austraLasia - 4980_8th Salesian Brother Congress of South Asia Region

By Bro. PJ Biju (IND province)

Bangalore, India, 3 January 2019 -- Five months after the 7th EAO Salesian Brother Congress in K'Long was celebrated, the 8th Congress of the Salesian Brothers of South Asia was held at Don Bosco Skill Mission, Bangalore, from 30 December 2018 to 3 January 2019. The theme of the Congress was: ‘Salesian, be a faithful witness.’ A total of 130 Salesians participated in it, 98 being Brothers and 32 priests.

The Congress was graced by the presence of Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore, Bishop George Rajendran SDB of Thukalay, Fr Ivo Coelho, General Councillor for Formation, Br. Jean Paul Muller, Economer General, and Fr Maria Arokiam Kanaga, General Councillor for South Asia Region. At various moments of the Congress all 12 Provincials of South Asia took part.

In his keynote address Br. Jean Paul Muller stressed the identity of the Salesian Brother as an apostle of Christ capable of proposing relevant solutions to the various challenges faced by the youth of South Asia. The reflections during the Congress were facilitated by the input from four resources persons. Br. Abraham M. Antony dwelt on the theme of Salesian Brothers as personal witnesses of the Lord from a biblical perspective. Fr Ivo Coelho considered the Post-novitiate Formation of the Salesian Brother. Fr Edison Fernandez reflected on how to be a witness, drawing inspiration from the New Testament, the life of Don Bosco, and the Salesian tradition. Fr Adolf Furtado elaborated on how to be a witness to the youth of our times and challenged each participant to come up with three innovative responses to the concerns of the young.

A panel of four was also organized: the parents of a Salesian Brother, by means of a recorded video interview; a Salesian Cooperator (Mr Donald Muriel); and two married men who were formerly Salesian Brothers (Mr Shino Varghese and Mr Tom Mathew). The participants also had a golden opportunity to interact, in an open question-and-answer session, with Fr Ivo Coelho, Fr Maria Arokiam Kanaga, Br Jean Paul Muller and Fr Silvio Roggia, a member of the Formation Sector.

Zone-wise meetings, province-wise interactions, religious-profession-wise sharing, and the various group discussions offered all the participants ample opportunities for airing their views and contributing their share to enrich the Congress.

The entire Congress proceedings were characterized by a very serene, joyful and fraternal atmosphere. A good mix of both senior and junior confreres contributed to the richness of the Congress. The Eucharistic celebration, with which we began the day, and the Adoration Service, which concluded the day, were intense moments of spiritual nourishment. The various other moments of prayer centred on the saintly figures of Artemide Zatti, Simaàn Srugi, and Stefan Sándor. The Good Night talk at the end of the day further deepened various dimensions of Salesian witness.

In the light of the discussions during the Congress, the following deliberations and lines of action emerged:

Concerning Identity, Visibility, and Credibility

Deepen the aspect of the consecration of the Salesian Brother, through personal spiritual reading as well as community and provincial animation.
Collect and circulate material on the Salesian Brother in all the Provinces.
Translate lives of saintly Salesian Brothers into local languages, for use in vocation animation and in initial formation, and also for spreading knowledge of the Brother vocation among parents and families.
Participate actively in all Salesian activities and take every opportunity for animation, so as to increase the visibility of the Brother.
Use every opportunity to speak about the vocation of the Brother, especially in houses for initial formation.
Animate the provincial community and the local communities on Salesian Brotherhood through reflections in the provincial circular, conferences, and Good Night talks on the vocation of the Salesian Brother.

Concerning Formation

Request each Provincial to identify and prepare Brothers for formation and teaching.
Contribute a formator to Blessed Sándor Community in Paranaque, the Philippines.
Ensure the active and committed presence of a Salesian Brother in every formation house.
Continue the immediate Post-novitiate Formation at Karunapuram (INH), ensuring a competent and committed team of formators.