(ANS - Rome) - The winter session of the General Council of the Salesian Congregation opened with the afternoon meeting on Monday 1 December. The Rector Major and his council will meet regularly until 23 January next.

There are many items on the agenda, from the most traditional regarding the administration and leadership of the Congregation, to the more specific challenges unique to this time and new methods of fostering communication between sectors.

In the first group there will be the reports on the extraordinary visits to the Province of Southern Italy and that of Brazil-Belo Horizonte; the distribution of funds for missionary projects; the presentation of the budget for 2015; and the appointment of new Provincials for the provinces of West Indies, Eastern United States, India-New Delhi, India-Bangalore, Vietnam, Southern Philippines, Germany and the Vice-Province of Tropical Equatorial Africa.

In the second group there will be the reports of the Councillors of the different Sectors on the work done in the previous six months and on what is planned for the next six months. There will also be a presentation of the criteria of leadership of each sector in the Regions and Provinces.

Among other specific topics there will be the convening of the Provincial Chapters; the continuation of the reflection on the vademecum of the General Chapter; Project Europe; guidelines for the extraordinary visits ...

The calendar of events of the General Council for the whole of  2015 has already been drawn up. Meanwhile, during this winter session there will be several events at the Generalate: the Course for recently appointed Provincials (December 8 to 20), the Spirituality Days of the Salesian Family (15-18 January 2015) and the meeting with the new General Council of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (21 January 2015).

Published 03/12/2014