~ MOR: A MISSIONARY PRO-
VINCE BY ITS VERY NATURE
Dear Fr Alejandro, what is the reality of the Salesians in MOR?
Our province carries out its mission and offers its witness in 5 countries where Christians are a minority: Egypt,
Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. The SDBs are mostly missionaries (70%}; however there are also Arab
Salesians (30%) who carry out their mission in countries of the province other than that of their birth and culture.
How about the work ofour volunteers?
Since long we have needed the support of lay people who volunteer in our works: Middle East commitment, VIS,
volunteer professors in Italian schools in Egypt, and many friends who offer their service. This year more than 20
young people from the ICC, INE and SMX provinces will have a short-term volunteer experience in various
houses of the MOR
Despite the great need for personnel to carry out the works in the established institutions of our province, several
missionary experiences have also been made for short durations during the summer in Upper Egypt, Baghdad,
Istanbul, and ErbiL SDBs as well as lay people participated in these experiences. Since 2015, our provincial
missionary animation has organized an exchange of animators among the oratories during the summer. This
promotes the missionary spirit and communion among the works of the province. More than 24 young people
lived this experience from 2015 to 2021. This year there are 16 of them:
• Syria, Aleppo
sent 4 young people
• Syria, Damasco
sent 5 young people and received 2
• Syria, Kafroun
sent 2 young people and received 4
• Egypt, Cairo-El Sahe! sent 2 young people
• Egypt, Cairo-Zeitun received 1 young person
• Lebanon, El Housson sent 3 young people and received 9
What is the criterion for choosing the destination for
MOR volunteers?
Our criterion is simple. When it comes to sharing life and faith,
there are no communities that are too poor to share their
wealth; nor are there any communities that are so rich that
they do not need to receive these testimonies
Fr. Alejandro José León Mendoza, SDB
Som in Venezuela, he is 42 years old. At 17 he made the
pre-novitiate. During the novitiate he discovered his
desire to go to the missions. Before leaving, he
graduated tn Educational Sciences.
At 22 he dtd his first year of practical training in the
border land between Venezuela and Colombia with the
·wa1u· tribe. Two years later the Rector MaJor accepted
his request and was sent to the Middle East (MOR). As
soon as a new priest in 2011 he was sent to Damascus
where he saw the development of the war m Syria.
From 2012 until this year he served as Delegate for
Missionary Animation (POMA). He was also provincial
economer. Until now he works as inspector with the
idea of being able to serve the most needy young people
or those who do not yet know Christ.
For the abolition
SEPTEMBER of the death penalty
SALESIAN For fostering Salesian preventive system and
MISSIONARY education without punishments in Papua New Guinea.
We pray that the death penalty, which attacks the dignity of
INTENTION
the human person, may be legally abolished in every country.
[Pope Francis’ prayer intention]
