John Itzaina will be giving a report to the Salesian Family in California on the Rua Congress, held here in Rome from 28 to 31 October. I've send some photos to Ralph Murphy, and I'll send more, but let me put down a couple of reflections now.
Don Rua nella Storia - 1910-2010: Congresso Internazionale
My first sense is that this is a historiographer's conference, but that the Rector Major wanted this extended to the whole congregation. He put this proposal to Francesco Motto (director of the Institute of Salesian History in Rome) as early as 2005, and since 2006 preparations for this congress have been underway. The historians were a bit miffed, but the majority of delegates were formation counselors or those working in Salesian spirituality and formation.
As I said, the Rector Major really wanted this congress. His concluding conference says it all. He wants Salesians to get away from the clichés about Don Rua that are more dismissive than helpful. Rua is the one who institutionalized the charism and therefore is the one who brought Don Bosco and the Salesians out of the confines of the back alleys of Valdocco and into the forefront of the world…
Well, not all the world… our world has barely heard of Salesian… but this may be the point. As Don Rua found ways to invoke Don Bosco's spirit in new situations and unexperimented venues, so we have the same task today as the world moves into a major culture shift unknown since the defeat of Napoleon. In that sense, we are not too late. If Don Bosco has been "on hold" in English-speaking countries until now, we have the chance to introduce him to a new world, much as Don Rua did as he grew the congregation of 700 Salesians to over 4000 during his two decades of service.
But the Rector Major says it better than I can.
Over 20 of my students from Rome (from 2005 to 2008) were taking part in this congress, as well as two from the ISS (Yarat and Paul Felix Vernal).
Yarat from Thailand and I talked a lot about Berkeley and Arthur's great breakfastsActually, I knew a lot of people present for this congress, and it was good to see old friends and colleagues from past projects.
As I said, the Rector Major really wanted this congress. His concluding conference says it all. He wants Salesians to get away from the clichés about Don Rua that are more dismissive than helpful. Rua is the one who institutionalized the charism and therefore is the one who brought Don Bosco and the Salesians out of the confines of the back alleys of Valdocco and into the forefront of the world…
Well, not all the world… our world has barely heard of Salesian… but this may be the point. As Don Rua found ways to invoke Don Bosco's spirit in new situations and unexperimented venues, so we have the same task today as the world moves into a major culture shift unknown since the defeat of Napoleon. In that sense, we are not too late. If Don Bosco has been "on hold" in English-speaking countries until now, we have the chance to introduce him to a new world, much as Don Rua did as he grew the congregation of 700 Salesians to over 4000 during his two decades of service.
But the Rector Major says it better than I can.
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