austraLasia #2071
GC26: Piedmontese dialect and fog are original - and Giraudo's insights are a reminder of the rest!
TURIN: 25th February 2008 -- The Valdocco Oratory 2008 was in full swing, and it wasn't just a show for 233 Chapter members. It is frequently like that as a true 'Festive Oratory' on a Sunday. So a real flavour of the original and, as the Oratory Director said in perfect Piedmontese dialect, two things certainly have not changed - the Piedmontese dialect and the heavy fog hanging around Turin at this time of year!
A feature of the Valdocco visit, quite apart from the general liveliness of the Oratory were the insights, presented at various moments, developed by Fr Giraudo over many years now, mainly based on the Memoirs of the Oratory and the Savio-Magone-Besucco Lives written by Don Bosco. In fact one observer who attended the Bangkok Giraudo sessions in 2007, commented that one can sense the progress made in this area - deeper, more focused and nicely articulated reflections.
Given the range of Salesian experiences to cover, many visits were either too short or could not be made at all - it was not possible to spend more than a few minutes in Morialdo, no time to get out to much of the Mamma Margaret territory and so forth, but rather than a sense of disappointment, what was achieved was done so well, again according to one observer, that it just whet the appetite for a return, and for time to 'dwell'.
Moving 233 people around these areas could be a logistical nightmare - it has not been so. Bus life has taken on a dynamic of its own. People might be tired, many having come in from incredible distances around the world, but the fraternal spirit, the 'da mihi.... "ma" 'Cereda tolle' jokes are in abundance, then someone looking for respite from a tooth ache, several others praying the rosary on board, African jokes there in the background, old friends from the UPS catching up twenty years later...
Crocetta students and a Crocetta staff member, now a Chapter member, have helped lead the music/liturgy over part of this time. It has been good. At Colle Don Bosco Fr Basset had the entire Carillion rolling around the hills ('Bells'!). And, indeed, the Venerable Don Cimatti had the final say at Colle. After the candle procession to the 'Tempio' from Don Bosco's Cottage (led by Fr Albert Van Hecke, North Europe Regional), Fr Basset gave out two small gifts - two songs, one about Mamma Margaret, the other composed by Cimatti in 1947 during GC16. The final page of this contains a photo from 4 September 1947 with Cimatti playing the harmonium in front of Don Bosco's house at the Becchi, with Frs Ziggiotti and Braga looking on.
Meanwhile the comings and not-comings. Not everyone has arrived, due to illness. One is in hospital still at home (MOR), another recovering from a malaria attack before making the journey (ZMB). Two others have had to return home to attend to emergencies. Perhaps more on that when/if news comes to hand.
_________________
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 Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2008 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
Title: australasia 2071
Subject and key words: SDB General GC26 Valdocco, Colle
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2071
GC26: Piedmontese dialect and fog are original - and Giraudo's insights are a reminder of the rest!
TURIN: 25th February 2008 -- The Valdocco Oratory 2008 was in full swing, and it wasn't just a show for 233 Chapter members. It is frequently like that as a true 'Festive Oratory' on a Sunday. So a real flavour of the original and, as the Oratory Director said in perfect Piedmontese dialect, two things certainly have not changed - the Piedmontese dialect and the heavy fog hanging around Turin at this time of year!
A feature of the Valdocco visit, quite apart from the general liveliness of the Oratory were the insights, presented at various moments, developed by Fr Giraudo over many years now, mainly based on the Memoirs of the Oratory and the Savio-Magone-Besucco Lives written by Don Bosco. In fact one observer who attended the Bangkok Giraudo sessions in 2007, commented that one can sense the progress made in this area - deeper, more focused and nicely articulated reflections.
Given the range of Salesian experiences to cover, many visits were either too short or could not be made at all - it was not possible to spend more than a few minutes in Morialdo, no time to get out to much of the Mamma Margaret territory and so forth, but rather than a sense of disappointment, what was achieved was done so well, again according to one observer, that it just whet the appetite for a return, and for time to 'dwell'.
Moving 233 people around these areas could be a logistical nightmare - it has not been so. Bus life has taken on a dynamic of its own. People might be tired, many having come in from incredible distances around the world, but the fraternal spirit, the 'da mihi.... "ma" 'Cereda tolle' jokes are in abundance, then someone looking for respite from a tooth ache, several others praying the rosary on board, African jokes there in the background, old friends from the UPS catching up twenty years later...
Crocetta students and a Crocetta staff member, now a Chapter member, have helped lead the music/liturgy over part of this time. It has been good. At Colle Don Bosco Fr Basset had the entire Carillion rolling around the hills ('Bells'!). And, indeed, the Venerable Don Cimatti had the final say at Colle. After the candle procession to the 'Tempio' from Don Bosco's Cottage (led by Fr Albert Van Hecke, North Europe Regional), Fr Basset gave out two small gifts - two songs, one about Mamma Margaret, the other composed by Cimatti in 1947 during GC16. The final page of this contains a photo from 4 September 1947 with Cimatti playing the harmonium in front of Don Bosco's house at the Becchi, with Frs Ziggiotti and Braga looking on.
Meanwhile the comings and not-comings. Not everyone has arrived, due to illness. One is in hospital still at home (MOR), another recovering from a malaria attack before making the journey (ZMB). Two others have had to return home to attend to emergencies. Perhaps more on that when/if news comes to hand.
_________________
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 Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2008 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
Title: australasia 2071
Subject and key words: SDB General GC26 Valdocco, Colle
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2071
