The event was moderated by Prof. Hendry Selvaraj Dominic sdb. It was followed by the presentation of the well-thought-out themes for the day that were developed by the four resource persons chosen for their association with Kristu Jyoti College (KJC) and for their academic competence.

Prof. Shaji Joseph Puykunnel sdb, Director of the Institute of Spiritual Theology, enlightened the audience on the topic «Socio-political and religious context of North-East India at the time of the arrival of the first Salesian missionaries».  He argued basing himself on the statistical report of the Salesian mission in the region that the missionaries transformed the various challenges of the difficult mission into opportunities for the growth of the Church. He attributed the success of Salesians in the mission to the strategy of their religious leader, Mgr. Louis Mathias SDB, to have the formation of personnel in loco.

The second presentation, «Salesian Congregation in the immediate post World War II, The Vatican and the Post-Vatican periods» was brilliantly summarised by Prof. Michal Vojtáš sdb, the author of the book, «Reviving Don Bosco’s Oratory and Salesian Pedagogy after Don Bosco: From the first generation up to the Synod on Young People (1888–2018) ». He noted that Fr Renato Ziggiotti’s term of office as Rector Major was characterised by his travels and the growing worldwide sense of the Salesian charism, and the 19th General Chapter of the Salesian congregation that introduced six new sectors into the traditional Salesian apostolate viz., parish, adult catechesis, family apostolate, formation of lay teachers, ministry to workers, and social communication.

The third resource person Prof. Ivo Coelho sdb, the General Councillor for Formation of the Salesian Congregation, dwelt on the theme, «the Salesian Formation in Mission». He paid special attention to section 2 of chapter 4 of the book, «Social Involvement and Contribution to Nation-Building», as it interested him due to his own personal association with KJC as a student of theology (1984-1988). He recalled the narration from the 4th chapter of the book with the subtitles: the Social Service Guild, the Freedom at midnight and the influences of Liberation theology as well as the Special General Chapter to drive home the point that the Theology in KJC did not remain confined to the pages of the books or within the walls of the classrooms, but that it flowed into the life and that life flowed back into theology.

Prof. Jose Kuttianimattathil sdb, member of the Formation Department of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Rome presented on the last theme «preferential love for and commitment to the poor at the very heart of the Salesian formation. The resource person opined that the methodology of the Salesian formation is a liberative dialogical discernment and spiral methodology.

Thus, all the four well-thought-out themes for the day developed by the carefully chosen persons of competence hinted that the proud heritage of KJC, whose history Prof. Thomas Anchukandam has so painstakingly, professionally and brilliantly recorded in his book is its commitment to the poor.

Prof. Hendry while commenting on the talks and the book in question,  augured that the event which offered many a historical perspective could be a point of reference in critically carrying forward the theological formation of the Salesians in India, by the three Salesian theologates in the country viz., Kristu Jyoti College, The Sacred Heart Theological College, Shillong – both aggregated to Pontifical Salesian University and Don Bosco Theological Centre, Kavarapettai, Chennai that is affiliated to the same university, to respond to the need of strengthening the local theologies and forming theologians who can contribute to the believing community worldwide!

Prof. Thomas Anchukandam, the author in his concluding talk, indicated the reasons for his having authored the book which could briefly be summarized as his desire to record for posterity «the particularly significant aspects of the holistic theological formation imparted by KJC with its emphasis on offering the students the possibility of reaching out to the poor in the surrounding villages and of engaging in youth apostolate in the various parishes in the Archdiocese of Bangalore».

Prof. Hendry Selvaraj Dominic

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