Hajja Salesjana July-September 2019

H AJJA S ALESJANA 14 This was an important meeting aimed at giving us a clear way forward to guide us along the winding road that stretches far into our Maltese Salesian future. The Chapter began on Sunday, 26th May 2019 with a quiet, two day retreat ably led by the English Salesian, Fr. John Dickson who wove the latest Vatican document about young people Christus Vivit with our Salesian ethos, tradition and history highlighting the paramount importance that as Salesians we need to offer ourselves to our young people as sound, spiritual, genuine fathers and brothers who are willing to accompany them on life’s journey. Today more than ever before young people ask of us to be authentic men of God who can truly be their spiritual fathers on the path of holistic growth and wellbeing, especially at a time when fatherhood is so much in a crisis of identity and credibility. However, for us Salesians to be truly so, we ourselves need to first of all be in touch with ourselves, and then be very much in touch and in love with Jesus Christ, our sole purpose, on a daily basis. Only then can we give the young people what they seek and ultimately long for. We need to be sign bearers to them pointing them and accompanying them to come to know Jesus – The real Way, The unshakeable Truth and The effervescent Life they seek. This historical, first local Chapter was also a preparation for the worldwide General Chapter that will take place next year with the theme, The Salesian for today. A pertinent An evanescent dream becomes a grounded reality by Fr. Sandro Camilleri sdb, Editor First Maltese Salesian Chapter members at the end of the Chapter Meandering, verdant, fertile fields, azure, clear skies accompanied by a roaring and deafening silence except for some joyous, carefree chirping here and there from a couple of hoverng sparrows and swallows, was the set up where a once evanescent dream became a grounded reality when as Maltese Salesians . We met at the beautiful Lunzjata Retreat House to celebrate our very first Salesian Chapter.