EAO Student confreres of UPS visited the Sacred Heart!: 

First EAO encounter at Sacro Cuore

By Fr. Dominic Savio Seong, SDB

Sacro Cuore, Rome, 15 December 2017 -- The traditional semestral encounter of the EAO confreres - students in Rome took for the first time place in the new general house of the Sacred Heart (Sacro Cuore). Most of the 20 confreres from 8 provinces (CIN, FIN, FIS, GIA, ITM, KOR, THA and VIE) studying in Rome were present. Also the only EAO confreres of the community of St Joseph is Brother Jess Garcia (former Delegation economer of PGS).

Main part of the encounter took part in the Rooms of Don Bosco (Museum Don Bosco a Roma) with the prayer of Vespers and short personal presentation of the participants and their personal situation (some are just starting and some other already ending their thesis) and challenges of cultural shock of language. The custodian and guide of Don Bosco rooms, Br. Cosimo Cossu, was also very helpful in the preparation and assistance to our meeting!

Fr. Klement in his short intervention shared the 'news' of main events, process or achievement in the Region in 2017 and introduced the EAO regional calendar of 2018 including the visit of the Rector Major to 4 EAO countries: Timor Leste, Indonesia, Japan and Korea. At the end invited all present to contribute to the fruitful sharing of experience, vocation stories and events from our 23 countries. During the Vespers was also remembered also the new Malaysia community of Kuching.

At the end of the day the EAO confreres had a look at the new office of the Regional councilors and shared wonderful dinner with the St. Joseph community in the basement of the Sacro Cuore. As the large diversity of the Region, there is also a variety of majors taken by our students: Catechetics, Youth ministry, Salesian spirituality, Liturgy, Philosophy, Dogmatic theology, Social communication, Church history, Islamic studies, Family ministry as well the basic level of Theology (Gerini community).

For the newcomers is a good chance to expand their friends network in Rome especially in view of the coming Christmas holiday. Next EAO students meeting in Rome is schedule for early June 2018. as usual.

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