austraLasia #3375
GC27 - an 'interchap' perspective
ROME - TURIN: 21 February 2014 -- Six years comes around quickly! austraLasia is covering its 3rd General Chapter, and will endeavour to do what it has always done, to accompany the events there in a way that can be useful for readers. The official coverage is the responsibility of ANS and sdb.org. Think of our coverage like a Steinbeck novel - where he employs what is sometimes known as an 'interchapter' or 'interchap' for short, and that seems a very good term to use for a General Chapter too! Helpful commentary but from a third person perspective - filling in the details here and there, providing an overview, keeping in mind that many readers have never been to Piedmont, Rome, do not speak Italian, etc. etc. so expect little details here and there that the official communications will take for granted ...
Perhaps the first thing to do is to give readers an idea of what is actually happening over these immediate coming days. Following is a general and then more detailed timetable for the 'Piedmont' part of things.
You realise that GC27 itself does not formally open as a Chapter until 3 March. But the leadup, the gathering of all the Chapter members, invitees, is an integral part of what will follow, especially given the Chapter focus on Don Bosco and the upcoming bicentenary in 2015.
By now half or more have arrived in Rome and today, Friday 21st February could be said to be the first Mass of the Chapter, at least for those who are in Rome. The rest are already in Turin or on their way, not due to all formally come together until later on 22nd. And spare a thought for the fact that six years ago on this day, Fr Helvecio Baruffi, Regional for America South Cone, was buried. He died but a few hours after arriving from Brazil for the Chapter and sadly, the first Mass for those gathered in Rome then, was his funeral Mass.
Anyway, here is the overall programme for the next few days, followed by a detailed programme:
February 21 - March 3 2014
Feb 21 Friday: Those gathered at the Pisana will come together for a Mass in the chapel where later the complete group of Chapter members will be gathering for major liturgies. Fr Nicolussi, the Rector of the Blessed Michael Rua community will encourage them with a few words by way of a homily.
Feb 22 Saturday: early morning (very early morning) departure for Turin by coach, to arrive in Turin in the early afternoon. Later the formal pilgrimage begins - Valsalice.
Feb 23 Sunday - Feb 24 Monday: Pilgrimage to key places of Salesian origins continues, Colle Don Bosco, Valdocco, St John the Evangelist's Turin, and Our Lady of Consolation (the Consolata) Turin. Later that day - to Rome by coach.
Feb 25 Tuesday - Feb 26 Wednesday: Presentation of the Rector Major's report on the Congregation - an overview to set the scene.
Feb 27 Thursday - March 2 Sunday: Retreat
March 2 Monday: formal opening of GC27.
Programme for the next few days:
Let's start from the afternoon of Saturday 22 February when, please God, all 220 delegates will be at Valdocco:
22 February Saturday:
3.30 p.m. departure for Valsalice (not far from Valdocco, across the Po on a hill looking back over the city of Turin. Stunning position, really).
4.00 p.m. gathering at the vault which held Don Bosco's remains after his burial there on 4 February 1888. First reflection by Fr Aldo Giraudo, noted scholar on the Salesian origins, Professor at the UPS: Work and Temperance in Don Bosco's Spiritual testament. Following this the Chapter members will split into 3 language groups for further commentary: Italian (Giraudo himself), English (Fr Joe Boenzi), Spanish (Fr Horacio Lopez).
5.15 p.m. back to Valdocco
6.00 p.m. Mass at the Basilica and after supper, a performance by the Postnovices from Nave. This has been a long tradition at Nave, where the postnovices put on a major performance based on Don Bosco's life.
23 February Sunday
8.15 a.m. Morning Prayer in the St Francis de Sales Church, the first church DB built for his incipient permanent oratory after adapting the Pinardi 'shed' for the purpose originally. There simply had not been room for increasing numbers of boys.
9.00 a.m. departure for Colle Don Bosco about 30 kms away.
10.00 a.m. second major reflection by Giraudo: Work and temperance: its origins in Becchi and later at the beginnings of the Oratory. Break into 3 groups once more as above.
12.00 noon Mass in the now minor basilica of Don Bosco at Colle. Main celebrant and homilist is the emeritus Archbishop of Turin, Cardinal Poletto.
1.30 p.m. Lunch
2.45 p.m. Back to Valdocco
4.30 p.m. Personal time to reflect in Pinardi chapel, Francis de Sales Church, the 'Camerette' (DB's rooms which he himself built and later extended), today's weekend (festive) oratory, the vault below the Basilica of MHC where the graves of the Rectors Major are.
6.00 p.m. 3rd key talk by Giraudo: Work and temperance: the lifestyle, radical dedication and apostolic zeal of the original Salesians. Again following this, 3 groups.
7.00 p.m. Evening prayer in the Basilica
24 February Monday
8.30 a.m. Off to St John the Evangelist's in Turin, the church built by Don Bosco close to his second oratory of 'San Luigi' (St Aloysius).
10.00 a.m. 4th and final talk by Giraudo: Work and Temperance: Don Bosco's motto as seen by his Successors. And again, 3 groups.
11.00 .a.m. back down towards Valdocco again, but this time to the Church of the Consolata where the Archbishop of Turin, Cesare Nosiglia, will be main celebrant and homilist at the Mass to be celebrated at 12 noon. Our Lady of Consolation (the 'Consolata') is the Patroness of Turin. It is a fascinating history as to how this came about - check it out on the Internet
1.30 p.m. Lunch at Valdocco and by 2.30 p.m. departure by coach(es) to Rome.
All in all a full programme! Hopefully we can accompany this programme with appropriate background information on the locations as the days continue. Meanwhile, let's pray for the success of this huge event.
PS: The North American Provinces are running a Facebook page which will also help with information and background.
If there is any terminology used that you are unsure of, and you don't have the app, look it up in the Salesians A-Z web page.
GC27 - an 'interchap' perspective
Perhaps the first thing to do is to give readers an idea of what is actually happening over these immediate coming days. Following is a general and then more detailed timetable for the 'Piedmont' part of things.
You realise that GC27 itself does not formally open as a Chapter until 3 March. But the leadup, the gathering of all the Chapter members, invitees, is an integral part of what will follow, especially given the Chapter focus on Don Bosco and the upcoming bicentenary in 2015.
By now half or more have arrived in Rome and today, Friday 21st February could be said to be the first Mass of the Chapter, at least for those who are in Rome. The rest are already in Turin or on their way, not due to all formally come together until later on 22nd. And spare a thought for the fact that six years ago on this day, Fr Helvecio Baruffi, Regional for America South Cone, was buried. He died but a few hours after arriving from Brazil for the Chapter and sadly, the first Mass for those gathered in Rome then, was his funeral Mass.
Anyway, here is the overall programme for the next few days, followed by a detailed programme:
February 21 - March 3 2014
Feb 21 Friday: Those gathered at the Pisana will come together for a Mass in the chapel where later the complete group of Chapter members will be gathering for major liturgies. Fr Nicolussi, the Rector of the Blessed Michael Rua community will encourage them with a few words by way of a homily.
Feb 22 Saturday: early morning (very early morning) departure for Turin by coach, to arrive in Turin in the early afternoon. Later the formal pilgrimage begins - Valsalice.
Feb 23 Sunday - Feb 24 Monday: Pilgrimage to key places of Salesian origins continues, Colle Don Bosco, Valdocco, St John the Evangelist's Turin, and Our Lady of Consolation (the Consolata) Turin. Later that day - to Rome by coach.
Feb 25 Tuesday - Feb 26 Wednesday: Presentation of the Rector Major's report on the Congregation - an overview to set the scene.
Feb 27 Thursday - March 2 Sunday: Retreat
March 2 Monday: formal opening of GC27.
Programme for the next few days:
Let's start from the afternoon of Saturday 22 February when, please God, all 220 delegates will be at Valdocco:
22 February Saturday:
3.30 p.m. departure for Valsalice (not far from Valdocco, across the Po on a hill looking back over the city of Turin. Stunning position, really).
4.00 p.m. gathering at the vault which held Don Bosco's remains after his burial there on 4 February 1888. First reflection by Fr Aldo Giraudo, noted scholar on the Salesian origins, Professor at the UPS: Work and Temperance in Don Bosco's Spiritual testament. Following this the Chapter members will split into 3 language groups for further commentary: Italian (Giraudo himself), English (Fr Joe Boenzi), Spanish (Fr Horacio Lopez).
5.15 p.m. back to Valdocco
6.00 p.m. Mass at the Basilica and after supper, a performance by the Postnovices from Nave. This has been a long tradition at Nave, where the postnovices put on a major performance based on Don Bosco's life.
23 February Sunday
8.15 a.m. Morning Prayer in the St Francis de Sales Church, the first church DB built for his incipient permanent oratory after adapting the Pinardi 'shed' for the purpose originally. There simply had not been room for increasing numbers of boys.
9.00 a.m. departure for Colle Don Bosco about 30 kms away.
10.00 a.m. second major reflection by Giraudo: Work and temperance: its origins in Becchi and later at the beginnings of the Oratory. Break into 3 groups once more as above.
12.00 noon Mass in the now minor basilica of Don Bosco at Colle. Main celebrant and homilist is the emeritus Archbishop of Turin, Cardinal Poletto.
1.30 p.m. Lunch
2.45 p.m. Back to Valdocco
4.30 p.m. Personal time to reflect in Pinardi chapel, Francis de Sales Church, the 'Camerette' (DB's rooms which he himself built and later extended), today's weekend (festive) oratory, the vault below the Basilica of MHC where the graves of the Rectors Major are.
6.00 p.m. 3rd key talk by Giraudo: Work and temperance: the lifestyle, radical dedication and apostolic zeal of the original Salesians. Again following this, 3 groups.
7.00 p.m. Evening prayer in the Basilica
24 February Monday
8.30 a.m. Off to St John the Evangelist's in Turin, the church built by Don Bosco close to his second oratory of 'San Luigi' (St Aloysius).
10.00 a.m. 4th and final talk by Giraudo: Work and Temperance: Don Bosco's motto as seen by his Successors. And again, 3 groups.
11.00 .a.m. back down towards Valdocco again, but this time to the Church of the Consolata where the Archbishop of Turin, Cesare Nosiglia, will be main celebrant and homilist at the Mass to be celebrated at 12 noon. Our Lady of Consolation (the 'Consolata') is the Patroness of Turin. It is a fascinating history as to how this came about - check it out on the Internet
1.30 p.m. Lunch at Valdocco and by 2.30 p.m. departure by coach(es) to Rome.
All in all a full programme! Hopefully we can accompany this programme with appropriate background information on the locations as the days continue. Meanwhile, let's pray for the success of this huge event.
PS: The North American Provinces are running a Facebook page which will also help with information and background.
If there is any terminology used that you are unsure of, and you don't have the app, look it up in the Salesians A-Z web page.
