austraLasia 1536
Pakistani postulants prepared through action
LAHORE: 22 April 2006 -- It was always the way Don Bosco did it anyway, at the Oratory: remember the group who headed out during the cholera epidemic to help locals around Turin at Don Bosco's request? It has been much the same with the young Pakistani candidates for Salesian life over the past six months, since it is they who have worked so hard to sustain the regular trips to earthquake affected victims in the north west frontier region of Pakistan. Now in a final effort, they have prepared 15 tonnes of foodstuffs to go to the camp that was set up all those months ago. At the camp the inhabitants have already begun to grow their own lentils and potatoes, but items like milk, flour, sugar, cooking oil still have to be provided. All this has now headed off in a convoy of trucks and students.
Meanwhile, most of the postulants went in the other direction - four of them to the airport to take their flight to the Southern Philippines where they will continue their formation programme. As Fr Miguel puts it, if these vocations need to be put to the test, then the efforts of the past six months have certainly won his recognition!
As an aside, but appropriate just at this moment, Fr Miguel notes that he was a novice in Spain when, early in his novitiate days, the very first guest they had was Fr Valentin de Pablo. His (Miguel's) task was to pour the sauce over the guest's spare ribs and potatoes - instead he missed the plate and poured the sauce over the visitor! But what was so typical of the man, Fr Miguel now notes, was that he said absolutely nothing about what had happened, and it was only an observant Sister who pointed out the fact. That was the type of man he was. Fr Miguel survived his first crisis, however, to shouts of 'Novice, get lost, I don't want to see you again!' from the novice master.
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml
Pakistani postulants prepared through action
LAHORE: 22 April 2006 -- It was always the way Don Bosco did it anyway, at the Oratory: remember the group who headed out during the cholera epidemic to help locals around Turin at Don Bosco's request? It has been much the same with the young Pakistani candidates for Salesian life over the past six months, since it is they who have worked so hard to sustain the regular trips to earthquake affected victims in the north west frontier region of Pakistan. Now in a final effort, they have prepared 15 tonnes of foodstuffs to go to the camp that was set up all those months ago. At the camp the inhabitants have already begun to grow their own lentils and potatoes, but items like milk, flour, sugar, cooking oil still have to be provided. All this has now headed off in a convoy of trucks and students.
Meanwhile, most of the postulants went in the other direction - four of them to the airport to take their flight to the Southern Philippines where they will continue their formation programme. As Fr Miguel puts it, if these vocations need to be put to the test, then the efforts of the past six months have certainly won his recognition!
As an aside, but appropriate just at this moment, Fr Miguel notes that he was a novice in Spain when, early in his novitiate days, the very first guest they had was Fr Valentin de Pablo. His (Miguel's) task was to pour the sauce over the guest's spare ribs and potatoes - instead he missed the plate and poured the sauce over the visitor! But what was so typical of the man, Fr Miguel now notes, was that he said absolutely nothing about what had happened, and it was only an observant Sister who pointed out the fact. That was the type of man he was. Fr Miguel survived his first crisis, however, to shouts of 'Novice, get lost, I don't want to see you again!' from the novice master.
If you wish to comment on or add further information to this news item, please feel free to do so at BoscoWiki austraLasia page.
_____________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml
