THE SECRET OF A HAPPY VOCATION
The Annual AFE Brothers’ Meeting
The AFE coadjutors’ annual meeting is an event that is highly treasured in our province. This year’s (2009) meeting was no doubt, an occasion that was well planned and one that was eagerly looked for. Originally it was to take place in June but later it was arranged to coincide both with the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the host community – Don Bosco Technical Secondary School, Embu, and with the Golden Jubilee of Religious Profession of Br. Umberto Rizzetto.
The Silver Jubilee gave us a reason to thank God for the Salesian Presence in Embu for the last 25 years. The occasion brought together many of the Past Pupils of the School. The Golden Jubilee offered us the opportunity to gather around Br. Umberto Rizzetto and to celebrate his Golden Fifty Years of exemplary religious and Salesian fidelity and commitment. No doubt Br. Umberto was the centre of attention and his beaming smile spoke volumes for the beauty and grandeur of the Vocation of the Salesian. The testimony of a life lived with obvious joy, serenity and dedication was well received by everyone gathered there for the occasion and left lasting impressions on our minds and hearts. The three keys to a happy religious vocation, according to the testimony of Br. Umberto, are: love of one’s duty, the love of one’s community and the entrustment to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The twin celebrations became a nice and appealing backdrop for developing the theme of the Brothers’ meeting: “The Brother Vocation in Africa Today”. The Brothers’ meeting took place between October 10th and 13th. We were happy to have both the Provincial and the Vice-Provincial to animate the meeting. We felt affirmed and valued as Salesian Brothers. Our reflections were based on Article 45 of the Constitutions and relevant sections of our last Provincial Chapter Document as well as the parallel reflections contained in GC 26. The round of personal reflections and sharing of experiences helped to give context and substance to the ‘doctrinal’ reflections on the vocation of the Salesian Brother. Fr. Provincial presented us with the prayer for the Canonization of Br. Srugi. That was an effective reminder of the fact that the Salesian Vocation must always be considered in relation to the call to personal and community holiness.
Election of the new ‘office bearers’ wound up our annual get-together. Br. Giorgio Conte was elected as the chairperson and Br. Zeno Muema as the Secretary. We wish them blessings in carrying out their responsibility as animators in our province. A picnic to the Masinga Dams concluded our three day meet. The sight of the dams empty of water served as an additional reminder, of the grim drought situation prevailing in the country and every one raised a spontaneous prayer to heaven for mercies on the people. Like the scene in Ezekiel of the Valley of the Dry Bones, this too provoked our reflection on the situation of vocational ‘dryness’ and the need therefore to storm heaven with prayers for more happy vocations to the religious life.
