This evening it suddenly struck me that the number of confreres that I have on my province (INH) birthday booklet are lesser than the number of confreres this province (GBR) has on its necrology list. And the number of confreres on its birthday list is a little more than the list I have of deceased confreres from my province!
No wonder I have someone or the other to pray for who celebrates his birthday back in my province, everyday! And here they have more often than not, more than one to remember the death anniversary of, every day of the year!
Salesians came to Great Britain during the term of Don Rua (as the Rector Major) that was before 1910. And Salesians came to India more or less around the same time, in 1906. So if I were to compile the list of all the deceased Salesians in all the Indian provinces over the years, it would certainly be more than that of GBR.
However, it is sad to see the decline in the number of vocations not just to Salesians but to religious life in general, and to practicing faith itself! I really don't fear a similar fate of Salesians back in India. Given the religious sentiment of our nation, I doubt if we'll ever run short of personnel. But what I am doubtful is the quality of personnel. Of the latter, I fear.
No wonder I have someone or the other to pray for who celebrates his birthday back in my province, everyday! And here they have more often than not, more than one to remember the death anniversary of, every day of the year!
Salesians came to Great Britain during the term of Don Rua (as the Rector Major) that was before 1910. And Salesians came to India more or less around the same time, in 1906. So if I were to compile the list of all the deceased Salesians in all the Indian provinces over the years, it would certainly be more than that of GBR.
However, it is sad to see the decline in the number of vocations not just to Salesians but to religious life in general, and to practicing faith itself! I really don't fear a similar fate of Salesians back in India. Given the religious sentiment of our nation, I doubt if we'll ever run short of personnel. But what I am doubtful is the quality of personnel. Of the latter, I fear.
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