(ANS – Nairobi) – On 14 October 2011, at the Don Bosco Youth Educational Services in Karen, Nairobi, the I International  Congress on the History of Salesian work in Africa-Madagascar, promoted by the Salesian Historical Association” on the subject “Salesian History and Identity. Production and use of the sources, preservation of the cultural heritage” came to an end.

One of the key issues was addressed in the talk given by Sr Maria Rohrer “Why write Salesian history” It is a service of capital importance in the transmission of the charismatic identity and of the foundation of being Salesians and FMA. In the African context this assumes a “very special state of emergency” because of the fact that the mentality of the primacy of oral tradition persists.

The next two talks by the Salesian historians  Fr Marcel Verhulst and Fr Léon Verbeek showed how important the production and the safeguarding of the documentary patrimony of various kinds really is. Both also commented on the decisive contribution made in drawing up Salesian history by the collection of verbal  accounts.

Likewise important were the contributions by two scholars from other Congregations working in the African continent. Fr Albert de Jong CSSp spoke about the “Problems connected with the production, safeguarding and preservation of sources  in Africa today” Br Reginald D. Cruz, CFX, gave a general background to African History in his talk “Models of the writing of ecclesiastical and civil history in use in Africa.”

In this general historical background was located the Salesian contribution by three talks: that of Fr  Francesco Motto: “The situation of history writing on Don Bosco”; Sr. Piera Cavaglià with “Stages in the writing of the history of the FMA Institute” and Fr Stanisław Zimniak with “Some observations  in relation to the writing of Salesian history.”

Those taking part also made their contribution: Sr. Inácia Chaquisse presented a bibliography regarding  the presence of the FMA in Mozambique; Fr Albert Kabuge the bibliography of French-speaking West Africa (AFO) and Sr. Alphonsine Tshabu the bibliography of Congolese Equatorial Africa (AEC).

The final issue, following lively discussion on various topics including ACSSA itself, was the drawing up of topics by  researchers for the African Salesian Family for the VIth World Congress of ACSSA on the theme “Perception of the person of Don Bosco in the regions where the Salesian Work arrived,” (to be held at the Becchi, Italy, 30 April-3 May 2015).

The 1st African Seminar was brought to a close with a talk by Fr Guillermo Luis Basañes, the Regional Councillor for Africa and Madagascar, who after thanking the organisers emphasised the urgent need  to encourage the epoch-making change  from oral to  documented memory, “since it is a matter of safeguarding the Salesian charism” in the continent.

Published 20/10/2011