By Fr. Carlo Maria Savio De Ocampo Villegas, SDB
UPS, Rome, Italy - <<"A suo tempo tutto comprenderai." (Don Bosco, Memoirs of the Oratory) Now I do understand, that instead of insisting on studying Mongolian Literature (Writing), as my interest for updating myself for my own good and the VIE-Mongolia delegation, I ended up studying Don Bosco's spiritual-pedagogical Writing. Obeying my superior’s words in 2013 "... best you take a break out of Mongolia. Go to Rome and study what you think best would be good for you and the mission." - I have now fully understood. From the bottom of my heart deep thanks to the VIE provincials - Fr. Hung and Fr. Quang, to the scholarship granted by the Rector Major Fr. Pascual Chavez and continued by Fr. Angel F. Artime.>>
His postgraduate studies in Salesian spirituality was concluded 19th April with a thesis 'The Value and Significance of Friendship with God/Jesus in some of the writings of Saint John Bosco', guided by Fr. Aldo Giraudo, SDB.
Fr. Carlo was a member of the first missionary expedition to Mongolia (arrived in February 2001 with Fr. Luciano Odorico). Later on he was the first Rector of Ulanbaatar community, Delegate of the Mongolia Delegation (2010-2013) and for few years also the Vicar of the Apostolic Prefect of Ulanbaatar, Mons. Wenceslaus Padilla, CICM. He is the second EAO confreres who concluded his studies in Salesian Spirituality in Rome during the first months of 2016, the first was Fr. Bonaventura Kim from KOR province.
just saw this post today...
ps. his "actual" thesis guide was Fr. Morand Wirth, his "formal" thesis guide was Fr. Aldo Giraudo.
only by the mercy of God, affirms that even a donkey, half a century old, can survive graduate studies and research in a foreign language and still punctuate it with a SCL grade. Viva Gesù Giuseppe e Maria... per sempre!