By Chris Valentino
Father Kanaga began the conference thanking the confreres of the Mumbai Salesian Province for their cordial welcome, warm hospitality and frank sharing. Terming the conference as an `overall assessment and recommendations`, he presented his general impressions. “The province and the confreres live in an atmosphere of salesianity, fidelity, fraternity, openness and creativity through a mix of established communities, exploring new mission areas through hardwork, responsibility, mature inner freedom and sincerity,” said Father Kanaga.
He commended the rigorous commitment, fidelity to religious discipline, the increased levels of budgeting transparency and the simple lives of the confreres in conformity to the rural/urban work areas. He appreciated the meta-institutions like Prafulta, Amrut Dhara, Youth Services and TejPrasarini for their innovative consistency evidently visible in the results.
Father Kanaga offered a few recommendations in the light of the “10 areas of concern for the congregation” inviting the Mumbai Salesians to “return to time- tested practices of the Salesian culture challenging the world`s corporate and managerial value-system, venturing out to promote higher education by revitalizing the youth-at-risk works through a ‘rights-based approach’ and encourage confreres to opt generously for the missio ad gentes.”
Presiding over the Holy Eucharist soon after, Father Kanaga reflected on the day’s readings noting that “a religious community is a holy yet sinful reality that exists as a prophecy of fraternity, even while being creative misfits challenging and questioning established paradigms proposing alternatives based on foundational values and existing as a provocative symbol of efficient and effective service.”
The Extraordinary Visitation that takes place once in 6 years thus concluded officially with Father Kanaga having visited 40 presences across the four states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, meeting with 280 confreres and numerous laity associated with the Salesian works - in a quick blitz of a trip spanning just 65 days. Father Godfrey D'Souza, Provincial of the Salesian Province of Mumbai thanked God for these days of grace and renewal even as the Mumbai Salesians seriously implement the recommendations made by the extraordinary visitor, strengthening their consecration and mission, nourishing community lives and journeying effectively with and for the young.
