RM's month-long swing through centenary celebrations
in Asia and then on to South Africa
COLOMBO: 1st February 2006 -- It began early
this morning at Colombo airport, after 'skipping out' on the dinner
organised at the Pisana for the Feast of St. John Bosco. There
was no other way, of course. The Rector Major was due in Sri
Lanka to celebrate fifty years of Salesian presence there, from whence
on to India a few days later, on further to China. He will
eventually end up in South Africa for a Team Visit in that continent.
Meanwhile, austraLasia will endeavour to keep you
informed of the highlights of the centenary visits, and for the first
two days, a half-centenary. The first Salesian to arrive in Sri
Lnaka was a French Salesian, Henri Remery by name, working at the time
in Madras. That was fifty years ago. Today Sri Lanka has set a
busy pace for the Rector Major. Early morning arrival at Colombo
airport, then a motorcade to the Provincial house on the coast.
The correspondent indicates that the RM was met by crowds of youngsters
'waving Christian Nestorian flags'. That was an intriguing
comment. Can someone throw some light on this?
In the afternoon, the Rector Major blessed a new
multipurpose hall at the Provincial House. The 22 by 36 metre
building was sponsored by the Banco di Credito Cooperativo di Roma and
was packed with 2,500 young people today all eager to meet the ninth
successor of Don Bosco. The construction was supervised by VIS,
the Rome-based Salesian Volunteer Service.
Amongst other important parts of this ceremony was
the distribution, by the Rector Major, of boats, outboard motors and
fishing nets to people afflicted by the Tsunami, many of whom were
gathered in the hall for the occasion.
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