EAO Congress indicates the profile of Salesian Brother
K'Long, Vietnam, 12 August 2018 -- Last two days of the EAO Salesian Brother Congress (August 9-12) were time of community discernment, with the Holy Spirit searching the way forward at personal and community level. A lot of wisdom was shared, deepen and also communicated through the most efficient Vietnam SDB social communication team!
The afternoon Assembly on August 11 (Saturday) was a honest, courageous sharing following the mixed group task to indicate the profile (What kind of Salesian Brother for the EAO region?) and especially a deep and passionate intervention of Br. Jean Paul touched deeply the hearts of all participants.
Last joint evening time offered a good night talk about our new Malaysia mission in Kuching by Fr. Paul Bicomong (Provincial FIN) and the solemn last dinner in K'Long was followed by wonderful Vietnamese Cultural Night. A mixture of Highland ethnic people dances and songs were intertwinned with the North-Central-South Vietnam beautiful folklore mixture of dances, drama and songs performed by a Catholic (Salesian) founded youth group from HCM City.
After the Sunday Eucharist presided by the EAO Regional Councilor was open last and probably most important group workshop of province groups. Each participants was dedicated to sort out his personal resolutions for next 6 years and each province worked out some realistic and concrete process to bring the fruits of the Brother Congress into provincial community life. Among the most frequent resolutions are: consistent prayer for vocations (esp. for Salesian Brother), commitment to share in more explicit and regular way Salesian Brother vocation story, work hard on the presence of Salesian Brother in formation, province commissions and especially in vocation ministry.
After 90 minutes workshop in the last 9th session of the Congress was given floor first to the personal resolution sharing by one provincial, one novice master, one prenovice formator, Sandor community formator and one Brother from each continent - Africa, America, Europe, South Asia and EAO region. At the end Fr. Ivo Coelho (General Councilor for Formation) offered and feedback with few indications gathered around the five strategic elements: (1) Understanding of consecrated life; (2) Community and complementarity of two forms of one Salesian vocation; (3) Ongoing formation in our daily context; (4) Vocation ministry and culture - visibility and (5) Vocation discernment of our candidates, prenovices and novices. Among the last sharing also present the EAO YM coordinator Fr. Jobeth Vivo and ANS director Br. Jose Luis Munoz.
After four days all 180+ participants already became one family, after last exchange of gift Br. Carmelo Martinez (FIN) shared the heartfelt thanks to all who prepared, accompanied and contributed to the success of this 7th EAO Congress. Last but not the least, the Indonesia Viceprovince (INA) of St. Louis Versiglia non-formally welcomed all Salesian Brother to the 2024 Congress in their beautiful country.
Available EAO Salesian Brother Congress video on Youtube
DAY 2:
INTERVIEWS:
- Provincial of VietNam
- General Economer
- General Councillor for Formation
- FIN Provincial
- FIS Provincial
