By Fr Peter Tukan, SDB

Jakarta, Indonesia, 21 September 2019 -- The office of the Provincial Economer of the Vice-Province of Indonesia (INA) recently organized a week of formation for the local economers, that ran from 16 to 21 September. This was held in the Provincial house in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The provincial economer, Father Yohanes Boedi SDB and his team, consisting of SDB confreres and lay collaborators animated and facilitated this program.

This one week activity coincided with the visit of an important guest from the Salesian central office in Rome, Salesian Brother Jean Paul Müller SDB, the Economer General of the Salesian Congregation. Brother Müller was in the INA vice-Province for his animation visit from 17 to 19 September. He had the opportunity to meet and give a conference to all the local economers who were assisted by the economer of the vice-Province.

The Economer General appreciated such kind of formation. It helps to equip individual economers with certain qualities relating to their job in each community. It is also equally important for a ViceProvince in its beginning moments to consolidate and grow, particularly in the sectors of economy and finance. So Brother Müller encouraged them to do their job faithfully and responsibly by following what is required by Salesian spirituality.

There were two main sessions in this one week program. In the first two days, the local economers gave their attention to the aspect of spirituality which comes from the Word of God, the Constitutions and Regulations, and other related sources from the Congregation. Part of this session was an opportunity when the Rectors of the communities also joined in. This was an appropriate moment for dealing with the cooperation between these two roles and the leadership in each community with regard to the management of goods and money.

The local economers then spent the rest of the days of their formation in a workshop as they learned together about good and accountable administration. This is where the common system of financial administration of the vice-Province is supposed to be applied, beginning from the community level up to the provincial level. This eventually will create the Vice-Province’s profile in the sectors of economy and finance, its qualities to be strengthened and its challenges to be faced.

According to the Provincial Economer, Father Yohanes Boedi SDB, one those challenges mostly welcomed by the local economers and their rectors is the system of common contribution from every community, which is managed by the office of the provincial economer. This is not about the quantity each community can contribute, but the sense of solidarity and belonging to aProvincial Community as one of the ways to strengthen the vVce-Province consolidation and growth.

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