By Vaclav Klement

EAO Missionary Animation Desk, 27 January 2024 -- Since 1988, our Salesian Congregation Missions sector has offered every year a resourceful occasion of the 'Salesian Mission Day' (day - week - month according to each province planning and traditions), that may foster the missionary zeal and spirit of all consecrated Salesians and our youth and lay people in each EPC (Educative Pastoral Communities). In the past 36 years, there was a focus on specific mission work or venue (1988-1999), on a specific continent or special mission, and recently, the focus has been going global with the 'sharing dynamics' that may enrich all in their specific local situation.

Within the EAO region, a few provinces already have a well-established event-centered tradition of SMD (VIE - Vietnam & Mongolia, KOR - South Korea, CIN - China, FIN - Philippines North and GIA - Japan), some of them involved in a creative way the whole Salesian Family.

Many EAO members contributed to the resources for SMD 2024, mainly missionaries in the frontlines:

* Mongolia delegation: Fr Jaroslav Vracovsky (Artificial Intelligence - dialogue with today's technology)

• Pakistan delegation: Fr Gabriel de Jesus Cruz Trejo - former delegate (Venerable Simon Srugi - dialogue with God)
• Br Raymond Callo (FIN): Forming Salesians as builders of dialogue (Preventive system as our style of formation)
• Sr Maria Fe (TLS): Cuisine as Introduction to Dialogue (Don Bosco Food)
• Vietnamese missionaries in Slovenia (SLO): inspired by Don Bosco of Vietnam (Servant of God Fr Andrej Majcen)
• Cambodia delegation: Fr Michael Gaikwad - a presence that becomes a dialogue

Few animation 'hints':

• The format of the SMD is flexible; some provinces have one specific day, some one "Salesian Mission Week" or Salesian Mission Month.
• There is no fixed 'date' or period of the year for the SMD, and it depends on each province.
• The theme for 2024, 'The builders of dialogue,' is fitting for the multicultural and multireligious EAO environment.
• The resources are already available in digital form and are 'on the way' (post service with hard copies) to our provinces.
• Available resources: SMD 2024 Poster and Prayer card, SMD 2024 animation booklet (52 pages), and SMD videos (presentation and more).

The prayer of the 2024 Salesian Mission Day

Most Holy Trinity, we love,
praise, and adore you.
You are a communion of three persons –
always in loving dialogue with one another.
Help us to imagine you in our lives.

Father and creator or all,
Help us to be builders of dialogue
wherever we are:
In our families, schools, workplaces, playgrounds,
Between religions, races, cultures,
the rich and the poor.

Jesus the Word,
make our words life-giving.
May our lives and actions
build bridges between people
and break down the walls that divide and destroy.

Holy Spirit, the fire of love,
purify our hearts.
Make our hearts reach out in dialogue to your heart,
the hearts of others and the heart of all creation.
So be it.

Amen.

2024 Salesian Mission Day resources online:
https://www.bosco.link/Missions/92752

2024 Salesian Mission Day videos on YOUTUBE channel 'MISSIONI SALESIANE' (2 videos available + more coming)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARpxxqka2IY&list=PLGj-DaHJEmFVSDW-YDfsZdWjLxVy-V9iu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5DHBARVxvc&list=PLGj-DaHJEmFVSDW-YDfsZdWjLxVy-V9iu&index=2

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