Some suggestions are offered here to the Provinces and Vice Provinces which may be useful for the preparation and carrying out of the Provincial Chapter.
2.4.1. Tasks of the Provincial Chapter
“The provincial chapter”, art.170 of the Constitutions states, “is the fraternal gathering in which the local communities strengthen their sense of belonging to the provincial community, through their common concern for its general problems. It is also the representative assembly of all the confreres and local communities.”
The tasks of the provincial chapter are indicated in art.170 of the Constitutions and art.169 of the General Regulations.
In the present case the provincial chapter is convoked primarily and specifically for the preparation of the GC29. In consequence:
“PASSIONATE ABOUT JESUS CHRIST, DEDICATED TO YOUNG PEOPLE”
In addition to fulfilling these primary requirements, the chapter can deal with other matters of more immediate concern to the province and considered of particular importance, as provided for by C 171, 1-2.
2.4.2. Preparation for the Provincial Chapter
After receiving the Rector Major’s letter convoking GC29, it is desirable that the Provincial call his council together:
If it is considered opportune, the Provincial with his council may appoint a preparatory commission, to help the Moderator in preparing the provincial chapter. A provincial preparatory commission is not prescribed by the General Regulations. It has nevertheless proved useful in many provinces for the preparation of the provincial chapter. It is for the Provincial and his council to decide how it should be made up.
The provincial chapter should be convened by a letter from the Provincial encouraging the confreres and the communities to reflect on the theme and to participate in the Chapter’s work. In it he will announce:
After the election of the delegates of the local communities, the Provincial in a second letter will
2.4.3. The Moderator of the Provincial Chapter
The Moderator of the Provincial Chapter:
2.4.4. The provincial preparatory commission
It will be the task of the provincial preparatory commission (if there is one) to study, suggest to the Provincial, and foster all the initiatives it may consider useful for:
The preparatory commission can also suggest to Provincials ways of involving members of the Salesian Family (FMA, DBV, Cooperators, Past-pupils)…lay collaborators, friends of our works, (religious, competent members of the clergy – including our Bishops and Prelates etc.) requesting their collaboration in the form and areas allowed by our norms and local situations.
In the provincial chapter it is important to find some special way of involving young people both at local community level and at that of the celebration of the PC.
The Moderator, in conjunction with the preparatory commission,
2.4.5. The carrying out of the Provincial Chapter itself
Every effort should be made to ensure that the provincial chapter is celebrated in a fraternal atmosphere of reflection and prayer, and that it is seeking God’s will as we try to bring an ever better response to the expectations of the Church and of youth. This will be helped by an appropriate preparation of the liturgy as regards content, method, aids, etc.
Every provincial chapter will have its own brief set of regulations, containing norms for work, discussions, and the organisation of the Chapter members into study groups or commissions. For these regulations the norms indicated by the Constitutions and General Regulations should be kept in mind (C 153, R 161, 164, 169) together with any indications found in the provincial directory.
For the communication of proposals and contributions to the GC28, the indications given by the Moderator of GC29 must be scrupulously observed. In particular, proposals and contributions must be written on the appropriate forms. Proposals from provincial chapters will carry the details of the voting. They can be written in Italian, French, Spanish, English or Portuguese.
2.4.6. Participation of the communities and confreres
It will be convenient at the end of these suggestions to list some duties of the communities and individual confreres.
The communities
The individual confreres