2864 GIA Don Bosco Volunteer Group
austraLasia #2864
 

Japan's DBVG completes twenty years

TOKYO: 31 May 2011
-- A ceremony to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Don Bosco Overseas Young Volunteer Group (DBVG) took place in the parish hall at Chofu (Tokyo) on Saturday 28 May 2011.
   Almost two hundred people took part, mostly youths, but including many adults involved in one or other program run by the movement.
   The event began with a greeting from the Provincial, Fr Aldo Cipriani, followed by an Presentation showing the 20 years of  DBVG's history. its founder, Bishop Francis Mizobe Osamu, bishop emeritus of Takamatsu, was unable to be present but 'appeared' via a video recording. Moderated by Fr Mickey Muramatsu, provincial secretary, a round-table conference took place between three young volunteers and Fr Achille Loro Piana, who was responsible for the DBVG group fro 9 years of its history.
   The Mass was well prepared and in his homily, Fr Daniel Torigoe, Principal of Salesian High School,Yokohama, kept the group happy telling of his adventures with the volunteers in Cebu and Mindanao (Philippines) during the 1990s.
  And of course there was a delicious fraternal agape for the young volunteers many of whom had not seen each other again over the years. It was a typically Salesian festive occasion.
   Over the 20 years, 229 youth and 39 leaders have taken part at least once (many more often) as part of a good 40 volunteer groups especially in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and the Philippines.
   One feature of the DBVG is that its members, most of them not baptised, carry out a volunteer experience in a Christian and Salesian context, an evangelising experience which allows them to come into contact with Jesus and his teachings.
   Long live DBVG: Congratulations and “ad multo annos”!

  _________________
 AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific.  It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome.  For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2011 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there.  Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org