(ANS - Santiago) - The Provincial Assembly of Chile, opened yesterday, Wednesday, 2 October , at the Centre for Spirituality in Lo Cañas. Proceedings commenced with greetings and a message from the Vicar of the Rector Major, Fr Adriano Bregolin. This was the final event of Fr Bregolin’s visit to Chile, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Salesians in Punta Arenas.

Convened by the Provincial, FrAlberto Lorenzelli, Salesian confreres from all over the country and others who share responsibility for the Salesian mission in different areas and environments - a total of about 80 people - came together to share ideas on two topics:

• The Provincial Salesian Educative Pastoral Plan (PEPSI)
• Restructuring of the Province

Fr Bregolin spoke of the important elements which Salesians must preserve in their religious life:

- Charismatic Identity: consecrated life, community life and fraternal and missionary spirit. "We are not masters of works but servants of the young."

- Credibility: "We cannot say one thing and then live in a different way. We need to be consistent with our religious rules, with the Constitutions, with the Spirit of the General Chapter and the tradition of the province. Credibility also means that we must be morally blameless. "

- Committed to the Mission: "We need to see if we are working with zeal or if we are more like employees, finishing work on Friday evening and relaxing until the following Monday. For us, Saturdays and Sundays are days for the oratory, for meetings, for the apostolate and the priestly ministry. We should experience the joy of being servants in the priestly and religious ministry."

- Visibility:  "It means giving clear testimony that we are men of God. We have to build his kingdom in the specific context in which we live."

Regarding restructuring, Fr Bregolin said that it is a process going on  in various Salesian Provinces around the world and he suggested some lines of action to accomplish it :

- Salesians in the image of Don Bosco: "We can organize  our educational works very well, but if people are not important, it is not worth it. Lay people on their own can run a good school. A good Salesian school must have a strong nucleus: the Salesians in a school should be a true image of Don Bosco."

- A true Salesian presence: "We may have a work with many activities, but the most important thing might be missing, which is being with young people, engaging with them. Restructuring is not only about changing external things.  It is primarily about changing the spirit and transforming our works into places where young people feel happy to be with us."

Published 03/10/2013