In his opening address, Fr Alfred Maravilla, General Councillor for the Missions, clarified the identity of the Missionary Procure, its role within the Provinces and its relations with all the other bodies and structures of the Province. "We work in synergy with them," the Councillor explained, "avoiding any confusion or duplication of work at the provincial level.
Fr Eric Mairura from Kenya, who was appointed as the new General Coordinator of Mission Procures, presented a reflection on the Salesian concept of development, which was the result of a process that had been ongoing for some years. "All our efforts must be closely aligned to the mission and charism of Don Bosco and the Congregation," he said.
In his speech, Mr Filip Lammens from Belgium proposed ways and means to contribute to evangelization through education. He emphasized how closer networking, learning from each other, and making the most of the specific resources of each nation and province could help mobilize resources.
Jan Rešutík, from Slovakia, the first lay person responsible for Salesian missions in developing countries, then spoke. Rešutík explained the necessity and advantages of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and proposed to adapt this system also to the provinces that are willing to adopt it.
The participants then had the opportunity to take part in short courses, which aroused keen interest. Everyone chose a topic they wanted to learn more about, ranging from basic to advanced levels. They had a total of six hours, two hours a day for three days, and found the courses concrete, practical and feasible.
Fr Joy Nedumparampil (India) and Fr Gunter Mayer (Austria) gave a course on how to start a Mission Office from the scratch and on how to build it step by step. Angel Gudiña (Spain) and Fr Victor Mora (Chile), on the other hand, focused their talk on resource mobilization through local, national and international companies and corporations. On the other hand, the course held by Maria Pearson from Argentina focused on online resource mobilization and crowdfunding. Finally, Markus Burri helped participants understand the importance of measuring achievements, collecting hard data and using it to retain donors, while Dr Nelson Penedo emphasized how crucial it is to maintain high standards in everything you do, regardless of the size of operations.
A lecture was then held on 'Best Practices', the best practices, of some Provinces, which can be replicated, with the necessary modifications, by anyone.
The meeting also offered an opportunity to highlight the importance of empowerment of lay collaborators, thanks to the intervention of Fr Krzysztof Nizniak, from Ghana. Practical examples of how to organize a fundraising event were given. Fr Boedirahardjo, from Indonesia, recounted the whole process involved in setting up a golf tournament in his Province to raise funds.
From Myanmar, Fr Bosco Nyi Nyi, Superior of the MYM Vice Province, spoke about the excellent examples "of the ways in which the poorest of the poor can and do offer us resources". From India, instead, Fr Angel Kuldeep Nayak, highlighted the beautiful and fruitful collaboration with the State Bank of India Foundation.
They were, in conclusion, days of reflection, sharing and learning, the preparation and organization of which were led by Fr George Menamparampil, under the guidance of the General Councillor for the Missions, Fr Alfred Maravilla, with the support of the entire team of the Missions Sector in Rome.
