Feb_M28_09


Feb_M28_09

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OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SALESIAN MISSIONARY ANIMATION OFFICE (FIN)
ISSUE NO. # 2 – VOLUME 2
FEBRUARY 2009
On a Mission
to Spread God’s Word
to the Youth of PNG
Last January 5, 2009, in a simple
get together affair, the Missionary
Animation Office FIN - under the
missionary delegate Fr. Salvador
Pablo, hosted a luncheon gathering
to mark Fr. Eduardo Revilla’s return
to another round of tour of duty as a
missionary in Papua New Guinea.
He has served the people of PNG for
11 years before coming back again
for his new assignment.
To date, Fr. Eduardo has worked
a total of forty-seven years as a
missionary to the Philippines and
Papua New Guinea. We look back
as how the seeds of his vocation to
Salesian life began.
The young Eduardo
Revilla is the fourth of
thirteen siblings who
was among the first
group of boys from the
Parish of Villangomez
in the Province of
Burgos, Spain that
responded to the
invitation of the
Salesian Fr. Emilio
Alonzo to try-out the
Salesian life. Fr. Emilio
had visited his town
mate, Fr. Pedro
Camara who was then
Parish Priest of
Villangomez and had
agreed to help him in the vocation
campaign.
Eduardo and his companions first
entered the aspirantate at Astudillo,
Palencia then continued at the
aspirantate at Arevalo, Avila. In
1952, Eduardo entered the Novitiate
in Mohernando, Guadalajara and
made his first religious profession
the 16th of August, 1953.
From the Novitiate, the young
Salesian proceeded to the Post-
Novitiate at Gudalajara, Guadalajara.
At Deusto, Bilbao Br. Eduardo
plunged into his Practical Training;
after which he would move on to
Melchetcourt, England for his
theological studies. Fr. Eduardo was
ordained on March 17, 1962.
After ordination, Fr. Eduardo
embraced life in the missions settling
in Victorias, Negros Occidental for
his first posting as Catechist. Since
then, he had seen action in Mayapa,
Canlubang as Parochial Vicar; in
Tarlac as Catechist; in Tondo as
Administrator; at DBTI Makati as
Catechist and at San Fernando as
Economer. He also served as
Administrator of Salesian Publishers
in Makati before becoming Parish
Priest at the National Shrine of Mary
Help of Christians, Better Living,
Parañaque.
Burning with the zeal for
missionary work, Fr. Eduardo
applied in 1995 to join the Salesian
missions in Papua New Guinea and
was appointed as Rector at
Vunabosco, East New Britain. After
these demanding years, he would be
recalled to assist his sick and aging
confreres at Tabor House, Calamba,
Laguna as their Rector. Currently, he
is a member of the Post-Novitiate
community where he continues to
inspire our young confreres with his
love for Don Bosco and with his
Salesian zeal and experience in the
apostolate.
Support the Establishment of the Missionary Animation Desks in every Salesian Setting!

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SALESIAN MISSIONARY IN FOCUS
Think Mission…
Do Mission!
Fr. Edwin Genovia SDB
(While on vacation from his missionary work as the present Rector of Vunabosco Agro-Technical School, Rabaul Papua
New Guinea, Fr. Edwin gives time to answer candidly our questions. We are grateful for the time given in spite of his
busy schedule. As an introduction, he narrates to us the story of his vocation for the missions.)
I was born in VICMICO, Victorias where the Salesians – priests, brothers and sisters, are a common sight. I
was baptized by a Salesian priest, studied under the Salesian sisters from kinder to Grade 2, and then under
the Salesian priests and brothers from Grade 3 to 6. My parents, though not often practicing Catholics, were good Christians
who encouraged me to pursue my Salesian vocation when I first mentioned to them my desire to enter the seminary in my high
school years.
My missionary vocation had first grown in Don Bosco Missionary Seminary – Lawa-an, Talisay, Cebu with my close contact
with the elderly Salesian missionaries like Fr. John Peter Clifford and especially Br. Mario Rossi whose stories during our
recreation time in the evening about his China experience and exploits had entertained and enthralled us all young aspirants.
During my college years in Canlubang, the many Salesian missionaries that were invited by our superiors in the seminary, who
were unanimous in telling us about the beautiful place, the wonderful people, and their challenging work in the mission, had
made me decide to apply for the mission. And I did!
Missionary Animation (MA): What is MA: What are the joys and hurts in Working for the salvation of souls is
the future of the mission work in the missions?
not just the work of missionaries but
PNG? How do you assess the work of
of every Christian. If you’re a
Don Bosco in PNG? What is the EDGE: The joys of working in the Christian, you cannot but be a
background of present work in PNG? mission were truly blessings and they missionary… a man / woman with a
were many (that could fill up some mission.
Fr. Edwin (EDGE): Papua New Guinea pages if I am going to enumerate
is a young country with lots of young each one and I was asked that this MA: Please give a simple message to
people and for us, Salesians as well as write up should only be one page). I our readers to nurture or discover a
for the Salesian volunteers, it’s a kind am especially happy when we, the missionary vocation for aspiring
of a Promised Land for there’s really a Salesian family, come together (this is missionaries both lay and religious.
great need and a great work for us. once a year event and not all could
be present). It had not only to EDGE: Lots of people have chosen to
Don Bosco is making a name in the strengthen our bonding but it always leave their homes (their family and
field of Technical Education. There’s made me proud and fortunate to be a their country) for financial reason and
still lot of work to be done to make member of such a family.
security. They were willing to make
the name Don Bosco synonymous to Hurts…. hmmm, I don’t consider sacrifices and to work harder for
“good Christians and responsible them as hurts but disappointments financial gain. They are highly
citizens”.
and I had my share. The difference?… motivated. Early Salesian missionaries
The way I see it, disappointments have made also that choice but for
Mainly, our work in PNG is focused in were easily forgotten, hurts were not. reason of making the Gospel be
schools, providing not only education
known. They too were greatly
but also skills in the technical field. MA: What is Ecclesiology of mission motivated. Can we do less when it is
We are also looking after the for you?
our turn and and when we are given
parishes.
EDGE: “Every Christian is a missionary the chance?
and each soul is a mission land”. Think Mission… Do Mission.
_____________
There’s still lot
of work to be
done to make
the name of
Don Bosco
synonymous
to “good
Christians and
responsible
citizens”…
_____________
All rights reserved By: Ronaldo s. Lora