austraLasia #2556
Ad gentes-ad extra-ad vitam: the 141st expedition
(but first a correction - yesterday's aLa mentioned that Fr Gianni Caputa was part of the accord developed between the Holy See and Israel in 1993. We got our dates confused! Gianni did not come on board until 2005! But that does not detract in any way from his present day contributions to the ongoing demanding and delicate discussions)
ROME: 12th December 2009 -- A letter that was sent out by the Missions Councillor just a month ago from Utrail, Bangladesh, where he was visiting by way of support for his predecessor, Fr Alencherry, was intended for wider readership To assist in that process, here is the bulk of the letter:
"...There is no better and happier way to spend one's life than to give him/ herself as a missionary ad gentes – ad extra – ad vitam. This is one of the most visible expressions of a Da-mihi-animas-cetera-tolle-driven life.
After accompanying a group of 33 new missionaries in 2009 during their immediate preparation course and passage to their new provinces, we are already looking towards the missionary expedition for 2010. During the Salesian 'Holy Year', 2009 – celebrating the 150th anniversary of our Congregation – we have truly experienced an increased missionary generosity. Beyond the 37 new missionaries some 60 more confreres applied for the missions and are discerning their missionary vocation.
The topic of the 2009 Salesian Missions Day (Keep your missionary flame burning!) helps re-launch missionary animation in many provinces. Before the end of this year I was able to meet mission animation delegates of almost all 8 regions (with exception of Africa and Western Europe Region). I would like to keep you informed through the monthly bulletin of Salesian missionary animation – Cagliero11 – about the needs and progress of our missions.
Without missionaries there are no missions! The best fruits of missionary animation are missionary vocations ad gentes. Thanks to these confreres we experience in a visible way that the ‘faith is growing, when is shared’ (Redemptoris missio, 2 – John Paul II). I would like to help the Provinces to rebuild some of the missionary dynamics of our history, when each new departure of the missionaries produced a lot of enthusiasm – when Don Bosco was sending his best Salesians to the missions, when in 1888 about 20% of his Salesians were working in America. Each 11th of the month we pray for missionaries and for new missionary vocation.
In order to help our confreres to discern well their new call within the Salesian vocation, here are some basic steps of the missionary candidate path:
1. The whole process begins with a request addressed to the Rector Major, obviously based on a first discernment by the confrere. Each candidate places himself at the disposal of the Congregation. However, he may express his preference or practical predispositions.
2. Above all a good process of discernment regarding the missionary vocation ad gentes is needed. Usually after the request addressed to the Rector Major, the candidate's Superior is asked to arrange for a discernment process following the stated criteria. The key to good discernment is collaboration at three levels – local, province and the Department of the Missions. Above all the opinion of the Provincial and his Council on the candidate is very important.
3. After a positive result of the discernment process, the Rector Major assigns to the candidate the destination of his future mission. A good knowledge of the person and the candidate’s capabilities helps us greatly in avoiding unwanted surprises in the future. There then follows a dialogue between the two Provincials concerned to facilitate an appropriate preparation and transfer.
4. The course for the new missionaries for Missionary Expedition no.141 will be held in Rome-Pisana, and in Turin (2-26 September 2010). The aims of the course follow a first orientation in responding to the new call – in its cultural-anthropological, theological and Salesian dimensions. Two weeks in Rome and a week of pilgrimage to the roots of the Charism are a help in deepening the motivations and starting a process of ongoing formation for each missionary. We can send the materials of the course as a help for initial formation as may be required (Fr. Aldred Maravilla: cagliero11@gmail.com).
At present in the Department we have a list of several candidates who have sent requests to the Rector Major in very recent years. Some of them are still novices, post-novices or students of theology who cannot leave at once. There are some candidates in their first year of practical training in missionary places in order to evaluate their missionary vocation. For any questions or clarification I am always at your disposal.
The 26th General Chapter suggests that each province “foster the missionary spirit, put at the disposal of Rector Major generously their confreres for the mission ad gentes and also foster missionary vocations among lay people and their families (n.49). ...
Wishing you a fruitful animation of the confreres entrusted to you,
Fr Vaclav Klement
_________________
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 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Title: australasia 2556
Subject and key words: SDB General: 141st missionary expedition
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2556
Ad gentes-ad extra-ad vitam: the 141st expedition
(but first a correction - yesterday's aLa mentioned that Fr Gianni Caputa was part of the accord developed between the Holy See and Israel in 1993. We got our dates confused! Gianni did not come on board until 2005! But that does not detract in any way from his present day contributions to the ongoing demanding and delicate discussions)
ROME: 12th December 2009 -- A letter that was sent out by the Missions Councillor just a month ago from Utrail, Bangladesh, where he was visiting by way of support for his predecessor, Fr Alencherry, was intended for wider readership To assist in that process, here is the bulk of the letter:
"...There is no better and happier way to spend one's life than to give him/ herself as a missionary ad gentes – ad extra – ad vitam. This is one of the most visible expressions of a Da-mihi-animas-cetera-tolle-driven life.
After accompanying a group of 33 new missionaries in 2009 during their immediate preparation course and passage to their new provinces, we are already looking towards the missionary expedition for 2010. During the Salesian 'Holy Year', 2009 – celebrating the 150th anniversary of our Congregation – we have truly experienced an increased missionary generosity. Beyond the 37 new missionaries some 60 more confreres applied for the missions and are discerning their missionary vocation.
The topic of the 2009 Salesian Missions Day (Keep your missionary flame burning!) helps re-launch missionary animation in many provinces. Before the end of this year I was able to meet mission animation delegates of almost all 8 regions (with exception of Africa and Western Europe Region). I would like to keep you informed through the monthly bulletin of Salesian missionary animation – Cagliero11 – about the needs and progress of our missions.
Without missionaries there are no missions! The best fruits of missionary animation are missionary vocations ad gentes. Thanks to these confreres we experience in a visible way that the ‘faith is growing, when is shared’ (Redemptoris missio, 2 – John Paul II). I would like to help the Provinces to rebuild some of the missionary dynamics of our history, when each new departure of the missionaries produced a lot of enthusiasm – when Don Bosco was sending his best Salesians to the missions, when in 1888 about 20% of his Salesians were working in America. Each 11th of the month we pray for missionaries and for new missionary vocation.
In order to help our confreres to discern well their new call within the Salesian vocation, here are some basic steps of the missionary candidate path:
1. The whole process begins with a request addressed to the Rector Major, obviously based on a first discernment by the confrere. Each candidate places himself at the disposal of the Congregation. However, he may express his preference or practical predispositions.
2. Above all a good process of discernment regarding the missionary vocation ad gentes is needed. Usually after the request addressed to the Rector Major, the candidate's Superior is asked to arrange for a discernment process following the stated criteria. The key to good discernment is collaboration at three levels – local, province and the Department of the Missions. Above all the opinion of the Provincial and his Council on the candidate is very important.
3. After a positive result of the discernment process, the Rector Major assigns to the candidate the destination of his future mission. A good knowledge of the person and the candidate’s capabilities helps us greatly in avoiding unwanted surprises in the future. There then follows a dialogue between the two Provincials concerned to facilitate an appropriate preparation and transfer.
4. The course for the new missionaries for Missionary Expedition no.141 will be held in Rome-Pisana, and in Turin (2-26 September 2010). The aims of the course follow a first orientation in responding to the new call – in its cultural-anthropological, theological and Salesian dimensions. Two weeks in Rome and a week of pilgrimage to the roots of the Charism are a help in deepening the motivations and starting a process of ongoing formation for each missionary. We can send the materials of the course as a help for initial formation as may be required (Fr. Aldred Maravilla: cagliero11@gmail.com).
At present in the Department we have a list of several candidates who have sent requests to the Rector Major in very recent years. Some of them are still novices, post-novices or students of theology who cannot leave at once. There are some candidates in their first year of practical training in missionary places in order to evaluate their missionary vocation. For any questions or clarification I am always at your disposal.
The 26th General Chapter suggests that each province “foster the missionary spirit, put at the disposal of Rector Major generously their confreres for the mission ad gentes and also foster missionary vocations among lay people and their families (n.49). ...
Wishing you a fruitful animation of the confreres entrusted to you,
Fr Vaclav Klement
_________________
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 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Title: australasia 2556
Subject and key words: SDB General: 141st missionary expedition
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2556
