(ANS – Rome) – In these days the General Councillors, who as the work of the plenary session has concluded have left the Generalate and have either begun or are about to begin programmes full of meetings and Visitations. They will be back in Rome for the intermediate plenary session scheduled for 26 March to 4 April.

In the work of the government and animation of the Congregation entrusted to the Rector Major, he is supported by the cooperation of the General Council. The months between plenary sessions of the Council are used by the Councillors responsible for Departments or Regions to make visits, meet Salesians and lay people working in their area and so act as mediators between the centre of the Congregation and these other presences.

An important means that is employed is the Extraordinary Visitations prescribed by the Salesian rule and entrusted during the six-year period of his mandate to the Superior General who may delegate it to a Councillor. It is an opportunity to assess the charismatic identity, the progress being made and the work being undertaken in each Province or Circumscription.

In these days the following Extraordinary Visitations have already begun or are about to begin:

• “Mary Seat of Wisdom” Vice Province of the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome (UPS), by Fr Francesco Cereda, Councillor for Formation;
• “Blessed Michaal Rua” Generalate (RMG), by Fr Filiberto Gonzalez, Councillor for Social Communication;
• “Saint Hyacinth” Province - Poland Krakow (PLS),   by Fr Vaclav Klement, Councillor for the Missions;
• “Blessed Artemides Zatti” Province - North Argentina, Cordoba (ARN), by Fr Natale Vitali, Councillor for the America South Cone Region;
• “Saint Philip the Apostle” Province - East United States, New Rochelle (SUE), by Fr Esteban Ortiz, Councillor for the Interamerica Region;
• “Mary Help of Christians” Province -, Slovakia, Bratislava (SLK), by Fr Marek Chrzan, Councillor for the North Europe Region;
• “Saint Joseph” Province -  India, Hyderabad (INH), Fr Maria Arokiam Kanaga, Councillor for South ’Asia Region;
• “Saint Callistus Caravario” Vice Province - Indonesia and East Timor, Dili (ITM), by Fr Andrew Wong, Councillor for East Asia -Oceania Region;
• “Saint Charles Lwanga” Vice Province, Africa Great Lakes (AGL), Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, by Fr Guillermo Basañes, Councillor for the Africa-Madagascar Region;
• “Saint John Bosco” Province - , Spain Madrid (SMA), by Fr José Miguel Núñez, Councillor for the West Europe Region;
• The Visitation to the Special Circumscription of Piedmont and the Val d’Aosta (ICP), - Italy Turin, by Fr Pier Fausto Frisoli, Councillor for Italy Middle East Region is continuing.

A number of sector and formation meetings are planned at national or regional level. Consultations for the future appointment of Provincials will also be taking place, together with other visits in the context of the Planning and Programming for the Six-year period.

Before the usual plenary summer session in June and July, the General Council has two other appointments: the intermediate session with the main item on the agenda the decision regarding the theme of the 27 General Chapter in 2014, and a joint Retreat with the General Council of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians at Loreto, Italy at the end of May.

Published 03/02/2012