Most confreres whom I met after and before the meeting were not very optimistic about the whole endeavour of revising the Rector's manual. That it would be 'another' document and book, and only add to the existing number of unread and unused documents for most Salesians was a common opinion.
Added to that when some realized that I (being a Brother) was invited for this meeting were a bit confused and some even openly remarked: how come someone who has never been a rector himself be part of the team drafting a Rector's manual?
Well, I never offered a justification or took offense at their expressed or unexpressed remarks. In fact, it was something a lady seated beside me in the flight to Rome had already asked me. Truly I hadn't thought of that earlier, but in my reply to her I found nothing odd about my involvement. After all, I am part of the family and am contributing towards one policies governing service of the roles in my own family. Moreover, I cannot afford to be be careless or indifferent in this endeavour because the policies we arrive at for the Rector, in someway or other, directly or indirectly, sooner than later affect me as a confrere. The decisions, working style, guiding principles and quality of my rector affects me.
Fr Joshtrom, meeting whom at the UPS was a great pleasure, was kind and supportive, whenever I was placed in such a delicate situation. At one point, to avoid certain embarrassment when one particular confrere joined our discussion and asked for the reason of my presence in Rome, Fr Joshtrom said, "Manual labour!" A while later the confrere asked again, this time being specific, "Are you here for that meeting on the Salesian Rector's manual?" Fr Joshtrom again offered, "He is here for manual labour!" We all laughed.
Added to that when some realized that I (being a Brother) was invited for this meeting were a bit confused and some even openly remarked: how come someone who has never been a rector himself be part of the team drafting a Rector's manual?
Well, I never offered a justification or took offense at their expressed or unexpressed remarks. In fact, it was something a lady seated beside me in the flight to Rome had already asked me. Truly I hadn't thought of that earlier, but in my reply to her I found nothing odd about my involvement. After all, I am part of the family and am contributing towards one policies governing service of the roles in my own family. Moreover, I cannot afford to be be careless or indifferent in this endeavour because the policies we arrive at for the Rector, in someway or other, directly or indirectly, sooner than later affect me as a confrere. The decisions, working style, guiding principles and quality of my rector affects me.
Fr Joshtrom, meeting whom at the UPS was a great pleasure, was kind and supportive, whenever I was placed in such a delicate situation. At one point, to avoid certain embarrassment when one particular confrere joined our discussion and asked for the reason of my presence in Rome, Fr Joshtrom said, "Manual labour!" A while later the confrere asked again, this time being specific, "Are you here for that meeting on the Salesian Rector's manual?" Fr Joshtrom again offered, "He is here for manual labour!" We all laughed.
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