austraLasia #2607
Aus-Pac: Visit from Rome Formation team
MELBOURNE: 11th March 2010 -- Immediately following their presence at the meeting of the Provincials of the EAO Region in Port Moresby, Frs Francis Cereda and Chrys Saldanha flew off to visit the formation centres of the Australia-Pacific Province. This is not as easy as it sounds. From Port Moresby to Sydney takes about 5 hours. From there they had another 6 hours to fly to Fiji (after a night with the Salesian community at Engadine, Sydney). Even on arrival in Nadi, Fiji, they had to board another aircraft to eventually arrive in Suva, where Don Bosco House is located. They were able to spend two days in Suva, speak to the young men in formation (6 Novices, 2 Post Novices and 1 Theologian) and the three formators in the community. They visited the Pacific Regional Seminary, and were able to share their hopes and concerns with the Rector of the Seminary, Fr Michael O’Connor, SM. While in Suva, the whole community celebrated Fr Cereda’s birthday – in Pacifican style!
On Sunday, 7 March, they trekked back to Melbourne, via a 6 hour wait at Nadi airport, and a 6 hour flight to Melbourne. A further busy time was ahead. On March 8 they were able to visit Catholic Theological College, the centre for theological formation in Victoria, attended by Salesian students. They spent a full afternoon at the house of formation in Clifton Hill. They gathered with young Salesians from all parts of the Region now studying in Melbourne: Australians, Samoans, Koreans, Thais and Vietnamese. The day closed with prayer, a Good Night from Fr Cereda, and a further joyful celebration at table with the Provincial, Fr Frank Moloney, and the Salesian Bishop, Bishop Tim Costelloe, a former Rector at Clifton Hill) present. Fr Stephen Nam, Provincial of Korea, was also in Australia, visiting his 2 confrere studying here (one doing a PhD at Australian Catholic University; the other an Mtheol at the Melbourne College of Divinity). Fr Nam joined the various visits and encounters.
On March 9 they paid a visit to the Australian Catholic University where they were guided through the campus by the Dean of Theology and Philosophy, Professor Anne Hunt, and were the guests of the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Gabrielle McMullen, for lunch. A brief, but rich experience came to a close that afternoon, as they headed off to visit the formation communities in Indonesia-East Timor. The Australia-Pacific Province was delighted to have Frs Cereda and Saldanha with them. It was a time of mutual encouragement and appreciation of the work being done for the formation of the next generation of young Salesians in the Region.
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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 . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Aus-Pac: Visit from Rome Formation team
MELBOURNE: 11th March 2010 -- Immediately following their presence at the meeting of the Provincials of the EAO Region in Port Moresby, Frs Francis Cereda and Chrys Saldanha flew off to visit the formation centres of the Australia-Pacific Province. This is not as easy as it sounds. From Port Moresby to Sydney takes about 5 hours. From there they had another 6 hours to fly to Fiji (after a night with the Salesian community at Engadine, Sydney). Even on arrival in Nadi, Fiji, they had to board another aircraft to eventually arrive in Suva, where Don Bosco House is located. They were able to spend two days in Suva, speak to the young men in formation (6 Novices, 2 Post Novices and 1 Theologian) and the three formators in the community. They visited the Pacific Regional Seminary, and were able to share their hopes and concerns with the Rector of the Seminary, Fr Michael O’Connor, SM. While in Suva, the whole community celebrated Fr Cereda’s birthday – in Pacifican style!
On Sunday, 7 March, they trekked back to Melbourne, via a 6 hour wait at Nadi airport, and a 6 hour flight to Melbourne. A further busy time was ahead. On March 8 they were able to visit Catholic Theological College, the centre for theological formation in Victoria, attended by Salesian students. They spent a full afternoon at the house of formation in Clifton Hill. They gathered with young Salesians from all parts of the Region now studying in Melbourne: Australians, Samoans, Koreans, Thais and Vietnamese. The day closed with prayer, a Good Night from Fr Cereda, and a further joyful celebration at table with the Provincial, Fr Frank Moloney, and the Salesian Bishop, Bishop Tim Costelloe, a former Rector at Clifton Hill) present. Fr Stephen Nam, Provincial of Korea, was also in Australia, visiting his 2 confrere studying here (one doing a PhD at Australian Catholic University; the other an Mtheol at the Melbourne College of Divinity). Fr Nam joined the various visits and encounters.
On March 9 they paid a visit to the Australian Catholic University where they were guided through the campus by the Dean of Theology and Philosophy, Professor Anne Hunt, and were the guests of the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Gabrielle McMullen, for lunch. A brief, but rich experience came to a close that afternoon, as they headed off to visit the formation communities in Indonesia-East Timor. The Australia-Pacific Province was delighted to have Frs Cereda and Saldanha with them. It was a time of mutual encouragement and appreciation of the work being done for the formation of the next generation of young Salesians in the Region.
_________________
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 . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
