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New Relationships and Horizons: Introductory Course for New Missionaries of the SVD Zone Europe
Christian Tauchner, SVD
The course was organized by the European Zone and was specifically designed to prepare newly arrived missionaries for the situation of society and the church in Europe. All young missionaries, who are in their first year in Europe, were invited, but not all provinces sent participants. In relation to the number of participants, a relatively large number of seasoned SVD missionaries accompanied the course: Franz Helm SVD as the Zonal Coordinator and person responsible for the course, Stanisław Grodź SVD and Christian Tauchner SVD (from GER) with perspectives on content, Carlos Alberto da Silva SVD (from ECP) mainly for practical questions and organization.
After getting to know each other, Prof. Klara A. Csiszar, a pastoral theologian working at the Theological Faculty in Linz, presented the religious situation in Europe and ways of understanding it. She brought an ‘assistant’ with her: the Archbishop of Belgrade, Ladislav Cardinal Német SVD, with whom she works closely and who took the opportunity to give the young confreres some good advice – to the missionaries in Hungary in Hungarian, to those in Slovakia in Slovak, and to all in English.
The weekend was devoted to encounters: on Saturday, the participants travelled to St. Gabriel, got to know an SVD parish in Vienna and got glimpses on the city. On Sunday, they visited various parishes and church services in Linz, and the afternoon was devoted to deepening their understanding of the observations through an exchange with the Bishop’s Vicar of Linz, Hans Hintermeier.
Terms, perspectives and understanding of mission in general and especially in Europe were the topics addressed theoretically by Christian Tauchner SVD on Tuesday and in a practical presentation by Sr. Jessy Paul SSpS, on Wednesday. Sr. Paul reported on the experience and community orientation of the SSpS Sisters in Frankfurt – a very successful presentation of the commitment of the sisters, who do exactly what is reflected in current missiology.
Three days were devoted to topics related to practical ways of dealing with other cultural conditions in the European context: what is the relationship between men and women, priests and laity, superiors and co-workers (Stanisław Grodź SVD)? Procurator General Peter Dikoš SVD provided information about the dangers of abuse, dealing with social media and finances, and encouraged responsible engagement for and with the people we meet.
The course was held in English – a major challenge for most participants, but one they mastered brilliantly with the help of translation programs.
For the young missionaries, the important outcomes of the course included newly formed and deepened friendships with SVD missionaries from other provinces, an awareness of how to build relationships in their areas of work, and a perspective on mission and the challenges in Europe, particularly with the example of the SSpS Sisters in Frankfurt.
