Before the 2019 EAO Salesian History Seminar
By Fr. Nestor Impelido, SDB
EAO - ACSSA Coordinator
EAO, 19 March 2018 -- From 2004 on are held regular EAO Salesian Historians Seminars. Who is invited for this 2019 Seminar?
For the 2019 EAO Seminar (February 10-15, Thailand), we have invited those who already participated in the previous three EAO seminars we held (Hong Kong 2004, Batulao 2008, Cebu 2013). Most of the participants the previous seminars were the same persons. Unfortunately, we are very few in the region who are prepared to write histories scientifically (maybe just three - CIN, FIN and VIE). Nonetheless, former Seminar contributions reveal the desire to keep the memories and the histories of their respective provinces. There are also Salesian Family members (FMA - Thailand, SIHM - Thailand and Caritas Sisters of Jesus from Japan) who have presented papers that I consider valid historically. One characteristic of the EAO seminars is the participation of the other members of the Salesian Family. In other regions, there were only SDBs and FMAs. This initiative can certainly increase awareness of the importance of history and the keeping of documents in order to write history.
Any good idea how to approach those younger presences (Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia or Pakistan)? Or already established provinces with long history but not yet with any Salesian historian, like Myanmar or Korea?
I believe it is important that the provinces send one or two who can participate in our regional seminars. These, however, should be those who nourished particular interest and desire to know and to study the history of their province. They should be consistent and constant in the particular task to study the history of their province, as well as to gather and keep materials useful for the purpose (Archives)
How we maximize the preparation period for the EAO 2019 Historian Seminar?
In the FIN and FIS provinces (Philippines), the Novice Master invited me every year to speak of archives and chronicles, and to speak of the history of the SDB in the Philippines, for a couple of days. I reasoned that it was good to make these future Salesians aware of the need to know history, as well as to keep documents and archive, and to write chronicles.
The Caritas Sisters of Jesus (SCG) had invited me once in Japan to speak to them of Archives and Chronicles. They invited me last February 2017, for a day, to speak of the same topic to their council.
For me, the main difficulty is for the lack of interest in the confreres, most specially for those who really should be first concerned with the care of the archives and the writing of the chronicles. Besides, some of our EAO confreres are not so keen in history, unfortunately.
Any bright idea, how can we help - inspire - motivate in the EAO Salesian regarding the Chronicles and Archives?
Yes, it's simple: Pope Francis had two words which perhaps can help us in keeping archives and writing chronicles: learn how to "keep the memory" and how to "listen to the elders".
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