Welcome Address for the Inaugural Function of the Sixth Brothers Congress of South Asia

On behalf of the Chennai Province which is celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of it existence as a province and on behalf of the Organizers, I consider it a unique privilege given to me to extend a warm welcome to all the participants of the Sixth Brothers Congress of South Asia. May this become an event to be recalled with much joy and nostalgia in the years to come!

In a special way, I welcome Rev. Bro. Claudio Marangio, the first Lay Brother ever to become the Economer General and to be in the General Council of the Salesian Congregation. It is indeed a historical achievement in the life of the congregation! We read in the Constitutions, Art. Number 4 that “Our society is made up of clerics and lay men who complement each other as brothers in living out the same vocation!” This text has received a realistic meaning in the person of Bro. Claudio! This is also the fruit of GC 26! Certainly, it is a great honour to our Congregation and to the lay brothers in particular of our society! In him we see a young and enthusiastic religious who has good administrative skills to do the task that is entrusted to him.Welcome dear brother and feel at home.

I am happy to welcome Rev. Fr. Maria Arokiam Kanaga, the Regional of South Asia! It is again a privilege given to the INM Province during the Platinum Jubilee year! I know that he belongs to the congregation and the region; but never forget that he is from the Province of Chennai! With legitimate pride, I welcome Fr. Maria Arokiam Kanaga for the Congress and wish him a happy stay with us!

We have the Provincials of South Asian Region with us. It is an honour for us to have them all with us during this jubilee year to bless us with their presence. All of them have made a lot of sacrifices to be present for this important event in the life of the region. I welcome them on behalf of the organizers and the participants and look forward to their animation.

I am delighted to welcome in a very special way you my dear brothers who have come from the four corners of the regions of South Asia. We have been looking forward to this event; we have been praying this happening; we have been intensely preparing for this Congress for more than a year, even before the GC 26! The preparations were so intense that some thought that and booked their tickets to attend the congress already last December!!! I am extremely happy to welcome you dear brothers to Chennai Province! Feel at home! It is your home! May you enjoy these days of sharing and may we together understand this unique vocation in the congregation and the church better!

1 I welcome the Rectors of our formation houses, the vocation promoters, the resource persons and members of the salesian family present here for this Inaugural function!

Let me conclude with this short message: Let this Congress become a spiritual event which would make us reflect personally on our specific vocation in the congregation.

Thank you and feel at home!