In our religious houses, among the numerous issues plaguing our transition procedures, is the break of rapport between the one laying down office has with the various people with regard to our apostolate and the one replacing the outgoing confrere. The phrase 'there came a pharaoh who knew not Joseph' aptly describes this issue.
In my three years in office, I've come across several lay people who feel greatly disturbed, and some even feel humiliated, after a new set of confreres replace others in a place with a long history. The new set of confreres treat this particular individual or persons with utter disregard or total shun any contact with him or them. At times confreres may not be doing this consciously. It is sometime out of pure ignorance or because his predecessor has not introduced or even mentioned about these individuals to the incoming confreres. But for the lay persons involved it is very awkward. It is just that some of them have long been associated with our works and our mission. And after being so closely associated and worked so much, suddenly to find themselves being treated as strangers, by actual strangers (new Salesians!) is embarrassing.
I also know of instances where some Salesians have pampered some lay persons to the extent that rather than become people who would positively influence the apostolate, they become parasites or looters. The fresh team distancing themselves and the apostolate from such persons is actually needed and is healthy for all involved.
At other times, our attitude of being omniscient, certainly does not help! Even though, we have no idea of the new apostolate, or have never even bothered to glance through its history, we act as if we were born into that responsibility. In such a scenario, there came a Pharoah, who not only knew not Joseph, but thought of himself as Yahweh!!
Reworking our transition procedures keeping in mind such scenarios is one possible way forward. But ultimately, blessed is he who does not feel as a Pharaoh at all!
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