5413(I)_Building bridges between the two Salesian regions in Asia

By our own correspondent

EAO, 2 July 2020 -- The whole Salesian Congregation is composed of 90 SDB provinces, grouped into 7 'REGIONS' - two of them in Europe, two of them in Americas, two of them in Asia - Oceania and one in Africa. Some of the close Regions are networking a lot - in Americas (Inter-america and America Southern Corner) or in Europe (Mediterranean region and North & Central Europe region). But due to the distance and composition the two regions located mainly in Asia face the challenge to network a little bit more for the benefit of Salesian charismatic growth. A few days ago a renewed website of South Asia Region was launched, while the EAO region has, since 2015, had its own website BOSCOLINK.

EAO region and South Asia region have many common or similar points:

• Each region has 12 juridical circumscriptions (EAO - 12: with 8 provinces and 4 vice-provinces and South Asia with 10 provinces and 2 vice-provinces)
• South Asia (SA) and EAO are, together with Africa-Madagascar region, among the three growing SDB regions (while the other 4 regions are diminishing)
• Average age of the Salesians is 49 years within the EAO region and 43 within the South Asia region
• every year both regions are sending a good number of confreres as missionaries ad gentes available to the Rector Major
• SA region has 2770 professed SDB (443 Salesian works) and EAO region 1439 professed Salesians entrusted with 210 Salesian works
• Both regions are characterized by a tiny minority of Catholic populations, in need of more creative initial proclamation of Jesus Christ

• Joint meetings of the sector delegates or formators (Economy - 2019, Post=novitiates - 2018, Missionary animation - 2017 etc) 
• Preaching the retreat between the provinces of both regions
• Provincials meetings or retreats (most recent joint retreat of EAO and SA provincials was held in 2003)
• While South Asia region is mostly concentrated in one sub-continent, the EAO region brings the richness of vast and diverse cultural areas
• FABC (Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences) under the President - Cardinal Charles Bo, SDB (Myanmar) affects both regions

• EAO region is scattered around 23 countries from the Pakistan to the Samoa islands in the Pacific, while the South Asia region is concentrated around India, Bangladesh, Nepal and some Gulf countries
• EAO region is composed of 23 countries, while South Asia regions aside from India-Bangladesh-Nepal and Sri Lanka stretches to the UAE (United Arab Emirates), Yemen, Andaman Islands, Kuwait
• EAO region is characterized by a Salesian Brother-friendly (and growing) environment, while the number of Salesian Brothers in South Asia is diminishing
• EAO region has only a few confreres with PhD degrees, while South Asia has hundreds of PhD degree confreres involved in many Salesian Tertiary education institutes (IUS)

EAO region and South Asia are intertwined and need each other

• There are SA missionaries in the EAO region (PGS viceprovince, GIA, CIN:Hong Kong and THA-Cambodia, EAO missionaries in the SA region (Bangladesh)
• There are SA students in Manila or Tokyo, while South Asia region offers the ongoing formation courses in Shillong or Bangalore

Official new website of (SDB) South Asia Region

Interview with Fr. Michael Biju, new Regional Councilor for South Asia Region

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