The Team Visit is a means of animation and government of the Rector Major and the General Council. Its nature and structure is not codified in the proper law of the Congregation, but has been evolving since the time of Fr Luigi Ricceri, VI successor of Don Bosco, and Rector Major between 1965 and 1977.
The aims have been described by Fr Pascual Chávez in the plan proposed for the Visit: “The Team Visit is meant to offer some assessments and guidelines aimed at creating a mentality and overall agreement regarding the path the Congregation is following, starting from the guidelines of the General Chapters. It sets out to examine the state of the Congregation. Finally it aims to present assesssments and suggestions to foster the growth and the progress of the Region taken as a whole.”
The Team Visits, starting in the next few days and coming to an end early in 2012, have the following objectives: an assessment of the communication, assimilation and putting into practice of the 26th General Chapter by the Provinces and Regions; the consideration of the fundamental future prospects for the progress of the Provinces and the Region; the study of one or two topics of particular interest to the the Region.
“This will enable us to appreciate our identity as consecrated apostles following Jesus in the steps of Don Bosco, assessing our ability to recognise the challenges to evangelisation and to proposing consecrated Salesian life, and appreciating our real evangelical poverty and our breadth of heart ready to go where the most needy youngsters are waiting for us,” the Rector Major says in his letter.
The Team Visits during 2011-2012 will enable the Rector Major and the General Council to have a better knowledge of the situation of the Salesian Congregation, its state of health, its trends and prospects. They will also provide a good opportunity for consultation regarding the possible themes for the 27th General Chapter planned for 2014.
The Team Visits now form part of the Salesian praxis aimed at fostering “the unity of the Congregation as the fruit of communion and of fidelity to the charism.” (GC25, 88).
This is the outline calendar for the Team Visits:Published 25/02/2011
