austraLasia #3301
SEOUL: 21 October 2013 -- Salesian Missions Day 2014 has gone province-wide for the first time in KOR Province. The Province chose to celebrate this in the wider context of World Mission Sunday, which has been celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of October since it was established by Pope Pius XI in 1926. The event took place at the Provincial House in Seoul, but involved the Salesian Family Groups, Korean missionary confreres from abroad, lay collaborators, other religious and faithful. It is estimated that 1200 people took part.
The program offered a chance to the missionaries to speak of their mission experience and with some of their co-workers also present something of the culture and customs in their place of mission through song and dance. There was also a large display of photographs from Mongolia.
Special focus was given to various groups of benefactors who are helping the Salesians in their mission work. Last year the Province set up a Mission Office in the Province under Fr Michael Chang, Provincial Economer. But there are lay groups helping the missions, some of them legally established as foundations, others not. And to encourage those who attended to support these various efforts an open market was set up in the playground beside the Provincial House for donated clothes, household goods as well as warm food. The Sudan Children' Scholarship Foundation, initially formed to help the late Fr John Lee, continues to collaborate with the Salesians in Korea - so they too had a corner to sell or share material to do with him. There were two other groups worthy of mention: Uasa (which means 'love for Africa', espcially Malawi where Korean Salesian Fr Alex Kim has been working for some years) and Camsarang ('love for Cambodia').
A number of young people who have graduated from their Salesian schooling in mission territories involving Korean Salesians, were also in attendance - some of them have migrated to Korea. Their presence was a bonus because it made it immediately apparent to people what the fruits of missionary activity can be. And finally, a group of young Korean volunteers who have had experience in mission territories on short-term immersion (2-3 weeks at a time) contributed something of their experiences too.
The Provincial, Fr Stephen Nam and the Provincial Economer, both addressed the assembled 'multitudes'. The Provincial, drawing on the Pope's letter for WMD 2013 which puts things in the context of the Year of Faith, hoped that "this SMD will be a graced moment, one which urges us to approach more people who are thirsty for the Good News." He saw this new initiative in the Province as "a good present to God at the conclusion of our journey of the Year of Faith." Fr Chang, on the other hand reminded those present that the SMD initiative aimed to "animate mission spirit," and "make known our activity in the mission field as a contribution to the Universal Church." He saw the day as a huge success.
SEOUL: 21 October 2013 -- Salesian Missions Day 2014 has gone province-wide for the first time in KOR Province. The Province chose to celebrate this in the wider context of World Mission Sunday, which has been celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of October since it was established by Pope Pius XI in 1926. The event took place at the Provincial House in Seoul, but involved the Salesian Family Groups, Korean missionary confreres from abroad, lay collaborators, other religious and faithful. It is estimated that 1200 people took part.
The program offered a chance to the missionaries to speak of their mission experience and with some of their co-workers also present something of the culture and customs in their place of mission through song and dance. There was also a large display of photographs from Mongolia.
Special focus was given to various groups of benefactors who are helping the Salesians in their mission work. Last year the Province set up a Mission Office in the Province under Fr Michael Chang, Provincial Economer. But there are lay groups helping the missions, some of them legally established as foundations, others not. And to encourage those who attended to support these various efforts an open market was set up in the playground beside the Provincial House for donated clothes, household goods as well as warm food. The Sudan Children' Scholarship Foundation, initially formed to help the late Fr John Lee, continues to collaborate with the Salesians in Korea - so they too had a corner to sell or share material to do with him. There were two other groups worthy of mention: Uasa (which means 'love for Africa', espcially Malawi where Korean Salesian Fr Alex Kim has been working for some years) and Camsarang ('love for Cambodia').
A number of young people who have graduated from their Salesian schooling in mission territories involving Korean Salesians, were also in attendance - some of them have migrated to Korea. Their presence was a bonus because it made it immediately apparent to people what the fruits of missionary activity can be. And finally, a group of young Korean volunteers who have had experience in mission territories on short-term immersion (2-3 weeks at a time) contributed something of their experiences too.
The Provincial, Fr Stephen Nam and the Provincial Economer, both addressed the assembled 'multitudes'. The Provincial, drawing on the Pope's letter for WMD 2013 which puts things in the context of the Year of Faith, hoped that "this SMD will be a graced moment, one which urges us to approach more people who are thirsty for the Good News." He saw this new initiative in the Province as "a good present to God at the conclusion of our journey of the Year of Faith." Fr Chang, on the other hand reminded those present that the SMD initiative aimed to "animate mission spirit," and "make known our activity in the mission field as a contribution to the Universal Church." He saw the day as a huge success.
