austraLasia
1440
EAO Provincials
meet for wide-ranging discussions at Cheung Chau
HK
(on a separate note: the server being used
in Rome changed over 24 hours ago to a different provider .... one of the
reasons I chose a 'throwaway' topic yesterday for austraLasia, in the knowledge
that many might not receive it, and to test the waters! In fact, at the
moment, ANS and austraLasia are being classified as SPAM by the home server even
before they leave Rome, let alone how the receiving server might treat
them! It is hoped this will be rectified soon. In the meantime we
trust that the coverage of the RM's visit to China Province will surmount these
difficulties)
CHEUNG CHAU HK: 10th February 2006
-- Following the meeting of Youth Ministry Delegates, and in the lull
before the arrival of the Rector Major on the morrow, EAO provincials met for
their annnual gathering to review, to plan - and to share. This meeting is
itself an important element of continuing formation for a group whose Salesian
and spiritual well-being is vital to that of the confreres they lead. It
would be impossible to adequately summarise a meeting that had eight separate
'moments' to it, and from hastily scrawled notes made by another, so here we
limit our selves to the broadest of coverage
The gathering
began with a personal sharing by each provincial on the experience of being
'father' to so many confreres. The group contains those who are towards
the end of their term, like Fr Savio Hon, CIN, those who are mid-way like Fr
Julius Sanchez FIN and those just beginning like Fr Frank Moloney AUL.
They moved on to a reflection on responses to a 2005 questionnaire on ongoing
formation in the region, in an effort to see what regional possibilities there
could be - a preference for some concrete targets emerged, such as knowledge of
Don Bosco, seminars for the likes of Rectors and maybe the establishment of a
mobile team, rather than expecting all provinces to always be sending candidates
for whatever purpose somewhere else.
Lengthy discussion
took up the question of the Salesian Brother, given that there is already a
seminar due in August of this year in Cambodia. Here the discussion
considered the proposal that there be a regional centre and structure, duly
financed - places such as Manila, Hong Kong and Bangkok all offer
possibilities. At various moments in the day the discussion came back to
the Brothers, since the topic appeared under other guises - the Rector Major's
'executive summary' of the region, animation of the next several years, and Fr
Cereda's formation report. One thing is fairly clear - the forthcoming
meeting of Brothers will be more far-reaching than a simple fraternal
Congress. It will take up crucial theological, pastoral, Salesian
issues.
The Rector Major's summary of the region is part
of a study of all regions done within the Council. The EAO study was finalised
in the months just passed. There was an acknowledgment of the value of the
region, but this does not take away from the fact that the region is still
finding its way in the midst of enormous cultural and situational
diversity. There was a discussion of the merits and demerits of this very
medium you are now reading, austraLasia, as an instrument to 'promote news
exchange and foster a Salesian culture in EAO' as one of the contributors to the
discussion put it.
AUL has had some adjusting to do
as an EAO member, since its history and cultural attachments have lain elsewhere
in the past and it is in some respects a 'cultural outsider' with a wide range
of cultural diversity to manage internally (Australia, plus Melanesia - Fiji,
Polynesia - Samoa). But it also has much to offer to the region, with
well-prepared personnel and a solid theological study
structure.
The provincials shared meaningful achievements
over recent years - and there were many of these. They looked at animation
occasions 2006-8, central amongst these being the coming GC26 with its
concomitant provincial chapters. If the Rector Major and Council are
looking for ideas - and they are - on focus points for GC26, then what appeared
to be emerging from this discussion was a preference for a Chapter based more on
the RMs report on the state of the Congregation (which would include the state
of the provinces, obviously for their local focus) than on any a priori
'theme'.
Fr Cereda's 12 page report on formation with a
strong focus on initial formation gave rise to much discussion. This
report was delivered by Fr Chrys Saldanha. If we are looking for a central
point in this discussion it has to be that of enculturation of formation, the
pros and cons not of that as an issue, but how best to see it happen in the
context of EAO. That there will be changes within the region as provinces
look to ways of working together on this one, is evident. The discussion
found its way back to the Salesian Brother again, but now from a
Congregation-wide perspective, since Fr Cereda's report is the result of having
visited all formation communities the world over. By the end of 2006,
pretty much all of the Salesian world will have moved to a situation where the
formation of the Brother is more organised, with common content but also
respecting regional and local differences.
As you can see,
there would be little more that we could give room to in such a rich exchange of
views. The many topics and issues will emerge again in a dozen different
circumstances, and there are some forthcoming events to note, so keep
tuned!
__________________
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