Subject: 'austraLasia' # 239

SALESIANS IN REFUGEE CENTRE KUPANG: FIRST-HAND.

Ephrem Santos

KUPANG: 25th Sept -- Almost two weeks ago, the Salesians left Dili by air

and by land. Fathers Andrew Wong (Provincial), Rolando Fernandez and Manuel

Pinto led the refugees who used the Indonesian transport planes. Their group

is housed in the Sports Hall of Kupang (about 10.000 persons), where the

refugees use every corner of this building, including the corridors and the

roads leading to it.

The ones that went by land were led by Fr. Edmund Baretta who managed to

rescue two vehicles of the community from the hands of the militia. This

group of two thousand was assigned to a government training centre about 45

minutes away from the City of Kupang.

In general, the confreres are alive and walking around. Yet one can see,

etched in their faces, the fatigue and the anxiety brought about by the

situation. Even in Kupang, the militias enter the refugee centres with

impunity and search for persons. Aside from this, the Salesians have to cope

with caring for the sick, looking after some families, consoling the

anxious, hiding the hunted, and calming those in fear. There is lack of

water, sanitation and privacy. Those sleeping inside the halls or rooms have

to bear the heat and the stuffy ambience because there are no windows.

Crying babies followed by weary voices of mothers trying to offer comfort

continually interrupts the nights. Those sleeping outside in the corridors

or in the open tents are subjected to strong cold winds.

After one week of tension and adjusting to the new situation, the Salesian

community had begun to settle down and assume the normal community routine.

At 4:45 in the early morning, they get up and Fr. Andrew drives the van to a

nearby convent of the Sacred Heart Brothers, which is 15 minutes away from

the refugee centre. They take a bath and have the Holy Mass with the

Canossian Sisters who have taken refuge in this convent. After the mass,

follows Lauds, meditation and peaceful silence. By 7:00 AM they are back in

the refugee centre for breakfast and the usual rounds with people scattered

all over the sports Hall. In the evening, amidst the noise and movement of

people, the community gathers for vespers and spiritual reading. Dinner is

followed by Rosary with the people. The community "house" is a floor space

of 4 x 2 meters. With mats on top of it, they pray and eat in that space.

There are five other families in the room where we have the community.

The Sousa family, belonging to our Dili parish and who has a son in the

congregation, takes care of cooking the three meals of the community.

During this week, Fr. Rolando has had an attack of malaria while Fr. Wong

has cough colds and a sore throat. The other Timorese Salesians Fr. Manuel

Pinto, Br. Agapito and Raimundo are seemingly okay. Fr. Edmund, who stays

with another group of refugees, is showing signs of an impending malaria

attack. They are much preoccupied attending to the needs of others that they

tend to set aside personal medication.

Fr. Andrew Wong, SDB wishes to thank all of you for the letters of support

and prayers for them. They are happy to know that our superiors in Rome have

been most solicitous regarding the young vice province of Indonesia-Timor.

Despite all the bad things that have happened to them, there a thousand

reasons to rejoice and to be thankful. Things could have been worse. Just

being there in that refugee centre today is a miracle enough. Thank you for

your prayers.

Ephrem Santos, SDB

Don Bosco Tiga Raksa, Jakarta

sdb@bit.net.id

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