(ANS – Warsaw) – From 21 to 24 April, the house of the Mission Procure in Warsaw hosted a meeting of the Conference of Salesian Provinces of Poland (KSIP). Since September 2012 the Salesians of Russia and Belarus, as well as those in Ukraine who are of the Latin Rite, belong to KSIP. The meeting was presided over by Fr Marek Chrzan, the Regional Councillor for Northern Europe. The four provincials from Poland took part, together with their Vice-Provincials, Provincial Economers, and Delegates for Youth Ministry, Salesian Family and Social Communications.

In the course of the meeting, they reflected on the level and quality of cooperation between the provinces regarding the Salesian Family and Social Communications. As far as the Salesian Family is concerned, cooperation has been increasing rapidly and there is an obvious need for joint initiatives, while respecting the autonomy of individual initiatives. To this end, the first meeting of a national consultative body for the Salesian Family was held on Saturday 27 April, with representatives from all the groups in Poland: Salesians, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Salesian Cooperators, past pupils, volunteers, Michaelites (male and female), and the Mary Help of Christians Association (ADMA).

There is still need, however, for close cooperation in the field of Social Communications, even though there has been worthwhile growth at provincial and especially local level. Great attention has been given to the Polish Salesian Bulletin, now entitled “Don Bosco”. It was decided to devote the next meeting to reflection on other topics of communication, as for example: a common website, the magazines “Don Bosco” and “Salesians 2013”, the translation of documents and the dubbing of documentaries from Missioni Don Bosco.

Other topics were also looked at: the pilgrimage of the relics of Don Bosco in Poland, the study of pedagogy in the post-novitiate at Lad, the funding of shared initiatives and some comments regarding the translation of Salesian documents into Polish. The delegate for Salesian Schools in Poland then spoke on meetings of the schools and the management of all the Salesian Schools.

The Provincials decided that a stone plaque should be erected to the memory of the Servant of God, Cardinal August Hlond.

Following a practice that evolved in the course of the past two years, one of the Provincial was elected Vice-President of KSIP, namely Fr Alfred Leja, Provincial of Wroclaw. It was decided also that in the near future the national Delegates for the various sector of animation, should be invited to the meetings of the Conference.

Published 29/04/2013