By Dcn Donnie Duchin Duya, SDB
Makati City, the Philippines, 24 April 2016 — Exactly one week to go before the Salesians of Don Bosco in the Philippines–North (FIN) officially commence their Provincial Chapter—and it's all system go!
Following the 'community discernment' approach of the 27th General Chapter (GC 27), which is expressed in three consecutive and interrelated phases: (1) listening, (2) interpreting, and (3) way forward, the FIN likewise has taken up this stance even as it "prepared for GC 27 in the preparations and the celebration of the 2013 Provincial Chapter, and then, in the reflection done as a community and as a Province in the months immediately following GC 27, and finally, more intensely, in the preparation and the celebration of the 2016 Provincial Chapter" (FIN Provincial Chapter 2016 Working paper).
Of these three phases however, the FIN Provincial Chapter 2016 is set to look into the last step more closely, which, in concrete, is stated thus, "What concrete actions do we propose for the Province or the local communities, given the deliberations of GC 27?" (FIN PC 2016 Working Paper).
The community reflections have been collated by the secretariat wherefrom the three working documents of the FIN Provincial Chapter have been based. Fr. Paul Bicomong, SDB, FIN Provincial Superior appointed Fr. Joel Camaya, SDB as the Chapter Moderator of the FIN Province.
The Chapter secretariat is composed of young Salesians who are mostly just in their initial formation. Br. Paul Dungca, SDB, the youngest member of the secretariat, designed the Provincial Chapter logo of the FIN Province.
One innovation this FIN Provincial Chapter aims to undertake is to go “paperless.” Google Documents will be used for collaboration. Changes to the documents can be tracked down and teams can work simultaneously on a single document. Voting will be facilitated by Google Forms. The same will be utilized in the approval of the final draft of the directory.
Hence, the FIN capitular members have been reminded to bring their own laptops, tablets or smart phones which will be used for the plenary sessions. These will also their own repository of the digital files that will be given during the Chapter.
Let us accompany our confreres from the FIN with our prayers.
