By Fr. Jolino Vieira, SDB

Dili, Timor-Leste 1 November 2020 -- The annual retreat this year was held during these trying times that CoVid-19 is still roaming around. This annual retreat of the first batch is quite special for a few reasons, namely:

1. For the first time, the preacher is a Timorese Salesian;
2. All the retreatants are Timorese Salesians, without any missionaries among them;
3. The retreat was held in a non-Salesian setting; The talk covered the Sacred Scriptures, the Salesian Constitutions and Regulations, the Salesian

The reflections flowed from the Sacred Scriptures (Old to New Testament), up to the Salesian Constitutions and Regulations and its applications in the life of Don Bosco himself. At the same time, the preacher invited the retreatants to look back into the main sources of the congregation and the personal experience of Don Bosco.

In addition to this, the weather of the place was quite cool due to location of the retreat house being settled on the highest place in Dili, which contributed greatly to setting the mood and atmosphere of the retreat to be very serene and calm— tremendously helping the retreatants in making better introspection and deep, personal reflections to better grasp the Sacred Scriptures, Salesian Constitutions, and the readings they had chosen personally.

After each talk, the preacher gave the retreatants guide questions for their personal reflections.

For the opening remarks, the provincial welcomed the retreatants and at the same time encouraged them to make use of this opportune time to rest in God's presence and ask the necessary graces they need in fulfilling the mission entrusted to them in the Community, Province and the Congregation in the coming years, full of hope and determination.

In his concluding remarks, Father Provincial, Reverend Fr. Apolinário Maria Oranai Neto,SDB, thanked the preacher and congratulated the retreatants, as well as impassioning them as they go down from Mount Tabor to Galilee to preach and practise their meeting with Jesus whom they met on the mountain.

 

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