austraLasia #2625
Provincial Chapters in the region...
(Note: as there are PCs across not only the region but the world, all happening over this general period, we simply note the information as it comes in and as provided, without making further effort to 'newsify' it; there are two such items reported here)
SEOUL: 13 April 2010 -- On Sunday April 11th, the Korean Province began its 13th Provincial Chapter. It will last until 14 April. Right after the end of the 26th General Chapter the province engaged in a concrete implementation of the Chapter's spirit. The province evaluated all of its pastoral ministry and finalized its 6 year plan for further development. It then started to restructure its ministry and its structures of government to try to realize the spirit of the General Chapter. We ask your prayers that this provincial chapter may be a real Pentecost of renewal for the province.
MELBOURNE: 13 April 2010 -- Like Provinces all over the Congregation, following the directives of the Rector Major, this Chapter had the task of assessing the response of the Province to GC26. This task assured the focus of the Chapter, but we had some further documents to guide us. Shortly after the Chapter, the Superior Council issued AGC 402, establishing a Project of Animation for the next six year. Initially the Provincial Council in Australia, and then the whole Province – in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa (moving eastward and northward out from the “home Province”) - worked with the framework for responding to GC 26 that had been adopted in AGC 402, and produced our own Project of Animation and Governance 2009-2014. The final document for consideration was provided by the Report of the Provincial to the Chapter. In this document the Provincial attempted to repeat the methodology of GC26, assessing God’s call, an analysis of the current situation, and offering suggestions about lines of action. There was at least one representative from each of the four nations that form the Province present at the Chapter. Massey, New Zealand, was represented by Fr James Adayadiel, Parish Priest, who had been invited as a guest to the Chapter by the Provincial.
With these documents in hand the Chapter adopted a number of strategies. The Provincial made his report to the Chapter, and three sessions were dedicated to the report and response to it. The tone had been set. Various specialist areas (formation, youth ministry, missions, social communication, Salesian family, Economer’s office) reported to the Chapter, knitted into the areas covered by the Provincial’s report: starting afresh from Don Bosco, life in community (with special attention devoted to religious discipline), mission focus (with special attention devoted to evangelisation), new frontiers, vocations ministry.
With all this material in hand, each subject was taken into group discussions. The groups reported, and foreshadowed proposals for the Chapter. The reports from the groups were then further discussed and clarified in plenary sessions. The Chapter decided against a large number of proposals, and in the end there were only 10 formal proposals. However, a great deal of substantial issues were discussed and have been carefully recorded in the minutes. The question that loomed over the Chapter was: where do we go from here? One could say that the shadow of “new frontiers” loomed behind all discussions, but that would not be precise. There can be no new frontiers without Don Bosco, quality communities, a passion for the Gospel in our mission, and an attention to our future through the vocations ministry. But it is into “new frontiers” that the Australia-Pacific must move.
The Chapter closed with a wonderful celebration of the Province’s jubiliarians, who came to Lysterfield for an afternoon Eucharist, followed by a celebratory dinner and some unforgettable speeches. There was some concern at the Chapter that we run the danger of forgetting our past. That was corrected as we celebrated all that has been achieved. However, we must move forward, and the Chapter gave its very clear support to the Provincial and his Council to begin to make the necessary decisions that will lead to a more obvious presence of Salesians in fewer places, but focussing more and more on young people, especially those in most need, with the Gospel in hand.
We all returned to our communities, more than ever committed to the dream of Constitution 41: “The education of many young people, especially among the very poor, means that we have to go to them where they are found, and provide adequate forms of service in the context of their own lifestyle.”
On April 9, the day after the Chapter, the Provincial Council met at the Province Centre in Ascot Vale, looked back across the Chapter and its hopes, and set in motion the processes that will be required to make the dreams of the Chapter come true.
_________________
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 Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Provincial Chapters in the region...
(Note: as there are PCs across not only the region but the world, all happening over this general period, we simply note the information as it comes in and as provided, without making further effort to 'newsify' it; there are two such items reported here)
SEOUL: 13 April 2010 -- On Sunday April 11th, the Korean Province began its 13th Provincial Chapter. It will last until 14 April. Right after the end of the 26th General Chapter the province engaged in a concrete implementation of the Chapter's spirit. The province evaluated all of its pastoral ministry and finalized its 6 year plan for further development. It then started to restructure its ministry and its structures of government to try to realize the spirit of the General Chapter. We ask your prayers that this provincial chapter may be a real Pentecost of renewal for the province.
MELBOURNE: 13 April 2010 -- Like Provinces all over the Congregation, following the directives of the Rector Major, this Chapter had the task of assessing the response of the Province to GC26. This task assured the focus of the Chapter, but we had some further documents to guide us. Shortly after the Chapter, the Superior Council issued AGC 402, establishing a Project of Animation for the next six year. Initially the Provincial Council in Australia, and then the whole Province – in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa (moving eastward and northward out from the “home Province”) - worked with the framework for responding to GC 26 that had been adopted in AGC 402, and produced our own Project of Animation and Governance 2009-2014. The final document for consideration was provided by the Report of the Provincial to the Chapter. In this document the Provincial attempted to repeat the methodology of GC26, assessing God’s call, an analysis of the current situation, and offering suggestions about lines of action. There was at least one representative from each of the four nations that form the Province present at the Chapter. Massey, New Zealand, was represented by Fr James Adayadiel, Parish Priest, who had been invited as a guest to the Chapter by the Provincial.
With these documents in hand the Chapter adopted a number of strategies. The Provincial made his report to the Chapter, and three sessions were dedicated to the report and response to it. The tone had been set. Various specialist areas (formation, youth ministry, missions, social communication, Salesian family, Economer’s office) reported to the Chapter, knitted into the areas covered by the Provincial’s report: starting afresh from Don Bosco, life in community (with special attention devoted to religious discipline), mission focus (with special attention devoted to evangelisation), new frontiers, vocations ministry.
With all this material in hand, each subject was taken into group discussions. The groups reported, and foreshadowed proposals for the Chapter. The reports from the groups were then further discussed and clarified in plenary sessions. The Chapter decided against a large number of proposals, and in the end there were only 10 formal proposals. However, a great deal of substantial issues were discussed and have been carefully recorded in the minutes. The question that loomed over the Chapter was: where do we go from here? One could say that the shadow of “new frontiers” loomed behind all discussions, but that would not be precise. There can be no new frontiers without Don Bosco, quality communities, a passion for the Gospel in our mission, and an attention to our future through the vocations ministry. But it is into “new frontiers” that the Australia-Pacific must move.
The Chapter closed with a wonderful celebration of the Province’s jubiliarians, who came to Lysterfield for an afternoon Eucharist, followed by a celebratory dinner and some unforgettable speeches. There was some concern at the Chapter that we run the danger of forgetting our past. That was corrected as we celebrated all that has been achieved. However, we must move forward, and the Chapter gave its very clear support to the Provincial and his Council to begin to make the necessary decisions that will lead to a more obvious presence of Salesians in fewer places, but focussing more and more on young people, especially those in most need, with the Gospel in hand.
We all returned to our communities, more than ever committed to the dream of Constitution 41: “The education of many young people, especially among the very poor, means that we have to go to them where they are found, and provide adequate forms of service in the context of their own lifestyle.”
On April 9, the day after the Chapter, the Provincial Council met at the Province Centre in Ascot Vale, looked back across the Chapter and its hopes, and set in motion the processes that will be required to make the dreams of the Chapter come true.
_________________
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 Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
