Meanings, dimensions and perspectives of the meeting

The course about to begin is an event long awaited by many. The Formation Sector had already planned it during the previous six-year term, but it was postponed due to the appointment as cardinal of the previous Rector Major, Ángel Fernández Artime, and the consequent reduction in working time for the central Salesian governing bodies.

Around 30 Salesians will be taking part, coming from across the Salesian world and in particular from the various theological colleges of the Congregation spread across all continents and from the three centres of specific formation for Salesian Brothers currently in operation: the Sandor Community in Parañaque, in the Philippines, for English-speaking Salesians; CRESCO in Guadalajara, Mexico, for Spanish-speaking Salesians; and the centre in Yaoundé, Cameroon, for French-speaking Salesians.

The initiative is part of a project launched by the Sector for Formation to bring together all those responsible for the various stages of Salesian Initial Formation. The aim is both to disseminate the innovations introduced by the new Ratio Fundamentalis and to create participatory forums for discussion and exchange where participants can learn from one another’s experiences and explore possible and diverse responses to shared challenges.

“We will have the opportunity to share our experiences and reflect on what the Congregation’s journey proposes for this stage,” the General Councillor for Formation, Fr Silvio Roggia, commented briefly as principal promoter and advocate of the gathering.

The programme

The initiative will begin on Monday 25 May with a welcome to participants and the first moments of community life, following a schedule that provides for a constant integration of the spiritual dimension, theoretical study and discussion of formation experiences.

Tuesday 26 May will be spent entirely at the Salesian Central House – Sacred Heart, and will open with an address by the Rector Major, Fr Fabio Attard, entitled: “The formation process in the light of GC29”. This reflection will be set within the context of the renewal currently taking place in the Congregation and will offer guidelines to accompany the journeys of the new generations of Salesians.

On the same day, participants will also have the opportunity to visit some significant sites of Salesian heritage, including the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Chapel of the Letter from Rome and the Salesian Museum. In the afternoon, a session led by Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil, from the Formation Sector, on the interpretative keys to the new Ratio will be offered, followed by personal time for study and reflection.

The second day of the meeting, Wednesday 27 May, will delve more deeply into the dynamics of formation. The General Councillor for Formation will lead a dialogue on Salesian identity and accompaniment, followed by a period of individual reflection; whilst in the afternoon Fr Stefano Martoglio, Vicar of the Rector Major, will offer a reflection on how religious discipline challenges the formation process, followed by a time for discussion by regional areas, so as to encourage the exchange of experiences from different contexts.

The programme for Thursday 28 May will combine the spiritual and cultural dimensions. Following the Eucharistic celebration in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Damaso, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Major Penitentiary, will offer a session dedicated to the formation of the pastoral heart. Fr Andrea Bozzolo, Rector of the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS), will then present a reflection on the role of the cultural dimension in supporting the vocation, opening up further opportunities for discussion and exchange among the participants.

Friday 29 May will focus on the Preventive System as a formation model, in a session led by Fr Michal Vojtàš, a lecturer at the UPS, which will be further explored in separate groups for brothers and candidates for the priesthood. In the afternoon, it will be the turn of the young Salesians in Initial Formation residing at the Bufalotta house in Rome to offer their contribution, through an exchange dedicated to the theme of interculturalism, an increasingly significant reality in the context of international Salesian formation.

On the final full day of the meeting, Saturday 30 May, Fr Pierluigi Cameroni, Postulator General of the Causes of the Saints of the Salesian Family, will explore the theme “Holiness as a model for formation”, and will then lead the participants on a tour of the General Postulation offices. In the second part of the day, there will be a discussion on the management of the Curatoriums and the formation teams, through the presentation of concrete experiences and a space for shared dialogue. The meeting will conclude with a review of the programme.

Sunday 31, finally, the event will conclude with morning community Mass and the return home of the Salesians involved – called to pass on, in the communities they lead, what they have learnt and shared during their days of assembly in Rome.