austraLasia 1246
Open forum: RM and PNG aspirants
"I'll be back. I hope to see you as Salesians then"!
EAST BOROKO (PM-PNG): 12 September 2005 -- Open forums, questions 'without notice', are part of the way Fr Chávez likes to work, and they are, of course, a journalist's dream, because the real stories of people's lives emerge best in such a situation. Monday evening 12th September was a vocation day for the Salesian aspirants in East Boroko. The following session was moderated by Fr Juan Bosco Ximenez, in charge of the aspirants, and Bro. Canut, a Papua New Guinean Salesian, assistant to the aspirants.
Q(aspirants): What kind of problems do the SDBs face when working for the youth?
A(RM): It depends on the cultural context: 1. Developed countries are well-off societies, with no great poverty problem, but they experience a lack of life projects, goals, meaning for living. 2. Underdeveloped countries have a lack of opportunities, of facilities to develop the gifts received by God (there is no school like Araimiri in many places in PNG for example). But there are also common points worldwide – young people need understanding, interest, dialogue with teachers, the Salesians.
Q: What about the Salesians in the world in terms of their service?
A: Most SDBs are involved in formal education, because we are by nature educators; secondly they are involved in evangelisation – parishes, mission stations (I'm very happy for the work of 100 years in India, in areas of the North East which have gone from 0 to 200,000 Catholics in a few decades – e.g. Dimapur province, where also the current Salesian bishop is one of the new converts from this area!; Thirdly we are involved in social work for poor youth (street children, hospitals etc).
Q: How many countries have been visited by you as RM?
A: I don't’ know exactly!. But of the 96 Provinces there are I have already visited more than 70 of them (we are in130 countries, with16,000 confreres). But during my term before 2008 I want to visit all the Provinces. It is not easy. I’m not traveling all the time, because in Rome, I need to meet many people, be always available, write the circulars, Salesian Bulletin articles, prepare talks to deliver, also take part in the central committee of the Major Superiors Association.
Q: We are now asking you as successor of DB: what are some practical steps for us to be good Salesians in the future?
A: The best thing to do is to take seriously all the opportunities you receive to make your vocation grow. Don't’ forget, your vocation is a gift, is a gift! Youth problems are not always drugs, alcohol, being hooked on rascalism – no, the biggest problem is the lack of a life project. I never tire of repeating this everywhere I go! The other part is your formation – which is your responsibility: to study, to learn how to make more friends, how to become a community person (look at me - I’m in PNG, meeting many confreres for the first time, but we are all formed to live together, so we can easily relate to each other thanks to this formation).So first do your best in order to accomplish your duties – find time to pray, to play, to have fun, to study. Always do your best! Jesus should be your best friend. He died for you! Make a short adoration every day! Know how to read the Holy Scriptures - stories told by Jesus' friends, who loved him, who spread his talks all over the world! Try to love young people! DB met many – kings, politicians, youth – but he every time he privileged youth. Do nothing special, but do the ordinary things in an extraordinary way!
Q: As RM how do you respond to the needs of the SDBs around the world?
A: I try to keep them highly motivated! I try to help them not to be discouraged at any time.. help them to wake up every day with new energy, day by day, until the last day of their life!
Q: How do you respond to the need of the young worldwide?
A: I help the confreres to run the works (finance, personnel, materials). For example next year I will send 9 more Salesians to your Delegation of PNG – SI [much applause]. I also help Salesians to see the needs of the young – like Fr. Viganò years ago in Calcutta challenged the Salesians with the slum poverty:”What are you doing for these people?” and they answered by new works, that spread in all of India in 30 years time!
Q: Isn't our aspirantate formation in PNG too long? (NB: given that before the novitiate they should finished grade12 and also graduate from the DBTI College in Port Moresby – 4 years!)
A: There are many differences around the world; some enter the aspirantate at the age of 12-15 years like I did, some enter the novitiate at the age of 15 like I did. But in the USA they finish University before the novitiate, and some other countries have other requirements!
Q: What is your message for PNG youth?
A: After my visit, all the talks will be collected and printed out. You can also read my dream about PNG and PNG Salesian work which I delivered yesterday in Araimiri. Of course I have my dream about vocations! See – look at East Africa, I was there a few days ago, also to celebrate 25 years. But in PNG after 25 years the vocations are very, very, very few! In AFE they are already 160, the majority of Salesians are local SDBs.. You need to take this challenge seriously. If this happened, in the near future PNG can also become a Vice Province, a Province. But it depends on the trends in vocations.
Q: What about our parents after our vows and ordination, how can they join the Salesian Family, in what kind of group?
A: Your parents can join the Salesian Cooperators, as DB's mother did. But all of our parents are already in an informal way part of the SF. Look at Mamma Margaret, she already modelled the preventive system for DB; she spent her last 10 years with him in Valdocco! But our parents are also the first benefactors of our vocation! In some provinces the Mamma Margaret Association already exists, their first goal being to pray for the vocational fidelity of their children!
Conclusion: RM – I will come back to PNG and also in the future go to the Solomon Islands for the first time. I hope to meet all of you as Salesians next time I am here!
VOCABULARY
Question without notice: a term used in many democratic parliaments (including PNG) when a member of parliament is able to ask questions of the prime minister or member of cabinet without giving previous notice of its contents.
____________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml. If you subscribe, email this information and your name will come off the regular email list. RSS eliminates problems such as multiple mailings, viruses, email bloat. Think about it!
Open forum: RM and PNG aspirants
"I'll be back. I hope to see you as Salesians then"!
EAST BOROKO (PM-PNG): 12 September 2005 -- Open forums, questions 'without notice', are part of the way Fr Chávez likes to work, and they are, of course, a journalist's dream, because the real stories of people's lives emerge best in such a situation. Monday evening 12th September was a vocation day for the Salesian aspirants in East Boroko. The following session was moderated by Fr Juan Bosco Ximenez, in charge of the aspirants, and Bro. Canut, a Papua New Guinean Salesian, assistant to the aspirants.
Q(aspirants): What kind of problems do the SDBs face when working for the youth?
A(RM): It depends on the cultural context: 1. Developed countries are well-off societies, with no great poverty problem, but they experience a lack of life projects, goals, meaning for living. 2. Underdeveloped countries have a lack of opportunities, of facilities to develop the gifts received by God (there is no school like Araimiri in many places in PNG for example). But there are also common points worldwide – young people need understanding, interest, dialogue with teachers, the Salesians.
Q: What about the Salesians in the world in terms of their service?
A: Most SDBs are involved in formal education, because we are by nature educators; secondly they are involved in evangelisation – parishes, mission stations (I'm very happy for the work of 100 years in India, in areas of the North East which have gone from 0 to 200,000 Catholics in a few decades – e.g. Dimapur province, where also the current Salesian bishop is one of the new converts from this area!; Thirdly we are involved in social work for poor youth (street children, hospitals etc).
Q: How many countries have been visited by you as RM?
A: I don't’ know exactly!. But of the 96 Provinces there are I have already visited more than 70 of them (we are in130 countries, with16,000 confreres). But during my term before 2008 I want to visit all the Provinces. It is not easy. I’m not traveling all the time, because in Rome, I need to meet many people, be always available, write the circulars, Salesian Bulletin articles, prepare talks to deliver, also take part in the central committee of the Major Superiors Association.
Q: We are now asking you as successor of DB: what are some practical steps for us to be good Salesians in the future?
A: The best thing to do is to take seriously all the opportunities you receive to make your vocation grow. Don't’ forget, your vocation is a gift, is a gift! Youth problems are not always drugs, alcohol, being hooked on rascalism – no, the biggest problem is the lack of a life project. I never tire of repeating this everywhere I go! The other part is your formation – which is your responsibility: to study, to learn how to make more friends, how to become a community person (look at me - I’m in PNG, meeting many confreres for the first time, but we are all formed to live together, so we can easily relate to each other thanks to this formation).So first do your best in order to accomplish your duties – find time to pray, to play, to have fun, to study. Always do your best! Jesus should be your best friend. He died for you! Make a short adoration every day! Know how to read the Holy Scriptures - stories told by Jesus' friends, who loved him, who spread his talks all over the world! Try to love young people! DB met many – kings, politicians, youth – but he every time he privileged youth. Do nothing special, but do the ordinary things in an extraordinary way!
Q: As RM how do you respond to the needs of the SDBs around the world?
A: I try to keep them highly motivated! I try to help them not to be discouraged at any time.. help them to wake up every day with new energy, day by day, until the last day of their life!
Q: How do you respond to the need of the young worldwide?
A: I help the confreres to run the works (finance, personnel, materials). For example next year I will send 9 more Salesians to your Delegation of PNG – SI [much applause]. I also help Salesians to see the needs of the young – like Fr. Viganò years ago in Calcutta challenged the Salesians with the slum poverty:”What are you doing for these people?” and they answered by new works, that spread in all of India in 30 years time!
Q: Isn't our aspirantate formation in PNG too long? (NB: given that before the novitiate they should finished grade12 and also graduate from the DBTI College in Port Moresby – 4 years!)
A: There are many differences around the world; some enter the aspirantate at the age of 12-15 years like I did, some enter the novitiate at the age of 15 like I did. But in the USA they finish University before the novitiate, and some other countries have other requirements!
Q: What is your message for PNG youth?
A: After my visit, all the talks will be collected and printed out. You can also read my dream about PNG and PNG Salesian work which I delivered yesterday in Araimiri. Of course I have my dream about vocations! See – look at East Africa, I was there a few days ago, also to celebrate 25 years. But in PNG after 25 years the vocations are very, very, very few! In AFE they are already 160, the majority of Salesians are local SDBs.. You need to take this challenge seriously. If this happened, in the near future PNG can also become a Vice Province, a Province. But it depends on the trends in vocations.
Q: What about our parents after our vows and ordination, how can they join the Salesian Family, in what kind of group?
A: Your parents can join the Salesian Cooperators, as DB's mother did. But all of our parents are already in an informal way part of the SF. Look at Mamma Margaret, she already modelled the preventive system for DB; she spent her last 10 years with him in Valdocco! But our parents are also the first benefactors of our vocation! In some provinces the Mamma Margaret Association already exists, their first goal being to pray for the vocational fidelity of their children!
Conclusion: RM – I will come back to PNG and also in the future go to the Solomon Islands for the first time. I hope to meet all of you as Salesians next time I am here!
VOCABULARY
Question without notice: a term used in many democratic parliaments (including PNG) when a member of parliament is able to ask questions of the prime minister or member of cabinet without giving previous notice of its contents.
____________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml. If you subscribe, email this information and your name will come off the regular email list. RSS eliminates problems such as multiple mailings, viruses, email bloat. Think about it!
