Cagliero 11 - agosto 2013-ING


Cagliero 11 - agosto 2013-ING

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Nome società
Titolo n otiziario
Bollettino di Animazione Missionaria Salesiana
Pubblicazione del Dicastero per le Missioni per le Comunità Salesiane e gli amici delle missioni Salesiane
D ear friends of the Salesians and of the Salesian mission,
Cordial greetings during the month of August! For various Provinces it
is vacation time, for others a period of intense apostolic commitment. For a
number of missionaries it is occasion to visit their Provinces of origin, it’s
‘holiday’ time: “Every missionary may return periodically to his native land, in
accordance with the norms of his Province. His Provincial will present him to
the Provincial of the area where he intends to pass his time and will provide
him with what is necessary for his stay. The confreres of the province which
receives him should see to it that he is given a generous and fraternal wel-
come” (Regulations art. 21).
The time for holidays is a valuable opportunity to rest and recharge one’s
physical, mental and spiritual batteries. At the same time it is also a valuable
opportunity for missionary animation among the Salesians and the Catholic community in one’s own native land!
Often, however, we devote more energy to seek funds or projects, than to share our missionary life.
The visits to the houses of formation and the interviews for the Salesian Bulletin and other means of Salesian Social
Communication are very important. The interviews - thanks to the Delegates for social communication or for mis-
sionary animation - are used to share their life experiences and missionary vocation with young people, with the
Salesian family.
Almost all the new missionaries say that the first moment of their journey in the discovery of God's calling was lis-
tening to the story of a missionary! Humility, in this case, is not a virtue! Of course it's different when a missionary
returns to visit Spain (with its 300 Salesian missionaries the worldover) as when a missionary returns to Colombia
(which has just three Salesian missionaries!)
Indeed, the time to visit one’s country is the time to have some rest and recharge one’s batteries, but it is also a
time of intense missionary animation. No one can replace the personal story of a missionary!
Fr. Václav Klement, SDB
Councillor for the Missions
Let our Oratory - Youth Centres ...
I n his letter on Salesian Youth Ministry the Rector Major pointed out that “our apostolate is still not
very missionary, that is to say, it pays little attention to the need for an initial proclamation or a renewed
proclamation of the Gospel.”Regarding the Oratory - Youth Centres, Fr Pascual Chávez draws our atten-
tion to some aspects to be explored urgently, including:
*** a pastoral methodology needs to be found which succeeds in responding to the more immediate needs
of the great mass of youth people, without, however, forgetting the most demanding and challenging
proposals for those young people who are open to following a formation path at some depth;
*** make the Oratory-Youth Centre a real educative community with a strong identity and a formative
force, which is expressed in an environment which is profoundly human and Christian, in which there is
a significant presence of Salesians and educators among the young, sharing their lives, varied educa-
tional opportunities according to the circumstances and the needs of young people themselves .
... be more Missionary!

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M y missionary vocation began in the
novitiate when the Councillor for
the Missions came to visit. During
the conference, he invited us to reflect on our mis-
sionary vocation. In the post novitiate I heard the
stories of Vietnamese missionaries who came to
visit us. Gradually the call
to be a missionary became
stronger and clearer. After
much prayer, I expressed
my desire to be a missionary
ad gentes. The Rector Major
accented my application
and he sent me to work
among the Indians of the
Brazilian Amazon.
Many young people have asked me: "Why
do you want to become a missionary abroad while
in Vietnam many do not yet know Christ? For
many this seems paradoxical. But my motivation is
clear: We were lucky because many missionaries
came to Vietnam. The Word of God which they
have sown has already taken roots and continues
to grow. I want to be a missionary because I want to
share this gift of faith with those who do not know
Christ so that they too may have the joy and the light
of faith and the light of Jesus Christ, with which I
have been blessed. I bring them nothing but the
only and most precious thing I have, my faith!
Before leaving for Brazil, I had the wonderful
opportunity to attend the Course for New Missionaries
in Rome and Turin. It helped me to make a closure to
my past experiences, to pray, to study and reflect on
what await us as missionaries. I really appreciate the
I share with the indigenous
peoples of the Amazonia
nothing else but my faith!
personal dialogue with Václav Klement, Councillor for
the Missions, with each of us at the beginning and
towards the end of the course.
God has called me to work in Brazil, for my
beloved indigenous peoples of the Amazon. I'm really
happy with my vocation as a Salesian missionary. I
was welcomed with open arms by the confreres of
the Province of Manaus. I immedi-
ately felt at home here. However,
learning Portuguese was a big chal-
lenge for me. I struggled because I
was afraid to speak it. The culture
was also completely new to me.
Later, I was sent to an introductory
course for new missionaries of
three months organised by the
Conference of Religious on Brazil-
ian culture, society and Church.
At the moment I am the assistant
at Don Bosco School where I try to practice the Pre-
ventive System in my daily missionary activities and
in my relationships with young people. Sometimes I
struggle to maintain discipline in my spiritual and re-
ligious life. This is essential for me. Missionary life is
certainly not easy, but my faith assures me that God
never abandons those who give generously.
Ch. John Baptist Dinh Viet Tien
Vietnamese, missionary in Brazil
Salesian Missionary Intention
The Region of Africa & Madagascar
That the Salesian Family in Africa & Madagascar may know how to share the
riches of the Preventive System of Don Bosco, inculturated in local cultures
as leaven for justice and peace for the peoples of Africa, especially for
young people .
The Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae Munus clearly asked us to
place ourselves at the service of reconciliation, justice and peace. The treas-
ure of spiritual and educational experience lived by Don Bosco in the early
Oratory becomes a unique opportunity to consolidate in Africa & Madagascar
paths of education and evangelisation that gives rise to the much desired
peace and justice.
An interview of Fr. Jorge Mario Crisafulli, Superior of the West African Vice Province
In English
https://vimeo.com/69950099
All previous issues of "Cagliero 11" are available at purl.org/sdb/sdl/Cagliero