(ANS - Rome) - 31 January 2010 was a historic day for Salesian Argentina. On that day the Salesian communities were redistributed into two Provinces, Argentina North and South. This redrawing of Salesian geography has involved Salesians and lay people in three joint training initiatives: a Salesian prayerful reading of the daily Gospel, a school of Salesian studies, and training for those responsible for the different works.
Fr Manuel Cayo, Provincial of Argentina North, and Fr Honorio Caucaman, Provincial designate of Argentina South, gave a shared Good Night on 8 April and presented the global formation project.
The first initiative, which is still continuing, had as its objective to make the re-dimensioning a powerful occasion for personal and community renewal through the practice of daily lectio.
The second initiative, chosen in the light of the forthcoming Bicentenary of the Birth of Don Bosco, is intended to bring the confreres back to the sources of the Salesian charism, Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello, in order to revitalize the community as the normal venue for ongoing formation, to deepen their knowledge of the Salesian Spirit, and to improve their educative and pastoral practice from the aspect of love as understood and practised in the preventive system.
The programme included historical, spiritual, experiential, and community aspects and was well coordinated. The Salesian Rectors and FMA Superiors were involved, as well as the people responsible for different sectors and for the management and animation of local communities. The whole programme is led by formators from the Salesian Regional Centre for Ongoing Formation in Quito, and is backed up by printed material and a DVD. Working groups were set up in each area, taking into account the geographical vastness of Argentina, and groups for each local community. After a process of personal and group study, a text is drawn up and sent online to a tutor.
There are four core themes:
It is a process that engages participants continuously. It has been going now for two years of activity and needs to continue for another two years to bring about at local level the fruits of the proposals in the programme drawn up at national level.
The third initiative is organized over a three-year period. The Salesian Rectors come together to study three core themes (identity of the Rector, his role and functions, accompaniment of confreres). These were divided under eight headings to facilitate reflection and evaluation. In their end-of-year meeting the Rectors share their findings and reflections, and their experiences in the ministry of formation.
The programme also includes a retreat for Rectors, FMA Superiors and lay people. In 2015 there will be a course of spiritual exercises for all the Rectors in Argentina.
Published 09/04/2014
