(ANS – Roma) – This afternoon the members of the General Council begin work on the summer plenary session. This year’s session will conclude earlier than usual to allow the Rector Major and some of the Councillors to attend the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.

Before starting their work, the Council Members did a retreat preached by Fr Juan José Bartolomé at the Spirituality Centre of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians at Sant’Agnello, Sorrento.

The work of the Council will consist, as is usually the case, of plenary meetings as well as time for personal reading and reflection on the reports of the extraordinary visits, the topics for study and the documents to be approved.

In addition to presentation and sharing on the theme of the Strenna, there will also be time spent in considering the reports on the extraordinary visits made in the past few months in the following provinces:  Southern Philippines (Fr Andrew Wong), Brazil-Campo Grande (Fr Natale Vitale), Western United States (Fr Esteban Ortiz), Austria (Fr Tadeusz Rozmus), Africa Ethiopia-Eritrea (Fr Guillermo Basañes), Sri Lanka (Fr Maria Arokiam Kanaga), Spain-León (Fr José Miguel Núñoz) e Italy-Sicily (Fr Pier Fausto Frisoli).

The following topics will be studied: guidelines for Provinces and for Provincial Directories to be drawn up by Provincial Chapters, the rethinking of Salesian Youth Ministry, and the Structures of Central Government of the Congregation.

Attention will be given also to the appointment of new Superiors in some Provinces and Vice-Provinces: Northern Philippines, Africa Ethiopia-Eritrea, Colombia-Bogotá, India-Mumbai and Italy-Sicily.

Finally there will be the distribution of funds for missionary situations and the final balance will be presented.

Two events will take place during this summer plenary session: the course for recently appointed Provincials, in which 11 new Superiors will take part, and the Feast of the Rector Major which will be celebrated on 24 June, the day on which Don Bosco celebrated his name-day, and which then became the Feast of Thanksgiving.

The official presentation of the theme of the 2014 Strenna is expected in the next few hours.

Published 03/06/03