austraLasia #1783
Pre-Chapters and radical moves
LAWAAN: 9th March 2007 (150th anniversary of death of Dominic Savio, see RM's message on www.sdb.org) -- What is a pre-Chapter, you ask? You may get different answers depending on where you are! One of the more unusual 'circumscriptions' in the Salesian world is, undoubtedly, the General Administration or Salesian HQ in Rome. Yes, it too has a Provincial chapter, yet it goes by another name, A.STRA (Assemblea Straordinaria). Because of the nature of 'the Pisana', as it is fondly called, with representatives from all round the Salesian world, its Chapter tends to be a kind of pre-run of GC26, or rather, it realises that this is one of the dangers it must avoid, and keep its gaze a bit more firmly fixed on its own affairs! In roundabout terms, then, the A.STRA is not a pre-chapter!
Southern Philippines province, on the other hand, is modelling a pre-Chapter, bringing together a good percentage of its total numbers, along with a number of lay mission partners. This is over and above a pre-chapter commission which has already been at work in the province preparing materials and interacting with communities. Both are in function of the actual Provincial Chapter 2007 to be held later in May.
Around the region Provincial Chapters are being held - some already concluded. Some of these bodies, other than the formal modules which have to be sent to the GC26 Moderator, also send in materials for publication on www.sdb.org GC26 pages (which will shortly hive off into a separate sub-web in preparation for the 'real thing' in February next year).
Leafing through these materials, one idea represented strongly in pre-chapter discussions in FIS, seems to be getting right at the core of the Rector Major's intentions for GC26 - the idea of radicality. Perhaps it began to emerge right at the beginning of the FIS pre-chapter meeting when someone asked about what seems to be a sudden jump from a GC25 insistence on 'planning mentality' to this GC26 direction of the Da mihi animas cetera tolle (which, interestingly enough, Don Bosco tells us that Dominic Savio focused directly on when he came to see him in his office). One of the responses to that question was to suggest that in our fragmented times we especially need something which holds it all together at the core of things.
As the Salesians and their lay mission partners then began to work through the themes and reflect on them in the light of their own province realities, they came back to this notion of something radical happening - or needing to happen. As one confrere put it, 'this is not a document we are talking about but a change of life'! In various lines of action that were being looked at, what was emerging? Radicality. And then the realisation that if radicality is at the root of it all, then maybe even some chapter commission work has to be looked at again. Clearly a call is emerging to go deeper, move from simply touching the surface of things.
Where all this goes in terms of the major event, GC26, is up to the Holy Spirit and the good will and work of thousands of confreres around the world. No doubt the mini-experience of the Southern Philippines is reflecting similar realisations in other parts of the region - and the Congregation.
Would there be a place for an additional page or two within Boscowiki for some radical reflections? Well, the good thing about a wiki is that if you think so, feel free to open up such a page!
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm To contact austraLasia by voice on Skype, the Skype name is austraLasia.
Pre-Chapters and radical moves
LAWAAN: 9th March 2007 (150th anniversary of death of Dominic Savio, see RM's message on www.sdb.org) -- What is a pre-Chapter, you ask? You may get different answers depending on where you are! One of the more unusual 'circumscriptions' in the Salesian world is, undoubtedly, the General Administration or Salesian HQ in Rome. Yes, it too has a Provincial chapter, yet it goes by another name, A.STRA (Assemblea Straordinaria). Because of the nature of 'the Pisana', as it is fondly called, with representatives from all round the Salesian world, its Chapter tends to be a kind of pre-run of GC26, or rather, it realises that this is one of the dangers it must avoid, and keep its gaze a bit more firmly fixed on its own affairs! In roundabout terms, then, the A.STRA is not a pre-chapter!
Southern Philippines province, on the other hand, is modelling a pre-Chapter, bringing together a good percentage of its total numbers, along with a number of lay mission partners. This is over and above a pre-chapter commission which has already been at work in the province preparing materials and interacting with communities. Both are in function of the actual Provincial Chapter 2007 to be held later in May.
Around the region Provincial Chapters are being held - some already concluded. Some of these bodies, other than the formal modules which have to be sent to the GC26 Moderator, also send in materials for publication on www.sdb.org GC26 pages (which will shortly hive off into a separate sub-web in preparation for the 'real thing' in February next year).
Leafing through these materials, one idea represented strongly in pre-chapter discussions in FIS, seems to be getting right at the core of the Rector Major's intentions for GC26 - the idea of radicality. Perhaps it began to emerge right at the beginning of the FIS pre-chapter meeting when someone asked about what seems to be a sudden jump from a GC25 insistence on 'planning mentality' to this GC26 direction of the Da mihi animas cetera tolle (which, interestingly enough, Don Bosco tells us that Dominic Savio focused directly on when he came to see him in his office). One of the responses to that question was to suggest that in our fragmented times we especially need something which holds it all together at the core of things.
As the Salesians and their lay mission partners then began to work through the themes and reflect on them in the light of their own province realities, they came back to this notion of something radical happening - or needing to happen. As one confrere put it, 'this is not a document we are talking about but a change of life'! In various lines of action that were being looked at, what was emerging? Radicality. And then the realisation that if radicality is at the root of it all, then maybe even some chapter commission work has to be looked at again. Clearly a call is emerging to go deeper, move from simply touching the surface of things.
Where all this goes in terms of the major event, GC26, is up to the Holy Spirit and the good will and work of thousands of confreres around the world. No doubt the mini-experience of the Southern Philippines is reflecting similar realisations in other parts of the region - and the Congregation.
Would there be a place for an additional page or two within Boscowiki for some radical reflections? Well, the good thing about a wiki is that if you think so, feel free to open up such a page!
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm To contact austraLasia by voice on Skype, the Skype name is austraLasia.
