austraLasia
1410
The changing map of
the Salesian world, and thanking God for the gift of Don
Bosco
ROME: 27th January 2006 --
Whatever map of the Salesian world you have now might not serve for much longer;
that world is gradually being re-drawn. This is not just about
numbers. The Rector Major's comments at the end of the Winter Session for
the General Council gave a clear indication of that much. Fidelity to Don
Bosco and his mission is what he concluded with, and it was the notion
underlying his masterful summary of an intense two months of
work.
But let's start with some figures anyway. If
some Provincial secretaries are feeling a bit battered after being pressed for
urgent final 2005 figures, it was so Fr Maraccani could finalise the state of
the Congregation numerically, as he is wont to do, and must. EAO registers
a small increase in numbers in the wash-up between novices at one end, deaths at
the other and losses in between. There are 61 novices in the EAO region,
ITM and VIE accounting for most of them. Novices included, the Region has
1319 men (1316 in 2004). What the figures do not include, however, are the
11 missionaries who went out to other regions in the course of 2005, and the 39
students from the region in Italy or Jerusalem, plus sundry others listed in
other circumscriptions. What is actually being 'redrawn' in our
region? The Congregation has directed an additional 9 confreres towards
PNG-SI, who are also working hard at their own vocation-formation
development. A decision to take the Delegation forward to Vice Province
status is on hold, but no one doubts that intention sooner rather than
later. And connected with a vast study of the Formation Houses and Centres
throughout the Congregation carried out by Fr Cereda, some moves are afoot to
strengthen existing centres, their sense of Salesian identity, and to address
the urgent need for formation of the Brothers. That will impact on our
region. If some other statistics for the region are of interest to you, there
are 8 Bishops, 729 priests, 203 Brothers, 326 men on the way towards priesthood.
The region lost 34 men in 2005, 6 of those through death. The majority of
others were in temporary vows. Our neighbour, South India, has a whopping
156 novices this year, 10 more than last year. There are 2379 confreres in
that region
Amongst major themes studied in this session
was the Salesian presence in the Muslim world - touching on a number of places
in our region. No policy as such has been drawn up, rather an extended and
in-depth study has been set up under Fr Alencherry's direction. Other
themes included vocational fidelity, and reflection on the Instruction on
criteria for discernment of vocations with regard to persons with homosexual
tendencies in view of their admission to seminaries and Holy
Orders.
Western Europe is being redrawn: the number of
Provinces in Spain will be fewer as several are unified over the next two
years. Salesian Africa too, is changing shape. Sudan will become a
circumscription with a special statute, to handle the situation where members of
AFE to which it currently belongs, cannot gain entry (Provincial,
Councillors...). Mozambique will detach from Portugal and become a Vice
Province. Uganda detaches from AFE (Nairobi) and joins with Ruwanda and Burundi
to make a vice province. Sub-Sahara Africa is a ticklish area.
Morocco and Tunisia. Tunisia will stay with Ireland-Malta, Morocco most
likely will detach from France and go with the new Cordoba-based combined
Province. Numbers in Africa-Madagascar continue to increase, with just
short of a hundred novices.
The Catacombs of St. Callistus
in Rome came in for special mention. It is a commitment the Congregation
is proud of, and one our Region is giving vital support to. The Salesian
commitment to this aspect of the Universal and ancient faith is being renewed
and will be bolstered.
The Rector Major has drawn much
inspiration and consolation from the energy of these months but more
particularly the spiritual energy of good, holy confreres. He was forcibly
struck by the quality of the recent Salesian Family Spirituality Days. His
personal experience kneeling before Don Bosco's exposed body recently was nigh
on a mystical one, to hear him speak of it. He sees the coming Feast as
our opportunity worldwide to thank God for the gift of Don Bosco, and to commit
ourselves ever more deeply to regenerating Don Bosco in ourselves personally,
through fidelity to the Rule or, as he put it 'to our project of life'.
And now he is off to India to close one centenary, China to open another, and
South Africa for a Team
Visit.
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