Letter from the RM
RMG, 16 September 2022 -- The Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernandez Artime makes a clear point in this 20 page-long letter released on September 11, 2022: “I make my own the words of Fr Vecchi (2000) to ask each Province, each community, and each confrere in the coming years, right from now, "a renewed, extraordinary and specific commitment to the vocation of the Salesian brother, within the vocation ministry, in praying for it, in announcing and proposing it, in calling, in welcoming and accompanying, in living it personally and together in the community.”
Within the scenario of the diminishing Salesian Brother vocation especially in the vocation-rich Regions (Africa and South Asia) and the struggle to relaunch the vocation culture in the Old Continent and the Americas, this appeal is really a great opportunity for all Salesians around the world. Again, after 20 years, the event of Brother Zatti 's canonisation offers a precious vocational opportunity to all Salesians!
A deep and clear presentation of Brother Artemides life and spirituality in two key terms ‘A man of God’ and ‘An Easter witness’ , is followed by a strong invitation to ‘each Province, each community and each confrere in the coming years’ for the ‘renewed, extraordinary and specific vocation of the Salesian Brother.’ Here is an overview of the contents of the letter:
Introduction - short profile of Brother Zatti
- A man of the Gospel (of vocation, of trust, of dedication)
- An Easter Witness (care and service of wounded lives, fraternity, closeness and witness: Providence and Paradise, Joy
- Invitation to a special commitment (for the vocation of the Salesian Brother), power and beauty of invitation
Prayer to ask for vocations of Salesian Brothers
Prayer of intercession to ask for vocations of consecrated lay Salesians
O God, who in St Artemides Zatti
have given us a model Salesian coadjutor brother
who, docile to your call
and with the compassion of the Good Samaritan
made himself a neighbour to every human being,
help us to recognise the gift of this vocation
which testifies the beauty of consecrated life to the world.
Give us the courage to propose to young people
this form of evangelical life
at the service of the little ones and the poor,
and make those whom you call to this path
respond generously to your invitation.
We ask this through the intercession of Saint Artemides Zatti
and through the mediation of Christ our Lord.
Amen.
On www.sdb.org, ANS news agency, Salesian Formation website, Zatti resource website (https://zatti.org/en/inicio-english), BOSCOLINK and EAO provincial websites (e.g. FIN) we can already find many resources for this long-term commitment. And we expect to get more resources on the life and spiritual profile of Brother Zatti around his canonisation.
If you have some local or province level resources, don't hesitate to share!
Related resources:
6247_Salesian Brother in the 21st Century: Identity, Fidelity...
5415(IV)_New Rectors Manual as Compass given by the Rector Major
