The missionary animation visit of Fr. Alfred Maravilla in Timor Leste

By Bro. Amilcar da Silva, SDB

Dili, Timor Leste, 7 May 2016 -- Fr. Manuel Fraile, the Province Delegate for Missionary Animation (PDMA) for Timor had organised the missionary animation visit of Fr. Alfred Maravilla of the Missions Sector last May 1-7. He accompanied Fr. Alfred in visiting all the Salesian houses in Timor L’Este except Maliana. The highlight of the visit was the meeting and Eucharist with the postnovices, aspirants and formators in the postnovitiate Dili. There were also meetings with the aspirants and novices in Fatumaca and the prenovices in Los Palos and their formators.

The question and answer sessions which followed the meetings clarified many interesting queries flowing from the conference of Fr. Alfred where he explained that being a missionary is a vocation within our common Salesian vocation: “in the same way that one discerns whether one is called to be a Salesian priest or a Salesian brother, some Salesians have the vocation to work in one’s own countries or as missionaries ad gentes, ad exteros, ad vitam.” He insisted that “it’s not a matter whether a missionary Salesian is better than the Salesian who works in one’s own country. No! ALL are called to live their Salesian life with missionary spirit which is an essential element of our charism. Some discern the call of the Lord for them to be Salesian missionaries, hence need to respond to it generously and totally”!

To the formators he insisted on the importance of considering the criteria for discernment outlined in the document Missionary Formation of the Salesians of Don Bosco. In the light of the Rector Major’s appeal for greater missionary generosity, he reminded them that they play an important role in fostering discernment, not hindering authentic missionary vocations.

Interestingly in all meetings participants always asked what is the sense of our presence among Muslims when conversion is almost impossible. Fr. Alfred insisted that “conversion is the work of God not ours. It is God who touches the hearts.” He then underlined that “our task is to bear witness through our way of life. Therefore, our presence among Muslims is important because it is a Christian presence in the Islamic world”!

Fr. Fraile summarized that “the entire visit here was real first class missionary animation!” Before coming to Timor Fr. Alfred also visited the formation communities in Indonesia.

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