austraLasia 1477
Your attention please: to family, cradle of life...a resource to walk you through the Strenna
http://www.donbosco.asn.au/auxilium/pat.htm
MELBOURNE: 6th March 2006 -- At last a set of resources you can employ with family, use at Cooperator formation gatherings, exploit in a range of circumstances to do with the Salesian Family. The Australian Province has made its Salesian Family Formation Programme 2006 available from the above link. It consists of a series of 10 units which 'walk you through' the Rector Major's Strenna, beginning with a unit on the biblical understanding of family, then moving to the influence of family on Don Bosco, on Mary Mazzarello, then on to family as represented in the current Regulations for Apostolic Life (Cooperators), to units on family as seen in some important documents of Church or the Salesian Congregation.
These units are 'culture free' in the sense that they are designed to work in any situation: indeed the AUL Province embraces several very distinct cultures (Western, Polynesian, Melanesian) and the units are applicable in any of these. Of course, they would benefit from and are intended to be used for a 'formation programme', implying guidance and regular study and reflection processes. Two additional items are available from the same site - a 'bookmark' which can be downloaded and run off to paper or cardboard, and a flier or brochure which highlights three panels: family from a human, Salesian and Christian perspective, with some practical ideas to follow up with. This, and the bookmark could be available for wide distribution.
All three items are in Portable Document Format (pdf) hence can be opened either with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader or other programs which read pdf documents. They are the work of the Australian Province's Pastoral Animation Team or PAT, as it is known. There is no copyright on anything and readers should feel free to use the material as they wish. Undoubtedly the PAT Team would be happy to hear from you, especially if you find their material useful. Fr Elio Capra can be contacted on ECapra@melbourne.catholic.org.au
Readers may also be interested in two other resources. The latest Journal of Salesian Studies (Fall 2005) is available from the Institute of Salesian Spirituality Berkeley. It contains a leading article by Fr Art Lenti on Mamma Margaret, and a range of other articles and Book Reviews that will certainly be of interest. On a quite separate note, Missioni Don Bosco, in Turin, have produced a 30 minute DVD (in 7 languages) on St. Francis de Sales. The settings are exquisite (Annecy, Thorens) and the 'shooting' is most professional. The spoken English text is near perfect - marred only by a translator who seems to think that a sanctuary is called a 'presbytery' in English, but this is a minor blemish. For a good basic understanding of the settings in which Francis toiled for souls it is excellent. It pretends no more than that - and the enticing scenes of France's 'Venice', as Annecy is known, can only whet the appetite for seeing the real thing!
________________________
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
Your attention please: to family, cradle of life...a resource to walk you through the Strenna
http://www.donbosco.asn.au/auxilium/pat.htm
MELBOURNE: 6th March 2006 -- At last a set of resources you can employ with family, use at Cooperator formation gatherings, exploit in a range of circumstances to do with the Salesian Family. The Australian Province has made its Salesian Family Formation Programme 2006 available from the above link. It consists of a series of 10 units which 'walk you through' the Rector Major's Strenna, beginning with a unit on the biblical understanding of family, then moving to the influence of family on Don Bosco, on Mary Mazzarello, then on to family as represented in the current Regulations for Apostolic Life (Cooperators), to units on family as seen in some important documents of Church or the Salesian Congregation.
These units are 'culture free' in the sense that they are designed to work in any situation: indeed the AUL Province embraces several very distinct cultures (Western, Polynesian, Melanesian) and the units are applicable in any of these. Of course, they would benefit from and are intended to be used for a 'formation programme', implying guidance and regular study and reflection processes. Two additional items are available from the same site - a 'bookmark' which can be downloaded and run off to paper or cardboard, and a flier or brochure which highlights three panels: family from a human, Salesian and Christian perspective, with some practical ideas to follow up with. This, and the bookmark could be available for wide distribution.
All three items are in Portable Document Format (pdf) hence can be opened either with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader or other programs which read pdf documents. They are the work of the Australian Province's Pastoral Animation Team or PAT, as it is known. There is no copyright on anything and readers should feel free to use the material as they wish. Undoubtedly the PAT Team would be happy to hear from you, especially if you find their material useful. Fr Elio Capra can be contacted on ECapra@melbourne.catholic.org.au
Readers may also be interested in two other resources. The latest Journal of Salesian Studies (Fall 2005) is available from the Institute of Salesian Spirituality Berkeley. It contains a leading article by Fr Art Lenti on Mamma Margaret, and a range of other articles and Book Reviews that will certainly be of interest. On a quite separate note, Missioni Don Bosco, in Turin, have produced a 30 minute DVD (in 7 languages) on St. Francis de Sales. The settings are exquisite (Annecy, Thorens) and the 'shooting' is most professional. The spoken English text is near perfect - marred only by a translator who seems to think that a sanctuary is called a 'presbytery' in English, but this is a minor blemish. For a good basic understanding of the settings in which Francis toiled for souls it is excellent. It pretends no more than that - and the enticing scenes of France's 'Venice', as Annecy is known, can only whet the appetite for seeing the real thing!
________________________
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
