Hajja Salesjana May June 2017

32 this possible. However, they said: "If this is for your good, we support you all the way, but should you turn back on your decision, we will welcome you with open arms". How come you have arrived at being so close to the Rector Major? It was he who asked me to accept this service on the very same day when he was elected. I happened to be in Rome, at the time, working as part of the team for Formation and hoping to return soon to Argentina. I had been chosen to be part of the General Chapter on behalf of the community of the Mother House of the Salesians to which I belonged at the time. It is true that at that time, we did not know each other well, since having finished my term of office as Provincial and was replaced by Fr Angel, I had been sent to Rome with very little opportunity to interact with him. One thing is true and that is that I arrived at being close to Fr Angel out of his own intuition rather than after lengthy discernment. As a matter of fact, four or five hours after his appointment, I was working with and for him. What do you think of this experience? Besides being a real gift, I consider it a great privilege. Never would I have imagined such could have happened to me. It is an intense task and I must admit that I often wish that I could have been leading a more "ordinary" salesian life where I would have been in a community with a specific group of young people and collaborating with lay people. However, I marvel at the opportunity that is mine to learn so much from this life-giving experience beside the successor of Don Bosco. An experience that gives me the opportunity to meet so many confreres, members of the Salesian Family and young people throughout the world. I suppose no one as you are, could be so immersed in the total reality of the Salesians world-wide. What do you think? This is very true, and that is why I consider this a real privilege. So far, in a matter of less than 3 years, we have visited 44 Provinces and Pre-Provinces. This has entailed 52 nations where we were able to meet, personally, 5,000 Salesians and so many other brothers and sisters who belong to the Salesian Family and numerous young people. In your opinion, how would you rate the well-being of the Salesian Congregation? I do not hesitate to say that, generally speaking, the well-being of the Congregation is excellent. On a small scale it is not unusual to encounter difficulties, weaknesses and signs of reduced vitality which create problems. However, in spite of all this, there is so much fidelity and commitment in view of the Kingdom and even sanctity. From a broad point of view, what shines through is a healthy Congregation. I agree with what the Rector Major often states, that we cannot judge the well-being of the Congregation by the problems that arrive on his desk, and that of the local Provincials.