Jacques Schepens told me that he notes a trend to centralize all formation: large studentates with all the teaching of first cycle theology (STB or MDV) under Rome’s direct control. By extension, the teaching of Salesian Studies (education, spirituality, history) is also thought to need centralized control, since those who study these sciences will work in initial formation … in the large studentates… supervised tightly by Rome.
In hearing this, my thought has been that it is increasingly difficult to dialogue with anyone with regard to formation in the provinces because they have all memorized the refrain “all roads lead to Rome” – beginning with Francesco Cereda. In other words, whereas the third edition the Ratio was put together between 1999-2001 with the idea of decentralization and of ensuring that throughout the congregation formation took place on the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral level, the thinking today has shifted. There are forces in the congregation that are endorsing the large group and studentate once again.
Why the centralized studentate? The reasons are based on demographics. While there are upward of 500 novices in the congregation this year (similar to vocation numbers before the 1950s), these new recruits come from many far-flung provinces, many of which are mission territories or Eastern European foundations where Catholic and Salesian traditions are very limited. A second consideration is that these 500 young-adult novices, divided among 90 provinces and 130 countries, often are found in small units, as opposed to the large numbers of teenaged novices of the 1940s that came half of the 40 provinces in existence in that era. In other words, while we have the same number of novices as in the building years of the 1930s and 1940s, we in fact have a much smaller number with respect to the huge number of provinces and apostolic presences now in existence. Outside of a few countries, therefore, the numbers of novices average between 2 and 6 per nation.
Follow this group of novices through the years of vocational journey and, by attrition, the number of theology students is smaller and much more scattered. In practice, this means that, if left in their own national environments, many theology students would remain isolated. Instead, the general councilor for formation reasons, it would be better if these young Salesians were formed in peer groups where they can receive good instruction, careful accompaniment, and consistent experiences in Salesian-style apostolic, human, spiritual and intellectual formation. Centralized, international, interprovinical studentates would respond to the needs of the isolated young Salesian in formation at this stage of his vocational itinerary.
As I say, there is something of a "numbers game" at play here that results from the new Salesian demographics. The fact that the congregation is large but spread very thin means that many provinces do not have enough personnel to carry out formation work – work that demands intense dedication even if there are only a few novices and young confreres on the local scene. It also means that formation has been seen as meager until now, especially in those areas of the world where the congregation is growing rapidly (India, Eastern Europe, Vietnam, Timor-Indonesia, Africa). The concern, therefore, is to train young Salesians in Salesianity (which includes spirituality, but also other studies). With limited trained personnel across the provinces, and indeed very few trained in Salesian sciences, education and spirituality, the thought is to bring all the experts together to one center – Rome – and offer a quality training to all those whom the provinces will send.
As a theory, this would make a lot of sense to me. I question whether this is what happens in practice. Had the leaders of formation in the several regions been called to consider the problems and find solutions together, the distribution of theology students and formators might have conformed more closely to local needs and realities. Instead it seems to me that the dicastery alone is surveying the situation and coming up with its own assessment and unilateral solutions. The result is that many young confreres come to the studentates and find themselves on a great adventure in a foreign country, but risk losing a sense of their own local realities.
As if to bear this out, the student priests from Santo Domingo who are here at the UPS have told me that their theology students are in three or four large centers, and a high percentage reach ordination, but when they get back to their province they fall into three categories. Those who studied in Tlaquepaque are activists; those who studied in the Holy Land are hermits; those who studied in Rome are “men about town” (borghesi). All of them have difficulty readjusting to the realities of Santo Domingo.
Of course, the big problem is that many of the clerics have a hard time learning the new language, and spend half of their three-years of MDV/STB work just trying to understand Italian (or in Jerusalem now, English). Since native speakers are rare in either place, no one really learns the idiom well. And after the first semester, where 10 out 22 people in my course did not understand Italian, I just wonder what anyone is really learning. They will return to their countries with half-an-idea, and will be considered experts because they studied in Rome. Many of the professors here are recognizing the same problem, but when I tried to bring this to the attention of Cereda, he brushed it aside. Evidently, he has no problem with languages, so he doesn’t quite see that anyone else might have a problem.
Our formation for theology students at Don Bosco Hall must sustain an added weight. Constant complaints by other provinces about Berkeley – too worldly, or too secular, and therefore a place of good information but not of good formation – has worked to our disadvantage. Juan José Bartolomé’s hunch is that once the current group of our three clerics finish at Berkeley, no one else will be allowed to do their first cycle (MDV) studies there, unless we can get a group of at least 20 clerics.
Thus, as is done year after year, all the members community of Don Rua gathered to celebrate. Truly, the festivities began early in the morning when everyone gathered for a community eucharist at 7.00. Early as it was, the concelebration was festive and moving. Then on for the day's responsibilities, for even though the classes are over for the semester, there were a lot of odds and ends to attend to, not the least of which was ascertaining the exam schedule…
The aroma of roasting and barbequing began to replace the smell of books, and the sound of Spanish folk music overpowered the sounds of whirling hard drives. The tone of voices raised, all sounding excited and happy… the last minute afternoon showers and dressing up in summer clothes -- party spirit everywhere in the house.
As the sun began to set, then, the community gathered on the terrace outside the backdoor of the house, and enjoyed, al fresco, a great barbeque, with music, some speeches, some recitations and magic tricks, and dancing too … and then more food and great conversations.
The spirit of the Don Rua community has been excellent all year, really, and this all came out in this end-of-term party … one that has been called "la festa di addio"… the farewell party, if you like. And I realize that I have grown attached to many of the men, young and old, in this community and that I am going to miss them. I have already hated the idea of saying goodbye…
