Job satisfaction and fulfilment

 Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with one of our former staff.  Although he had resigned, he was still on board for selected but scattered tasks that we asked him to come on board.  So far so good. 

The discussion began about our present work condition and I thought he was keen to know how things work within the organisation.  However, sooner than later he stopped me and said, I came to basically share with you my difficulties!  I didn't see that coming.  Nonetheless I listened to him and very soon realised he was looking for some challenging role and responsibility.  He wasn't asking. He wasn't demanding. He was placing himself before me and asking me to challenge him with a task.  He wanted that thrill of being felt useful and capable.  He wished to pour out his energies into something that others had failed at or feared handling or proved incapable of completing.  

Later in the night I discussed what I had in mind for this particular individual with the others in my organisation core team.  They were more than excited about how perfect a fit it was: the man, given his capacity and experience, and the task/role I proposed. 

I guess it is not always about money or fame.  At times and more than we like to think of it, a job is not merely a monetary source - it is a vital source of meaning and fulfilment in one's life.  And I hope and pray that more and more of us priests and religious see our life and service as meaningful and fulfilling rather than anything else. 

Can Salesian Brothers be rectors

Can Salesian Brothers be rectors?

The question itself is wrongly posed. Rather than ask whether ‘Can SB be made rectors?, one should ask, ‘Who should be rectors?’ It is not about priests or brothers, but persons with charisma, with the passion of DB, with leadership skills who need to be appointed rectors! And in that list of qualities needed to be a rector, if priesthood is not a non-negotiable, then so be it. 

Let the holy ones among us, pray for us; the intelligent ones, teach us; and the prudent ones, lead us. (Fr Agilan)

What one needs to work on is the attitudinal change; a change about the perception of a leader.  In that sense I appreciate the GC 29 placing this question, under the structural proposals, rather than in the core topics of discussion. The argument of rectorship on the basis of priesthood and brotherhood, and whatever decision we arrive at on the basis of that criterion, is only doing a disservice to the congregation and the society at large. One direct negative outcome of it would be that the apprehensive and pessimistic attitude we live and exhibit towards the Salesian collaborators will continue! 

For example, if I’m genuinely interested in the welfare of the young people of a school, I’ll ensure that one who is best suited for them would be appointed as principal. Even if that person is a lay person, who is imbued with the spirit of DB. Why should we deny the young, the competence and spirit of a capable lay person; that too purely to give the ‘cassock’ or ‘my friend’ or ‘a titled SDB’ a chance? But if I have no objection to someone passionate about DB and academically competent, as the principal of a school, then what has changed is the attitude; not the role, not the position. My ‘position’ as an SDB, far from being ignored or denigrated, has only been enriched because I have acted in the best interest of the children. We need to strive for such an attitudinal change rather than engage ourselves in power games. 

To those who fear that tomorrow a Salesian collaborator will be proposed and appointed a rector, we need to educate him or her to see that only a Salesian is to be the rector of a house. Therefore, it is then to clarify the identity of a Salesian (as consecrated to God and committed to the young). A Salesian collaborator however committed to the young he or she may be, is not a consecrated religious. 

Again, as a Salesian what marks me out is not my priesthood or brotherhood but my CONSECRATION (something most of us Salesians ourselves either do not know, or understand or are unwilling to accept). So even without being a priest I can be a Salesian – this no one can dispute (and if someone does, then the Salesian Brothers are not Salesians at all; so no question of whether he can be a rector or not!). 

Last of all, I joined the congregation because I loved Don Bosco and wanted to live and work like him. I did not join the congregation to become a rector or principal or administrator or (least of all) the role that I'm now carrying out. Moreover, when I made my profession AS A BROTHER, I was very well aware that a brother is not appointed as the superior. So, the ongoing debate – amusing as it sounds – is something I’m the least bothered to break my head about! I only take this opportunity to see how the Brothers identity, and all the more, the Salesian identity, was, is and will be defined...! 

Salesian Collaborators

As years go by there is a greater understanding and appreciation of the involvement and collaboration with the non-professed secular members of the civil society, when it comes to the Salesian apostolate.  

I purposely did not use the word 'lay people' because the usual meaning of the word 'lay' refers to someone who is not competent in a field of knowledge or learning.  But in the Salesian dictionary it refers to all those other than the professed Salesians.  Nonetheless, in our recent discussion it was proposed that the english word that comes closest to the true intended meaning would be 'collaborators'.  

In a sense, clericalism still is a major challenge that prevents us from truly embracing the collaborators and opening our hearts and minds to see the richness and efficiency they have to offer us with regard to our apostolate.  As Fr Koshy stated, clericalism was a block that prevented us from accepting the Salesian Brothers as real brothers then, and now is still a stumbling block when it comes to understanding and working with the collaborators. 

Nonetheless, one thing that struck me was the notion that, unlike yesteryear, there is a rather general consensus that collaboration is a must.  But what still is being debated is the methodology of collaboration; rather than collaboration itself.  I see the point that some make, perhaps more as an excuse than an honest reason: collaboration is with people who are like-minded; with those who have imbibed the charism and spirit of Don Bosco.  That's the best form of collaborators.  Not merely having highly qualified skilled employees!  

Of course, we can always split hairs to say that how would someone know and love Don Bosco unless we start associating with them, even if it is as employees.  But the point is that being like Don Bosco, passionate about the wellbeing of the young, is enough reason for us to join hands and hearts!  

Expertise

Today I had the fortune of attending a finance committee meeting of a parish.  It was a mixture of priests and lay people.  I was briefed that it could get ugly, with the lay people being highly suspicious of the priests and their ways of accounting. I was prepared for that. 

Nonetheless what unfolded was a totally different scene!  The lay people were more strict with themselves and each other than with the priests!!  Their ability to see through the numbers and ask very valid and relevant clarifications was something I really was happy to see.  

They never asked one single question about the expenses FOR the Church or challenged any expenditure made by the administrator.  Most of their queries were to ensure that the collection, from various sources, over the month, was rightly accounted for or not.  

And all of this discussion with no malice, but a very cordial but serious examination of the accounts.  

Choosing ministers

In the first reading of the day, we hear the apostles asking the community to find replacement for them to carry on, responsibly and with diligence, the work they were doing - doing charity.  It is interesting to note that the apostles did not merely appoint people of their own accord.  They asked the community to choose. They merely approved and blessed them. 

One might argue that they themselves were picked up by the Lord - not proposed and chosen by the people.  And they considered prayer and preaching their main task.  But for doing charity, they request the community to elect persons. However, in an age when there is not much of a difference in prayer and charity, when one is called to do both, without being biased towards one or the other, do we also not ought to take into consideration the means of choosing/appointing disciples?  Should formation of priests and religious, and most importantly, promotion of them over the years, be the sole privilege of the priests and religious?  Should not the lay people whom priests and religious work for and with, not have a say in their formation? 

The most formidable reason I fully endorse the need for the approval of the people (formators and lay staff) in permitting priests and religious to the orders or vows is the criteria listed in the Acts: respectable people filled with the Spirit and with wisdom.  This will also go on to confirm the fact that every one is capable of discerning the Spirit and recognizing wisdom - not just the religious, or the educated! While it is God who offers us our vocation, it is our individual responsibility to make that vocation useful to others.  So why not ask the community - the whole community, and not just the religious or priests alone - to help in the discerning the worthiness of individuals for pastoral ministry?

Mere sheep?

What was once considered a very useful analogy and is still regarded as one of the best descriptions of Jesus Christ and the church is that of the Good Shepherd.  Christ, in the Gospels, projects himself as the Good Shepherd, who leads his flock with tender loving care. 

Today I heard someone joking about the offence some individuals have taken against this parable and its description... not of Jesus as the shepherd, but of equating the people as sheep.  Mere, dumb sheep?? Now that's an affront to some who would consider themselves more than "meek, silent, and ignorant" sheep. That too needing one to 'herd' them!  Now that's too much! 

Well, I always thought it should be the priests who should take offence at this description.  My perspective being, that priests (and clergy/religious) should not think, they know it all!  As shepherd we are called to take care.  Not boss over!  In that sense, never look down on those whom we serve as "brainless or dumb".  That certainly is not the characteristic of a 'good shepherd'.  

Another Salesian residence

Another piece of history that I learnt about today is that the house adjacent to the Salesian school was once the Salesian residence.  It perfectly makes sense as it is the connecting plot between the pavement beside the cemetery and the school compound.

I'm told that it presently is the residence of the Cor et Lumen Christi, one of the few lay communities of England.  They had bought that house from the Salesians when we had moved to the present location.  Fr Eric Donnell, himself a Salesian, who was then the parish priest of St Anne's Church was instrumental in mediating this purchase of property.  It was also because he had been in touch with the societies of laity living together in a community and one of them was looking for a residential plot.  He negotiated this deal between the lay group and the Salesians.

It was interesting to know something about this particular lay group which lives together as a community, something akin to religious living together.  Brian has volunteered to put me in touch with one of them who is an active parishoner.  The Hungarian priest, Fr Thomas who occasionally appears in the parish for Masses is said to be their current Chaplain.  Look forward to know more about this particular group.  

Evolving understanding of 'community'

During the meeting for the revision of the Salesian rector's manual, there was a suggestion that prior to laying down the guidelines for the Salesian Rector, it is necessary to redefine 'community'.  Perhaps if I were in India, I would not have understood or taken this insight too seriously.  Having spent more than 7 months here in the UK and observing the Salesian style of functioning here, I cannot but agree with this suggestion.

When I was in the initial formation, the word 'community' only meant those professed or the 'staff' of the community.  The rest of us were present in the house.  I do not say that we were ill-treated or anything. Absolutely no. But the understanding, even among us boys and youngsters, was that only the professed Salesians or the staff members were 'community'.

Later my understanding of the community grew a bit wider, especially during my work in Kondadaba, wherein all those in the house, even the non-Salesian Brothers were part of the 'community'. Even those who worked in the seminary, the 7 support staff, I counted them in as members of the 'community'.

Living here in the UK, I sense my own understanding of the word 'community' has grown to be more inclusive.  That's primarily because, the work of the Salesian charism is not carried out only by the professed Salesians.  It is equally and at times, even mostly carried out by non-professed members in the society.   I'm beginning to see the worth and the quality of partnership we professed Salesians have with the non-professed.

How I wish this level of collaboration and understanding was real even in India.  Most certainly, we would hear the 'no personnel' antiphon less often.  Much more could be achieved by way of outreach and professed Salesians would thereby focus their energy and resources on priorities and not doing everything all by ourselves.  But alas, I guess we are not very good learners!  It may not be till numbers drastically reduce that we begin to see the worth and need of genuine partnership with the laity.  Perhaps only then we will realise that we are not the sole inheritors of the Salesian legacy. 

Abridged formation course

This province of Great Britain does not have any initial formation house.  The only formation house that it can speak of is that of Battersea where there are three clerics staying and attending college at St Mary's studying theology.  So unlike most Indian provinces it has neither an aspirantate, pre-novitiate, philosophate, nor any house of specific formation.  I was thinking that's a huge reduction on expenditure.  For I know that most of my province's expenditure is on formation and formation houses.  (Perhaps that's the only advantage, if one can speak of at all... for not having vocations is perhaps an absolute loss!)

However, this particular trip to Turin with 9 of us is perhaps an investment in formation...  formation of lay collaborators.  Much more than me, a professed Salesian, this visit would throw up for the collaborators many more views and options and messages and most importantly, questions about the Salesians and Don Bosco.  Some of them have been working with the Salesians for years and some are new but all the same their love for the Salesians is great.  This guided tour certainly offers them a great possibility of deepening their love for Don Bosco and a unique flavour to their Salesian ministry.

For me, it offered a great chance to meet and interact with these individuals. Each of them unique, different and greatly experienced in their own field of work.  Besides their work ethic I admire their fidelity to their Catholic faith.  For them the latter is not something pietistic or ritual, it is something that enthuses them and something they are very convinced of passing on... not only for their families but for young people whom they teach.  Best of all, it was not as if I was or for that matter even Fr John was, 'better off' than them merely because we were 'SDBs'.  We walked, talked and shared life and mutually enriched one another!

I'm sure if I were to have come here with a group of (professed) Salesians only, it would have been very different.  But thanks to the unique composition of this group and the slant of Fr John's explanations, I can boldly say that this 'formation course' is more holistic and meaningful than the decades of 'cloistered formation' we Salesians often insist on. 

Thy Kingdom come...

Jesus' prayer did not say, "... that I may go to Your Kingdom..." but the prayer says, "... Your Kingdom come..."

This was made explicit when Prof. Dev Manti, blasted us for being partial in our take on formation.  We spoke of the formator, formee and the whole dynamics between them. He said all the while you speak of relationship with God and the Spirit. How then is the Kingdom established, if all the while you are lost in relating to God alone?

I think we need to define who the 'other' is.  In stages of initial formation, say till our practical training, the immediate other (from the perspective of the formee) is primarily the formator. But not exclusively!! There are also the other persons whom he interacts with: the staff members, the domestic helpers, the oratory youth and even occasional visitors and strangers.  The 'other' at that stage is not primarily the general public, the wide 'field of apostolate'.  Now if the formee, is assisted to relate to each of these people (formators, staff, domestic helpers, immediate neighbours, visitors) as people, not as higher or lower, not as differentiated, then he is on the right path.  Of course, this will be 'learnt' mostly by the way the formee sees the formator relating to each of these groups, individually as a group as well. It is the same with regard to relationship with God.

Once this is achieved (the formee has learned to relate to EVERY people holistically) the formee takes it wherever he goes.  He will replicate that mode of relationship - a human being meeting another human being.

Where then does the dimension of taking the side of the marginalised happen??  By the very act of treating everyone as a human being, we are already taking sides!  

Open to learning

Last week I was in a meeting and now I'm part of another meeting. Both different motives, though some of the participants are the same.  However, something that I find very relevant and good is this: Lay persons are animating and guiding the whole process.  In the former meeting, it was Mr Conrad Saldanha guiding the Strategic planning. In the current one, it is Mr Dev Manti, for the Participatory Action Research.  Honestly it is a great shift we have made... from being closed to any lay person "teaching" priests and religious to a state where we feel that this person has something worthwhile to offer... something I can learn and grow for.

The best part of it all: these lay persons are far more passionate about the mission of Don Bosco than I am!  If most of us Salesians join hands with them, what marvels we can achieve.  If not join hands, at least not block or barricade their efforts, unwilling to let go of my 'ordination' or 'profession' ego. 

Clericalism: Danger to the Church

Something from Pope Francis on Priesthood and clericalism... 

Clericalism is a danger to the Catholic Church not only because on a practical level it undermines the role of laity in society, but because theologically it "tends to diminish and undervalue the baptismal grace" of all believers, whether they are lay or clergy, Pope Francis said. 

"No one is baptized a priest or bishop," the pope said in a letter to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. The fundamental consecration of all Christians occurs at baptism and is what unites all Christians in the call to holiness and witness, Catholic News Service reported. 

In the letter, released at the Vatican April 26, Pope Francis said that in lay Catholics' work for the good of society and for justice, "it is not the pastor who must tell the layperson what to do and say, he already knows this and better than we do."

Priesthood and Service

I'm right now engaged in an interesting discussion or sharing of ideas with someone about Brotherhood and Priesthood.  It is more of a casual conversation. I then extended some bit of it to someone with similar ideas and he came up with this suggestion:

Abolish the laity! Priests will automatically be in the right place!

Basically it is about position, authority and posts.  In the words of this person...

Religious life has caught on to the evils connected with hierarchical priesthood. Hierarchy and the Gospels cannot go together. Privileges are part of hierarchy. The deacons were asked to help the apostles, to help in the service. This did not mean that the apostles stopped being servants and become masters!!!!! 

What an Irony that now all the laity are required to fulfil the role of reminding the priests of the secular reality! The priests can then live in a different world – of no responsibility and all the privileges! Double whammy! Neither service, nor work! Just enjoy power and pelf! Just today ------ told me, “I always thought priests were close to God!”

Being part of a larger discussion, this piece above may be misleading.  However, the point is that religious life and priesthood need to get back to Jesus' basic style of living.  The more institutionalized it gets, the more it will move away from the Kingdom.

Sheep Stealing

I had heard of this phrase some long time ago but not of late. I thought this language – and the concept itself – was extinct... till I heard it yesterday in the Provincial's report of the Province.

'Sheep Stealing'???   Well... !

It was used in the observations for the Evangelisation commission, in the context of 'other denominations' and therefore 'sheep stealing'.

This concept is only possible when we deem Christians and Catholics - and people, in general - as mere dumb sheep with no brains or balls to make sensible decisions for their own faith and life. Secondly, it reeks of a very very narrow attitude of the Church and the Kingdom.

Sheep??

Lay Collaboration

Last evening listening to the sharing of a couple of men who were invited as observers - who were also Salesian co-operators - I felt this strong message coming across. Amidst staff and collaborators, our Salesian presence is actually the life-giving presence.  Now I don't mean it positively!  It is actually a very detrimental and damaging presence and involvement.  The lay collaborators exist and function only at the push of the Salesians.

While on the one hand we have the famous Salesian quote that the Salesian community is the nucleus of the apostolate, but that does not mean that we should make the lay people or those involved with us purely dependent and alive only and only because of the Salesians...

... never helped to be independent and grow.... always dependent... we dominate... make them subservient...

...and everyone's happy!  That's the tragedy!

Religious Life and Holiness

This morning we heard a lay man share his views about priesthood and formation to priesthood.  One of the points he was very convinced of was that Priests are holy - more than lay people.  I asked him if his holiness had anything to do with his priesthood?  He was certain it was all about priesthood.

I feel differently.  Holiness is not the monopoly of priesthood or religious life... a fact that all would readily agree.  While most consider - like the above-said gentleman - that it is grace of God that really transforms a person, I am of the opinion that it may not necessarily do so. By doing so I'm not belittling God or His grace... rather I'm endorsing the same.  Because the God whom I believe in is not someone who would automatically work wonders in me, without my awareness, knowledge and most of all, consent.

I someone am convinced that religious life or priesthood is merely a path, just like married life or individual life, to holiness.  Perhaps it offers us greater possibilities of achieving that better and 'faster' but at the same time it also great risks ... with great possibilities come great risks!

Moreover God gives us all - ALL - opportunities; some utilize most of them, some less, perhaps some none.  But He certainly does not have favourites or pets whom he pampers with ready-made graces!  

Participatory Action Research

The three days of training programme in Participatory Action Research (PAR) at Ramanthapur were enriching days.  I am happy I chose to be part of the same.  (More about it, read here).

Personally, I learnt most...

• That participation, includes the “last” in the group too! 
• I also got to know the names and some thing about the lives and works of people working with the YaR centres, some for decades of years! 
• Perhaps this method is more needed in a formation setting than a YaR setting. The rationale is that if Brothers see this in action and are involved in this exercise, they would automatically live it out in their own places of apostolate, wherever they are. Then we would not need to train the YaR sector, every sector would slowly but surely adopt this strategy.  (However, this entails that PAR be understood as a strategy, rather than another course to be completed!)
• Better we start to learn and enjoy working with lay people before it is too late and say, “We should have better prepared them, earlier.”
  

Shepherding

A good video about being a shepherd, what it means to be a 'pastor'
... read it first on The Deacon's Bench. 

Salesian Mission and the Lay Dimension

A concerned confrere asked me this simple but very relevant question: How do we envision the future of Salesian mission in India when the lay dimension (involving Brothers, lay people as cooperators, volunteers, past pupils...) is abysmally minimal?  Can it and will it truly be bright and holistic?

The immediate thing that comes to my mind is this. India is basically a land of cults and rituals. Therefore the person performing these takes a privileged place in society. Catholicism too, unconsciously or by way of inculturation, has imbibed this particular preferential viewpoint of some 'over' the others. I would not hesitate to say that there is also a very conscious and deliberate attempt to keep laity off the loop, leave alone engage them as partners. And in my frank opinion, this outlook will take some time to broaden up or open up.

My only fear is that we are not even ready to learn from the experience of the West wherein the lay participation has picked up after (or perhaps in revolt of) the domination of the clergy and the religious in the medieval era. Perhaps a few hard knocks will waken us up to the reality that needs to be witnessed and REALISED.  Hope we better learn to live this essential dimension of our Salesian mission sooner than a regretfully later date.  

Resurrecting the lay dimension

Last night discussing the themes for the Brothers' Congress with Fr Maliekal, he made a very insightful observation when he said that he was in a way waging a crusade a few years ago to retain the title 'lay brothers' for Salesian Brothers. He said everyone wanted to do away with that title altogether.

It then struck me that we Brothers may be taking shunning the tag of 'lay' to take shelter in the 'religious' dimension and pretend to be religious, while the fact is that we were truly meant to be a balanced mixture of both!  The institutional comfort and safety of the 'religious' tag seems too seductive to resist. And what's more, even under that roof, we still claim for a separate portion! ... a share in that pie!  Why not claim for a pie in the 'lay' dimension??

Hence I immediately made it a point to put in into the Congress as one of the major points for discussion: redeeming or resurrecting the lay dimension of our vocation.