course of specific formation for SB. Before that, the number of SB was not sufficient to set up a course. Still, there is difficulty in getting a consensus among the Superiors on whether the full-time course should be of one year or of two years. The SB is caught in-between this lack of consensus. Some SB may be in a hurry to get a specialization, rather than undergo this specific formation.

QUESTION 4: WHAT ARE THE DIFFICULTIES THEY FACE? THE REASONS? THE SOLUTIONS?

When speaking of specific formation, it is clear for the candidates to the priesthood, not clear for the SB. Regarding specialization, some problems are the following: the contrast between the needs of the Province and the desires of the SB; the advanced age of the SB; the variety of SB so that it is difficulty to find a unitary format of formation; the excessive length of the Salesian formation process: if we take seriously what Fr. Chrys said this morning, in Korea we pass half of our life studying on the books.

Still, the stage of specialization is a precious moment of formation, that influences the rest of one’s life.

Some SB want to get a specialization before beginning to work in normal Salesian life. This causes problems of mutual confidence. If Superiors insist on delaying the specialization to after perpetual profession, the young SB feels that Superiors doubt his vocational motivation.

There may be cultural roots to this desire to conclude all studies before beginning to work. For example, in Thailand the Buddhist monks live in the monastery throughout the time of study. Linking the perpetual profession and the specialization may vitiate the motivation in making the perpetual profession.

The ideal would be that the specialization is obtained even before the novitiate. This would ensure clarity of vocational discernment, greater maturity, etc.

Is the specialization obligatory? Is the lack of specialization an exception or should it be an open possibility also clearly proposed in vocation promotion? It should be a possibility for anyone willing to dedicate his life to God and the young with Don Bosco, even without high academic qualifications. Still, this must be a possibility freely chosen, not something imposed.

Emphasis on specialization is in danger of giving more importance to what we do than to what we are. There is no doubt about the validity of what we do, but the primacy of what we are or must be is to be continually re-affirmed. The striving after titles may obscure our primary title as Religious, Brother, Priest, Missionary… An excessive emphasis on specializations makes happen Don Bosco’s dream about the Council of the Little Devils.

Let us recognize that specializations are important, but not essential. In my experience, I have known a SB without specializations much more valid in the Salesian life and work than his Rector with his specializations.

We must avoid the identification of the SB with a specialization. The Specific Formation is more important than the Specialization. Specific Formation is concerned with what we are, Specialization with what we do.

This relativization of specialization is healthy, because it points to what is most important. We may compare our situation with that of mothers who work outside the family. In society at large now there is a movement of re-valuation of mothers who do not work and who remain at home to be mothers to their children.

Ongoing formation:

It is hoped that the Manila Specific Formation Course becomes an Internet site accessible to the whole Region. This Internet site can become a source of knowledge about the nature of the SB vocation. Mature persons can access this site and the SB vocational proposal can be extended to them, and not only to young boys.

Regarding professionalism, many SB have years of experience in their field. Why not put all this precious experience together on the Internet so that we may enrich one another. Let us put to good use this new means of social communication at the service of the SB vocation.