By Cl. Conrad Vamilat, SDB

PGS, 13 July 2020 -- As a formation option of our PGS Vice-province, after our first profession we were sent to Canlubang, Philippines for our two years of postnovitiate formation. Certainly, our philosophical studies have helped us in many ways: to think critically regarding the situations and events that we encounter and be able to enter into critical dialogue with the young, besides laying the foundation for our future theological studies.

Our pastoral experiences prepared us to be pastors-educators of the young particularly through our weekend apostolate in different youth centres that is directly under the post-novitiate community; the teaching of catechism in public schools once a week; as well as our lunch assistance to the students of Don Bosco College. These were experiences which prepared us for our practical training and in the practice of the Preventive System.

As a Papua New Guinean I have learnt how to approach young Filipinos who ‘always look for visible signs’. I mean, they will forget what we taught but they will always remember our credible witness outside the classroom. As a postnovice I learnt that Generation Z, who are now our students, is the most creative tech-savvy, confident, with a strong work ethic. This generation of Filipino youth challenged me to learn and meet their standards. But they also prepared me to meet the young people of Papua New Guinea who, similarly, look up to people who consistently put into practice what they preach.

I concluded my postnovitiate formation on the year we remember the arrival of Salesian missionaries in Papua New Guinea 40 years ago and in the Solomon Islands 25 years ago. Living with Salesians from four countries, in an environment and culture different from my own where the Salesian charism is deeply rooted, made me gratefully aware that the charism of Don Bosco is slowly taking root in Melanesia. I am ever grateful of being part of the first Melanesian Salesians pilgrimage to the Salesian Holy places organised by our Vice-Province last year. To have a personal experience of the Salesian holy places which formed our charism is a unique privilege. At the same it made us realise that inculturating Don Bosco’s charism will be a slow process that needs patience and courage. An important part of this is for us Melanesian Salesians to appreciate our rich cultural values as well as to have the courage to say ‘no’ to some of Melanesian cultural practices that are contrary to our consecrated life and our being concrete signs of God’s love for the young.

Now that I am back in my own country for practical training, I look back with gratitude to the formation I have received at the international postnovitiate. I am grateful to our Vice-Province of Bl Philip Rinaldi for continuing to invest in our formation and to the Salesian missionaries in PGS who have been very generous in giving their time and effort in forming us since our college aspirantate.

---

---