Fruits of the Rome Press Conference in view of GC28
Sacro Cuore, Rome 28 January 2020 -- Like Don Bosco, also his 10th successor Fr. Angel F. Artime, is often inviting the members of the Salesian Family to make known all the good that is done for young people around the world by his 14,600 SDB and the other 500,000 members of the 31 groups of his Don Bosco Salesian Family. A recent January 23rd Press Conference at the General House in Rome offers a good model for any of the 90 Salesian provinces around the world. For this occasion a four minute video clip was prepared with the basic information about the Salesian Congregation today, according to the 7 regions, the number of confreres and the variety of mission fields.
During the 7 weeks at Valdocco (16 February - 4 April) the 243 Salesians from all continents are coming together not only to elect their Rector Major and his Council, but especially to discern the way forward for the next 6 year period.
Better than expected, the invitation for the Press Conference was accepted more than 20 different news agencies and journals, most of their products already accessible on the internet, starting with TG2 (Italian TV channel), through to the Catholic and some secular media. In accordance with their interests in the talks of the Rector Major, Cardinal Cristobal Lopez, SDB - Archbishop of Rabat (Morocco) and Fr Stefano Vanoli, the moderators of GC28 have been reported in many different ways.
Below you may access some useful links to the news articles and video materials.
As regards the statistical updates for our Congregation on the eve of General Chapter 28:
Personnel
- 14.618 Salesians
- 3382 Salesians in formation: 942 postnovices, 676 practical trainees, 740 students of theology
- 435 novices and 521 prenovices
- 90 provinces, vice-provinces and circumscriptions
- 1802 canonical communities
Mission
- 3693 schools with 940,000 students and 68,000 educators and teachers
- 830 TVET (professional formation) with 200,300 trainees and 15,000 instructors and educators (85% of them find the employment at the end of their course)
- 94 Universities and institutions of higher education
Also the EAO region was highlighted (L'Osservatore Romano) by the shining model of the Cagliero Project (Australia-Pacific province) for missionary volunteers who are being sent for a one year mission; the school mission in Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan (China province).
Many of the General House confreres attended the press conference and shared their insights: a simple invitation to journalists done in some provinces on special occasions - e.g. opening of a new works, starting a special event in the history of the province, or anniversaries - offers a wonderful opportunity for sharing the manifold good done by our daily Salesian education in so many places.
In the Novena before the Solemnity of Don Bosco we are probably called to a renewed awareness that our Father and Founder was also a passionate communicator, a narrator of God's story through his mission and was able to reach so many people in order to involve them actively in the youth mission.
What about a simple press conference in our EAO countries as a good gift to Don Bosco at the occasion of the GC28?
News articles as fruit of the Press Conference at Sacro Cuore (January 23, 2020)
