Parents of the Salesians coming together in annual meeting
By Cl. Joseph Shin
Photo by Cl. Dominic Kim
Daejon, Korea, 6 November 2016 -- In the Korean province most of the parents of young and not-so-young Salesians are coming together twice a year. Since last 2000 they gather together once for a mutual sharing (spring time) and once for two days recollection (autumn time). Also last weekend (November 5-6) about 90 parents with their sons - Salesian Aspirants, Prenovices, Novices and professed confreres gathered in the Daejon Youth Center for their annual recollection.
This province wide gathering is a wonderful expression of Salesian Family spirit, a good chance for our confreres to express their gratitude to their parents. For the mothers and fathers with their sons still in initial formation stages it is a good opportunity to understand through the other parents the dynamics of Salesian consecrated life.
Last weekend encounter was animated by the provincial delegate for the Salesian Family, Fr. John Chong and the spiritual director of the Mamma Margaret Association Fr Bosco Park, rector of the Gwangju postnovitiate community.
Wonderful tradition of formal gathering of Salesian confreres' fathers and mothers goes back to the 1988, when in Uruguay a mother of one SDB missionary in Africa launched the initiative of MAMMA MARGARET ASSOCIATIO. After the Great Jubilee of 2000 all Salesian provinces were invited by the Councilor for the Salesian Family to consider this simple but very meaningful tradition.
