3178 ITM Provincial Day Comoro, Dili
austraLasia #3178

 


ITM Provincial Day Comoro, Dili


SEOUL: 7 January 2012
-- On 29 December at Comoro (Dili-East Timor) there was a province celebration for Christmas 2012. The gathering rbought together every Salesian working in East Timor. this was also an occasion to conclude the Provincial Assembly held the previous day, 28 December, where each community had presented its financial plan for 2013.

Following  basketball contest, the Superior of the Vice Province, Fr João Paolino, opened the Province Day with a conference in the great hall of the St Francis de Sales Philosophate (Comoro-Dili). He presented an overall picture of the vice province in 2012. He thanked Rectors, delegates and all the Salesians for the work done and especially for their fine witness during the year. At the end of his address the Provincial gave out obediences to the confreres for the coming year. There were no major changes of personnel.

According to the statistics he provided, ITM comprises 193 Salesians and 25 novices. The novitiate House in Fatumaca  (East Timor) has 18 novices, while the one in Sumba, Indonesia, has seven. There are two pre-novitiate houses also, one in Indonesia the other at Lospalos (East Timor). There are 36 pre-novices: 11 in Indonesia, 25 in East Timor.

The important moment of the gathering was the Mass together in the Post Novitiate chapel at which the Provincial presided. In his homily Fr Paolino drew to the attention of everyone the Strenna of the Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chavez. He invited all Salesians in East Timor to be educators able to offer young people the Gospel of joy through a pedagogy of kindness.

The gathering concluded with lunch and an exchange of gifts.