Australia-Pacific Province celebrates

its first Salesian missionary month

By Fr William Mathews, SDB
From the Provincial newsletter August 2018

Melbourne, Australia, 20 August 2018 -- Dear Confreres and members of the Salesian Family. During my visit to Rome for the new Provincials’ Course in June, I was asked by a Salesian from another province of how many missionaries we have in our province. Without further thought, my quick response was ‘Every Salesian is a missionary in our province’. I did not regret about my quick response as I always believe you and I are missionaries to the young in our great province of Mary Help of Christians.

We are missionaries to the young, especially to the poor and the abandoned in every place we work. We live and are sent as missionaries by the grace of God through our religious profession as Salesians. The Salesian Constitution article 2 says; “We the Salesians of Don Bosco, form a community of the baptized. Submissive to the bidding of the Spirit we are resolved to carry out the Founder’s apostolic plan in a specific form of religious life: to be in the Church signs and bearers of the love of God for young people, especially those who are poor.”

Recently, you would have received a reminder from Lauren Hichaaba, Provincial Delegate for Missionary Animation, about our ‘Missions Month’ starting from 15 August the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and concluding on 14 September with the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This special month is a time to reflect ourselves once again of our missionary spirit and examine what we can do better or differently in our mission as Salesians.

The worldwide Salesian Missionary intention for this month calls for the Salesians in Oceania, ‘So that the Salesian Family may be able to witness to and proclaim the Gospel of the Family in Oceania’. Confreres in the Pacific Delegation as well as those in Australia can examine how things are going with their mission. Are we sitting well in our comfort zone where we keep ourselves busy and not get challenged by our untouched potentials? Or are we prepared to do differently or go to places where we are needed?

Many Salesians, past and present from our province, are dedicated to the missions in the Pacific. A lot of ground work has been established in Samoa for the local Salesians to take over. All our works in Samoa are now run by either Samoan Salesians or lay people. Moreover, I am so pleased to see a young Vietnamese cleric in Salelologa who is resiliently and faithfully living out religious life as a missionary. Another young Vietnamese cleric is on the way to Samoa to start Practical Training in 2019. We have Br Stan Rossato and Fr Jim Hoe in Fiji as missionaries sacrificing their lives and trying their best to proclaim the love of God. Fr Paselio Tevaga and Fr Mika Leilua taking on leadership roles as missionaries in formation and in our projects for the poor. I also acknowledge all Salesians in New Zealand who are helping the diocese and the youth in parishes as missionaries.

A lot of missionary work is being carried out by a few young lay volunteers from Australia. They are working as short-term missionaries in various parts of the world through the Cagliero Project.

All in all, every Salesian is a missionary in every place he works. He accepted the will of God with his own free will and is sent to proclaim the Good News. He is a missionary to bring Jesus to those he encounters in his day-to-day life. He personifies Jesus who came not to be served, but to serve through simple lifestyle. He has absolute faith in God through the maternal guidance of Our Lady the Help of Christians. He worries about nothing because Don Bosco promised him ‘Bread, work and heaven’.

Let us remind ourselves, as missionaries during this Mission month and every other day of our existence, to bring the love of God to all we meet in our life.

Every Salesian is a missionary!

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