The ICP Visitation, carried out from September to November, was above all a privileged moment of getting to know, accompaniment and encounter with the entire Provincial Community, the communities and the apostolic works.
The two Visitors were able to learn about the situations, evaluate and shed light on each of them, help them to animate and plan their future and enlighten the most appropriate decisions at a personal, community and provincial level.
In order for this to be possible, the visit was carried out in a spirit of fraternity and discernment, dedicating time to prayer, reflection and dialogue, and through an atmosphere of sharing that also involved the Provincial, Fr Leonardo Mancini, and his Council.
ICP is a circumscription with a wide variety of pastoral settings which are frequented by many young people; it enjoys the presence of Salesian "historical and charismatic" places; it boasts a large number of confreres of all ages, eager for the mission; and it can rely in shared responsibility by lay people.
The exchange with Rectors focused on some issues: updating and keeping alive the charism and mission of ICP; caring for the spiritual and fraternal life of the confreres; supporting vocation ministry, the initial and ongoing formation of the confreres; promoting discernment and preparing for the future of the houses; along with other issues.
In particular, Fr García Morcuende and Fr Pérez Godoy paid particular attention to the life of the confreres and communities, to the Salesian Family, the consolidation of the educative and pastoral mission in the different areas... And the Extraordinary Visitation proved to be a valid tool for renewal and a strong stimulus to fidelity.
The circumscription is working on some priority choices for the coming years, the result of the verification of the Overall Province Plan(OPP) and the Provincial Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan (SEPP). First of all, a priority is to orient every educative and pastoral activity towards evangelisation and explicit proclamation from the perspective of the Preventive System; secondly, the care of the fraternal life of the communities, according to the typical family style; thirdly, the consolidation of local vocational animation; again, the strengthening of the Council of the Educative and Pastoral Community for the sharing of life, formation and the implementation of the Salesian Educative and Pastoral Project in every setting of the house; and finally, continuing the work of reshaping the Salesian presences in the Province.
There are many challenges to be faced in this historical moment, but at the same time there are also many opportunities to continue growing, in fidelity to the charism and the mission entrusted to ICP, through the service and personal, community and institutional witness of everyone involved.
