NEW DELHI: 3rd March 2005 --  It is 'Team Visit' time and South Asia Region is first up.  The SA gathering is being held at Okhla Don Bosco Provincial House and nearby Don Bosco Technical Institute.  Participants other than members of the General Council from Rome draw from 12 Provinces/Vice Provinces of South Asia.

    The SA Team Visit is modelling the process that will be used in the Team Visits to follow:  a day spent on analysis and evaluation of the current reality in the light of GC25, effectively, then an analysis of how GC25 is being implemented; a day spent visioning the future, noting achievements on which to build, challenges and resources for the future; then a day spent working on the implications of all this, perhaps in terms of a vision and mission for the region.  The Team Visits are also an opportunity for the Rector Major and Council to consult regarding the forthcoming GC26 and the direction it should take.

    After the evaluative phase on the Day 1 of the SA Team Visit, the Rector Major noted the following three items: (1) in the future the most effective Religious will be those with a clear notion of Religious Family. Don Bosco envisioned the Salesian Family as one single movement.  We share his passion for this and move from individual experiences to institutional planning. (2)  Salesian community - some exciting notions to come out of GC25 modules which reinforce Don Bosco's understanding of one place - living together, one spirit - family spirit and faith vision, one project of life - Constitutions, one common goal - shared project of our mission. '1111'!

    From a dozen Province reports over the past 20 years within the SA region, on Day 2 the following challenges emerged: formation of confreres, inculcating a planning mentality, developing an effective vocation ministry.  In terms of resources available, the participants noted the situation of committed and enthusiastic confreres willing to take up new ventures and ways of being present to the young, the sufficient number of local vocations, the adequate infrastructures in place for dealing with poor youth and those at risk, the degree of collaboration with the laity.

    As always there are resistances or difficulties: to a planning mentality in particular, and the already well-noted (from past years) danger of superficiality in religious life - in prayer, transparency, motivation...  The participants then identified key strategies for the future: forming Salesian for God-centred, people-centred realistic ministry; working on inculcation of planning mentality through Province planning and the SEPP (Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan); through networking with like-minded people, agencies and so forth.

    In his feedback session on future planning, Fr Alencherry reflected the importance of being over doing, of charismatic identity, of personalised formation, of appreciation for the 'vast movement of persons' as our resource, and of a movement from vocation recruitment to vocation promotion.

    One final point that threaded through much of the two first days' conversations - Salesian India began as a missionary venture and has reached the point it has today with that character.  Yet in Central India with a population of 400 million there are but 18 SDB communities - our future depends on the missionary fire continuing in all of our communities.