1। THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS DE SALES
"I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out...
I will set up over them one shepherd….
He shall feed them and be their shepherd' (Ezek 34, 11. 23).
1. God's action in the foundation and life of our Society
With a feeling of humble gratitude we believe that the Society of St Francis de Sales came into being not as a merely human venture but by the initiative of God.1 Through the motherly intervention of Mary, the Holy Spirit raised up St John Bosco to contribute to the salvation of youth, "that part of human society which is so exposed and yet so rich in promise".2
The Spirit formed within him the heart of a father and teacher, capable of total self-giving: "I have promised God that 1 would give of myself to my last breath for my poor boys".3
To ensure the continuation of this mission, the Spirit inspired him to initiate various apostolic projects, first among them our Society.
The Church has acknowledged God's hand in this, especially by approving our Constitutions and by proclaiming our Founder a saint.
From this active presence of the Holy Spirit we draw strength for our fidelity and support
for our hope.
1.cf MO, 16.
2.MB 11, 45. BM 11, 35.
3.MB XVIII, 258.
2. Nature and mission of our Society
We, the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), form a community of the baptized. Submissive to the bidding of the Spirit we are resolved to carry out the Founder's apostolic plan in a specific form of religious life: to be in the Church signs and bearers of the love of God for young people, especially those who are poor.
By carrying out this mission we find our own way to holiness.
3. Our apostolic consecration
We live as disciples of the Lord by the grace of the Father, who consecrates1 us through the gift of his Spirit and sends us out to be apostles of the young.
Through our religious profession we offer ourselves to God in order to follow Christ and work with him in building up the Kingdom. Our apostolic mission, our fraternal community and the practice of the evangelical counsels are the inseparable elements of our consecration which we live in a single movement of love towards God and towards our brothers.
Our mission sets the tenor of our whole life; it specifies the task we have in the Church and our place among other religious families.
1.cf. LG 44.
4. Form of our Society
Our Society is made up of clerics and laymen who complement each other as brothers in living out the same vocation.
We are recognized in the Church as a clerical religious institute of pontifical right, "dedicated to apostolic works".1
Inspired by the goodness and zeal of St Francis de Sales, Don Bosco called us Salesians2 and gave us a programme of life in the motto: "Da mihi animas, cetera tolle" .3
1.cf. PC 8; CIC, can 675,1.
2.cf.. MB V, 9; BM V, 8
3.cf. MB XV11; 365, 366, 280.
5. Our Society in the Salesian Family
Don Bosco inspired the start of a vast movement of persons who in different ways
work for the salvation of the young.
He himself founded not only the Society of St Francis de Sales but also the Institute :of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the Association of Salesian Cooperators. These live in communion with each other, share the same spirit and, with specifically distinct vocations, continue the mission he began. Together with these groups and with others born later we make up the Salesian Family.1
Within this family, by the will of the Founder, we have particular responsibilities: to preserve unity of spirit and to foster dialogue and fraternal collaboration for our mutual enrichment and greater apostolic effectiveness.
Our past pupils are also members by reason of the education they have received, and the bonds are closer when they commit themselves to take an active part in the Salesian mission in the world. R 36-41.147
1 cf. ASC, Progetto CGI, ms DB; MB XVII, 25.
6. Our Society in the Church
The Salesian vocation places us at the heart of the Church and puts us entirely at the service of her mission.
Faithful to the commitments Don Bosco has passed on to us, we are evangelizers of the young, and the more so if they are poor; we pay special attention to apostolic vocations; we are educators of the faith for the working classes, particularly by means of social communication'. we proclaim the Gospel to those who have not yet received it.
In this way we contribute to building up the Church as the Body of Christ, so that also through us she may appear to the world as the "universal sacrament of salvation".1
1.LG 48; CS 45.
7. Our Society in the contemporary world
Our vocation calls us to be deeply united with the world and its history.1 Open to the cultural values of the lands in which we work, we try to understand them and make them our own, so as to incarnate in them the message of the Gospel.
The needs of the young and of working-class areas, the desire to work with the Church and in her name, inspire and shape our concrete pastoral activity so as to bring about a more just world and one of greater brotherhood in Christ.
1.cf. CS 1
8. The presence of Mary in our Society
The Virgin Mary showed Don Bosco his field of labour among the young and was the constant guide and support of his work,1 especially in the foundation of our Society.
We believe that Mary is present among us and continues her "mission as Mother of the Church and Help of Christians".2
We entrust ourselves to her, the humble servant in whom the lord has done great things,3 that we may become witnesses to the young of her Son's boundless love.
1.cf. MB Vit, 334; XVII, 258; xvill, 439; BM VII, 197.
2.DB, Maraviglie delta Madre di Dio, Turin 1868, p. 45; (OE XX, 237).
3.cf.
9. Patrons and Protectors of our Society
As members of the
Don Bosco entrusted our Society in a special way to Mary, whom he made its principal patroness,2 as well as to St Joseph and to St Francis de Sales, the zealous pastor and doctor of charity.
We hold in veneration as special protectors St Dominic Savio, a sign of the wonders that grace can achieve in adolescents, ' and the other glorified members of our family.
1.cf. LG 49
2.cf. C 1875, V,
11. THE SALESIAN SPIRIT
“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do;
and the God of peace will be with You” (Phil 4,9).
10. Pastoral charity the centre of our spirit
Under the inspiration of God, Don Bosco lived and handed on to us an original style of life and action: the Salesian spirit.
It is summed up and centred in pastoral charity, characterized by that youthful dynamism which was revealed so strongly in our Founder and at the beginnings of our Society. It is an apostolic impetus that makes us seek souls and serve God alone.
11. Christ of the Gospel the source of our spirit
The Salesian spirit finds its model and source in the very heart of Christ, apostle of the Father.1
Reading the Gospel we become more aware of certain aspects of the figure of the lord: gratitude to the Father for the gift of a divine vocation offered to all men; predilection for
the little ones and the poor; zeal in preaching, healing and saving because of the urgency of the coming of the Kingdom; the preoccupation of the Good Shepherd who wins hearts by gentleness and self-giving; the desire to gather his disciples into the unity of brotherly communion.
1. cf. LG 3; AC 3.
12.
As he works for the salvation of the young, the Salesian experiences the fatherhood of God and continually reminds himself of the divine dimension of his work: "Apart from me you can do nothing".1
He cultivates union with God, aware of the need to pray without ceasing in a simple heart-to-heart colloquy with the living Christ and with the Father, whom he feels close at hand. Attentive to the presence of the Spirit and doing everything for God's love he becomes like Don Bosco a contemplative in action.
1.
13. Sense of the Church
Our love for Christ necessarily gives rise to our love for his Church, the People of God, the centre of unity and communion of all the forces working for the Kingdom.
We feel ourselves a living part of her, and we cultivate in ourselves and in our communities a renewed ecclesial awareness. This we express in an attitude of filial loyalty to Peter's successor and to his teaching, and in our efforts to live in communion and collaboration with the bishops, clergy, religious and laity.
We educate young christians to an authentic understanding of the Church and to work assiduously for its growth. Don Bosco tells us: "No effort should be spared when the Church and the Papacy are at stake".1
1.MB V, 577; BM V, 383.
14. Predilection for the young
Our vocation is graced by a special gift of God: predilection for the young: "That you are young is enough to make me love you very much".1 This love is an expression of pastoral charity and gives meaning to our whole life.
For their welfare we give generously of our time, talents and health: "For you I study, for you I work, for you I live, for you I am ready even to give my life".2
1.DB, 11 Giovane provveduto, Turin 1847, p- 7; (OE 11, 187).
2.DON RUFFINO, Cronaca dell'oratorio, ASC 110, quaderno 5, p. 10.
15. Salesian loving-kindness
Sent to young people by the God who is 'all charity',1 the Salesian is open and cordial, ready to make the first approach and to welcome others with unfalling kindliness, respect and patience.
His love is that of a father, brother and friend, able to draw out friendship in return; this is the loving-kindness so much recommended by Don Bosco.
His chastity and well-balanced attitude open his heart to spiritual fatherhood and give transparent witness to God's anticipating love.
1. DB, Esercizio di divozione alla misericordia di Dio, Turin 1847 p.81; (OE 11, 151).
16. Family spirit
Don Bosco wanted everyone to feel at home in his establishments. The Salesian house becomes a family when affection is mutual and when all, both confreres and young people, feel welcome and responsible for the common good.
In an atmosphere of mutual trust and dally forgiveness, the need and joy of sharingeverything is experienced, and relationships are governed not so much by recourse to rules as by faith and the promptings of the heart. 1
This is a witness that enkindles in the young the desire to get to know and to follow the Salesian vocation.
1.cf. MB XVII, 110.
17. Optimism and joy
The Salesian does not give way to discouragement in face of difficulties, because he has complete trust in the Father. "Let nothing upset you", Don Bosco used to say.1
Inspired by the optimistic humanism of St Francis de Sales, he believes in man's natural and supernatural resources without losing sight of his weakness.
He is able to make his own what is good in the world and does not bewall his own times; he accepts all that is good,2 especially if it appeals to the young.
Because he is a herald of the Good News he is always cheerful.3 He radiates this joy and is able to educate to a christian and festive way of life: "Let us serve the Lord in holy joy".4
1.MB VII, 524 ' BM VII 317
2.cf.
3.cf.
4.DB, 11 Giovane provveduto,
18. Work and temperance
"Work and temperance will make the Congregation flourish",1 whereas the seeking of an easy and comfortable life will instead bring about its death.2
The Salesian gives himself to his mission with tireless energy, taking care to do everything with simplicity and moderation. He knows that by his work he is participating in the creative action of God and cooperating with Christ in building the Kingdom.
Temperance gives him the strength to control his heart, to master himself and remain even-tempered.
He does not look for unusual penances but accepts the dally demands and renunciations of the apostolic life. He is ready to suffer cold and heat, hunger and thirst, weariness and disdain whenever God's glory and the salvation of souls require it.3
1.MB XII, 466; BM XII, 338.
2.cf. MB XVII, 272.
3.cf. C 1875, XIII, 13.
19. Initiative and flexibility
The Salesian is called to be a realist and to be attentive to the signs of the times, convinced that the lord manifests his will also through the demands of time and place. Hence his spirit of initiative and apostolic creativity: "in those things which are for the benefit of young people in danger or which serve to win souls for God, I push ahead even to the extent of recklessness".1
Timely response to these needs requires him to keep abreast of new trends and meet them with the well-balanced creativity of the Founder; periodically he evaluates his work.
1.MB XIV, 662.
20. The preventive system and Salesian spirit
Under the guidance of Mary his teacher, Don Bosco lived with the boys of the first Oratory a spiritual and educational experience which he called the "Preventive System". For him this was a spontaneous expression of love inspired by the love of a God who provides in advance for all his creatures, is ever present at their side, and freely gives his life to save them.
Don Bosco passes this on to us as a way of living and of handing on the gospel message, and of working with and through the young for their salvation. it permeates our approach to God, our peand our manner of living in community through the exercise of a charity that knows how to make itself loved.
20. Don Bosco our model
The Lord has given us Don Bosco as father and teacher.
We study and irnitate him, admiring in him a splendid blending of nature and grace. He was deeply human, rich in the qualities of his people, open to the realities of this earth; and he was just as deeply the rinan of God, filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and living "as seeing him who is invisible".1 These two aspects combined to create a closely-knit life project, the service of the young. He realized his aim with firmness, constancy and the sensitivity of a generous heart, in the midst of difficulties and fatigue. "He took no step, he said no word, he took up no task that was not directed to the sav ing of the young... Truly the only concern of his heart was for souls."2
1.Heb 11,27.
2.DON RUA, 24 Aug. 1894.
III THE PROFESSION OF THE SALESIAN
"Jesus said to them.. 'Follow me and 1 will make you become fishers of men.
And immediately they left their nets and followed him. (Mk 1, 17-18).
22. Personal vocation of the Salesian
Each one of us is called by God to form part of the Salesian Society. Because of this God gives him personal gifts, and by faithful correspondence he finds his way to complete fulfilment in Christ.
The Society recognizes his vocation and helps him to develop it; and he, as a responsible member, puts himself and his gifts at the service of the community and of its common tasks.
Every call is an indication that the lord loves the Congregation, wants to see it vibrant for the good of the Church and never ceases to enrich it with new apostolic energy.
23. Meaning of our profession
Religious profession is a sign of a loving encounter between the Lord who calls and the disciple who responds by giving himself totally to God and to his brothers and sisters.
It is one of the most lofty choices a believer can consciously make, an act which recalls and endorses the mystery of his baptismal covenant by giving it a deeper and fuller expression.
By publicly binding himself in the eyes of the Church, through whose ministry he is more intimately consecrated to the service of God,1the Salesian begins a new life, which is lived out in a service of permanent dedication to the young.
Profession is also the expression of a mutual commitment between the professed member who enters the Society and the Society which receives him with joy.2
1.cf. MR 8; IC 44.
2.cf. LG 44; PC 5; CIC, can. 654.
24. Formula of profession
Our formula of profession is the following: "God my Father, you consecrated me to yourself on the day of my baptism.
In response to the love of the Lord Jesus your Son, who calls me to follow him more closely, and led by the Holy Spirit who is light and strength, with complete freedom I, N.N., offer myself totally to you.
I pledge myself to devote all my strength to those to whom you will send me, especially to young people who are poorer; to live in the Salesian Society in communion of spirit and action with my brothers; and in this way to share in the life and mission of your Church.
And so, in the presence of my brothers, and before Fr N. N. (who takes the place of the) Rector Major of the Society of St Francis de Sales, I make the vow for ever to live obedient, poor and chaste according to the way of the Gospel set out in the Salesian Constitutions.
Father, may your grace, the intercession of Mary Help of Christians, of St Joseph, of St Francis de Sales, and of St John Bosco, together with the assistance of my brother Salesians keep me faithful day by day."
(for those making temporary profession):
"And so, in the presence of my brothers, and before Fr N. N. (who takes the place of the) Rector Major of the Society of St Francis de Sales, although it is my intention to offer myself to you for all my life, in accordance with the Church's dispositions I make the vow for ... year(s) to live obedient, poor and chaste according to the way of the Gospel set out in the Salesian Constitutions.
Father, may your grace, the intercession of Mary Help of Christians, of St Joseph, of St Francis de Sales, and of St John Bosco, together with the assistance of my brother Salesians keep me faithful day by day."
The
"In the name of the Church and of the Society I welcome you among the Salesians of Don Bosco as a confrere committed by perpetual (temporary) vows.
25. Profession a source of sanctification
The action of the Spirit is for the professed member a lasting source of grace and a support for his dally efforts to grow towards the perfect love 1 of God and men.
The confreres who are living or have lived to the full the gospel project of the Constitutions are for us a stimulus and help on the path to holiness.
The witness of such holiness, achieved within the Salesian mission, reveals the unique worth of the beatitudes and is the most precious gift we can offer to the young.
1.cf, PC 1.
SECOND PART
SENT TO THE YOUNG IN COMMUNITIES FOLLOWING CHRIST
IV. SENT TO THE YOUNG
THOSE TO WHOM OUR
"He saw a great throng, and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things" (Mk 6,34).
26. The young to whom we are sent
The Lord made clear to Don Bosco that he was to direct his mission first and foremost to the young, especially to those who are poorer.
We are called to the same mission and are aware of its supreme importance: young people are at the age when they must make basic life-choices which affect the future of society and of the Church.
With Don Bosco we reaffirm our preference for the young who are "poor, abandoned and in danger"1, those who have greater need of love and evangelisation, and we work especially in areas of greatest poverty. R 1.3.11.15.26.
1. cf. MB XIV, 662.
27. Young workers
Young people from poor areas who are looking for work, and young workers in general, often encounter difficulties and easily become victims of injustice.
Making the concern of Don Bosco our own, we go to them to prepare them to take their place with dignity in society and in the Church and to alert them to the role they must play in the christian transofrmation of social life R2.
28. Young people called to serve the Church
To meet the needs of his people the Lord continually calls some to follow him, and enriches them with a variety of gifts in the service of the Kingdom.
We are convinced that many young people are rich in spiritual potential and give indications of an apostolic vocation.
We help them to discover, accept and develop the gift of a lay, consecrated or priestly vocation, for the benefit of the whole Church and of the Salesian Family.
With equal zeal we nurture adult vocations. R 9. 16, 17
29. In working-class areas
Our priority commitment to young people who are poor fits in well with pastoral involvement among poor people in general.
We recognise the gospel values which they stand for, and the need they have of support in their efforts at human advancement and growth in the faith. Hence we support them by “all the means that christian charity suggests”.1
We also give our attention to the lay people responsible for evangelization of their local
area, and to the family where different generations come together2 and build the future of mankind. R 14.25.26
1.C 1875, 1, 7
2.cf. CS 52
30. People not yet evangelised
People still awaiting the gospel message were the special object of Don Bosco's concern and apostolic effort. They continue to stimulate our zeal and keep it alive. We look upon missionary work as an essential feature of our Congregation.
Through our missionary activity we carry out a patient work of evangelisation by founding the Church within a group of people.1 This work mobilizes all the educational and pastoral means proper to our charism.
Following the example of the Son of God, who made himself in all things like his fellow men, the Salesian missinary makes his own the values of these people and shares their hopes and anxieties.2 R 18-24
1 cf AG 6
2 cf AG 3, 12, 26
OUR PASTORAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE
'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the Poor He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Lk 4,18-19).
31. Total development
Our mission is a sharing in that of the Church, which brings about the saving design of God, the coming of His Kingdom, by bringing to men the message of the Gospel, which is closely tied in with the development of the temporal order.1
We educate and evangelise according to a plan for the total well -being of man directed to Christ, the perfect Man.2 Faithful to the intentions of our Founder, our purpose is to form "upright citizens and good christians".3 R 45, 22
1.cf. EN 31.
2.cf. GS 41.
3.Plan of Regulations of the Oratory, 1854 (MB 11, 46; BM 11, 36).
32. Personal development
As educators we work together with our young people to bring all their talents and aptitudes to full maturity.
According to circumstances we share our food with them and further their trade skills and cultural advancement.
Always and in every case we help them to be open to truth and to develop in themselves a responsible freedom. To this end we commit ourselves to inculcating in them a convinced appreciation of true values which will lead them to a life of dialogue and service. R 4.6
33. Social and collective development
Don Bosco saw clearly the social implications of his work.
We labour in economically depressed areas and for poor youth. We collaborate with them, educating them to a sense of moral, professional and social responsibility. In this way we contribute to the development of both people and environment.
We share in a way appropriate to religious in the witness and commitment of the Church to justice and peace. While not getting involved in ideologies or party politics, we reject everything that encourages deprivation, injustice and violence. We cooperate with all who are trying to build a society more worthy of man's dignity.
The advancement to which we dedicate ourselves in the spirit of the Gospel makes tangible the love of Christ which makes men free, and is a sign that the
34. Evangelization and catechesis
"This Society had its beginning in a simple catechism lesson." 1For us too evangelizing and catechizing are the fundamental characteristics of our mission.
Like Don Bosco, we are all called to be educators to the faith at every opportunity. Our highest knowledge therefore is to know Jesus Christ, and our greatest delight is to reveal to all people the unfathomable riches of his mystery.2
We walk side by side with the young so as to lead them to the risen lord, and so discover in him and in his Gospel the deepest meaning of their own existence, and thus grow into new men.
The Virgin Mary is present in this process as a mother. We make her known and loved as
the one who believed,3 who helps and who infuses hope. R 7
1.M13 IX, 61; BM IX, 35.
2.cf.
3.cf
35. Introduction to ecclesial life
We introduce the young to the experience of ecclesial life by bringing them into a faith community and helping them to take part in it.
To this end we promote and animate groups and movements for formation and apostolic and social action. In these the young people grow in the awareness of their own responsibilities and learn to give their irreplaceable contribution to the transformation of the world and to the life of the Church, and so become themselves the "first apostles of the young, in direct contact with them".1 R 8
1.AA 12.
36. Introduction to liturgical life
We introduce the young to a conscious and active participation in the Church's liturgy, the summit and source of all christian life.1
With them we celebrate the encounter with Christ in word, prayer and sacraments.
The Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation celebrated with care are means of exceptional value for education to christian liberty, to conversion of heart and to a spirit of sharing and service in the ecclesial community. R 7
1.cf, SC 10.
37. Vocational guidance
We educate the young to develop their own human and baptismal vocation by a dally life progressively inspired and unified by the Gospel.
The family atmosphere of welcome and of faith, created by the witness of a community which gives of itself with joy, is the most efficacious setting for the discovery and guidance of vocations.
This work of collaboration with God’s design, the crown of all our educational and pastoral activity, is sustained by prayer and personal contact, above all in spiritual direction. R 9. 16, 17
38. The Preventive system in our mission
Don Bosco has handed on to us his Preventive System as a means for carrying out our educational and pastoral service.
"This system is based entirely on reason, religion and loving kindness." 1 Instead of constraint, it appeals to the resources of intelligence, love and the desire for God, which everyone has in the depths of his being.
It brings together educators and youngsters in a family experience of trust and dialogue.
Imitating God's patience, we encounter the young at their present stage of freedom. We then accompany them, so that they may deveiop solid convictions and gradually assume the responsibility for the delicate process of their growth as human beings and as men of faith. R 4.5.13.15
MB XIII, 919.
39. Assistance as an attitude and method
The practice of the preventive system demands a fundamental disposition on our part: an empathy with the young and a willingness to be with them: "Here in your midst 1 feel completely at home; for me, living means being here with you".1
We are actively present among youth in brotherly friendship, helping them in their efforts to grow in what is good, and encouraging them to cast off every form of slavery, so that their weakness may not be overcome by evil.
This presence affords us a true understanding of the world of the young and unites us with them in all the healthy aspects of their restless energy.
1.MB IV, 654; BM IV, 455.
CRITERIA FOR SALESIAN ACTIVITY
"For though 1 am free from all men, 1 have made myself a slave to all,
that 1 might win the more…. To the weak 1 became weak, that 1 might win the weak,
1 have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor 9,19.22).
40. Don Bosco’s Oratory
Don Bosco lived a pastoral experience in his first Oratory which serves as a model; it was for the youngsters a home that welcomed, a parish that evangelized, a school that prepared them for life, and a playground where friends could meet and enjoy themselves.
As we carry out our mission today, the Valdocco experience is still the lasting criterion for discernment and renewal in all our activities and works.
41. Inspirational criteria for our activity and works
Our apostolic activity is carried out in a variety of ways, which depend in the first and works place upon the actual needs of those for whom we are working.
We give practical expression to the redeeming love of Christ by organizing activities and works of an educational and pastoral nature designed to meet the needs of the neighbourhood and of the Church. Sensitive to the signs of the times and with initiative and continual flexibility we evaluate these activities, renew them and create new ones.
The education and evangelization of many young people, especially among the very poor, means that we have to go to them where they are to be found, and provide adequate forms of service in the context of their own life style. R1.
42. Activities and works
We carry out our mission chiefly in such and works works and activities as make possible the human and christian education of the young, such as oratories and youth centres, schools
and technical institutes, boarding establishments and houses for young people in difficulties.
In parishes and mission residences we contribute to the spreading of the Gospel and to the advancement of the people. We collaborate in the pastoral programme of the particular Church out of the riches of our specific vocation.
In specialized centres we make avallable our pedagogical and catechetical expertise in the service of the young.
In retreat houses we provide for the Christian formation of groups, especially of young people.
We dedicate ourselves also to every other kind of work which has as its scope the salvation of the young. R 11. 30, 35
43. Social communication
We work in the social communication sector. This is a significant field of activity1 which constitutes one of the apostolic priorities of the Salesian mission.
Our Founder had an instinctive grasp of the value of this means of mass education, which creates culture and spreads patterns of life; he showed great originality in the apostolic undertakings which he initiated to defend and sustain the faith of the people.
Following his example we utilize as God's gift the great possibilities which social communication offers us for education and evangelization. R
1.cf. IM 1.
THOSE WHO SHARE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
"He who plants and he who waters are equal, and each shall receive his wages
according to his labour. For we are Gods fellow worker,;
you are God's field, God's building. - (1 Co, 3,8-9)
44. The mission is given to the community
The apostolic mandate which the Church entrusts to us is taken up and put into effect in the first place by the provincial and local communities. The members have complementary functions and each one of their tasks is important. They are aware that pastoral objectives are achieved through unity and joint brotherly responsibility.
The provincial and the rector, as promoters of dialogue and teamwork, guide the community in pastoral discernment, so that it may accomplish its apostolic plan in unity and fidelity.
45. Common and complementary responsibilities
Each of us is responsible for the common mission, and participates in it with the richness of his own personal gifts and with the lay and priestly characteristics of the on Salesian vocation.
The Salesian brother brings to every field o education and pastoral activity the specific qualities of his lay status, which make him in a particular way a witness to God's Kingdom in the world, close as he is to the young and to the realities of working life.
The Salesian priest or deacon brings to the common work of promoting human development and of educating in the faith the specific quality of his ministry, which makes him a sign of Christ the Good Shepherd, especially by preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments.
The significant and complementary presence of clerical and lay Salesians in the community constitutes an essential element of its make up and of its apostolic completeness.
46. Young educators
The family spirit and the dynamic drive which is characteristic of our mission among young people make particularly important the contribution of young Salesians in the apostolate.
They are closer to the rising generations; they can provide inspiration and enthusiasm; they are ready to try new solutions.
The community, byencouraging and guiding this generosity, helps them to mature as religious and apostles.
47. The educative community and lay people associated with our work
We bring about in our works the educative and pastoral community which involves young people and adults, parents and educators, in a family atmosphere, so that it can become a living experience of Church and a revelation of God’s plan for us.
In this community lay people associated with our work make a contribution all their own, because of their experience and pattern of life.
We welcome and encourage their collaboration, and we give them the opportunity to get a deeper knowledge of the Salesian spirit and the practice of the preventive system.
We foster the spiritual growth of each of them, and to those who may be so inclined we suggest a closer sharing of our missin in the Salesian Family. R 4. 5, 148
48. Solidarity with the particular Church
The community lives and expresses its apostolic commitment within the particular Church. We become part of its pastoral action which has the Bishop at its head1 and the directives of the Bishops’ Conference as a springboard for action on a wider scale.
We offer the particular Church the contribution of our work and Salesian pedagogy, and we receive from it direction and support.
To forge more systematic links we share initiatives with other groups belonging to the Salesian Famnily and with other religious institutes.
We are ready to cooperate with civil organisations working in the firleds of education and social development. R 2. 13, 25, 35
1.Cf. CIC, can. 678, 1
V. IN FRATERNAL AND APOSTOLIC COMMUNITIES
"Let love be genuine ... love one another with brotherly affection.
outdo one another in showing honour.. Contribute to the needs of the saints,
practise hospitality Live in harmony with one another". (Rom 12,9.10.13.16).
49. Importance of life in community
To live and work together is for us Salesians a fundamental requirement and a sure way of fulfilling our vocation.
This is why we come together in communities,1 where our love for each other leads us to share all we have in a family spirit, and so create communion between person and person.
The community is a reflection of the mystery of the Trinity: there we find a response to the deep aspirations of the heart, and we become for the young signs of love and unity. R 20
1 cf CIC, can. 6W.
50. The bonds of unity
God calls us to live in community and entrusts us with brothers to love.
Brotherly love, our apostolic mission and the practice of the evangelical counsels are the bonds which form us into one and constantly reinforce our communion.
We thus become one heart and one soul to love and serve God,1 and to help one another. R 42
1.cf. C 1875, 11, 1.
51. Relationships of fraternal friendship
St Paul exhorts us: "Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other".1
The family spirit is the hallmark of the Salesian community and inspires every moment of its life: work and prayer, meals and recreation, meetings and other encounters.
In an atmosphere of brotherly friendship we share our joys and sorrows, and we are partners in our apostolic plans and experiences.
1.
52. The confrere in the community
The community receives each confrere with an open heart. It accepts him as he is and fosters his growth to maturity. It offers him the opportunity to use and develop his gifts of nature and of grace. It provides for his needs and sustains him in moments of doubt and difficulty, weariness and ill health.
Don Bosco used to say to those who asked to remain with him: “Bread, work and heaven: I can offer you these three things in the Lord’s name.”1
The confrere pledges himself to build up the community in which he lives. He loves it, despite its imperfections, and knows that in it he finds the presence of Christ.
He accepts fraternal correction, fights whatever he discovers in himself which militates against the community,, and gives his own generous contribution to the community life and work. He thanks God that he is among brothers who encourage him and help him. R 43
1 MB XVIII, 420
53. Sick and aging confreres
The community surrounds its sick and aged confreres with care and affection.
They in their turn, accepting their condition and serving the community in whatever way they can, are a source of blessing for it; they enrich its family spirit and deepen its unity.
Their life takes on a new apostolic significance: as they offer their limitations and sufferings in a spirit of faith for their brothers and for the young, they are united with the redeeming passion of the Lord, and continue to share in the Salesian mission.
54. Death of the confrere
The community supports with greater love and prayer the confrere who is gravely ill. When the hour comes for him to bring his consecrated life to its highest fulfilment, his brothers help him to enter fully into Christ’s paschal mystery.
Death for the Salesian is made bright by the hope of entering into the joy of his Lord,1 and when it happens that a Salesian dies working for souls, the Congregation has won ag reat triumph.2
The emory of departed confreres unites, “in a love that will not pass away”,3 those who are still pilgrims with those who are already resting in Christ. R 47
1 cf.
2 cf. MB XVII, 273
3 1 Cor 13, 8
55. The rector in the community
The rector represents Christ who unites his followers in the service of the Father. He is at the centre of the community, a brother among brothers, who recognise his responsibility and authority.
His first task is to animate the community so that it may live faithful to the Constitutions and grow in unity. He coordinates the efforts of all, bearing in mind the rights, duties and capabilities of every member.
He also has a direct responsibility toward each confrere; he helps him realise his own personal vocation and carry out the work entrusted to him.
He extends his solicitude to the young for whom we work and to our collaborators, so that they may share in the community’s mission with increasing responsibility.
In his words, frequent contacts and opportune decisions he is a father, teacher and spiritual guide. R 42, 48
56. A welcoming community
With simplicity the confreres lead a life of self-giving and sharing, by welcoming others and offering them hospitality. By their kindness and cheerfulness they are able to draw everyone into the Salesian family spirit.
Nevertheless, to foster mutual respect and expressions of brotherly communion, every community should reserve for the confreres alone certain parts of the religious house.1 R 21, 45
1 cf CIC, can 667.1
57. An open community
The Salesian community works in communion with the particular Church.
It is open to the world’s values and attentive to the cultural milieu in which it carries out its apostolic work. At one with those among whom it lives, it cultivates good relations with all.
Thus it becomes a sign revealing Christ and his saving presence among men, and becomes a leaven giving rise to new vocations after the example of the first community of Valdocco.
58. The provincial community
Local communities are a living part of the provincial community. The latter fosters fraternal communion among them and supports them in their missin.
It shows a loving concern for new confreres; it is solicitous for the formation of every member, rejoices in their success and the happy occasions in their lives, grieves over their loss and keeps alive their memory.
Attentive to the youth situation, it coordinates and evaluates our apostolic work through its various services; it encourages collaboration, stimulates pastoral work for vocations, provides for the continuity of our works, and is open to new activities.
It cultivates the spirit of brotherhood and expresses it concretely through solidarity with other provinces, with the Congregation and with the Salesian Family.
59. The world community
Religious profession incorporates the Salesian in the Society, making him a participant in the communion of spirit, witness and service that is its life within the Universal Church.
Union with the Rector Major and his council, solidarity in apostolic initiatives, communication and exchange of information about the work of the confreres, all increase this communion, deepen the sense of belonging and dispose us to give our service to the world community. R 103
VI. FOLLOWING CHRIST, OBEDIENT, POOR AND CHASTE
“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ…
because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (Phil 3, 8.12)
60. Following Christ
By religious profession we mean to live the grace of our baptism radically and more fully.
We follow Jesus Christ, who “virginal and poor, redeemed and sanctified mankind by his obedience”,1 and share more closely in his paschal mystery, in his self-emptying and in his life in the Spirit.
Surrendering ourselves totally to God whom we love above all else, we commit ourselves to a form of life based entirely on gospel values.
61. Fraternal and apostolic love
Don Bosco frequently points out how the sincere practice of the vows strengthens the bonds of brotherly love and makes our apostolic work coherent.
The profession of the counsels helps us to live a life of fellowship with our brothers in the religious community as in a family which enjoys the presence of the Lord.1
The evangelical counsels, by fostering purification of the heart and spiritual freedom,2 render our pastoral charity more concerned and productive: the obedient, poor and chaste Salesian is quick to love and serve those to whom the Lord sends him, especially poor youth.
1 cf PC 15
2 cf LG 46
62. A particular sign of God’s presence
The practice of the counsels, lived in the spirit of the beatitudes, makes our proclamation of the Gospel more convincing.
In a world tempted by atheism and the idolatry of pleasure, possessions and power, our way of life bears witness, especially to the young, that God exists, that his love can fill a life completely, and that the need to love, the urge to possess, and the freedom to control one’s whole existence, find their fullest meaning in Christ the Saviour.
Our way of life also affects our manner of dressing, which is meant to be an external sign of this witness and service. The clerics follow the dispositins of the particularl Churches in the countries in which they reside,1 and the lay memnbers adopt the simple style which Don Bosco recommended.2
1 cf CIC, can. 669
2 cf C 1875, XV, 1-3
63. Witness of the world to come
The offering of his own freedom through obedience, the spirit of evangelical poverty and the love which becomes a gift in chastity, make the Salesian a sign of the power of the resurrection.
The evangelical counsels, fashioning his heart entirely for the Kingdom, help him to discern and welcome God’s action in history; in the simplicity and hard work of dally life they transofrm him into an educator who proclaims to the young “new heavens and a new earth”1, awakening in them hope and the dedication and joy to which it gives rise.2
1 cf
2 cf
OUR OBEDIENCE
“Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered;
and being made perfect he became the source of
eternal salvation to all who obey him.” (Heb 5, 8-9)
64. Gospel significance of our bedience
Our Saviour assured us that he came on earth to do not his own will but that of his Father in heaven.1
By professing obedience we offer our will to God and by carrying out the mission entrusted to us we relive in the Church and in the Congregation Christ's own obedience.
Docile to the Spirit and attentive to the signs he gives us in the events of each day, we take the Gospel as our supreme rule of life,2 the Constitutions as a sure path to follow, and the superiors and the community as day by day interpreters of God's will.
1.cf. C 1875, Ill, 1.
2.cf. PC 2.
65. Salesian style of obedience and authority
In Salesian tradition obedience and authority are practised in a family spirit of love which inspires relationships of mutual esteem and trust.
The superior directs, guides and encourages, making discreet use of his authority. All the confreres collaborate by obeying readily and sincerely, "with cheerfulness and humility".1
The service of authority and the willingness to obey are the principles of cohesion in the Congregation, and guarantee its permanence; for the Salesian they are the path to holiness and the source of energy in his work, of joy and of peace. R 50
1.C 1875, Ill, 2.
66. Shared responsibility in obedience
In the community, in view of the mission entrusted to us, we all obey even though we have different tasks to perform.
In listening to the Word of God and celebrating the Eucharist, we express and renew our common dedication to the divine will.
In matters of importance we seek the will of the Lord together in patient brotherly dialogue, with a deep awareness of shared responsibility.
The superior exercises his authority by listening to the confreres, encouraging all to make
their contribution and promoting a union of wills in faith and charity. He concludes this phase of searching in common by making appropriate decisions. These will normally emerge from a convergence of the views expressed.
We all then set to work to carry out these decisions by our sincere collaboration, even
when our own views have not prevalled.
67. Personal obedience and freedom
The Salesian is expected to obey in freedom of spirit and with an awareness of his personal responsibility, pledging his "powers of intellect and will, and his gifts of nature and grace".l
He obeys with faith and sees in the superior an aid and a sign which God uses to manifest
his will.
Obedience like this “leads to maturity by extending the freedom of the sons of God.”2
68. Requirements of the vow of obedience
By vowing obedience the Salesian pledges himself to obey lawful superiors in matters concerning the observance of the Constitutions.1
When an order is given expressly by force of the vow of obedience, the obligation to boey is a grave one. Only major superiors and rectors can command in this way, but they should do so rarely, in writing or before two witnesses, and only when some serious reason requires it.2
1 cf CIC, can 601
2 cf. CIC, can 49 ft.
69. Personal gifts and obedience
Each one places his abilities and talents at the service of the common mission.
The superior, with thehelp of the community, has a special responsibility for the discernment of these gifts, and for promoting their development and right use.
If the concrete demands of charity and of the apostolate require the sacrifice of personal wishes or plans which are in themselves lawful, the confrere accepts with faith whatever obedience asks of him, while still retaining the right of recourse to a higher authority.
Before taking on tasks or offices other than those assigned to him in the community, he seeks authorisation from the lawful superior.1
1 cf. CIC, can. 671
70. The talk with the superior
Faithful to Don Bosco’s recommendation eachconfrere meets frequently with his superior for a friendly talk.
This is one of the best opprotunitties for dialogue, both for his own personal advantage and for promoting the good running of the community.
In it he speaks with confidence of his own life and work and, if he so wishes, also of the state of his conscience. R 49
71. Obedience and the mystery of the cross
“Substitute acts of penance,” Don Bosco tells us, “with acts of obedience.”1
Sometimes obedience will clash with our own selfish attitudes and desires for independence, or may really test our love. This is the moment to look to Christ, who was obedient even unto death:2 “Father, if this chalice cannot pass from me unless I drink it, thy will be done.”3
The mystery of his death and resurrection teaches us how fruitful it is for us to obey: the grain of wheat which dies in the obscurity of the earth bears much fruit.4
1 MB XIII, 89, BM XIII, 68
2 cf
4 cf.
OUR POVERTY
“Jesus said to him: ‘If you would be perfect, go,
sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow me.” (Mt 19, 21)
72. Gospel significance of our poverty
We are aware of the generosity of our Lord Jesus Christ: though he was rich he made himself poor so that through his poverty we might become rich.1
We are called to a life cclosely modelled on the Gospel. We choose to follow “the Saviour who was born in poverty, lived deprived of everything and died stripped on the cross”.2
Like the apostles at our Lord’s invitation we free ourselves from concern and worry about earthly goods3 and, trusting in the providence of the Father, we dedicate ourselves to the service of the Gospel.
3 cf
73. Poverty and the Salesian mission
Don Bosco lived his poverty in detachment of heart and generous service of others; his manner was marked by austerity, hard work and much initiative.
Following his example we too live detached from all earthly goods; 1 we participate with a spirit of enterprise in the misison of the Church and in her struggle for justice and peace, especially by educating those in need.
The witness of our poverty, lived in a common sharing of our goods,helps the young to overcome their selfish possessive instinct and opens them to the christian sense of sharing.
1 cf C 1875, IV. 7
74. Requirements of the vow of poverty
By the vow of poverty we undertake not to use and not to dispose of material goods without the consent of the lawful superior.
Each confrere retains the ownership of his patrimony and the right to acquire other goods, but before his profession he freely disposes of their use and enjoyment and cedes their administration to others.
Before perpetual profession he draws up his will in conformity with the norms of civil law. After serious reflection, as an expression of his complete abandonment to divine Providence, he may also renounce definitively the goods of which he has retained the ownership in accordance with universal law and that of the Society. R 51-53
75. Personal commitment to poverty
Each one of us bears prime responsibility for his own poverty, dally living out by the frugality of his life the detachment he has promised.
He accepts his dependence on the superior and community in the use of temporal goods, but he knows too that permission does not dispense him from being poor in spirit and in fact.1
He is careful not to give way gradually to a desire for a comfortable and easy life, which poses a direct threat to fidelity and to apostolic generosity.
When his state of poverty causes him some inconvenience or suffering2, he is glad to be able to share in th blessings promised by the Lord to the poor in spirit.3 R 55
1 cf. PC 13
2 cf. C 1875 (Introduction), p. xxvi
3 cf. Mt. 5.3
76. Christian sharing of goods
After the example of the first christians, we share together our material goods,1 the fruits of our work, the gifts we receive and whatever comes to us from pensions, subsidies and insurance policies. We do the same with our talents, our energies and our experience.
In the community the good of each individual becomes the good of all.
As brothers we share what we have with the other communities of the province, and we show solidarity with the needs of the entire Congregation, of the Church and of the world. R 56-58,
1 cf.
77. Witness of poverty in the community and in our works
Every community is sensitive to the conditions of its neighbourhood and bears witness to its poverty by a simple and frugal way of life in unpretentious dwellings.
Following the example and spirit of our Founder we accept ownership of the means we need for our work, and we administer them in such a way that all may realise they are being used for the service of others.
Our choice of works and of their location is made in response to the needs of those in want; the criterion for our buildings is that they be simple and functional. R 1, 58-65
78. Work
Unremitting and self-sacrificing work is a characteristic left us by Don Bosco, and is a concrete expression of our poverty.
In our dally labours we are at one with the poor who live by the sweat of their brow, and we bear witness to the human and christian value of work1. R 64
1 cf. ET 20
79. Solidarity with the poor
The spirit of poverty leads us to be one with the poor and to love them in Christ.1
For this reason we make every effort to stay close to them, to alleviate their needs, making our own their lawful aspirations for a more human society.
In seeking and accepting help for the service of the needy, we imitate Don Bosco in his zeal and gratitude, and like him we retain the freedom the Gospel gives us. “Remember well,” he tells us, “that what we have is not ours; it belongs to the poor; woe to us if we do not use it well.”2
1 cf. PC 13
2 MB V, 682, BM V, 450
OUR CHASTITY
“I am sure that neither death nor life … nor things present, nor things to come, …
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of
God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8, 38-39)
80. Gospel significance of our chastity
Consecrated chastity because of the Kingdom is a “precious gift given to some by the Father”.1 Responding in faith we accept it with gratitude and we pledge ourselves by vow to live perfect continence in celibacy.2
We follow Jesus Christ closely by choosing an intensely evangelical way of loving God and our neighbour with undivided heart.3
Thus with a specific vocation we take our place in the mystery of the Church, which is totally united to Christ, and sharing in its fruitfulness we dedicate ourselves to our mission.4
2 cf CIC can 599
3 cf. LG 42
4 cf. ET 13-14, RD 11
81. Chastity and the Salesian mission
Don Bosco lived chastity as a lvoe for God and for the young which had no limits. He wanted it to be a distinctive mark of the Salesian Society: “Anyone devoting his life to destitute youth should certainly strive to enrich himself with every virtue, but the virtue he should specially cultivate is chastity.”1
Our tradition has always considered chastity a resplendent virtue, bearing a special message for the education of youth. Through it we bear witness to the predilection of Christ for the young; it allows us to love them in an open and uncomplicated way, so that they "know they are loved", 2 and it enables us to educate them to love and to purity.
1.cf. C 1875, V, 1.
2.DB, Letter from Rome 1884, MB XVII, 110.
82. Chastity and human maturity
The educational and pastoral demands of our mission and the fact that the observance of perfect continence touches some of the deepest drives of human nature,1 require of the Salesian psychological balance and affective maturity.
Don Bosco used to warn: Whoever has not a well-grounded hope of being able, with divine help, to preserve the virtue of chastity in word, in deed and in thought, should not make profession in this Society, for he would often find himself in danger.2 R 68
1.cf. PC 12.
2.cf . C 1875, V, 2.
83. Chastity and community life
Consecrated chastity, a "sign and stimulus of love",1 frees and enables us to become all things to all men. It develops in us a christian sense of personal relationships, encourages true friendships, and helps to make the community a family.
In its turn the cornmunity's fraternal atmosphere helps us to live our celibacy because of the Kingdom with joy, and sustained by its love and understanding to come safely through difficult times.
1.LG 42.
84. Attitudes and means for growing in chastity
Our chastity is not a conquest made once for all time. it has its moments of peace and moments of trial. it is a gift which because of human weakness demands a dally pledge of fidelity.
For this reason the Salesian, faithful to the Constitutions, lives a life of work and temperance, practises mortification and the custody of the senses, makes discreet and prudent use of the means of social communication, and does not neglect the natural means which contribute to physical and mental health.
Above all, he iniplores God's help and lives in his presence; he nourishes his love for Christ at the table of the Word and the Eucharist, and humbly purifies it in the sacrarnent of Reconciliation; he entrusts himself with simplicity to a spiritual director.
He turns with filial trust to Mary, the Immaculate Help of Christians, who helps him to love as Don Bosco did. R
VII. IN DIALOGUE WITH THE LORD
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one
another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulnes
in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of
the Lord Jesus.” (Col. 3, 16-17)
85. The gift of prayer
The community expresses in a visible manner the mystery of the Church, which is not born of any human will but is the fruit of the Lord’s death and resurrection. In the same way God brings our community together and keeps it united by his call, his Word, his love.
In praying, the Salesian community responds to this call; it deepens its awareness of its intimate and living relationship with God, and of its saving mission, making its own Don Bosco’s prayer: “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle”. R 69
86. Salesian prayer
Docile to the Holy Spirit, Don Bosco lived an experience of humble, trusting and apostolic prayer in which praying and living were spontaneiously united.
We learn from him to recognise the action of grace in the lives of the young; we pray for them so that the design of the Father may be fulfilled in each of them, and we pray with them that we may witness to our own faith and share the same hope of salvation.
Salesian prayer is joyful and creative, simple and profound. It lends itself to community participation, is drawn from life experience and flows back into it. R 77
87. The community attentive to the Word
The people of God are gathered before all else by the Word of the living God.1
For us the Word, listened to with faith, is a source of spiritual life, food for prayer, light to see God’s will in the events of life, and strength to live out our vocation faithfully.
With the Sacred Scriptures dally in hand,2 we welcome the Word as Mary did and ponder it in our heart,3 so that it will bear fruit and we may proclaim it with zeal.
1 cf. PO 4
2 cf. PC 6
3 cf.
88. The community made one by the Eucharist
The hearing of the Word finds its privileged place in the celebration of the Eucharist. This is the central act of every Salesian community: it is a dally festive celebration in a living liturgy.
There the community celebrates the paschal mystery and unites itself to the immolated body of Christ, which it receives so as to build itself in him into a fraternal communion and renew its apostolic commitment.
Concelebration stresses the richness of this mystery: it epxresses the triple unity of sacrifice, priesthood and community, a community whose members are all at the service of the same mission.
For us sons of Don bosco the eucharistic presence in our houses is a reason for frequent encounters with Christ. From him we draw energy and endurance in our work for the young.
R 70
89. The mystery of Christ in time
The Liturgy of the Hours extends the grace of the eucharistic mystery throughout the day.1
The community, united to Christ and to the Church, praises and makes supplication to the Father, nourishes its union with him2 and maintains an attentive attitude to the divine will. Without prejudice to the obligations assumed by clerics at their ordination3, the community celebrates Lauds as morning prayer and Vespers as evening prayer with the dignity and fervour that Don Bosco recommended.
Sunday is the day of Easter joy. Lived in apostolic activity, piety and cheerfulness, it reinvigorates the Salesian’s confidence and optimism.
The commemoration of the mysteries of the lord, as they occur in the liturgical year, makes of our life a time of salvation in hope.4
1 cf. IGLH 10,12.
2 cf. LG3.
3 cf . CIC, can. 1174,1.
4 cf. SC 102.
90. The community in continual conversion
The Word of God calls us to continual conversion.
Aware of our weakness, we respond by vigilance and sincere repentance, brotherly correction, mutual forgiveness and the calm acceptance of our dally cross.
This commitment to conversion on the part of each member and of the whole community is brought to its fulfilment by the sacrament of Reconciliation.
Prepared by the dally examination of conscience and received frequently according to the Church's directives, this sacrament gives us the joy of the Father's pardon, rebuilds brotherly communion, and purifies our apostolic intentions. R 73
91. Opportune times for renewal
Our will for conversion is strengthened in the monthly recollection and in the annual retreat. These are occasions of spiritual renewal which Don Bosco considered the fundamental part and the synthesis of all the practices of piety.1
For the community and for every Salesian these are privileged moments for listening to the Word of God, discerning his will and purifying our hearts.
These times of grace restore to our spirit a deep unity in the Lord Jesus and keep alive in us the expectation of his return. R 72
1 cf. C 1875 (Introduction)., p. xxxiv
92. Mary in the life and prayer of the Salesian
Mary, Mother of God, holds a unique place in the history of salvation.
She is a model of prayer and pastoral love, the teacher of wisdom and guide of our Family.
We contemplate and imitate her faith, her concern for the needy, her fidelity at the hour of the cross, and her joy at the wonders wrought by the Father.
Mary Immaculate, Help of Christians, leads us to the fullness of our offering to the Lord and gives us courage for the service of our brethren.
We develop a strong filial devotion to her. We recite the rosary each day and celebrate her feasts to encourage a more convinced and personal imitation. R 74
93. Personal prayer
We can form praying communities only if individually we become men of prayer.
Each one needs to express his own personal and heartfelt way of being a son of God, expressing his gratitude, telling him about his yearnings and his concerns in the apostolate.
For us mental prayer is essential. It strengthens our intimate union with God, saves us from routine, keeps our heart free and fosters our dedication to others. For Don Bosco it is a guarantee of joyous perseverance in our vocation. R 71
94. The memory of our dead confreres
Faith in the risen Christ sustains our hope and keeps alive our communion with our brothers who rest in Christ’s peace. They have spent their lives in the Congregation, and not a few have suffered even to the point of martyrdom for love of the Lord.
United with them in an exchange of spiritual benefits, we gratefully offer for them the prescribed suffrages.
R 47, 76
Their remembrance is an incentive to continue faithfully in our misison.
95. Life as prayer
Immersed in the world and in the cares of the pastoral life, the Salesian learns to meet God through those to whom he is sent.
Discovering the fruits of the Spirit1 in the lives of men, especially the young, he gives thanks for everything;2 as he shares their problems and sufferings, he invokes upon them the light and strength of God’s presence.
He draws on the love of the Good Sheperhd, whose witness he wants to be, and shares in the spiritual riches offered him by the community.
His needs of God, keenly felt in his apostolic commitment, leads him to cleebrate the liturgy of life, attaining that “tireless industry made holy by prayer and union with God”3 that should be the characteristic of the sons of St. John Bosco.
1 cf.
2 cf.
THIRD PART
FORMED FOR THE MISISON OF PASTORS AND EDUCATORS
VIII. GENERAL ASPECTS OF OUR FORMATION
SALESIAN FORMATION
“Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him
who is the head, into Christ.” (Eph 4, 15)
96. Vocation and formation
Jesus called his Apostles individually to be with him, and to be sent forth to preach the Gospel.1 Patiently and lovingly he prepared them and gave them the Holy Spirit to guide them into the fullness of Truth.2
He calls us too to live out in the Church our Founder’s project as apostles of the young.
We respond to this call by committing ourselves to an adequate ongoing formation, for which the Lord dally gives us his grace.
1 cf.
2 cf.
97. Salesian orientation of formation
The first Salesians found their sure guide in Don Bosco. Living at the very heart of his community in action, they learned to model their own lives on his.
We too find in him our model. The religious and apostolic nature of the Salesian calling dictates the specific direction our formation must take, a direction necessary for the life and unity of the Congregation. R 85
98. The formation experience
Enlightened by the person of Christ and by his Gospel, lived according to Don Bosco's spirit, the Salesian commits himself to a formation process which will last all his life and will keep pace with his maturing in other ways. He learns by experience the meaning of the Salesian vocation at the various moments of his life and accepts the ascetical demands it makes on him.
With the help of Mary, his Mother and Teacher, he gradually becomes a pastor and community educator of the young in the lay or priestly state which he has embraced.
99. Personal and community commitment
Each Salesian accepts responsibility for his own formation. Docile to the Holy Spirit he develops his talents and his gifts of grace in a constant effort of conversion and renewal, as he lives and works for the common mission.
The natural environment for vocational growth is the community which the confrere joins with trust and in which he gives his responsible collaboration. The very life of the community, united in Christ and open to the needs of the times, is itself a factor in formation, and hence must continually move forward and be renewed. R 84
100. Unity of formation and different cultures
The principle of unity in the Congregation is the charism of our Founder, which of its richness gives rise to different ways of living the one Salesian vocation. Formation is therefore one in its essential content and diversified in its concrete expressions; it accepts and develops whatever is true, noble and just in the various cultures.1
1.cf.
101. The provincial community and formation
The provincial community welcomes and follows up the vocation of every confrere, sees to the preparation of formation personnel, provides formation structures, and makes each local community aware of its obligations in the formation sector.
It is the duty of the provincial community, through the various organs of animation and government, to lay down the method of formation according to the needs of its own cultural context and in conformity with the directives of the Church and the Congregation.
In the exercise of this common responsibility every Salesian, through prayer and personal witness, contributes to the sustaining and renewal of the vocation of his brothers.
INITIAL FORMATION
"Speak, Lord, for thyservant hears"(1 Sam 3,9).
102. Complexity and unity of the initial formation period
The aim of initial formation is the human maturing of the young confrere, his intellectual preparation and the deepening of his consecrated life, as he is gradually introduced to educational and pastoral work.
In the formative experience these elements must be harmonized into a living unity.
103. Formation communities
Initial formation is ordinarily carried out in communities specifically designed for this purpose.
In accordance with Don Bosco's style of education these communities are open and keep in mind the aspirations of the young for a more personal and fraternal life style.
In them our spirit is lived in a more intense manner; together the members form a family founded on faith and enthusiasm for Christ, united in mutual esteem and common endeavour.
Those in formation and their guides contribute according to their different roles to the creation of an atmosphere of shared responsibility, and work with the aims of formation clearly in view.
R 78, 80, 81
104. Role of formation personnel
The guides in formation communities have a specific and necessary role.
They ensure that those in formation have the opportunities for a valid experience and for serious doctrinal reflection in an appropriate setting.
Aware of being instruments through whom the lord is working, they make every effort to constitute with the rector, who is the leader of the community and its spiritual guide, a group that is convinced of its common responsibility.
Chosen for this task are men of faith and sufficient pastoral experience, capable of a living communication of the Salesian ideal, and of genuine dialogue with the young confreres. R 78
105. The Salesian in initial formation
For the Salesian the time of initial formation is not so much a period of marking time as already one of work and holiness. It is a time of dialogue between God, whose initiative calls him and leads him forward, and his own freedom as he gradually assumes responsibility for his own formation.
In this process of growing responsibility he is sustained by prayer, spiritual direction, personal reflection, study and brotherly relationships. R 79
106. Formation curriculum
Lay Salesians, future priests and permanent deacons normally have the same initial formation and follow curricula of equivalent level, with the same phases and similar content and objectives.
The necessary differences are determined by the specific vocation of each one, by his personal gifts and inclinations and the duties of our apostolate.
R 95, 97, 98
107. Incorporation in the Society and stages of formation
Before being definitively incorporated into the Society, each one passes through the following stages of formation: preparation for the novitiate, the novitiate itself and the period of temporary profession.
These steps are necessary for both the candidate and the community, so that they may work together to discern God's will and correspond with it.
The candidate gradually gets to know the Society, and the Society in turn can evaluate his suitability for Salesian life.
108. Admission
After the candidate has freely presented his application, admission to the novitiate, to temporary or perpetual profession, to the ministries and to sacred orders, is made by the provincial with the consent of his council, after hearing the opinion of the rector of the community with his council.
The superiors base their judgement on positive indications of the candidate's suitability, and keep in mind first of all the canonical requirements.1 R 81, 93, 94
1.cf. CIC, can. 642-645; 1019-1054.
IX. THE FORMATIVE PROCESS
"He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion
at the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil 1,6)
109. Preparation for the novitiate
To anyone who is thinking of becoming a Salesian, an environment and suitable conditions are offered to enable him to discern his own vocation and to mature as a man and a christian. In this way, and with the help of a spiritual guide, he is able to make a choice with greater awareness of what he is doing, and without any external or internal pressures.
A period of special preparation is required immediately prior to the novitiate to deepen the candidate's vocational choice and verify his suitability for beginning the novitiate. This preparation is made through an experience of Salesian community and apostolic life. R 88
110. The novitiate
The novitiate offers the candidate the possibility of beginning the Salesian religious experience.
For this reason the novitiate community must always provide an example of life founded on faith and nourished by prayer, in which evangelical simplicity, joy, friendship and mutual respect create a climate of trust and docility.
With the help of the director the novice examines carefully the motives for his choice, makes certain of his suitability for the Salesian calling, and prepares himself to give his all to God for the service of the young in the spirit of Don Bosco. R 89, 92
111. Duration of the novitiate
In accordance with canon law1, the novitiate lasts twelve months; it begins when the candidate, after being admitted by the provincial, enters the canonically erected novitiate house and places himself under the guidance of the director of novices.
The novitiate is invalidated by an absence of more than three months, continuous or broken . An absence of more than fifteen days must be made good R 93.
1 cf. CIC, can 647, 3: 648, 649, 1
112. The director of novices
The director of novices is the spiritual guide who coordinates and animates all the work of formation of the novitiate.
He must be a man of prudence with spiritual and Salesian experience and an up-to-date knowledge of practical psychology and youth problems. He should be able to relate easily to other people, to engage in dialogue, and to inspire confidence in the novices by his kindness.
He must be perpetually professed and is appointed by the provincial with the consent of his council and the approval of the Rector Major. He remains in office for three years and may be reappointed.
113. Period of temporary profession
The first profession marks the beginning of a period of consecrated life. In this period the confrere, with the help of the community and of a Spiritual guide, completes his maturing process with perpetual profession in view, and develops the different aspects of his vocation as a lay Salesian or as a candidate for the priesthood.
During the first three years of this period, profession may be either triennal or annual; in the next three years it will ordinarily be triennial. R 95, 96
114. The immediate postnovitiate
The first profession is followed by a period of religious maturing which continues the formative experience of the novitiate and serves as a preparation for the practical training phase.
The deepening of the life of faith and of the spirit of Don Bosco, together with an adequate philosophical, pedagogical and catechetical preparation that interacts with the prevalling culture, disposes the young confrere to a progressive integration of faith, culture and life.
115. Practical training
Throughout the whole period of initial formation, importance is given not only to study but also to the pastoral activities of our mission.
The practical training period provides opportunity for a deeper living experience of Salesian educative and pastoral action. During this time the young confrere gets practice in the preventive system, particularly in Salesian assistance.
With the support of the rector and the community, he is able to integrate his activity and the fundamental values of his vocation. R 86, 96
116. Specific formation of the Salesian priest and the Salesian brother
After practical training the Salesian goes on to complete his initial formation.
The specific formation of a candidate for the priestly ministry follows the norms and directives laid down by the Church and the Congregation, and has for its scope the preparation of a priest who will be a genuinely Salesian pastor and educator.
The specific formation of the lay Salesian offers him the opportunity to deepen his knowledge of the spiritual heritage of the Congregation. He receives an adequate theological preparation appropriate to his consecrated lay status, and completes his formation with a view to his subsequent apostolic work of education. R 97, 98
117. Perpetual profession
A member makes his perpetual profession when he has reached the level of Salesian spiritual maturity commensurate with the importance of such a step.
The celebration of this act is preceded by appropriate period of immediate preparation, and is marked by the fraternal recognition of the provincial community.
Perpetual profession takes place ordinarily six years after the first profession; if he considers it opportune the provincial can prolong this period, but not beyond nine years. R 94
118. Need for ongoing formation
In the context of a society characterized by pluralism and rapid changes, the evolving nature of each individual and the quality and fruitfulness of our apostolic religious life call for a continuation of our formation after the initial phases. We try to grow in our human qualities, to conform ourseives more closely to Christ, and to renew our fidelity to Don Bosco, so that we can respond to the ever new demands arising from the situation of the young and the poor.
Through personal and community initiatives we nurture our Salesian spiritual life, ensure our theological and pastoral updating, and develop our professional competence and our apostolic inventiveness. R 99-102
119. Ongoing formation as a permanent personal frame of mind
Living in the midst of the young and in constant contact with working-class surroundings, the Salesian tries to discern the voice of the Spirit in the events of each day, and so acquires the ability to learn from life's experiences. He sees his ordinary activities as effective means of formation, and he also makes use of any other means of formation that may be offered him.
Even when he is fully occupied he finds opportunities for renewing the religious and pastoral meaning of his life, and of learning to carry out his work with greater competence.
He also feels it his task to make the best formative use of any situation, and to see it as a favourable opportunity for growing in his vocation. R 10, 19, 99-102
FOURTH PART
THE SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN OUR SOCIETY
X. GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND CRITERIA
“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be the slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mk 10, 43-45)
120. Basic structure of our Society
Our Society is made up of provincial communities, and these in turn are divided into local communities.
Government at world level ensures unity of life and action in differing environments and situations.
Central, provincial and local government is exercised with ordinary authority by a superior assisted by his council.
Supreme authority over the whole Congregation belongs to the General Chapter. Provincial chapters are granted specific powers within the domain of the province.
121. Nature of the service of authority
In imitation of Christ and in his name, authority in the Congregation is exercised according to the spirit of Don Bosco as a service to brothers for discerning and fulfilling the Father's will.
This service is directed to fostering charity, coordinating the efforts of all, animating, orientating, making decisions, giving corrections, so that our Mission may be accomplished.
According to our tradition, communities are guided by a member who is a priest, and who by the grace of his priestly ministry and pastoral experience sustains and directs the spirit and activity of his brothers.
He is obliged to make the profession of faith prescribed by canon law.1
1.cf. CIC, can. 833, 81.
122. Unity in the government of the Society
Superiors at every level of government share in one and the same authority, and exercise it in communion with the Rector Major for the benefit of the whole Society. In this way, while fostering the good of each individual community, they are solicitous for the unity, growth and perfecting of the whole Congregation.
123. Participation and shared responsibility
Our common vocation requires the responsible and effective participation of all the members in the life and action of the local, provincial and world communities, not only in terms of implementation but also of planning, organizing and evaluating, according to their respective roles and competence.
This shared responsibility requires also the participation of the confreres, in the most suitable way, in the choice of those responsible for government at the different levels, and in the working out of their more important decisions.
It is the duty of those who exercise authority to promote to promote and guide this contribution means of adequate information, personal dialogue and community study and reflection. R 169
124. Subsidiarity and decentralisation
Authority of any kind and at every level leaves to the initiative of lower levels and of individuals whatever can be decided and done by them, according to their respective in this way the worth of incompetence. Individuals and communities is recognized, and more real involvement is encouraged.
The principle of subsidiarity implies decentralization which, while safeguarding unity, recognizes a proper autonomy and consequently a right distribution of powers between the different organs of government.
XI. SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY
“Tend the flock of God tht is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock.” (1 Pt 5,2-3)
125. The Supreme Pontiff
The Salesian Society has as its highest superior the Supreme Pontiff. Even by reason of the vow of obedience, the members are filially submissive to his authority, and avallable for the good of the universal Church, They welcome his magisterium with docility and help the faithful, especially the young, to accept his teachings.
126. The Rector Major
The Rector Major, the superior of the Salesian Society, is the Successor of Don Bosco, the father and centre of unity of the Salesian Family.
His main concern is to promote, in communion with the general council, the constant fideiity of the members to the Salesian charism, so as to fulfil the mission confided by God to our Society. R 103
127.
The Rector Major has ordinary power of government which he exercises according to law over all the provinces, houses and members in both spiritual and temporal matters. He visits personally or through others all the provinces and local communities.
He convokes and presides over meetings of the general council. He is the official representative of the Society. R 104, 105
128.
The Rector Major is elected by the general chapter for a term of six years and may be re-elected only for a second successive six-year period. He may not resign his office without the consent of the Apostolic See.
129.
To be elected as Rector Major, a rnember must be a priest, perpetually professed for at least ten years, and distinguished for love of the Church and the Congregation, for exemplary life, pastoral zeal, and ability and prudence in governing.
130. The general council
The general council cooperates with the Rector Major in animating and governing the Congregation.
It is the task of the council to identify and study the problems which concern the common welfare of the Society, to promote fraternal union among the different provinces, and to develop an ever more efficient organization for the fulfilment of the Salesian mission in the world.
131.
The members of the Council Collaborate with the Rector Major by expressing their Opinion and by voting. In union with him they fulfil the responsibilities assigned to them by the general chapter and those which the Rector Major judges opportune to entrust to them. For this reason they have their domicile in the same house in which the Rector Major resides. R 106
132.
§ 1. The Rector Major must have the consent of his council for:
1. the erection or suppression of provinces, vice-provinces or other circumscriptions [C.1 561;
2. the opening and closing of houses or the modification of the scope of works already in existence in accordance with canon law [C.1651;1
3. the erection of novitiates [C.1101;
4. the convoking of the general chapter in accordance with article 149 of the Constitutions;
5. the approval of deliberations of provincial chapters [C.170];
6. the constitution of provincial conferences [C.155];
7. the appointment of the substitute for a member of the general council, in case of death or impediment [C.1421;
8. the appointment of the secretary general [C. 1 44]
9. the appointment of the procurator and postulator general [C.145];
10. the appointment of provincials, superiors of vice-provinces or other circumscriptions [C.158,162];
11. the termination of the office of provincials in conformity with article 163 of the Constitutions, and of superiors of vice-provinces and other circumscriptions [C.158];
12. the alienation of movable and immovable goods belonging to the stable patrimony of the Congregation [C.188];
13. the determination of the limits in terms of value within which the provincial and his council may act in respect of all the operations referred to in article 188 of the Constitutions [C.189];
§ 2. The Rector Major must have the consent of those councillors present at the Generalate, who must be not less than five in number, in the following cases:
1. dispensation from temporary religious profession;
2. the appointment of provincial councillors [C.167]
3. the granting of authorization for the financial operations referred to in article 188 of the Constitutions, except for what is provided for in art. 132, §1,12.
§ 3. In the case of dismissal of members, the councillor the Rector Major and his council proceed in for formation collegial fashion in accordance with canon law.
§ 4. In addition the Rector Major will consult his council in other important matters whenever he considers it opportune to do so.
1.cf. CIC, can. 609-612.
133.
The general council is made up of the vicar general, the councillors in charge of special departments, and the regional councillors in charge of groups of provinces.
The councillors in charge of special departments are: the councillor for formation, the councillor for the youth apostolate, the councillor for the social communication, the councillor for the missions and the economer general. R 107
134. The vicar of the Rector Major
The vicar general is the first collaborator of the Rector Major in the government of the Society and has ordinary vicarious power.
He takes the Rector Major's place whenever he is absent or impeded. To him is entrusted particularly the care of religious life and discipline.
He has the task of animating the Congregation in the sector of the Salesian Family. In accordance with art. 5 of the Constitutions he promotes communion between the various groups, respecting their specific character and autonomy. In addition he guides and assists the Provinces so that they may develop in their own territories, according to their respective statutes, the Association of Salesian Cooperators and the movement of the Past-pupils.
135. The councillor for formation
The councillor for formation has the duty of furthering the integral and ongoing formation of the members.
He follows with particular care the phases of the period of initial formation to ensure that in them the content, arrangement of studies, formation methods and structures provide the conditions necessary for growth in the Salesian vocation.
136. The councillor for the youth apostolate
The councillor for the youth apostolate animates and gives direction to Salesian educative and apostolic activity in its different expressions. He ensures that the priority of our commitment to youth and the influence of the preventive system are achieved in them. He assists the provinces in the development of their pastoral plans and undertakings, so that they may be faithful to the spirit of Don Bosco and respond adequately to the needs of the times and of different places.
137. The councillor for social communication
The councillor for social communication has the duty of animating the Congregation in this sector.
He promotes Salesian activity in the social communication sector, and in particular coordinates at world level the structures and centres for which the Congregation has responsibility in this field.
138. The councillor for the missions
The councillor for the missions fosters the missionary spirit and commitment throughout the whole Society. He coordinates initiatives and directs activity in the missions so that it may respond in a Salesian way to the urgent needs of the peoples to be evangelised.
It is also his duty to see that provision is made for the specific preparation and updating of the missionaries. R 24
139. The economer general
The economer general administers those goods which do not belong to any particular province or house but to the whole Society.
He coordinates and controls the administration of the provinces, so as to ensure that their management accords with the requirements of religious poverty and is at the service of the Salesian mission.
He is watchful to make sure that the norms necessary for sound administration are observed.
R 192
140. The regional councillors
The regional councillors promote a more direct liaison between the provinces and the Rector Major and his council. They look after the interests of the province, assigned to them. They foster in the general council a knowledge of the local situations in which our mission is carried out. R 135-137
141.
§ 1. The members of the general council are elected by the general chapter in separate ballots for each one. Each regional councillor is elected and chosen by preference from a list presented by the chapter members of the respective group of provinces concerned.
§ 2.To be elected to the general council a member must have been perpetually professed for at least ten years. For the vicar general it is also necessary that he be a priest. R 126-128
142.
The Vicar General, the Departmental Councillors and the Regional Councillors remain in office for six years and may be re-elected only for a second successive six-year period in the office of Vicar General, Departmental Councillor ar Regional Councillor respectively, except for the case referred to in article 143 of the Constitutions.
Should a member of the general council die or be permanently unable to attend to his duties, the Rector Major with the consent of his council shall entrust his office to whomsoever he judges most suitable in the lord, but only until the expiry of the six-year period.
143.
On the death or cessation from office of the Rector Major, the Vicar General assumes ad interim the government of the Society and, in agreement with the other members of the general council, proceeds to the convocation of the general chapter for the election of the Rector Major and of the new council.
The election must take place not more than nine months from the death or cessation from office of the Rector Major. R 111
144. The secretary general
The secretary general is at the service general of the Rector Major and his council in the role of a notary. He is present, without the right to vote, at meetings of the council, of which he draws up the minutes.
He is responsible for the offices of the general secretariats and for the central archives of the Society. He is appointed by the Rector Major with the consent of his council, and remains in office ad nutum. R 110
145. The procurator general
The task of dealing with the Apostolic See is ordinarily entrusted to a procurator general, who is appointed by the Rector Major with the consent of his council and remains in office ad nutum.
Causes of beatification and canonization promoted by the Congregation are entrusted to the postulator general, chosen in the same way as the procurator.
146. The general chapter
The general chapter is the principal sign of the Congregation's unity in diversity. it is the fraternal meeting in which Salesians carry out a communal reflection to keep themselves faithful to the Gospel and to their Founder's charism, and sensitive to the needs of time and place.
Through the general chapter the entire Society, opening itself to the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord, seeks to discern God's will at a specific moment in history for the purpose of rendering the Church better service.1
1.cf. CIC, can. 631.
147.
The general chapter has supreme authority over the Society and exercises it in accordance with law.
In particular it belongs to the general chapter to lay down laws for the whole Society, to treat of matters of greater importance, and to elect the Rector Major and the members of the general council.
148.
The deliberations of the general chapter must always be based upon the Constitutions approved by the Apostolic See and must contain nothing contrary to their spirit. They are binding on all the members as soon as they have been promulgated by the Rector Major.
Nevertheless, for the promulgation of deliberations which modify the Constitutions the previous approval of the Apostolic See must be obtained.
149.
The general chapter will meet ordinarily every six years and in the case referred to in article 143 of the Constitutions; and extraordinarily whenever it is required by a grave reason recognized as such by the Rector Major with the consent of his council.
150.
The general chapter is convoked by the Rector Major, or in the circumstances referred to in article 143 by the vicar general, it is presided over by the Rector Major or, in his absence, by the vicar general. R 111, 113, 116, 117,
151.
The following attend the general chapter with the right to vote:
1. the Rector Major;
2. the Rectors Major emeriti;
3. the members of the general council, those not confirmed in office as well as the new members from the time of their election'.
4. the secretary general.
5. the procurator general;
6. the moderator of the general chapter;
7. the provincials and superiors of vice provinces, or (if they are seriously impeded their vicars, with the prior approval of the Rector Major;
8. the delegates, all perpetually professed elected according to the norms of the general Regulations.
R 114m 115-118
152.
For the validity of the acts of the general chapter at least two thirds of the members must be present.
In dealing with matters indicated in article 148 of the Constitutions, whatever is approved by an absolute majority of those present shall have the force of law.
For modifications to the text of the Constitutions a two-thirds majority of those present is required.
153.
In the elections of the Rector Major and of the members of the general council whoever receives the vote of an absolute majority of those present will be considered elected.
If the first scrutiny should be ineffective, there shall be a second and a third. If the third also should be inconclusive there shall be a fourth in which the only candidates shall be the two members who have obtained the highest number of votes in the third scrutiny. If again there should be an equal number of votes, the senior by profession shall prevail, and in the case of equality of profession the senior in age. R 126-133
154. Regional structures
In order to facilitate contact with the Rector Major and the general council and to foster bonds of union among themselves, provinces are gathered in groups, each group being entrusted to a regional councillor.
The constitution of the groups of provinces is made by the general chapter. R 135-138
155.
When parallel situations or similarity of problems allow of a closer union between certain provinces, one or more provincial conferences may be set up within the group.
It belongs to the Rector Major with the consent of his council to constitute provincial conferences after consulting the provinces concerned. R 139-142
XII. SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNITY
'Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit
has made you guardians, to feed the church of the Lord which
he obtained with his own blood."(Acts 20,28)
156. Juridical circumscription
It belongs to the Rector Major with the consent of his council, and after adequate consultation with the confreres concerned, to divide the Society into juridical circumscriptions, erect new ones, combine those already constituted, define them in a different way or suppress them.
Normally the circumscriptions of our Society are provinces and vice-provinces.
As regards other eventual juridical circumscriptions, their internal structure and representation at the general chapter will be defined in the decree of erection, in line with Salesian spirit and tradition.
157. The province
The province unites the different local communities in one large community. It is canonically erected when the necessary and sufficient conditions exist for promoting in a specific juridical circumscription the life and mission of the Congregation with the autonomy that belongs to it according to the Constitutions.
Through its structures the province strengthens the bonds of communion between the members and the local communities and offers a specific service to the particular Church.
158. The vice province
The vice-province is similar to the province. It is established when distance, number or other circumstances require that some houses be detached from one or more provinces, but the lack of personnel, of financial resources or some other reason does not warrant the establishment of a new province.
Its superior is appointed in the same way and with the same conditions as a provincial. He remains in office for six years and governs with ordinary vicarious power with the help of his council. R 143-149
159. Provincial delegations
If within the confines of a province, distance or other reasons prevent the provincial from taking proper care of some local communities which, although having a certain unity among them do not have the requisites necessary for erection as a vice-province, the provincial with the consent of his council and the approval of the Rector Major, can set up a delegation.
Its superior is appointed by the provincial with the consent of his council and the approval of the Rector Major after due consultation among the confreres of the delegation. He exercises those powers the provincial sees fit to delegate to him.
160. Enrolment of members in a circumscription
By first profession a member is enrolled in the juridical circumscription for whose service he asked to be admitted.
He can be enrolled in another juridical circumscription by permanent or temporary transfer on the part of the competent authorities. R 151, 157
161. The provincial
Each province is headed by a provincial. In union with the Rector Major and with love and pastoral zeal he carries out his service of building up a fraternal provincial community.
With the help of his council he animates the religious life and apostolic action of the provincial community, cares for the formation of the members, especially the novices and young confreres, and directs and controls the administration of the goods of the province and of each house. R 144-148, 153,160
162.
The provincial is appointed by the Rector Major with the consent of his council after wide consultation in the province concerned.
He must be a priest and perpetually professed for at least ten years.
He exercises ordinary power over all the houses and members of the province in both the internal and the external forum, according to the norms of the Constitutions and of canon law.
He is the competent superior for granting permission to the confreres to Publish writings of religious or moral content 1 and to preach to the confreres in their churches or oratories.2 R 143, 149, 152-153, 160
1cf. CIC, can. 832.
2.cf. CIC, can. 765.
163.
The provincial remains in office for six years. During this period the Rector Major with the consent of his council may transfer him elsewhere or appoint him to another office, if he judges such action necessary for the good of the Congregation. When he has completed his term of six years he will ordinarily not hold the office of provincial again for at least one year.
164. The provincial council
The council assists the provincial in everything that concerns the animation and government of the province.
It is convoked and presided over by the provincial and is made up of the vice-provincial, economer and ordinar ly three or five other Councillors. R 155, 159-160
165.
The provincial promotes the active and responsible collaboration of his councillors.
In matters of greater importance he should always listen to his council.
The provincial must have the consent of his council in the following cases:
1. admissions to the novitiate, to profession, to ministries and to sacred ordinations [C. 1 08];
2. appointment or transfer of a rector [C. 1 77];
3. appointment of the director of novices [C.112];
4. setting up of provincial delegations and appointment of the delegates [C.159];
5. seeking from the Rector Major and his council authorization to open and close houses, to modify the scope of existing works, and to undertake works out of the ordinary [C.132];
6. convoking an extraordinary provincial chapter [C.172];
7. financial operations referred to in article 188 of the Constitutions;
8. deciding which sectors of the educative and pastoral activity of the communities are to be represented in local councils [C.180];
9. modifying the normal roles and structures within a community [C.182];
10. authorizing confreres to live outside a house of the Congregation [CIC, can. 665,1].
R 156-158
166.
For a member to be a provincial councillor he must be perpetually professed for at least five years and no longer in the period of initial formation.
For the vice-provincial it is also required that he be a priest.
167.
Provincial councillors are appointed by Rector Major with the consent of his council, on the proposal of the provincial, following a wide consultation among the confreres of the province.
They remain in office for three years and may be reappointed, or even relieved from office during that period. R 154
168.
The vice-provincial is the first collaborator of the provincial in everything that concerns the ordinary government of the province, as also in those matters specially entrusted to him.
He takes the place of the provincial whenever the latter is absent or impeded.
On the death of the provincial and until the Rector Major provides otherwise, the vice provincial assumes and exercises the whole government of the province.
169.
It is the duty of the provincial economer to administer the goods of the province, and to control and coordinate the economy of the individual houses, in agreement with the provincial and according to the established norms. R 193-196
170. The provincial chapter
The provincial chapter 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.
It deliberates about matters which regard the province, with the exception of whatever is entrusted by the Constitutions and Regulations to other organs of government.
The deliberations of the provincial chapter have binding force after the approval of the Rector Major with the consent of his council, with the exception of what is prescribed by article 171,5 of the Constitutions.
171.
It is the task of the provincial chapter:
1. to decide on what pertains to the good running of the province;
2. to inquire into suitable means for promoting the religious and pastoral life of the provincial community;
3. to study how the deliberations of the general chapter may be put into practice;
4. to formulate and revise the provincial directory in matters left to be decided at provincial level;
5. to elect one or two delegates to the general chapter and their substitutes, in accordance with the Regulations.
172.
The provincial chapter shall ordinarily be called together. by the provincial every three years and each time the general chapter is convoked; extraordinarily, whenever the provincial, with the consent of his council and after consulting the Rector Major, shall judge it to be for the benefit of the province. R 168
173.
The following take part in the provincial chapter with the right to vote:
1. the provincial, who presides;
2. the provincial councillors;
3. the superior of each provincial delegation;
4. the moderator of the provincial chapter;
5. the rector of each canonically erected house or, if he is seriously impeded, the vice-rector with the previous approval of the provincial;
6. the director of novices;
7. the delegates of the local communities and of the provincial community, elected from those perpetually professed according to the norms of the Regulations. R 161-165, 168
174.
All the perpetually and temporarily professed confreres take part in the election of the delegates of the local and provincial communities. R 165
XIII. SERVICE OF AUTHORITY IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
"As each one has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good
stewards of God's varied grace,.... whoever renders service,
as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies,
in order that in everything God may be glorified through lesus Christ." (1 Pet 4,10-11)
175. The local community
The local community is made up of confreres who reside in a lawfully erected house, and in it live a common life in unity of spirit under the authority of the superior,1 sharing responsibility as they carry out their apostolic mission.
1.cf. CIC, can. 608
176. The rector
The superior of each local community is called the rector.
He is first in order of responsibility for its religious life, its apostolic activities and the administration of its goods.
With the collaboration of his council he animates and governs the community according to the Constitutions and general Regulations. R 29, 172-179, 199
177.
The rector must be a priest, perpetually professed for at least five years; he is appointed by the provincial with the consent of his council and the approval of the Rector Major, due regard being paid to the results of a consultation carried out among the members of the province.
The rector is appointed for a period of three years and can be confirmed for a second term of three years in the same community.
During his period of service he may be appointed to some other office if the provincial, with the consent of his council, deems it necessary.
178. The local council
In every local community there shall be a council composed of confreres in perpetual vows and no longer in initial formation, in number proportional to the number of confreres and to the requirements of their activities.
The council is convoked and presided over by the rector, and has the task of collaborating with him in animating and governing the community. R 180
179.
The following are members of the council:
1. the vice-rector and the economer;
2. the confreres responsible for the principal sectors of the community's activity, as laid down in article 180;
3. one or more members elected annually by the assembly of the confreres when the latter are numerous, in accordance with articles 180 and 186 of the Constitutions. R 183
180.
It belongs to the provincial with the consent of his council, after hearing the opinion of the local community, to decide which sectors of the community's activity shall be represented in the council. He too will decide whether any councillors are to be elected by the assembly of the confreres, and how many they will be. R 183
181.
The rector must have the consent of his council for:
1. the approval of the annual programme of the community's life and activities, to be submitted to the provincial for endorsement;
2. proposing to the provincial new experiments and substantial changes in the nature of the work;
3. the approval of the annual financial budget and balance sheet of the community and of the works for which we are responsible;
4. the financial operations envisaged by article 188 of the Constitutions;
5. deciding on the normal frequency of the council's meetings.
In other matters of importance the rector should always listen to his council. R 180
182.
Whenever circumstances suggest that some exception should be made, the provincial, with the consent of his council and after hearing the opinion of the local community concerned, can modify the ordinary roles and structures within the community, especially when it is small in number of confreres, provided always that the figure of the rector is safeguarded. R 181
183.
The vice-rector is the first collaborator of the rector. He takes his place in matters which have been especially entrusted to him and, if the rector is absent or impeded, in everything concerning the ordinary governrnent. He must therefore be a priest.
On the death of the rector and until the provincial provides otherwise, the vice-rector takes up and exercises the government of the house. R 182
184.
The economer is the one immediately responsible for the administration of the temporal goods of the religious house, in dependenceontherectorwithhiscouncil. He carries out his service in a spirit of charity and poverty. R 198-202
185.
The role and duties of those responsibie for the principal sectors of the community’s activities will be laid down by the provincial chapter.
186. Assembly of the confreres
The assembly of the confreres, which is a gathering of all the Salesians of the local community, is convoked and presided overby the rector for consultation on the principal questions which concern the community’s religious life and activities.
It is also its duty to elect the delegate to the provincial chapter and his substitute, and also to elect those members, if any, to the local council in accordance with article 180 of the Constitutions. R 173, 184
XIV. ADMINISTRATION OF TEMPORAL GOODS
“Be content with what you have; for God has said, ‘I will never fall you
nor forsake you’… Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have,
for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Heb 13, 5-16)
187.
The Salesian Society may acquire, possess, administer and alienate temporal goods. This is true for the Congregation as a whole, for individual provinces and for each house. Such goods should not be held in the name of an individual person, and should be retained only to the extent that they are directly useful for our works.
Acquiring and holding real estate with the sole object of producing income, and every other kind of interest-bearing investment is forbidden, except in the cases referred to in article 188 of the Constitutions. R 187
188.
The authorisation of the Rector Major with the consent of his council is needed for:
1. acquiring, alienating, exchanging, mortgaging or renting real estate;
2. contracting loans with or without mortgage;
3. accepting inheritances, bequests or donations to which obligations are attached; (when no obligation is attached it is sufficient merely to notify the Rector Major);
4. establishing annuities, student burses, Mass obligations, special or charitable foundations;
5. constructing new buildings, demolishing existing ones or making mamor alterations.
When such authorisation is applied for either at the provincial or local level, adequate documentation must be submitted together with the opinion of the provincial and his council, and also that of the rector and his council when a local house is concerned.
189.
With regard to all the oeprations referred to in article 188, it belongs to the Rector Major with the consent of his council, after hearing the opinion of the provincials with their respective councils and in the light of relevant decisions of the Apostolic See, to determine the financial limits within which each provincial with the consent of his council is competent to grant authorisations by an analogous procedure.
In the case of operations which exceed the amount laid down by the Apostolic See, or of things donated to the Church as the result of a vow, or objects which are precious by reason of their artistic or historical value1, the permission of the Apostolic See itself is required.
1 cf CIC, can. 638, 3
190.
All temporal goods are administered respectively by the economer general and by provincial and local economers, under the direction and control of the appropriate superiors and councils, in conformity with cnaonical dispositions, in accordance with the Constitutions and general Regulations, and in compliance with the laws of each country. R 30, 190, 192, 202
CONCLUSION
"I will run the way of your commands, you will
give freedom to my heart. " (Ps. 119,32)
191. The particular law of our Society
The life and activity of communities and confreres are regulated by the universal law of the Church and the particular law of the Society.
The latter is expressed in the Constitutions, which represent our basic Gode, the general Regulations, the deliberations of the general chapater, the general and provincial directories, and in other decisions made by competent authorities.
192. Meaning and interpretation of the Constitutions
The present Constitutions enshrine the spiritual riches of the traditions of the Salesians of Don Bosco, and define the apostolic project of our Society.
The Church, in approving them, assures us of the authenticity of the gospel way of life traced out by our Founder, and recognizes in it "a special benefit for the whole People of God"1.
The Apostolic See alone is their authentic interpreter, but for the practical direction of the Society and the good of the confreres the Rector Major with his council, as well as the general chapter, can give interpretations.
1.RD 14; cf. PC 1.
193. Binding quality of the Constitutions
The Constitutions are binding on every member in virtue of the obligations he has freely assumed before the Church by religious profession.
Without prejudice to what is laid down by universal law,1major superiors can dispense temporarily from individual disciplinary articles.
1.cf. CIC, can. 85-87;
194. Separation from the Society
Should it happen that a member believes in conscience that he should withdraw from the Society, he shall do so before God after he has taken the advice of prudent persons, and with the support of the understanding and charity of his confreres.
He may not however leave the Society until his temporary profession has expired or he has not been admitted to further profession, or until he has been lawfully freed from the vows and obligations he assumed at the profession itself by passing to another institute, by dispensation or by dismissal in conformity with the universal law.1 R 54
1.cf. CIC, can. 685; 689; 691-704.
195. Fidelity and Perseverance
Fidelity to the commitment made at our religious profession is a response which we continually renew to the special Covenant that the lord has made with us.
Our perseverance is founded entirely on the fidelity of God who loved us first, and is nourished by the grace of his consecration. It is sustained too by love for the young to whom we are sent, and is expressed in gratitude to the lord for the gifts that Salesian life offers us.
196. A way that leads to Love
Our living Rule is Jesus Christ, the Saviour announced in the Gospel, who is alive today in the Church and in the world, and whom we find present in Don Bosco who devoted his life to the young.
In response to the predilection of the lord Jesus who has called us by name, and led by Mary, we willingly accept the Constitutions as Don Bosco's will and testament, for us our book of life and for the poor and the little ones a pledge of hope.
We meditate on them with faith and pledge ourselves to put them into practice; they are for us, the lord's disciples, a way that leads to love.
CONSTITUTIONS OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS DE SALES
PRESENTATION: DON VIGANÓ
Here at last, dear confreres, is our renewed and approved Rule of lite.
It is offered to you in a manual which every salesian should keep with him as his identity card.
lt contains the Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales, our "basic code" revised and rewritten in accordance with the requirements of Vatican Il (cf "Ecclesiae Sanctae" Il, 1, 12-14).
In addition it contains the updated version of the general Regulations, which form an integral part of the particular law of our Society.
in the manual you will also find some of the writings of our Father, St. John Bosco, which are rich in his spiritual experience.
The serious and wide-ranging revision of the text was carried out by the whole Congregation over a period of many years and is the fruit of the work of no fewer than three general chapters (20th, 21st and 22nd); it ensures continuity with our ongins, the ecclesial character of the salesian apostolic consecration and the natural tendency of Don Bosco's mission to reach out to the whole world. On 25 November 1984, Solemnity of Christ the King, the Apostolic See approved the present Constitutions, once again declaring authoritatively "the authenticity of the gospel way of life traced out by the Founder" They set out the spiritual riches of our salesian tradition; they define its apostolic project; they trace out our path ofholiness and invite us to witness to it as the most precious gift we can offer the young.
On
We thank you, Father,
because you have called us individually by name from every continent
to be in the Church signs and bearers of your love.
For us too, Father, you have made rise up from the very heart of Christ, your apostle, that pastoral love
which marks our ecclesial fervour
with the gift of predilection for young people.
We adore you with filial gratitude
because your Paraclete, the Spirit of the Lord,
is always with us by the grace of his consecration as we live day by day the fullness of our gift, renewing the mystery of the baptismal Covenant through its more intimate and complete expression.
Grant, merciful Father,
that with Mary's guidance, we may persevere to the end on this way that leads to Love.
in our religious profession
you have made blossom in us a new and exhilarating real i ty
which is the offering of ourselves
in the work of salvation and the liturgy of life.
Teach us to see and contemplate
through the indications of this Rule, the undivided heart of your only Son;
permeate our freedom with the power of your Spirit, so that ail of us who adhere to Don Bosco may faithfully fuifil with your help ail that by your gift we have promised.
Fr Egidio Viganô
Rector Major
Rome,
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
___________________________________________________________
PresentaTion of the second edition: DON CHÁVEZ
My Dear Confreres,
18 years have passed since the promulgation of the renewed and approved text of our Rule of Life, the fruit of the work of no fewer than three extraordinary General Chapters in accordance with the requirements of Vatican II.
As the then Rector Major, Fr Egidio Viganò said in presenting the Constitutions and Regulations these “set out the spiritual riches of our salesian tradition; they define its apostolic project; they trace out our path of holiness and invite us to witness to it as the most precious gift we can offer the young.”
As such, the text retains all its validity and its richness, and therefore should be known, reflected on, prayed about and brought to life.
Nevertheless, seeking to bring the Rule of life into harmony with the new requirements of the Congregation, during the last three General Chapters (23rd, 24th, 25th) some modifications considered appropriate were made and later approved by the Holy See.
In the Constitutions changes have been introduced in articles 128, 132 (14), 133, 134, 137, 142, 151 (8), in the General Regulations in articles 3, 24, and 76, and, consequently, in the Analytical Index in the words Salesian Cooperators, Past pupils, Salesian Family, assigned to the care of the Vicar of the Rector Major.
It has therefore been considered appropriate to publish a second edition containing these modifications. I hope that it will provide the opportunity once again to welcome the text of the Constitutions “as a precious treasure” entrusted to us by Don Bosco, while we hear him saying to us: “If you have loved me in the past, continue to love me in the exact observance of our Constitutions.”
May Mary Help of Christians, on whose Solemnity I present this second edition, make us docile to the transforming action of the Holy Spirit so that following the example of the first Salesians, we may model our lives on that of Don Bosco.
Fr Pascual Chávez V.
Rector Major
Solemnity of Mary Help of Christians, and the centenary her crowning.
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