DIREZIONE GENERALE OPERE DON BOSCO
Via della Pisana 1111 - 00163 Roma
The General Councillor for Formation
Rome, 14 July 2008
Prot. 08/0522
To the Revv.
Frs Provincial
Provincial Delegates for Formation
Subject: Suggestions for the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation
Dear Frs Provincial and Delegates,
After the letter dated 24 June sent to the confreres regarding the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation, the Rector Major has asked me to offer the Provinces some suggestions about how to celebrate this event. I therefore met together with a working party made up of the following confreres: Fr Andrea Bozzolo, Fr Guido Errico, Fr Guido Novella and Fr Daniel Federspiel. Together we have prepared these proposals which I present to you.
This year and next will be marked by some events: the transmission of the 26th General Chapter, the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation, the Strenna that invites the Salesian Family to grow as a spiritual and apostolic movement committed to the salvation of the young. This period 2008 - 2009, with the events that characterise it, constitutes already the first stage of the preparation for the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco in 2015. In this period with the whole Church we are also celebrating the bi-millennium of the birth of Saint Paul.
We are not the ones to have planned these events; they are offered to us by circumstances, by life, by history and indeed by the Spirit. We are being asked to recognise them, welcome them and appreciate them so that they may become moments of grace. The involve the confrere and the Salesian community, the young and the lay people in the educative pastoral communities, the Salesian Youth Movement, the Salesian Family. It is important therefore that in the Province the Delegates for Formation, for Youth Ministry, for the Salesian Family together with the Provincial try to study how to harmonise procedures and initiatives.
The following suggestions regarding the formation planning of the community and of the Province and the educational pastoral planning refer to the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Salesian Congregation. Suggestions for the assimilation of the GC26 and for the implementation of the 2009 Strenna have already been presented elsewhere. It is for the Province to take up what could be useful avoiding a multiplication of proposals, unifying what otherwise might be fragmentary.
1. Significant Celebrations
Accepting the invitation of the Rector Major to make 2009 “the starting point for a renewed offering of our lives to God for the young,” it is suggested above all to emphasise some Salesian feasts. The year begins on 31 January and concludes on 18 December with the renewal of profession. Then it is possible to make good use of the feast of Saint Dominic Savio, the solemnity of Mary Help of Christians, the solemnity of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist and Don Bosco’s birthday on 16 August. Each Province and community will know how best to plan for and celebrate the separate feasts in a practical way.
31 January 2009 - Saint John Bosco personal conversion
Process of conversion and renewed offering of oneself to God and to the young
Among the initiatives proposed for this feast, at the level of the Salesian community it would be a good idea to emphasise the aspect of personal conversion highlighted in the first key issue of the GC26. For the educative pastoral community and for the Salesian Family it will be important to let them know that in this year the birth of the Congregation is being commemorated. If the Chapter document has not yet been officially presented it could be done on this occasion. During the triduum in preparation for the feast the various celebrations made available on the CD for presenting the first key issue and that for the formal presentation of the Chapter document could be used.
6 May - Saint Dominic Savio apostolic protagonism of the young
The young co-founders with Don Bosco
In the Salesian mission we are used to considering young people the ones we are working for. The 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation invites us to rediscover young people as the cofounders and therefore as protagonist of Don Bosco’s charism. The feast of Saint Dominic Savio is an occasion to make clear the co-involvement of the young people in the Salesian mission and in the evangelisation of their peers. They should be invited to “do good to your companions.”
25 May – Mary Help of Christians entrustment to Mary
Humble thanksgiving for being accompanied by the presence of Mary Mother and Teacher
We are not always aware of the presence of Mary in our Congregation and in Salesian life; as Don Bosco tells us, “She has done everything.” It would be good therefore to re-awaken in ourselves and in our pastoral activities the help of Mary. This is the Feast of the Salesian Family, grateful to Mary, inspiration and foundress (cf. C 1). In 2009 24 May is a Sunday in Easter time and therefore the liturgical feast of Mary Help of Christians is celebrated on 25 May.
24 June – Birth of Saint John the Baptist gratitude to the successor of Don Bosco
A family gathered around Don Bosco’s successor
In a family the feastday of a member shows the relationships of affection that link them together. On 24 June at Valdocco they used to celebrate Don Bosco’s nameday and the day to express their thanks; it is a traditional occasion for us as members of a family on which to cultivate our relationship as children towards their father, of special warmth towards our brothers and sisters, united in the mission, a shared project on behalf of the young. On this occasion we shall find the best way to express our affectionate and prayerful gratitude to the Rector Major, the successor of Don Bosco and the centre of unity of the Salesian Family.
16 August – Birth of Don Bosco gift of life
Life as a gift from God and a gift of ourselves
With the commemoration of Don Bosco’s birthday we rediscover the gift of our own life: a gift received with gratitude that becomes the gift of oneself, a commitment to holiness, a vocation path, happiness, fullness of life. In the “way that leads to love” we give witness to those around us of the enthusiasm and the joy of everyday holiness and the total gift of ourselves to God for the young.
18 December – Foundation of the Congregation commitment to the Salesian vocation
With enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility we are together in continuing the vocation of Don Bosco for the young
This is the culmination of the journey we have been making. On this day throughout the Congregation, the confreres renew their fidelity to God’s call, to following Don Bosco, giving themselves in the mission to the young, in fraternal life, in the radical following of Christ obedient, poor and chaste. Suggestions for the celebration can be found in the material provided.
2. Journey of the Salesian community
Lent 2009
For every Christian Lent is a special time for interior renewal and conversion, for re-discovering the grace of Baptism, and for a commitment to live according to one’s own vocation. For us Lent 2009 can be above all the occasion to put into practice one of the suggestions of the GC26, that is the invitation to read and meditate the Constitutions more frequently.
For the occasion of the feast on 31 January 2009 the book of the Constitutions, perhaps printed in a larger format could be placed in the community chapel, under a picture or statue of Don Bosco, as a visible sign of the greater attention that the community intends to pay to this “living testament” of our Founder.
During Lent it would be a good idea is each day an article of the Rule were to be read in whatever way the community thinks suitable: for example at the beginning of meditation or during evening prayer or at the beginning of meals. So as to improve our knowledge of them it could be useful to take them up again at the Good Night of during a community conference, making use of the official commentary and the prayers found at the end of each article. This daily contact with the Constitution will also be the personal commitment of each one.
It is also suggested that during the time for meditation there could be an invitation to make a personal lectio divina, starting from the readings of the day in the liturgy or from the continuous reading a letter of St Paul.
On the occasion of the monthly day of recollection in February and March the community could reflect on the spirituality of “da mihi animas, cetera tolle” making use of a lectio divina on two texts of St. Paul, in which the Apostle deals with the urgent need to evangelise (2 Cor 4, 1-6) and with the tribulations connected with the pastoral ministry (2 Cor 4, 7-12). The two passages could be given an up-to-date relevance by referring to the second and fourth key issues of the GC26 document. On such occasions use can be made of the celebrations of the liturgy of the Word and of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament available in the CD of the GC26, in connection with the II and IV key issues.
The Lenten programme of conversion could culminate in a community penitential celebration in which the confreres could be invited to ask forgiveness from God for any vocational infidelities and together pray for the gift of greater fidelity to our Rule of life. A scheme for this penitential service is also offered.
Advent 2009
Advent will be marked by the celebration on 18 December, in which each Salesian will have the experience of renewing his religious profession. Given the particular liturgical season it is suggested that the best use be made of the novena for the Immaculate Conception paying special attention to Mary’s Behold the handmaid of the Lord in response to God’s call, to Don Bosco’s positive response following the dream at nine and to our personal assent at the beginning of our vocation.
The aim of what is being proposed, after the consideration of Mary’s “Yes” and that of Don Bosco, is to make each confrere accept responsibility for the gift of his own vocation and to help him share in that of every other Salesian in the community. It is suggested that the confrere recalls, perhaps even in writing, the beginnings of his vocation in the form of an account or a “letter to Don Bosco” or remembers a Salesian who played a decisive role in his choice of vocation. With a prayer to Don Bosco each one will finally be called to say ‘thank you’ to our Father and Founder.
During the novena, at the time for meditation, the first 10 minutes could be used for reading the passage proposed and for the presentation of some points for reflection, leaving the rest of the time for silent personal use. It would be convenient for all the confreres to have copies of the text.
The days of the novena could follow this pattern:
Sunday 29 November: I of Advent – Vespers and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Monday 30 November: lectio divina on Lk 1,26-28 - “The Annunciation” I
Tuesday 1 December: lectio divina on Lk 1,29-33 - “The Annunciation” II
Wednesday 2 December: lectio divina on Lk 1,34-38 - “The Annunciation” III
Thursday 3 December: meditated reading of the account of the “dream at 9 years of age” I
Friday 4 December: meditated reading of the account of the “dream at 9 years of age” II
Saturday 5 December – Blessed Philip Rinaldi: each confrere recalls or writes an account of the beginnings of his vocation
Sunday 6 December: II of Advent – Vespers and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Monday 7 December: each confrere says or writes down his prayer to Don Bosco.
In the days following the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, as immediate preparation for the 18 December, the local community could arrange at least one meeting together in which each Salesian will have the possibility of speaking about the story of his own vocation, presenting or reading to the other confreres the memories of his vocation and the prayer to Don Bosco, prepared during the previous days.
3. Co-involvement of the young people
The Rector Major, on this 150th anniversary and in harmony with the third key issue of the GC26 “need for vocation ministry,” asks us to tell the young people about the history of the beginnings of the Congregation of which they were the “co-founders” with Don Bosco, to involve them in apostolic activities with the same passion of “da mihi animas”, to propose to them the Salesian consecrated vocation in its two forms.
To the educative pastoral communities it should be suggested that they tell all the young people the story of the birth of the Salesian Congregation that began through the work of the Holy Spirit, with the maternal intervention of Mary, and the collaboration of Don Bosco with the young people. The celebrations with the young people to be held in the Provinces can be the occasion for speaking about the beginnings of the charism. It is recommended that there be a meeting for listening, for communication and dialogue of young people with the Salesian community about the expectations, the appreciation and the suggestions they might have regarding the Congregation.
To the educative community is should also be suggested that they encourage the activities with apostolic commitment in which the young people are the protagonists in the evangelisation of their peers. Youth groups and associations should be built up that have an apostolic role, drawing inspiration from the spirituality of “da mihi animas”. Special attention should be given to taking advantage of the feast of Saint Dominic Savio, especially with those youngsters and young people apostolically involved. Discussions in the Salesian Youth Movement will help to develop an apostolic commitment.
The Salesian community should find some time/occasions for the communication of the story of the vocations of the confreres, especially with young people involved in apostolic activity and open to vocational enquiry. It should involve the young, lay people and families in praying for vocations of special consecration. It should offer young people the chance to share its own community life. It should begin or continue to reflect about the ways of promoting vocations locally and also about the aspirantate community.
4. Sharing with lay people
“The spirit, his way of thinking and his pastoral experience led Don Bosco to come to some firm convictions: the possibility of the Salesian spirit being lived in different states of life and therefore through the coming together of “good people” to contribute to the great mission of the Church; the foundation of the first groups, formed around the experience of the oratory, with different kinds of links, with different degrees of close connection, with different requirements for belonging.” (Presentation of the 2009 Strenna).
In Salesian tradition educative pastoral work is a path of holiness. In the spirit of the 2009 Strenna, where it is possible, it is suggested that there be a meeting with those lay people co-responsible and in a serious way co-involved in the Salesian mission. In a climate of fraternity, they can be invited to share their experiences of how they see the Salesian mission and how through their work they contribute to it. Making the best use of this experience of sharing, it can be brought to a close with a moment of celebration.
Number 4 in the presentation of the Strenna offers some suggestions that can inspire reflection and also some steps to be taken so that the Salesian Family may become a vast movement at the service of the salvation of the young. (Presentation of the 2009 Strenna). These also refer to lay people involved in the Salesian mission and within that co-responsible and therefore forming part of the Salesian movement; in fact not all these lay people belong to the Salesian Family.
5. Province Events
Preparation and celebration of professions
This year special attention should be given to the preparation for the first profession, in other words to the year of the novitiate, to the renewal of vows and to perpetual profession. In 1859 the Congregation was born; it is reborn and grows also today, every time that a young man accepts the invitation of the Lord Jesus to follow him in the consecrated life and in the steps of Don Bosco. Our vocation is to consecrated life; it needs to be placed at the centre from the earliest stages of formation and needs to be rediscovered by everyone.
In today’s cultural climate in which young people experience the uncertainties about the future and reluctance in making decisions, strong experiences are needed before the novitiate; from this derives the importance of the aspirantate and of the prenovitiate, so as to help them to reach mature conscious and responsible choices. Temporary profession then is not to be considered as a sort of volunteer experience; it is a question of the total offering of one’s life to God for the young. The formula for temporary profession makes it very clear that it is a definitive choice; in fact the person making the profession says “although it is my intention to offer myself” to God “for all my life,” “in accordance with the Church’s dispositions” he makes the vow to be obedient, poor and chaste for a certain period of time. It is necessary in the Congregation to encourage a change of mentality in this regard, since a mistaken way of understanding temporary profession runs the risk of re-enforcing that sense of the provisional and the fragility that the new generations display.
In the Province, the celebrations of the first professions, of their renewal and of perpetual professions should be occasions in which to thank God who always finds generous young people who want to give God the first place in their lives, to follow Christ, to be open to the Spirit on behalf of the young, especially the poorest. These celebrations in their simplicity, dignity and solemnity, should foster the creation of a mentality of a choice for one’s whole life. Normally in the Provinces the professions are celebrated on 31 January, on 24 May, on 16 August and on 8 September.
Finally it is suggested that during the preparation for perpetual profession those about to make their profession share their vocation story with the perpetually professed confreres in their community and with those confreres who have accompanied them more closely during the years of the formation journey.
Retreats
The 2009 Retreats could concentrate on a deeper reflection on the Constitutions. It should also be possible to re-think the programming: the meditation in the morning could have the form of a “lectio divina”; the afternoon talk could concentrate on the Constitutions. The two should be planned as a single unit: the biblical foundation in the morning would then have its charismatic application in the afternoon. The community prayer, the ongoing reading, the personal reflection and prayer could also concentrate on our Rule of life.
The Constitutions are the plan of life of the Salesians of Don Bosco; during the Retreat each confrere could be invited to draw up his personal plan of life in practical terms relative to the Constitutions. Consecrated life is journey of sanctification that requires a spiritual methodical approach, without which there is no growth. The personal plan of life encourages this methodical approach; it is the rule of life adapted to ones own circumstances “hic et nunc”. The Retreat therefore is offered to the confreres as a time to reformulate their personal plan of life. The GC26 guidelines that refer to the tasks of each confrere could help him to take on the profile of the Salesian that emerges from the Constitutions and from the Chapter itself and to give concrete form to the plan.
Pilgrimage of Don Bosco’s casket
Already during the year 2009 Don Bosco’s casket will travel round some of the Provinces; in the following years it will visit the other Provinces. This should not be simply an event, but part of a spiritual and pastoral process. In 2009 this pilgrimage can be marked by the commemoration of the beginnings of the Congregation and of the Salesian Movement which had Don Bosco as their founder. The visit of Don Bosco’s casket will certainly provide a special opportunity to bring together young people, families, lay people; it could also involve the local Church and the area; to everyone it should offer an experience, a message and above a fresh start on one’s own spiritual journey.
6. Synbolic gestures
It should be possible to give extra significance to the celebration of this year 2009 through the use of some signs that indicate exteriorly the importance of this anniversary and remain as a souvenir/memory of what has taken place. Local sensitivities and cultures are different; each community could choose whatever it considers useful.
Among these signs use could be made of the text of the Constitutions, printed in a larger format. As has already been mentioned, this could be left on display in the community chapel, used each day for the reading of some articles and signed after the renewal of profession on 18 December.
Every effort will be made to have available by that day a volume that brings together the principal “Salesian sources”, as requested by the GC26, so that the confreres can have frequent contact with the principal texts of our spiritual tradition.
Appropriate good use could also be made of the coat of arms of the Salesian Congregation, with its motto “da mihi animas, cetera tolle”. Similarly put to good use could be the medal for the first profession and the cross for perpetual profession.
Some suitable slogans to be used as communicative/publicity material could be for example: “Without you I wouldn’t have been able to do anything” (Don Bosco); “I’ve done the outline, you colour it in” (Don Bosco), “The seed became a tree and the tree a wood” (Rector Major)
.
Some useful multimedia material exists that could be used in various ways. In particular one notes the DVD “A man was sent by God, his name was John” (6’) produced by “Missioni don Bosco” and the CD Rom “Towards 2015. the GC26” from the Social Communication Department.
Finally one might suggest that where it appears appropriate an invitation card for the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Congregation could be sent to Church and Civil authorities.
Conclusion. This event of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation is an opportunity to deepen our charismatic identity. To achieve this the Rector needs to provide the community will good direction, and there needs to be the involvement of confreres, the young people, the laity and families. Together with these suggestions you will find attached some aids for the celebrations.
I hope that this year’s journey will be profitable for you and will continue the Pentecostal experience of the GC26. May the Holy Spirit open our minds and inflame our hearts.
In Don Bosco
Fr Francesco Cereda
