In the morning of Ash Wednesday, Rector Major celebrated the Eucharist and Father Filiberto Gonsalez, Coucillor for Social Communication preached the homily. “We all need conversion we need to repent and believe in the Gospel” he said. Then Father Maria Arokiam Kanaga, who heads the Salesian Regional Council for South Asia (SPCSA) presented the report on March 1 to the top brass of the Salesian Congregation.
Father Arokiam began his presentation by highlighting the strengths of the South Asia region that is home to over 500 million youth. He maintained that the study proved that Consecrated and Community life in the region is healthy despite some failures and defects.
“There is a widespread appreciation for the Salesians in the Church and among non-Christians. There is an increase in works directed towards new groups of young people at risk: migrants, refugees, those suffering from AIDS…” he said.
The study maintained that several challenges existed and needed to be addressed. One such challenge was a view that Salesians today are perceived as good service providing humanitarians, rather than as radical Gospel witnesses.
Fr Kanaga was very positive as regarding the significance of the study: “All Salesian Provinces follow the charism of Don Bosco and live their consecrated life and impart faith to seek the call of Christ in our mission to work for the holistic development of the poorest youngsters.” he said
Fr Albert Johnson, the Former Provincial of Trichy, dealt with the study of the implementation of General Chapter 27 (GC27) in the South Asian provinces in the second session of the first day. Three salient features of GC 27, namely spiritual, fraternal and pastoral conversion were dwelt upon and their impact and challenges at an individual level, community level and province level. “I found that the Provinces have made sincere efforts to implement the directives and made efforts to grow as mystics, prophets and servants. This interim study during the team visit will still help us to grow together as authentic Salesians.” said Fr Johnson.
On 2 March the General Councillours shared about the Strategic Evaluation Plan drawn up by the Salesian Provincial Council for Asia (SPCSA).
In connection with the poorest of the poor, the study found that over 90 percent felt that Salesians should focus on holistic formation of the young especially the poorest of the poor. “In this connection we need to emphasise Skill Development (92.7%) and Holistic formation (93.3%) for the poorest of the poor,” the study maintained.
In the youth services field, the study found that 87 percent people felt that Salesians need to emphasise empowerment of youth through facilitating a career path rather than just delivering a short term skill program to get a job. “There is a great need felt in giving guidance to the young in the use of social media,” the study also stressed.
The study found that 92.8 percent feel that Salesians in India need to emphasise community life. “There is a strong perception that Salesians need to drastically reduce the prevalence of individualism (85.7%), emphasized community life (92.8%) and support individual initiatives as a community wherever discerned as appropriate,” the study maintained, adding, “Be a Holy SDB”.
Ninety percent respondents in the study believed that Salesians in India need to lay more emphasis on ongoing formation. “Salesians need to place more emphasis on personalising formation and reduce the gap between Formation and Mission,” the study maintained.
Finally, Fr Johnson addressed the gathering on the issue of Re-shaping and Re-signification of Salesian presence in South Asia. “It would mean, strengthening our presences and ensuring their relevance; re-dimensioning or closing them. It also implies looking at growth prospects and opening new works in the light of offering effective service to young people. “Hence, aspects such as, qualification and availability of confreres, the numerical consistency of communities, the different ways of managing the works, the shared responsibility with youth and lay people, the involvement of the Salesian Family in the area, the care of vocations to Salesian consecrated life, the balance between the various types of presences in the province, the expansion of our works, financial sustainability, etc become key points of discussion.”
Fr Fabio Attard and Fr Ivo Coelho then conducted a feedback session on the issues that were discussed and Father Angel Fernandez gave his observations and appreciated the documents presented during the day.
