To Collaborate in the Congregation

Dear Confreres,

A good number of years ago, the Salesian province of Vietnam recognized that they had enough confreres to become two or even three provinces. They chose a different path. Instead of dividing, they would send confreres to other provinces as missionaries. Remembering the missionaries who had come to Vietnam to share the Good News centuries earlier, this decision was a way for the Salesians to continue the Church’s mission of evangelization, now in other Salesians to continue the Church’s mission of evangelization, now in other countries. At the same time that they gave great emphasis to the Salesian missionary vocation, they also decided to promote the vocation to the Salesian brotherhood. Now they have over 70 Salesian Brothers. At the team meeting in Peru, the Rector Major used Vietnam as an example of how to face cultural realities, read the signs of the times, and respond in a prophetic way. Fr. Ángel noted tendencies toward clericalism in our region, but not as strong as in traditional Asian cultures. Faithful to Don Bosco’s inspiration to found a Congregation of ordained and lay members with equal status, the Salesian province of Vietnam did not let culture be a block to living the same Salesian-consecrated vocation in its two forms.

On October 9 last year, in St. Peter's Square, Br. Artemide Zatti was canonized by Pope Francis. Our province was well represented at this historic event. The Holy Father confirmed his devotion to St. Zatti as an intercessor for religious brothers' vocations. If the Pope asked Br. Zatti for vocations to the Jesuits, how much more should we be imploring him for brothers' vocations to the Salesians!

Monday, May 1, the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker, is Religious Brothers Day. It is an occasion to pray for brothers and with brothers, pray for those in discernment, and for many others to be open to the call to this vocation; to thank religious brothers for their vocation; to celebrate God’s call with religious brothers; to promote the vocation of the religious brother through many means of communication, including a personal invitation. You will find several resources for this day, including the "Religious Brothers Day Guide." The National Religious Vocation Conference also has quite a few resources for this day.

On the last day of the team meeting, Fr. Stefano Martoglio, the Vicar of the Rector Major, gave a presentation on collaboration in the Congregation. He spoke about maintaining a modest staff for the departments of the Congregation so it could fulfill its service of animation and governance. Salesians are asked to help in the Generalate/Headquarters according to certain guidelines: for a limited time (usually a three-year term, sometimes renewed for another three-year term); distributing the request for help to all the regions to reflect the internationality of the Congregation; enabling confreres to return to their province enriched by this experience. The same criteria guide the selection of confreres asked to help in the Salesian places directly under the care of the Rector Major and the General Council: Valdocco, Colle Don Bosco, and some sites in Chieri. We can be proud that Fr. Mike Pace has been serving the Congregation in Valdocco for these past few years. Fr. Stefano went on to offer some comments about the Congregation’s university, the UPS in Rome. Plans for renewal and updating are being considered for Salesian studies, catechetics, social economy and the third sector, and Salesian pedagogy. Provinces are asked to include in their plans for ongoing formation and professional qualifications, Salesians who can go to the UPS as students and professors. Since obtaining a doctorate can take a long time, provinces should plan well in advance so that confreres can collaborate in the Congregation in this way.

Rosina Di Felice and Julia St. Clair are representing the province at an international meeting on the Salesian Bulletin in Turin. We thank them for their dedication to Salesian communications and wish them well on this trip.

Fr. Tim Zak