By TLS SocCom

Comoro-Dili, Timor-Leste, 5 April 2024 -- On April 3, 2024, the Extraordinary Visitation of Fr Joseph Phuoc, SDB, finally came to an end after spending 43 days (Feb 20 - April 3, 2024) in the Vice-Province of Timor-Leste. On behalf of the Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Joseph Phuoc has been going around the country and has met all confreres, listening carefully to their vocation stories in his dialogue with each one of them and sharing with them his consecrated life’s experiences. He brought with him the joyful greetings and affection of the Rector Major as he has always expressed in every welcoming remark to the confreres, members of the Salesian Family, and most especially the young people.

During the Holy Week season, Fr Joseph Phuoc stayed at the Postnovitiate community and participated in the solemn celebration of the Easter Vigil at the Salesian parish of Maria Auxiliadora Comoro. He witnessed the faithful expressing and celebrating their faith in Jesus Christ and had the opportunity to give his Easter message to them.

After the Easter celebration, he greeted the Provincial and his council, members of the Salesian Family in Timor-Leste, rectors of the houses in the vice-province, and the delegates of each commission. It was a great opportunity for him to address the final message and some fraternal recommendations for those who are in the service of the vice-province, especially for the rectors in the area of accompaniment.

On the last day of his visit, Fr Joseph Phuoc presided over the Eucharist for the whole Salesian Family in Timor-Leste. Concelebrating in that Eucharistic celebration were Fr Anacleto Pires, SDB, TLS Provincial, and his council, all rectors of the houses, and other Salesian priests. The majority of the confreres took part in this Thanksgiving Mass as well as the representatives of the members of the Salesian Family like the FMA sisters, Salesian Cooperators, ADMA, Past Pupils, and one volunteer from Australia. In his homily, Fr. Joseph mentioned the spirit of synodality, of journeying together, which Jesus has done already in the past, and reflecting on each vocation story that we had as we are walking together, journeying together in our religious life as consecrated people. It is because God has touched our hearts, that he has accompanied us in a long formation process until today. He once again emphasized the importance of accompaniment. He presented five important agents of accompaniment: God himself, community life, confreres, young people, and the Salesian lay mission partners. These important agents of accompaniment must not be taken for granted in the life of a Salesian since the individualistic tendency is quite widely and unfavorably felt in our EAO region.

As the Risen Lord Jesus Christ is journeying with us, accompanying us in our mission, then let us offer Jesus himself to those entrusted to our care. For us here in TLS, as this extraordinary visitation ends, we are opening a new beginning for implementing the recommendations from our visitor, Fr. Joseph Phuoc, SDB.

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