DIREZIONE GENERALE OPERE DON BOSCO
Via della Pisana 1111 – 00163 ROMA
Roma, Easter 2004
Easter approaches The General Councillor for Formation To the
Regional Coordinators of formation Provincial Delegates for formation
Dear Coordinators and Delegates,
As Easter approaches I want to greet you all with the words of the Risen Lord: Peace be with you. Peace is the gift of God and the fruit of communion. Peace is a task entrusted to us in our role of responsibility; let us try to be peace makers everywhere. I should also like this greeting to be an expression of my heartfelt gratitude for all that you are doing for formation.
Formation is something humble and hidden, and that is as it should be; it needs a long term approach, its work goes on in peoples hearts, unseen. Formation is unobserved, unrecognised; its effects are seen in a deep spiritual life, in a generous and imaginative dedication to the apostolate, in relationships marked by joy; however, it soon becomes obvious when formation is lacking. Formation exists in the Easter climate of kenosis and the fullness of life.
You will have seen in the latest issue of the AGC the guidelines on vocational fragility. I entrust them in the first place to you and to the Formation Commissions. Issues of fragility, of people leaving, and of perseverance are dealt with there. It is a question of creating a new attitude in the Provinces; learning to take care, to guide, to encourage and not to lose any of those God has called to the salesian life. This is an Easter process of passion and resurrection.
From all of this there can emerge different approaches to the question of vocations, to formation responsibilities, to our styles of life. It is for you to use your imagination to find ways of responding to these situations; it is now up to you to discover the best procedures in your own circumstances. Then we shall see in the life of our Provinces the fruits of Easter that we are hoping for, as a result of all our efforts, flourish; that new life: the life of the Spirit and in the Spirit.
Thank you once again, and every blessing for a Happy Easter.
Fr Francesco Cereda
