austraLasia #1958
The Project of Apostolic Life: Co-operators in the Australia-Pacific Province
MELBOURNE: 11th October 2007 -- From Friday 5th October until Sunday 7th October, some 50 Salesian Cooperators, Salesians SDB and Salesian Sisters met at the Province Centre in Ascot Vale, Melbourne, Victoria. The gathering included special guests by way of Bishop Tim Costelloe SDB, the Provincial of the Salesian Sisters in Australia and the Pacific, Sr Edna Mary McDonald, and the Salesian Sisters' novices. Outgoing Councillors, along with Salesian Delegates to various Units, met to look back across the past year and to make initial suggestions about leadership of the Movement for the forthcoming triennium. Saturday and Sunday were full of major input, discussion and challenges. The entire weekend was dedicated to the new Project of Apostolic Life for the Salesian Co-operators approved in April 2007. A new 'team' of Councillors was elected and a new Coordinator in the person of Mrs Carmen Escobar.
The Saturday morning saw a reflection from Fr James Kyaw Hoe on the history which generated this 'Project', entitled "Rediscovering the dream". He illustrated Don Bosco's intention to bring as many workers and collaborators to the mission as possible. His reflection focussed on the elements that give meaning to Salesian vocations: the joy of the Salesian spirit and belonging to the Family, the experience of love and care of SDBs and FMAs, and seeing the opportunity to be 'part of' such wonderful apostolic experience. This was followed by an animated discussion as many of those present had never been introduced to the foundational documents and statements from Don Bosco that had made the Co-operators such a integral part of the Salesian movement and mission. Their ongoing relevance was stressed.
Saturday afternoon was taken up with a penetrating analysis of the new new Statutes (the Regulations will have to wait for another time) by Sister Edna Mary McDonald. By means of a well-prepared presentation (ppt) entitled "Owning the Dream", Sister Edna Mary took the group through each section of the PAL. After each section the document was discussed, in a long question and answer session. It was hard but rewarding work. Cooperators and Salesians received a first class introduction to this important document for the future of the Co-operators.
On Sunday morning Fr Frank Moloney, Provincial of the SDBs in Aaustralia and the Pacific, delivered a talk entitled "Living the Dream". Fr Moloney looked initially at the current situatioin of the Cooperator movement in Australia and the situation of young people, the recipients of the Salesian mission in this 'postmodern era'. He then moved to concrete suggestions concerning the future of the Cooperators, taking as his starting point Constitutions art. 5 of the SDB Constitutions: "Don Bosco inspired the start of a vast movement of persons who in different ways work for the salvation of the young". This theme had been further developed by the Rector Major in Ho Chi Minh City on 14th April 2007: "The Salesian Family is a movement of spirituality and apostolate, comprising Salesians SDB, Salesian Sisters and lay people who commit themselves to the salvation of the young in need and employ the preventive system of education in order to do so". Fr Moloney set the future of the Cooperator Movement in the Australia-Pacific Province within the broader context of the many well-established and emerging Salesian initiatives for the salvation of the young in need.
As well as the talks and discussions of the Project of Apostolic Life, the weekend evidenced a wonderful atmosphere of shared prayer and meals, well-prepared liturgies. There was even a traditional 'sing-song' during which the Cooperators were taught 'Giù dai colli' with mixed success!
All material of Congress reflections will be made available soon in electronic form. Meanwhile, the Statutes and Regulations are available in their final translated version on SDL. Go to http://sdl.sdb.org (or enter through the 'Search SDL' on www.sdb.org) and choose the English collection, then go to Salesian Family.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
The Project of Apostolic Life: Co-operators in the Australia-Pacific Province
MELBOURNE: 11th October 2007 -- From Friday 5th October until Sunday 7th October, some 50 Salesian Cooperators, Salesians SDB and Salesian Sisters met at the Province Centre in Ascot Vale, Melbourne, Victoria. The gathering included special guests by way of Bishop Tim Costelloe SDB, the Provincial of the Salesian Sisters in Australia and the Pacific, Sr Edna Mary McDonald, and the Salesian Sisters' novices. Outgoing Councillors, along with Salesian Delegates to various Units, met to look back across the past year and to make initial suggestions about leadership of the Movement for the forthcoming triennium. Saturday and Sunday were full of major input, discussion and challenges. The entire weekend was dedicated to the new Project of Apostolic Life for the Salesian Co-operators approved in April 2007. A new 'team' of Councillors was elected and a new Coordinator in the person of Mrs Carmen Escobar.
The Saturday morning saw a reflection from Fr James Kyaw Hoe on the history which generated this 'Project', entitled "Rediscovering the dream". He illustrated Don Bosco's intention to bring as many workers and collaborators to the mission as possible. His reflection focussed on the elements that give meaning to Salesian vocations: the joy of the Salesian spirit and belonging to the Family, the experience of love and care of SDBs and FMAs, and seeing the opportunity to be 'part of' such wonderful apostolic experience. This was followed by an animated discussion as many of those present had never been introduced to the foundational documents and statements from Don Bosco that had made the Co-operators such a integral part of the Salesian movement and mission. Their ongoing relevance was stressed.
Saturday afternoon was taken up with a penetrating analysis of the new new Statutes (the Regulations will have to wait for another time) by Sister Edna Mary McDonald. By means of a well-prepared presentation (ppt) entitled "Owning the Dream", Sister Edna Mary took the group through each section of the PAL. After each section the document was discussed, in a long question and answer session. It was hard but rewarding work. Cooperators and Salesians received a first class introduction to this important document for the future of the Co-operators.
On Sunday morning Fr Frank Moloney, Provincial of the SDBs in Aaustralia and the Pacific, delivered a talk entitled "Living the Dream". Fr Moloney looked initially at the current situatioin of the Cooperator movement in Australia and the situation of young people, the recipients of the Salesian mission in this 'postmodern era'. He then moved to concrete suggestions concerning the future of the Cooperators, taking as his starting point Constitutions art. 5 of the SDB Constitutions: "Don Bosco inspired the start of a vast movement of persons who in different ways work for the salvation of the young". This theme had been further developed by the Rector Major in Ho Chi Minh City on 14th April 2007: "The Salesian Family is a movement of spirituality and apostolate, comprising Salesians SDB, Salesian Sisters and lay people who commit themselves to the salvation of the young in need and employ the preventive system of education in order to do so". Fr Moloney set the future of the Cooperator Movement in the Australia-Pacific Province within the broader context of the many well-established and emerging Salesian initiatives for the salvation of the young in need.
As well as the talks and discussions of the Project of Apostolic Life, the weekend evidenced a wonderful atmosphere of shared prayer and meals, well-prepared liturgies. There was even a traditional 'sing-song' during which the Cooperators were taught 'Giù dai colli' with mixed success!
All material of Congress reflections will be made available soon in electronic form. Meanwhile, the Statutes and Regulations are available in their final translated version on SDL. Go to http://sdl.sdb.org (or enter through the 'Search SDL' on www.sdb.org) and choose the English collection, then go to Salesian Family.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
