“The Organic Provincial Plan will sent out the fundamental options guiding the development of the province, ensuring continuity and coherence in decisions.” (GC25, 82).

It is the strategic plan for the animation and government of the province, which takes an overall view of its life and mission and presents the fundamental choices that ought to guide its organization.

The OPP is the point of reference for all the projects and the planning of the agencies for animation and government, of the communities and of the works of the province.

The GC25 indicates first of all the subject of the OPP: “In the next three years the provincial community through its various organisms will study, draw up and evaluate the Organic Provincial Plan.” (GC25, 82).

In concrete “The Provincial and his Council, with the help of a working team,” (GC25 84) guides and directs the process of study, of drawing up and of evaluation of the OPP, involving the communities and in a special way the Rectors.

In the light of C. 171, 1.2 and of R. 167, 3 it is appropriate that the Provincial Chapter studies and approves the general lines and the basic choices of the OPP.

The GC25 also describes the objectives to be set through the drawing up of the OPP. In fact it states clearly:

“The Organic Provincial Plan must pursue the following objectives:

• the strengthening in every confrere and in every community of the sense of the common mission and shared responsibility for it;

• the reshaping and restructuring in view of the areas of commitment and development in the province;

• the overcoming of situations of community fragmentation, dispersion and numerical inadequacy;

• the real priority of the more effective and prophetic works and a more authentic expression of the salesian mission in the area.” (GC25, 83)

At this point it is not intended to provide a rigid scheme to follow, but only to bring together the basic elements that the OPP should consider.

In recent years many Provinces have already drawn up in deliberations of Provincial Chapters, in Provincial Educative-Pastoral Projects, and in Formation Projects or other provincial documents quite a number of guidelines on some of these points. Now it is a question of bringing them together and organizing them into an organic and coherent whole.

The proposed scheme follows that used by the GC25, but each province will be able to adapt it to its own situation and requirements. At the same time it is not a question of a lengthy or complicated document, but one that is short and to the point, containing the basic options of government without too many reasons or explanations.

Bearing in mind the requirements of the Congregation and of the Church, especially those of the GC25 and the Project of animation and government of the Rector Major with his Council, the Province asks itself what God is calling it to be and to do in the current situation and in the places where it is present, in order to ensure the effectiveness of its life and activity..

In the light of God’s call the Province intends to take a brief look at its situation and at the possibilities for its development. Considering what the Province would like to be, it asks itself:

• Regarding its life and activity

. What are the positive aspects and the resources we already have?

. What aspects need improving, and what difficulties do we experience?

• Regarding the urgent needs in our area especially of the young and the poor.

• Regarding the basic challenges this situation presents for the future of the Province.

The GC25 suggests some issues to be considered in the OPP in order to identify the fundamental options.

In general it “covers the priority fields of action for the years ahead, practical criteria for the different plans and projects the works to which attention must be given, the general lines for the preparation of personnel and for economic and structural development, responding to today’s urgent requirements and future prospects emerging from analysis of the locality..” (GC25, 82)

In particular the fundamental options converge on the topics mentioned here; it is a question of:

• Choosing “priority fields of action” (GC25, 82), the main areas or aspects on which to concentrate attention and forces for the next few years.

• After having evaluated “the effectiveness of the mission of the individual works with reference to the criteria” that the GC25 proposes (GC25, 84), defining:

• the priority of the more effective and prophetic works (Cf. GC25, 83);

• the criteria to guide a significant growth for the developing provinces;

• the criteria for the reshaping and restructuring in view of the areas of commitment and development in the province (Cf. GC25, 83).

• Identifying the conditions to “ensure the qualitative and quantitative consistency of each salesian community” (GC25 75-77), so as to ensure “the overcoming of situations of community fragmentation, dispersion and numerical inadequacy” (GC25, 83)

• Re-defining for each presence a relationship between the community and the work that makes it possible for every salesian community “to live and work together and be a point of charismatic reference in the animating nucleus of the EPC” (GC25, 78-81)

• Indicating “the general lines for the preparation of personnel” (GC25, 82), both SDB and lay collaborators.

• Proposing the “the general lines for economic and structural development” (GC25, 82) of the province, also bearing in mind solidarity.

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P

Lines for animation:

- Schools and Technical Formation

- Parishes

- Youth Centres

- Social works

- SYM

Guides the programmes of:

VOCATIONAL ANIMATION

MISSIONARY ANIMATION

SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

ANIMATIONE OF THE SF

- …..