By Fr Bosco Zeya Aung

Anisakan, Myanmar, 12 August 2016 -- Nazareth Salesian Seminary (Aspirantate) in Anisakan could be called a Mother House of the Salesians in Myanmar. Since 1948 this 26 acres plot of land was a summer camp for the Mandalay Lafone Salesian School, then in 1957 became the ‘Aspirantate’ – Boarding school for many generations of Salesian in Burma – Myanmar until now. Two thousands Past Pupils spread the spirit of Don Bosco around the whole country and most of the Salesians own their vocation to this charismatic place.

We are one family! At present we are 7 Salesians (3 Priest, 2 Salesian Brothers and 2 Clerics in practical training), living together with 116 boys (standard 7-10, all of them Catholics) coming different regions and especially from Kachin and Chin States (90%). From 5:30 in the morning until 11 PM our boys are busy with their academic duties (standard 7 and 10 have their class within our house, stand. 8-9 attend a nearby public school). There is enough time for all round education with daily chores, games (football is n.1), music and singing classes and sodality activities.

We are one family! Our Quasi-parish of Mary Help of Christians forms a small Catholic community of 100 families around Anisakan, with a vibrant youth group (25 young adults) and many dedicated faithful. The chapel of the Aspirantate is also a parish church with two Sunday Masses. We are proud that most of the provincial youth events are held in our compound with a large sport fields, covered hall and green compound with a large stream and natural swimming pool. Also the Don Bosco Retreat House that hosted the first EAO regional event in our country is located here.

We are one family! Two SDB communities (12 SDB: Novitiate-St. Joseph and Aspirantate-Nazareth) and the main Myanmar FMA community (10 FMA: Mornese) are located beside each other and there is a lot of common mission for the boarding boys and girls of the two Congregation. We hope to form soon also the first group of the Salesian Cooperators, since our Past Pupils are already forming slowly their own sense of belonging to the Salesian Family as autonomous group.

We are one family! Indeed after many years of not-so-strong community life and isolation from the rest of the Congregation, here in Nazareth we try to build a strong fraternal relationship, with sharing: every day evening about the education issues and every Thursday we dedicated half a day for the ‘community day’ with Lectio divina, sharing, evaluation and SDB community games. Although our family is composed of 3 generations, there is a fine sense of dialogue, respect, transparency of finance and mutual support.

We are one family – this is our dream and daily commitment, since we believe that 'to live and work together is for us Salesians a fundamental requierment and a sure way of fulfilling our vocation! (Const. art. 49)

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