(ANS – Rome) – At the  conclusion of the intermediate plenary session of the General Council, the Rector Major announced the topic for the next General Chapter: Witnesses to an radical gospel informed life-style. The GC27 will be held in 2014, beginning in Turin on 22 February and Fr Francesco Cereda will be the Moderator.

In a letter the IX successor of Don Bosco, gives to Salesians an introduction to  the GC27. “The chosen topic is concerned with witnessing to a radical gospel-informed life-style, for which the motto “work and temperance” (cf. C. 18) is a practical formulation  of Don Bosco’s plan of life  “da mihi animas cetera tolle”. It is meant to help us to examine in depth our charismatic identity, so that we may  be aware of our call to live Don Bosco’s apostolic plan with fidelity”. It is a topic which follows on from that of GC26 and provides a good opportunity to further reflection on  the Salesian vocation on the eve of the bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth.

Four particular areas are being proposed:

• living the Salesian consecrated  vocation, which is a gift of God and a personal plan of life with the grace of unity and with joy;
• having a strong spiritual experience, making one’s own Jesus’ way of living  and acting obedient, poor and chaste and becoming seekers of God;
• building in our communities  a fraternal way of life and action;
• dedicating ourselves with generosity to the mission, walking beside the young in order to give hope to the world.

The fundamental objective of the GC 27 is “to help every confrere and every community to live Don Bosco’s apostolic plan with fidelity.” The fruits hoped for from the GC27 are visibility, credibility and vocational fruitfulness. “Visibility is not mainly about looking after our image, but is the beautiful witness of our vocation. If we were to bear witness with fidelity and joy to Don Bosco’s apostolic plan, that is to the Salesian consecrated vocation, then our life would become attractive, it would become fascinating, to the young especially, and therefore we would have a new vocational fruitfulness.”

The GC27 will have other tasks:

• the election of the Rector Major and the General Council for  the period 2014-2020;
• the assessment of some requests made by the GC25 and GC26;
• the rethinking of the organisation and structuring of the departments for the Salesian mission: youth ministry, missions, social communication;
• the structure of the three Regions in Europe;
• an assessment regarding  the entrusting of the Salesian Family to the Vicar of the Rector Major (cf. GC25, 133 and GC26, 116).
• an evaluation of the structures for animation and central government of the Congregation.

Fr Francesco Cereda, formerly Moderator of the GC26, will be assisted by the Technical  Commission appointed by the Rector Major: Fr Fabio Attard, Fr Pierfausto Frisoli, Fr Filiberto Gonzalez, Fr Maria Arokiam Kanaga, Bro. Jean Paul Muller and Fr José Miguel Nuñez.

Fr Chávez concludes his letter inviting every Salesian and community “to foster those attitudes and that climate which will give practical expression to “work and temperance”. I also invite you to accompany this event with the prayer to Don Bosco, which I gave you at the beginning of the three year period of preparation for the Bicentenary.”

The full text of the letter is available on sdb.org. From today on the site of the Congregation a section devoted to the GC27, is available for those with the necessary access, which contains various materialconnected with the next General Chapter.

Published 04/04/2012