3261 Official launch of Tetun
austraLasia #3261

 

Official launch of Tétun Memoirs of the Oratory

13 August 2013 --  On 12 August 2013 at the ITM Provincial House in Dili the official launch took place of the “Memória sira oratóriu São Francisco de Sales nian”, the Tétun language edition (national language of East Timor) of the “Memoirs of the Oratory”. The event was organised by Fr Placido T. Freitas, sdb, Social Communication Delegate for ITM. It was limited to just 30 people from the different Salesian Family Groups in Timor. As well as Rectors from Salesian Houses representatives of the Past Pupils, the DBV, ADMA, the FMA, Salesian Cooperators and young people were present.

The day began at 10.30 with an introduction from the Social Communication Delegate, followed by brief addresses from the book's translator, Fr Manuel Fraile, sdb and the Provincial, Fr João P. Aparicio, sdb. It concluded towards midday with distribution of the book to participants as a gift from the Provincial.
 
The initiative to translate this book by Don Bosco into Tétun was taken last year as part of the Provincial Plan, to celebrate the Bicentenary of Don Bosco's birth. Fr Placido pointed this out in his introductory address. He thanked Fr Fraile particularly for his availability in accepting the task of translating the book, as well as the Provincial and his Council for their support. Fr Fraile for his part thanked all the confreres for having given him a chance to serve the Congregation by translating such an important work for understanding the life, spirituality and pedagogy of Don Bosco. “It was really a great honour for me,” he said, with a certain emotion.
 
The Provincial said in his address that these Memoirs are esesential for understanding Don Bosco. Therefore he asked all members of the Salesian Family to read them, promote them and meditate on them. “There is no longer any reason,” the Superior said, “for not reading the Memoirs, since we now have them in our own language”. He also thanked the benefactors, emphasising the contribution given by the National Parliament in East Timor for its publication. The Provincial then handed out copies to participants amidst general applause, to symbolise the official launching of the book.

Thus, after 86 years of Salesian presence in East Timor, there is finally a first translation in Tétun of Don Bosco's Memoirs. This event is only the beginning of a series of publications of Salesian source material soon to be realised in East Timor.