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Newsletter for Salesian Missionary Animation
A Publication of the Mission Department for the Salesian Communities and Friends of the Salesian Mission
Dear confreres and
friends of the
Salesian missions,
A cordial greeting before
Pentecost missionary day
par excellence. Through-
out the Easter season we
read the Acts of the Apos-
tles where we learn from
the early Church the why
and how of initial proclamation of Jesus
Christ to 'pagans', the journey of faith of
new Christians as well as strategies to build
the Church from 'zero'. In the same way that
the first persecution of the Church in Jerusa-
lem hastened the spread of the Gospel in the
Roman Empire, so it happens even in our
times in many parts of the world.
Sixty years ago, almost all the insti-
tutions of the Church in China (schools, hos-
pitals, publishing, social work) were nation-
alised and more than 5,000 foreign mission-
aries were expelled. Today, however, with
all the limitations of the situation, there are
more Christians in China than in Italy, we are
surprised by the missionary zeal of the laity.
A Protestant Publisher in Nanjing has printed
100 million Bibles in the last 30 years. Be-
tween 1949 and 2012, without the presence
of missionaries ad gentes from outside, the
Protestant communities have grown from 1
million to 70 million (the more modest esti-
mate), and the Catholic Church from 3 mil-
lion to 12 million faithful. All thanks to a
tenacious, strong and missionary faith of
many simple Chinese Christians and pastors!
The prayer for the Church in China on May
24, willed by Pope Benedict XVI offers a real
opportunity to bring us closer to the faithful
in China!
In these times of silent apostasy of
Christians in Europe (we have everything,
but we have lost the faith) or of defection of
so many Catholics in America (millions of
Catholic faithful have gone to sects) - the
growth of the Church in China gives us a
glimpse of the dynamics of the Acts of the
Apostles today.
I wish you a fruitful celebration of Pentecost
to relaunch of our evangelised and evangel-
ising communities!
Fr. Václav Klement, SDB
Councillor for the Missions
“Constantly promote devotion
to Mary Help of Christians”
A n essential element in the Salesian mission is the presence
of Mary, a typically evangelical conviction (cf. Jn 2,1.12;
Acts 1,14) and a certainty of faith deeply lived by Don
Bosco. This active presence of Mary in the life of the Church has been
well-described by the title of Help of Chris-
tians. Don Bosco’s souvenir to the missionaries
recommends this “devotion” which needs to
be carefully cultivated. […]
With the use of the title of “Mary Help
of Christians” the Salesian charism is opened
up to the missionary dimension, and a feature
of Salesian missionary activity is the spreading
among the people of devotion to Mary Help of
Christians, the celebration of the principal
Marian feasts, the publication of booklets and
holy pictures, the building of Marian churches
in every part of the world, the visible expres-
sion of the diffusion of Don Bosco’s apostolic
and educational charism. “The Holy Virgin
Mary” – he wrote in his ‘Spiritual Testament”
“will continue most certainly to protect our
Congregation and Salesian houses, if we perse-
vere in our trust in her and continue promoting
her devotion.” […]
Fr. Pascual Chávez
(The inculturation of the Salesian Charism, AGC 411)
Mary Help of Christians
Papua New Guinea
“If the Lord is calling you to be a missionary
outside our Country … GO!”
I was born in Kerala, South India. As an altar boy I heard a
good number of the 65 priests coming from my Parish share
their experiences missionary during their vacation. Naturally I
began to ask myself: ‘if I could be near to a priest at the altar, why
can’t I be there at the altar one day’. The visit of a Salesian voca-
tion promoter later led to my joining a vocation camp when I was
14. During the camp I expressed my desire to be missionary north
of India in the Province of Kolkata.
I started as an aspirant there in 1994, 2400 kilometers away
from my home, in a totally new culture and language. At the end
of my post novitiate I expressed my desire to be a missionary ad
exteros to my Provincial who advised me to take more time to dis-
cern. After my priestly ordination I was appointed to a parish
Interview of Fr. Camiel Swertavagher,
Provincial of Africa Great Lakes
in French with sub titles in English
http://vimeo.com/64393565
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