(ANS - Rome) - During the 27th General Chapter, the Acts of the seven Study Days on the First Proclamation of Jesus were presented to the Chapter. These Study Days were organized by the Department for the Missions of the Salesians and the Sector for the Missions of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. These were the last two numbers published, relating to the Study Days on Africa-Madagascar (at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November 2012) and America (at Los Teques, Caracas, Venezuela, in November 2013).
Numbers 63 and 64 complete the series published by the Salesian Department for the Missions, covering the seven courses held in the six-year period 2008-2014, on all continents - Europe 2010, South Asia 2011, East Asia and Oceania 2011, Africa 2012 and America 2013 - and at world level, Salesian Presence among Muslims, Rome 2012.
A total of 370 members of the Salesian Family took part - 180 Salesians from almost all the provinces, 145 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and another 45 members of the eight groups of the Salesian Family, lay and religious. The collaboration between the Missions Department and Sector of the two Congregations was thus extended to a wider circle of people, especially the lay groups of the Salesian Cooperators and Don Bosco Volunteers.
Salesian reflection on the missions during these Study Days has seen a slow and patient journey to bring the issue of First Proclamation to the attention of the Salesians in the Departments of Youth Ministry, Missionary Animation and Formation and in provincial councils. An overview of this process is provided by Fr Alfred Maravilla of the Missions Department in the volume of the Acts of the First Proclamation in America ("From Prague to Los Teques" p. 27-30)
A first simple survey in the provinces, carried out during the months of January-February 2014, showed appreciation for the reflection on the First Proclamation of Jesus throughout the entire congregation. The emphasis varied from region to region, but the theme was found to be valid for all continents, drawing attention to the outgoing missionary Church, often invoked by Pope Francis.
At the operational level, the Study Days helped in the development or establishment of missionary groups for different age groups, especially in Africa and America, and strengthened the reasons for the proclamation of the gospel in interreligious environments, such as in Asia.
The Acts for Africa-Madagascar are currently available in English, and the Acts for America in Spanish. They were sent in paper form to the Provinces of the two continents during the 27th General Chapter and are also available online. Salesians of other continents can have a hard copy on request. The Acts will be translated into other widely used languages in their respective continents.
" I hope that the process of reflection on the First Proclamation of Jesus will continue in Salesian environments in the future and will bear much fruit," said Fr Václav Klement, who guided the entire process as Councillor for the Missions during the last six years. He is now Regional Councillor for East Asia-Oceania.
Published 06/05/2014
