austraLasia 1430
Tiruchy, India: Salesians should preserve their own vocations first
TIRUCHY: 5th February 2006 -- On 4th February the Rector Major moved from Chennai to the South Tamil Nadu region and, precisely, to the city of Tiruchy, centre of the Salesian Province that was established in 1999. It is in this province that we find Thanjavur, which is the beginning of Salesian work in this nation 100 years ago, and the high point of the visit which takes place today.
But back to Tiruchy where the Rector Major yesterday addressed the perpetually professed Salesians of the province. Building on the notion he presented in Chennai, that we are not mere social workers but apostles, he focused his comments on the importance Salesians must give to who they are as consecrated persons. He made the point that if any Salesian was in crisis he was offering to be their spiritual director! What he then said would undoubtedly be the content of that direction. It can be presented as five challenges:
1. Know Don Bosco - if you (in India) are assuming greater responsibility in the Congregation you will need to know and love him as the first Salesians knew and loved him.
2. Be far-sighted and available. With a 100 million tribal people to be reached......there is no room for narrow vision.
3. Be flexible. The Congregation's structures can be limiting. Our mission requires us to be out there with people, as when the Salesians landed in Patagonia.
4. Continue to increase. If youth ministry is alive, we increase.
5. Share the vision of the Indian government to conquer poverty, illiteracy and injustice, but not as apostles, not as social revolutionaries.
Thanjavur today, was the closing act of the centenary, just as one hundred years ago it was India's Salesian 'Becchi' and the beginnings. But this deserves separate treatment. Later today, then.
___________________________
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
Tiruchy, India: Salesians should preserve their own vocations first
TIRUCHY: 5th February 2006 -- On 4th February the Rector Major moved from Chennai to the South Tamil Nadu region and, precisely, to the city of Tiruchy, centre of the Salesian Province that was established in 1999. It is in this province that we find Thanjavur, which is the beginning of Salesian work in this nation 100 years ago, and the high point of the visit which takes place today.
But back to Tiruchy where the Rector Major yesterday addressed the perpetually professed Salesians of the province. Building on the notion he presented in Chennai, that we are not mere social workers but apostles, he focused his comments on the importance Salesians must give to who they are as consecrated persons. He made the point that if any Salesian was in crisis he was offering to be their spiritual director! What he then said would undoubtedly be the content of that direction. It can be presented as five challenges:
1. Know Don Bosco - if you (in India) are assuming greater responsibility in the Congregation you will need to know and love him as the first Salesians knew and loved him.
2. Be far-sighted and available. With a 100 million tribal people to be reached......there is no room for narrow vision.
3. Be flexible. The Congregation's structures can be limiting. Our mission requires us to be out there with people, as when the Salesians landed in Patagonia.
4. Continue to increase. If youth ministry is alive, we increase.
5. Share the vision of the Indian government to conquer poverty, illiteracy and injustice, but not as apostles, not as social revolutionaries.
Thanjavur today, was the closing act of the centenary, just as one hundred years ago it was India's Salesian 'Becchi' and the beginnings. But this deserves separate treatment. Later today, then.
___________________________
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
