Novices HANG OUT with the Salesian Brothers of Indonesia

By Fr. Andre Delimarta, SDB

Tigaraksa, Indonesia, 19 March 2018 -- “Why do you become a (Salesian) Brother? The reason should be owned by YOU alone, or else you will not persevere with this vocation. People will ask you why don’t you become a priest, what’s the difference between you and us if you’re not a priest. Unless you have a very good and deep motivation, you can never answer those questions.” Brother Alfridus Bojes Tena SDB shared his experiences in front of novices during the three days Novices HANG OUT with the Salesian Brothers 16-18 March 2017.

Bro. Lusianus Oscar Kelo SDB added: “We are here with you not to ask you to become a Brother but to invite all of you to think of your Salesian identity carefully. What kind of Salesian you want to be? Because being a Salesian Brother doesn’t seem to be an easy one. When I told my parents and relatives of my choice becoming a Brother, they did not support my decision. But i have decided and I was firmed because i knew this is my vocation, i am the one who live this vocation not they. They were not very happy with my decision. It was only after my perpetual profession they were convinced that i was serious and happy with this decision.”

“I met some Salesian Brothers during my aspirantate and prenovitiate period. I felt that I was closer to them than other salesians in the community where I was. Later my Novice Master explained to us the vocation of Salesian brother and Salesian priest in the Congregation; at that time I didn’t really understand and yet I began to fall in love with this Salesian brother vocation, I fell in love with the stories of many Salesian brothers in our province told by our Novice Master. For me now it is like the congregation having two wings. You will only going in circle when you have only one wing. And so at the end of the novitiate I opted to become a brother. But the obstacles came from my family. They did not understand my choice of becoming a Salesian Brother. They didn’t understand this vocation. Many people don’t understand this vocation.” shared Br. Jeffry Umbu SDB.

Those were some of the heartfelt-sharing of our Salesian Brothers during the three days “Novices HANG OUT with the Salesian Brothers.” The event was organized by the Novitiate Community of Tigaraksa (Indonesia) in preparation for the twelve novices who will decide whether to become a Brother or a 'Cleric' (Candidate to the Priesthood) in three months time before their first profession. Joined with this activity were present five Salesian Brothers of Indonesia Delegation.

The three days experience with the Brothers began with the Holy Mass and followed by a presentation of the dual form of Salesian Vocation by Fr. Andre Delimarta SDB. He began the presentation with this statement: there is no Crisis of Salesian Brothers Vocation; The Crisis is Understanding the Salesian Identity. He then continued with the historical and ecclesial dimension of Consecrated Life, the two forms of Salesian Vocation. At the end he concluded that The vocation of Salesian Brother is not understood well by many: lay people or Salesian themselves. And therefore it is important to understand well the meaning of our Religious Consecration from the beginning in the novitiate. The facts that many don't understand the Brother Vocation is considered as a challenge and not an obstacle.

After the presentation, in the evening after supper, the novices and the brothers were given time to comment, question, share experiences. This activity lasted for two hours! But everyone was delighted and enriched.

In the second day, there was a talk by Bro. Ephrem Santos SDB about the Salesian spirituality nowadays. And at the end of the talk , one novice asked him: 'Why did you become a Brother?' It was another insight when he said “I think my knowledge and skill can be useful if I join the congregation as Brother”. It reminds us the statement of John F. Kennedy in his Presidential Speech: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country!” Think the Congregation, think the Province, think the Delegation. After all we professed to give our whole life and our being to God. Then rest of the afternoon and the day after was filled with swimming and playing mini soccer.

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