Meeting of the Istituto Storico Salesiano

Meeting of the Istituto Storico Salesiano

by Fr. Stanislaw Zimniak

(ANS – Rome – November 23, 2018) – The members of the Salesian Historical Institute (ISS) met at the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS) on Tuesday, November 20, and were joined by the Rector Major. The participants talked about the ISS’s current situation and its future prospects.

Taking part, besides Fr. Angel Fernandez, were Fr. Thomas Anchukandam, Fr. Francesco Casella, Fr. Miguel Canino, Fr. Aldo Giraudo, Fr. Francesco Motto, Fr. José Manuel Prellezo, Fr. Giorgio Rossi, and Fr. Stanislaw Zimniak.

After the prayer, Fr. Anchukandam, director of ISS, welcomed everyone and gave a special word of welcome on account of the happy presence of the Rector Major.

The meeting was of great importance as it allowed for an exchange of opinions after ISS was transferred to the UPS campus in autumn 2017 from the former Generalate on via della Pisana, and after the decision, made by the Rector Major with his general council, to place ISS at the UPS in a permanent way, but still dependent upon the general administration of the Congregation. For ISS all this represents the closure of an era and the opening of a new phase of activity in an environment that bring ISS not only new challenges, but also many new opportunities.

Fr. Anchukandam then spoke on the current situation of the ISS library, its definitive arrangement still in progress, and the appointment of the Argentinian Salesian brother Ivan Ariel Fresia as an associate member.

ISS secretary Fr. Zimniak reported on the meetings of both the board of directors and the editorial staff of Ricerche Storiche Salesiane.

The situation of ISS personnel was also analyzed, highlighting the need to reinforce the stable number of its members. Although the current roster counts nine members, in reality only four of them are doing active research, and three of them are involved in the detailed activities of the Association for Promoting the Study of Salesian History (ACSSA). The Rector Major assured everyone of his interest and proposed as a solution to aggregate the history teachers already active in the various Salesian centers to ISS: not on a full-time basis, but agreeing upon a plan of research papers with the ISS board of directors.

Great attention was paid to the publication of the journal Ricerche Storiche Salesiane (“Salesian Historical Research”), which constitutes an irreplaceable window of ISS on and toward the Salesian world and beyond, but still insufficient as regards its international cultural impact. Rather, it ought to be broadened to include research projects of a broader worldwide scope.

Some organizational aspects of two important world congresses were also discussed: on Fr. Paul Albera, 2nd successor of Don Bosco, for 2021; and on St. Francis de Sales, for 2022; subsequently the 2019 draft of the budget and the report on publications in preparation were presented, which include the second volume of Fonti Salesiane (edited by Frs. Anchukandam, Giraudo, and Prellezo); the 8th volume of the Epistolario di Don Bosco, edited by Fr. Motto; the volume of the correspondence of Belgian people with Don Bosco, edited by Wim Provoost.

Last, the Rector Major was also updated on numerous other topics of historical-cultural interest for the Congregation: the planning of research papers for the years 2016-2020; the ISS-ACSSA site visibility on the official website of the Congregation, www.sdb.org; the editorial norms for the critical edition of Salesian sources; the upcoming issues of the journal Ricerche Storiche Salesiane; and more.

Everyone appreciated the truly active and participatory presence of the Rector Major in the work, a sign of the interest of the Congregation for the cultivation of our historical heritage, and in full harmony with the concern for the historical memory of our Founder Don Bosco.