CLARETIAN PUBLISHERS’ TRIENNIAL ENCOUNTER BENGALURU, INDIA 2018 - DAY 2

CLARETIAN PUBLISHERS’ TRIENNIAL ENCOUNTER BENGALURU, INDIA 2018

FEBRUARY 10-17

11.02 2018 – Day 2

Morning Prayer

The day two began with the Morning Prayer led by Marcellinus Igirigi, West Nigeria.

I Session

Fr. Henry led us into prayer with reading from I Cor 12:4ff. After he welcomed Fr. Cristo Rey. Fr. Cristo Rey thereafter made a presentation on “Innovation in Communication”.

We need to be innovators in the Congregation. It is the need of the time. Thu,s he titled his presentation using Hebrew word Mebassers (messengers/prophets of the Good News). We are called to be prophets of the Good News in the society in the form of information and knowledge.

He summarized the considerations of XXV General Chapter on this topic.

(No. 17) Messengers and witnesses of the joy of the Gospel in the new digital continent. He underlined importance of joy as the Holy Father emphasizes in his exhortations.
(No. 18)Search signs in the digital world. Holy Spirit is present there because it connects people. In this new context we share Gospel in new communication codes, so innovation is needed to combat the virus of manipulation and indifference.
(No.67.7) Innovation in formation is the call of the time. New generation evangelizers should be trained to evangelize using communication media, be part of one global group evangelizing world.
(No.41.3) We are not after priorities but open processes of transformation: most urgent, opportune and effective. This leads us to do things that others are not doing, not to simply repeat what others are doing, but to emerge with creative imagination and dynamic idea.
(No.67) Be prepared to open new frontiers and new pathways
(No.67.1) Undergo a process of transformation by abandoning what is obsolete and opting for imaginative and innovative style. The catch phrase is to “let go” in order to “let come”!

In order to achieve these goals set by the General Chapter, he presented five reflections

Broken system: A broken system is unable to transform reality. Congregation, province and communities if the system is broken, it only occupies place. Trash is there place (like any broken material we find in the house). It has no power to transform, just like Jonah in disobedient to newness closed all the doors of transformation for himself and others.

If we have an open mind, our system will be open. Are there broken system in the Congregation, Province? It is an opportunity for invention and innovation! To be innovators, we need to be inventors. They find solutions to the problems. Inventor is not a province, community, not the superiors together. It is an individual. Pay attention to individuality. May be they are outside of the system, but that is needed. It is important to be attentive to such movements and recognize them. Social innovation is needed to fix broken systems of the society.

How to start. “Start With Why?” Ted talk Simon by Sinek (Book as well)

E.g. Superior… what to do (constitution can guide) how? some do well with empathy and efficiency. But Why is the most fundamental question? Magisterium of Holy Spirit can be found outside Church and faithful. The task is to challenge the status quo, doing differently. To us –why as Claretians editors is the crucial question. Do we do differently?

Are we doing others doing. E.g Publicity of Apple: why? How? What?

Reinventing organizations. Holy Spirit is present in people thinking differently. Author Frederick Laloux in his book Reinventing Organizations says it is possible to reinvent each organization without reorganizing and adjusting. If an organization is badly organized members are not happy. It depends on world view (narrow/wide).

Colour of organization to see its nature

Therefore we need to concentrate on the emerging future. Learn from past. Let go!!it is not the way. For newness, learn from the future… we are a group affected by future…

The theory “U”: It is a perspective of let go and let come new, something of advent.
Method: Appreciative Inquiry.

In AI, we will not start with statistics, problems… If we search for problem, we find it. It is a waste of time to find problems and look for solution. Instead search for best in people and in organization. Look at the possibilities and not at the failures and shortcomings. Not what is the problem in our publication and what went wrong, but what is best there and focus on improving existing positive processes for success. (This is applicable to spiritual life also, not start with sins, and problems)

Process AI

Four levels

Discover – What we can create.
Dream – Dreamers are important.
Design – Designers (all dreamers are not designers) so work together.
Deliver – Destiny

Conclusion of the presentation

Introduce a process of transformation, let go- let come
Reinventing organization
A new vision (e.g. books – going for digital printing)
Trans-media

II Session

A guided tour was conducted to Claretian publications in Bangalore led by Fr. Manoj, the Director. He explained modalities of the management of the Publication.

After the visit, Fr. Rossa gave a special pen drive to all the participants containing the reports he collected from the different Claretian Publishing Houses. Then he presented a summarized report on different publishing houses of the Congregation.

He presented a second report concerning the other religious publishers in their respective countries and regions.

Fr. Rossa also enumerated main Challenges from all that he has gathered from the reports. They are:

Financial aspect
Preparation of personnel
Selection of publishing materials
Quality of accompanying the persons in charge by the province
Competitions from other publishers
Challenges for old publishing houses for survival

Fr. Rossa explained the history and the status of Directory for the Claretian Editors and the meeting broke for lunch.

III Session

In the afternoon session we had some interaction among the publishing houses present for the Encounter. Fr. Erlin of the Ave Maria publishing House, Brazil explained their activities and projects. Fr. Rossa spoke about the projects in Macau China like Bible translations and Bible seminars in parishes.

IV Session

Ms. Divine from Macau addressed the gathering via Skype on Planning, Leading, Organizing and Control. The presentation also included the views on: