First Day of Work at GC29

First Day of Work at GC29

Organization, Regulations, and Committee Structure

Fr. Alphonse Owoudou

(ANS – Turin – February 22, 2025) – After intense days of spiritual preparation, culminating in the pilgrimage to Don Bosco’s birthplace, Colle Don Bosco, and reflections led by Fr. Pascual Chavez, February 21 marked the first working day of the 29th General Chapter. It was a crucial moment to define the organization and operational methods that will guide the activities of the coming weeks.

The work began with particular attention to the definition of regulations, the formation of committees, and the adoption of innovative technological tools to improve decision-making processes. As emphasized by Fr. Alphonse Owoudou, the chapter’s moderator, the regulations are essential to set the scope of decisions and establish procedures that will lead to deliberations.

The chapter members reviewed the draft regulations presented by the president, Fr. Stefano Martoglio. After individual reading, the document was discussed in linguistic committees, formed according to the most widely spoken languages in the Salesian world. This legal step highlights the care taken to ensure real and inclusive participation. As noted by the chapter members themselves, the objective is to gather every contribution, avoiding situations where a concept remains poorly understood or where an idea from the Congregation’s peripheries is overlooked.

The procedure, which also governs the timeline of the various operational phases, may seem complex to those expecting a more authoritarian approach, typical of experiences centered on a charism. But one of Don Bosco’s educational fruits—since the evening he gathered his most determined boys to found the Society of St. Francis de Sales—is precisely the empowerment of responsibility. This translates into the ability to engage in dialog and collaboration with fellow members. The process of turning the “dream” into concrete, sustainable “works” that meet present needs is achieved by making one’s thoughts available to others without reservation.

The great innovation of CG29 is the intensive use of technology. Each chapter participant has been equipped with a tablet dedicated exclusively to chapter activities. The device contains study documents, written contributions proposed by delegates, the map of working committees, and a common schedule updated in real time. Additionally, the intranet platform developed for the chapter allows quick and efficient voting, providing significant advantages in terms of both time and accuracy of vote counting. Time that was once spent on manual counting can now be used for discussion and reflection.

The platform was officially inaugurated yesterday during the election of the 3 moderators. In less than a few minutes and over the course of 4 rounds of voting, Fr. Peter Timko, Fr. John Zosiama, and Fr. Hailemariam Medhin Tesfay were elected.

Despite technological and organizational progress, the final approval of the regulations was postponed to February 22. During the work of the committees, observations and proposals for amendments emerged that will need to be incorporated into the draft. The general committee is now tasked with reworking the text and resubmitting it to the chapter members for final approval.

One of the committees at work.
New Rochelle's Bro. Travis Gunther is standing at the wall
in Don Bosco Prep maroon.

This process, which may appear complex to an external observer, reflects the spirit of discernment and co-responsibility that Don Bosco himself passed on to his sons. With the official start of GC29’s work, the Salesian Congregation reaffirms its commitment to discerning future steps through a participatory, inclusive process aimed at the common good.