Batangas, Philippines, 8 March 2016 - Today, the EAO Provincials and Delegate Superiors welcomed the day with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with the Rector Major, Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime, SDB, as the main presider. In his homily, the Rector Major led everyone to be reminded of the Letter of Don Bosco from Rome as he encouraged everyone to animate and govern their respective provinces under the guidance of Don Bosco’s words.
At 9:00am, the first session began with the Rector Major’s talk and an open forum. This first session lasted for one and a half hours.
After the morning break, Fr. Vaclav took the floor in animating the meeting particularly in giving every Provincial/Delegate superior a chance to share something about his province or delegation. There was a cordial exchange of views and insights among the delegates with the Rector Major giving his own responses and reactions to questions and clarifications.
The afternoon session began with the distribution of the latest book “Elements for the Formation of Salesians in Communication” that is a joint project by the Department for Formation and the Department for Social Communication. The Rector Major continued his conference on Salesian animation and governance.
Late in the afternoon, Fr. Vaclav animated the assembly again by asking everyone to have some fraternal sharing of each other’s situation as a province or as a delegation. It was a very enlightening session inasmuch as everybody was interested in listening to the one who was sharing.
Fr. Arokiam Kanaga, SDB, the South-Asia Regional Superior who is now in the Philippines for the Extraordinary Canonical Visitation to the FIN Province, arrived early this evening. He gave the Good Night Talk to the assembly after the community vespers.
A special despedida dinner for the Rector Major and Fr. Horacio, who are leaving early tomorrow morning for the FIS Province, was prepared by the community of Don Bosco Batulao. To add a vibrant youthful spirit during dinner, the youth scholars of the community of Don Bosco Batulao performed some song numbers. One of the songs they sang was “Pescador De Hombres” a Spanish song that delighted everyone especially the Rector Major who even joined them on stage in singing the song. The scholars surprised the Rector Major and the rest of the members of the on-going meeting of the EAO Provincials and Delegate Superiors with some native Filipino crafts as souvenir gifts of the FIN Province to them.
The evening was indeed full of surprises. No less than the Rector Major gave everyone the biggest surprise of the evening when he, together with Fr. Filiberto and Fr. Horacio rendered some Spanish songs with the Rector Major playing the guitar.
The evening ended with the Rector Major giving his message of gratitude and of hope for the Salesians and the youth of the FIN Province. He gave everybody his blessing as he prayed for them through the motherly intercession of Mary Help of Christians.
MABUHAY, Fr. Angel!!!
