Cagliero 11 Gennaio 2011 - ENG


Cagliero 11 Gennaio 2011 - ENG

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Titolo notiziario
Nome società
Newsletter for Salesian Missionary Animation
Have You Seen Together a DVD?
D ear Sale-
sian mis-
sionaries and
friends of the
Salesian Missions!
Cordial greetings
of the Lord's
blessings in the
New Year 2011!
365 days of grace
are ahead of us.
Each of us lives
in a different
culture, but we are all rooted in Jesus
Christ, our Brother and Lord, Centre
of the Universe!
This year the Rector Major invites us
members of the Salesian Family of
Don Bosco, to build up a culture of
vocations. Cagliero11 this year wishes
to contribute to the growth of the
Salesian missionary culture, the other
side of the same coin of Christian life.
One of the ways how to strengthen
the missionary culture is to spread
awareness of missions each day in
an attractive manner. Thanks to
various video productions in many
parts of the world or from the Sale-
sian Don Bosco Missions (Turin) the
entire Congregation and the Sale-
sian Family is aware of the mission-
ary life of today. Each year about
15 DVD reach 53 private TV stations
and 4000 Salesian houses in 130
countries.
Visiting the Salesian communities, I
am usually curious to browse
through the DVDs in the community
room, to see how the confreres use
this valuable means of missionary
information and training. I have
seen two extremes: in some houses
after several years the DVDs are not
even opened, but another I saw how
a Rector copied the DVD from Turin
to give to all 40 animators and cate-
chists of the mission stations.
There are many places where one
does not have an access to the
internet. But even in places without
electricity, aided by one generator,
the DVD player is available to
show lots of films. I know of a
Novice Master who shows a
missionary video to the novices
every Sunday, after giving a
brief introduction,. If you visit
the site http://
www.missionidonbosco.tv you
can see hundreds of videos
from all continents, a real
Salesian missionary YouTube.
In www.sdb.org there is a sec-
tion (Dicastero-Missioni-DVD
missionarie) where one can
check the list of the DVD pro-
duced by Missione Don Bosco
in the last five years, even with
the texts in digital form in 7
languages. A real accessible
treasure.
To spread, to foster a mission-
ary culture is possible for all of
us.
Don Václav Klement, SDB
Councillor for the Missions
MISSIONARIIES FOR ASIA SOUGHT
Country - Province
Chinese Services - CIN
Pakistan - FIS
Sri Lanka - LKC
Azerbaijan Missio sui iuris -
SLK
Laos - THA
Required languages
Chinese, English
English, Urdu
English, Singhala, Tamil
Russian or English,
Azeri
English, Lao
Features of the setting
and qualities required by missionaries
help the province with young confreres (Macau, Hong Kong, Tai-
wan) especially lay brothers. Necessity of robust vocations
Very few SDB, difficult islamic context, technical education,
need of robust vocations of lay brothers and of formators
Few confreres, long war ended in 2009, need to internationalise
the communities (with SDB not from the South Asia Region)
Around 600 Catholics and 3000 migrants, moderate Islam, re-
quest to internationalise the communities, need of non-Slovak
confreres
Technical training centre started in 2004 managed by lay people,
need of lay brothers; need to start a religious presence, commu-
nist regime, very poor country

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A Toddler’s Recount
I had been inspired to go to the mission from my novitiate days. I firmly believed
in giving to others what I had freely received – love of Christ in Don Bosco’s way.
The singularity of this expression truly gives a sense of fulfillment to me. Had it
not been for the missionaries my country would never have so many Salesian pres-
ences and many youngsters would not have been cared for. My missionary vocation
was strengthened in all the communities where I had done my practical training. My
apostolate and my life with great missionaries like Fr. Guezou, a French missionary
who had worked for more than 52 years and Fr. John Vigilius, an Indian who had
worked in Africa for more than 20 years played a pivotal role in strengthening my passion for the mission.
When I first arrived in my mission land, Cambodia I was filled with great zeal. but I was down with typhoid
within two days. I was bedridden for a week. I was greatly disappointed. Fortunately after a week I was up and
about just the usual me. I also wanted to communicate with the youngsters and the people but I could not. I felt
helpless like a child. This was indeed a disheartening experience. I understood that as long as we are in our own
country we fail to realise the essence of communication – the language. My
initial impression was that the people, especially the students, accept me
as a Salesian as long as I am a ‘yes man’ to their needs.
Now, I am gradually doing much better. I am comfortable when people
speak in Khmer. Not that I understand everything they say but the lan-
guage doesn’t seem foreign to me as it was when I first arrived. I know
now that people and the youngsters sincerely accept me as their friend
and brother. Throughout my initial introduction to a new culture and a
new people I really felt the support, guidance and love of my Salesian
community. This has always been my stronghold.
Now I feel at home here and I even tell my students that Cambodia is
my country. I often forget that I am in another country as there is so much
to be done daily. I like it here, the people are good, the work is excellent.
It is truly a daily Valdocco experience for me. Being here in Cambodia invokes in me the sentiments of Saul on his
journey to Damascus, that he had seen the Lord; well, for me I feel like being Valdocco in Don Bosco’s time.
Bro. Charles Arun Michael, SDB
We Seek to be on Fire to Light the Flames of Mission
We commit ourselves to carry home to our own communities new insights into the story of Jesus. We
seek to be on fire ready to bring home vivid and inspiring stories which could light the flames of mis-
sion in young hearts. We wish to follow Jesus’ words to the possessed person: “Go home to your own
people tell them what the Lord in his mercy has done for you” (Mk 5, 19).
Asian Mission Congress, Chiang Mai, Thailand (2006)
Salesian Missionary Intention
South Asia Region
That the Salesians who live and work in the South Asian Region, especially in Pakistan, may build bridges
with our brothers and sisters in other Christian denominations.
The Christian communities in all countries of the South Asian region
barely make up 1-2% of the population. Relations with our brothers
and sisters of other Christian communities is sometimes not easy, be-
cause the main concern of Christians is directed towards non-
Christians. At the same time we believe that a more credible witness
of the Gospel in the ocean of non-Christian religions implies that
Christian Churches be in communion with each other.
Send your suggestions and contributions to cagliero11@gmail.com