DAY 02 – SALESIAN BROTHER VOCATION AWARENESS PROCESS

(PROVINCIAL PLAN)

AUL

General Principles:

1. In the Province we need to re-awaken the sense of “religious, apostolic consecration” among our Salesians.

2. Perhaps we need a Province-wide renewal of our understanding of the theology and spirituality of the Religious Life.

3. In this regard, can the Brothers “call” the whole Province back to a deeper understanding of the essentials of (Salesian) religious life?

Practical ideas:

1. Organize a gathering of all brothers in the Province, perhaps in November, to share the fruits of this week’s seminar.

2. See this as part of a wider series of gatherings to focus on the meaning of religious life in our Province today.

3. Structure these gatherings around the following themes: religious life, Salesian religious life, the Salesian religious life of brothers and priests.

4. Advise the Provincial to always include a brother on the Formation Commission.

5. Edit a collection of “lives of the Brothers” from our Province: either of some brothers who have already died, or a collection of “auto-biographical” accounts, not just of the work of the brothers but of their vocational journey, their spiritual motivation, etc.

6. Re-establish the practice of regular gatherings of the Brothers.

CIN

VISIBILITY OF SALESIAN BROTHER IN CHINA PROVINCE

1. The witness of a joyful living out of SB vocation is the most fundamental thing.

2. Things that can be done by SB should be done by SB. Salesian priests, for the sake of his priestly ministry and of the SB vocation, should refrain from doing things that can be done by SB.

3. Of course, there are things that can be done by both priests and brothers. But if the priest does well his priestly ministry he should be busy enough. Moreover, some tasks may hinder the priest from exercising his priestly ministry, because of conflict of tasks (a priest principal cannot hear confessions of people involved in the school).

4. In response to changes in society, the SB has to change work. It is important that the SB receives training for the new work so that he can perform it efficiently and with the due recognition from Government and society.

5. Change of work should be oriented by the primary Salesian mission to poor youth. The talents of SB should be developed in this direction. Any kind of work that is beneficial to poor youth is a good work for SB. Visibility does not depend on a position of authority, it depends on whether my service is beneficial to youth.

6. Still, a publicly recognized role is necessary for the efficacy of any work. I may be a faithful assistant always among the boys. But if I have no publicly acknowledged role, I will not be respected either by the boys or by the coworkers. When giving the obedience, the Superior should determine clearly the role of the confrere.

7. This publicly recognized role, first of all, should be the fact of being a Salesian of Don Bosco, a person consecrated to God for the evangelization and education of youth, especially poor youth. This publicly recognized role is assured by the faithful practice of our Constitutions and Regulations. It is also assured by the spirit of initiative in taking up educational and pastoral services for the young. Of course, this presupposes a strong sense of identity in the confrere.

8. For elderly confreres, including SB, stopping doing the work for which he was trained is a very delicate moment. He needs to be assisted in finding new ways of insertion in the educational and pastoral mission of the community.

9. In a society in which the Government subsidizes educational work in the school, there is the danger that one’s personal worth is calculated according to the level of Government salary received. Confreres may need assistance in getting used to see the value of educational and pastoral work that gets no salary at all.

10. In grammar schools the visibility of the SB is more difficult than in professional schools. Still, it all depends on the commitment of the SB to the Salesian mission. It also depends on the effort made by the local Salesian Society to make people understand the identity and the mission of the SB.

11. Each SB must be ready to answer the inevitable questions that people will ask: You are a brother for such a long time, why don’t you become a priest? For example, I will say: There are two kinds of Salesians, as there are two kinds of policemen: uniformed policemen and plain-clothes policemen. I am a plain-clothes Salesian.

12. Vocational work, especially in the initial stages, must concentrate on the Salesian vocation as such. Young people who ask to become priests must be helped to see that coming to us they are asking to become Salesians, first of all.

FIN

Ideas for the promotion of the Salesian brother vocation:

1. the EAO seminar in Cambodia will be echoed to the rectors during the rectors’ assembly on September 2006.

2. there is a need for an aspirantate solely for Salesian brother vocation. Majority of the staff should be Salesian brothers. Talks on this vocation should be frequent. Technical school should be nearby where the aspirants would study and work. There is no need to advertise that this aspirantate is for Salesian brothers. This must be understood among the confreres. Cf. the school of Arese (?), Italy of old. It was made for Salesian brothers in Italy.

3. promotion should be made especially in training centers where the boys are taking technical courses.

4. the aspirantate should be adapted to our times and to the particular context of this phase of formation.

5. spiritual directors may be brothers or priests. It is preferred that spiritual directors be brothers.

FIS

Deliberations

• there are already productions of vocation materials but not specifically on the lay brothers. ( 1.Awareness of Vocation Identity, 1.1.1). The question is do we, as Brothers ourselves, use these materials and explain to the boys about the SB vocation.

• If there is a promotion for SBs, it should be in a Provincial Level Scale. There was an attempt, initiated by the DBTC-Cebu, coined ‘Zatti Camp’ but some schools found it hard to join because they already have their own School Year Calendar. Thus, the Camp was postponed indefinitely. The intervention is to really place it in the Provincial Calendar.

• The concept behind the Camp was ‘Volunteerism’ using Sports, the Mass Media, and Leadership seminars for High School graduating boys, organized directly by the SB’s. It is, actually, a front to show the Brothers. Then, at the end o the 3-day camp, those who show interest will be invited and handed to the Provincial Vocation promoter.

• It should also be coordinated with the Office of the Commission on Youth Movement and that there should also be a joint planning with the Vocation Promoter to iron out details, otherwise it would come out as parallel Vocation promotion. The main thing is if we want to emphasize or SB Vocation, there should be a separate, provincial wide activity.

• For this year, as short term plan, the summer’s Leadership training - for both Boys and Girls in our settings - for 2006 a slant to introduce the SB. Long term plan is to have a separate Camp promotion for SB’s every year.

• The participant’s for this camp will be boys only of whom they will be introduced the Salesian Brotherhood. Details will be discussed late, the main thing is the involvement of the SB’s. For now, we will try and see how it goes in the next summer’s SYM Leadership Camp.

GIA

1. Complete and publish the translation of the RATIO” and translate the other material on the identity of the Salesian Lay Brother. For example:

* THE SALESIAN BROTHER TODAY “Consecrated lay Salesian” (Cereda)

* THE SALESIAN BROTHER (Benigno Canavese 2005 – Fr. Pasqual Chavez)

* ZATTI Biography

②　To present clearly the figure of the Salesian Lay Brother in the HP of the province and of the Houses.

ITM

Based on the Regional meeting of the Formation delegates ( Jakarta, 2003), on the aspects of Strategies (Resource book, page 25), our plan of action is:

1. Strategy 2.1- Impact of the Salesian Brothers in promoting the Brother’s vocation among the young. The Salesian Brothers in the post novitiate period in the community of Baucau, have the possibility to present the Salesian Brother vocation to the aspirants and novices in Venilale and Fatumaca and the youth in general (SDB in Timor).

The Salesian Brothers in the community of Sumba have direct impact on the novices, students of the Training Centre and the youth around the community, something that is easier than in the communities in Jakarta with muslim environment.

2. Strategy 2.5. Involvement of the Salesian Brother in the formation and vocation promotion activities (Conferences, monthly recollections and sermonettes to the aspirants, pre-novices, novices and brothers in the post-novitiate).

This involvement is being done in the communities of Indonesia. The communities in East Timor should introduce similar organized activities.

3. Strategy 2.8. Yearly Gathering of the Salesian Brothers of the Vice-Province.

These gatherings have been done in the past, however they were not properly planned. To enhance this, a serious and adequate plan is required and consistently followed it up.

4. Strategy 2.7 – Separate aspirantate for the brothers: It is not relevant at present in the Vice-Province.

KOR

Objective 1: to help all confreres of KOR province to understand deeply and live with more commitment the Salesian Brother vocation

1. We will organize every year a ‘WEEK OF THE SALESIAN BROTHER” in order to help deepen the awareness of Salesian Brother vocation and promotion

2. During this ‘Week of the Salesian Brother’ there will be an encounter of all Salesian Brothers, too.

3. A special prayer for SB vocation during this annual ‘Week of the Salesian Brother’

4. During this week all local communities will held a ‘study meetings’ about the Identity of Salesian Brother

5. For the young Salesian Brothers the annual meeting will be held (two days)

Objective 2: We will help that ‘our’ youth and candidates to Salesian Vocation will have the opportunity to meet Salesian Brothers

THA

In the Thai context, the Provincial and his Council and the Provincial Formation Commission will give full support, foster the awareness and promotion of the Salesian Brother Identity by the following means:

VIE

1- In presenting the SB, we should deliberately introduce them as “Su Hunh” [specific title for SB].

2- Making fliers and spread them at any proper occations.

3- More translation on SB documents are necessary.

4- Salesian Priests have grave responsiblity to introduce this SB vocation since they are in visible position and have more occasions to do so.