austraLasia 1352
EAO members benefit from Missionary course
ROME: 10th December 2005 -- The annual UPS-based course for missionaries concluded yesterday, as already announced by ANS. What may be less known is that amongst the 54 participants were a number of SDB and FMA from the EAO region: of the SDB's there was Fr John Ty (Vietnam - goes to Mongolia in 2006), Fr Pawel Glogowski (Poland - has been 30 years in Japan), Fr Jojo San Juan (Philippines - has been in East Timor since 1992), Fr Dominic Kachira (India, preparing to leave for Solomon Islands in February). Fr Julian Scarparo (Italy - Ecuador) is no longer part of the EAO region, but worked in Australia for many years.
The concluding talk by the Rector Major was given in both English and Italian. He spoke strongly on the need for a spiritual life. C. 12 speaks of the Salesian as a 'contemplative in action' but so many missionaries find themselves burnt out instead! Be it John Paul II or Mother Theresa, they kept their indomitable spirit and service to the end. How? Prayer, Eucharist. Salvation is not to be conquered but to be celebrated. Two attitudes are to be deepened: ?I am sent' - John Paul II did not step down from his cross as he was aware he had been sent. 'Watch over the flock....gladly? - be eager to carry out the mission.
In an open forum, two of the four questions came from the EAO group. Q1 concerned the choice for human development, then evangelisation, to which the RM replied that that's fine but we can't stop at human development. Our duty is explicit evangelisation at any time. Q2. continued the theme - we are so caught up with work that it came as a surprise to hear of the emphasis on evangelisation. The RM commented that we learned hard work from Don Bosco but forgot his second lesson: the grace of unity. Q3 concerned the experience of a changing mission scene where fewer come from Europe and more from younger, poorer Churches. In exploring the nature of missionary commitment in response, the RM pointed to the need for new evangelisation - how in some of the 'older' Catholic nations people are baptised but not evangelised. Q$ was a direct question to the RM - what is his view of the Congregation at this stage. In response he pointed to the four letters so far written on regions. He invited his listeners to read these. Then he indicated that next week at the UPS he will give an hour-long conference on his view of the Congregation after his experiences thus far.
The missionaries reflected on their months together: excellent opportunity to go deeper into mission; excellent opportunity to put on weight (pasta kilos!); learning from the sharing with older, experienced missionaries; appreciated the opening up of the course to Salesian Family and other Congregations.
A number of the group now head out to the Holy Land for an 8 day concluding tour.
_______________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
EAO members benefit from Missionary course
ROME: 10th December 2005 -- The annual UPS-based course for missionaries concluded yesterday, as already announced by ANS. What may be less known is that amongst the 54 participants were a number of SDB and FMA from the EAO region: of the SDB's there was Fr John Ty (Vietnam - goes to Mongolia in 2006), Fr Pawel Glogowski (Poland - has been 30 years in Japan), Fr Jojo San Juan (Philippines - has been in East Timor since 1992), Fr Dominic Kachira (India, preparing to leave for Solomon Islands in February). Fr Julian Scarparo (Italy - Ecuador) is no longer part of the EAO region, but worked in Australia for many years.
The concluding talk by the Rector Major was given in both English and Italian. He spoke strongly on the need for a spiritual life. C. 12 speaks of the Salesian as a 'contemplative in action' but so many missionaries find themselves burnt out instead! Be it John Paul II or Mother Theresa, they kept their indomitable spirit and service to the end. How? Prayer, Eucharist. Salvation is not to be conquered but to be celebrated. Two attitudes are to be deepened: ?I am sent' - John Paul II did not step down from his cross as he was aware he had been sent. 'Watch over the flock....gladly? - be eager to carry out the mission.
In an open forum, two of the four questions came from the EAO group. Q1 concerned the choice for human development, then evangelisation, to which the RM replied that that's fine but we can't stop at human development. Our duty is explicit evangelisation at any time. Q2. continued the theme - we are so caught up with work that it came as a surprise to hear of the emphasis on evangelisation. The RM commented that we learned hard work from Don Bosco but forgot his second lesson: the grace of unity. Q3 concerned the experience of a changing mission scene where fewer come from Europe and more from younger, poorer Churches. In exploring the nature of missionary commitment in response, the RM pointed to the need for new evangelisation - how in some of the 'older' Catholic nations people are baptised but not evangelised. Q$ was a direct question to the RM - what is his view of the Congregation at this stage. In response he pointed to the four letters so far written on regions. He invited his listeners to read these. Then he indicated that next week at the UPS he will give an hour-long conference on his view of the Congregation after his experiences thus far.
The missionaries reflected on their months together: excellent opportunity to go deeper into mission; excellent opportunity to put on weight (pasta kilos!); learning from the sharing with older, experienced missionaries; appreciated the opening up of the course to Salesian Family and other Congregations.
A number of the group now head out to the Holy Land for an 8 day concluding tour.
_______________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
