18 February 2020
The prayers in the morning (Lauds, Meditation and Eucharist) were done by language groups. Like yesterday, the English language group (that make up about one-third of the chapter members) gathered once more in the Parish Church known as the Succursale. Fr. Silvio Roggia was the main celebrant for the Mass. Fr. Roggia is a member of the equipe for the Department of Formation of the Congregation. He was a missionary to Nigeria. His cousin, Fr. Guglielmo Balocco, was, up to the end of his life, a long time missionary to the Philippines.
In his homily, Fr. Roggia commented on the Gospel reading of the day (Mark 8:14-21), speaking about the hearts of the Pharisees, the disciples, and that of Jesus. He connected these to the place where we were celebrating the Mass–a Church dedicated to the Sacred Heart. He shared to the confreres a little history of the spot where we were celebrating the Mass: a place rented by Don Bosco when they did not yet have a permanent oratory, as well as the first feminine Salesian presence in Turin for it was the first house of the Salesian Sisters.
During the first part of the morning session at the Aula Magna, Fr. Ivo Coelho presented to the Capitulars the document Animating and Governing the Community: The Ministry of the Salesian Rector. This work, a revision of the last Salesian Rector’s Manual (of 32 years ago), is a fruit of the collaboration of delegates of formation from various Salesian Provinces in the last few years as a response at the behest of GC 27. Each Capitular received a copy of the document.
The Reports from the rest of the regions followed: the last two who have not yet presented yesterday (Interamerica and Central and North Europe). At the second part of the morning, Bro. Jean Paul Muller, the Economer General, presented his report. In the afternoon, the statistics of the Congregation were presented.
The highlight of the day was the Report of the Rector Major to the 28th General Chapter. Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime spoke about the Salesians being called to live the primacy of God more fully, to live a genuinely attractive fraternal life, always with and for the young. He reflects on the certain realities regarding the state of the Congregation: the key role of young people, evangelization and the Salesian Youth Movement, accompaniment of young people, missionary animation–in particular religious contexts, the migratory phenomenon, the contexts of ethnic groups. He spoke about the Salesian Family and about the Salesian brother vocation. He also dwelt on responding to the needs of animation and government–his visits to all the Salesian Provinces around the world over the six-year period as Rector Major, the appointment of Provincials, transparency and financial solidarity. He looks at the future with faith and trust, noting that the cry of young people to the Salesians at the GC 28 is “We need you among us!” He sees that Congregation in the 21st century with a priority for the poorest, able to intervene and accompany the new changes in the communication paradigm. Fr. Angel ends his report by quoting words from his predecessor Fr. Egidio Vigano: “All I want to do is exorcise any temptation to discouragement.” Fr. Angel says, “Day after day, we must begin our journey, not so much with optimism as with hope, a hope that has its roots, yes, in faith and in the presence of the Spirit.”
After the Vespers (prayed in the Spanish language), the Vicar General, Fr. Francesco Cereda, delivered the Good Night Talk. He shared to the Capitulars, a fruit of his experience with the various Provinces around the world: Salesians having a strong desire to live an authentic consecrated life. He traces the steps that Confreres take to follow this path: centrality of the love for Jesus, fraternal life experienced in the community, and our mission for the youth. He also spoke of the quantitative and qualitative consistency of the Salesian communities, reshaping of our works, international communities, the reality of migration, missionary vocations, among others.
