CHENNAI:
26
November
2013
-- Given
the recent Province-wide Salesian Missions Day in Seoul, and
the fact
that our EAO Regional, Fr Andrew Wong, has just completed
four months
in Chennai for the Extraordinary Visitation of the INM
Province, the
following item might be of general interest in our Region
too. The idea
of a Province-wide Salesian Missions Day, using the
resources of
Salesian missionaries (understand this as including Salesian
family,
Volunteers as well) from the Province, seems to be catching
on more
widely around the Salesian world. The other two features
which India
has recently been strong in is the setting up of two
missionary
aspirantates, and encouraging 'missionary groups' in
formation houses.
The Salesian Province of
Chennai celebrated
its first ever Provincial Missionary Day, on 24 November 2013,
bringing
together 190 Salesian missionaries, aspiring missionaries and
members
of missionary groups under one roof at Don Bosco Boys’ Home,
Perambur.
The beautifully decorated hall and the exhibition created the
air of
the missions. Prayer to the Almighty marked the start of the
day. Fr.
Jayapalan, Provincial, welcomed the participants and invited
the
members to be grateful to the missionaries that India has
received in
the past.
The participants had the opportunity to listen to and interact
with
missionaries. Fr. Johnson Paulraj, Bro. Francis Chinnappan and
Bro.
Antony Sigamani, all of them missionaries in Africa, shared
their
experiences in the African missions. Then there was the panel
discussion with in which other missionaries Fr. Augustine
Sellam, Fr.
Suresh Innocent, Fr. Gerald Miranda and Fr. Dominic Mathews
spoke and
interacted with the participants.
After lunch there was a colourful cultural programme staged by
the
formation houses highlighting the history of Salesian missions
in the
world (and India in particular), cultures of mission lands and
the
crying need for missionaries. The culmination of the day was
the Holy
Eucharist, the source and summit of our missionary activity,
presided
over by Fr. Provincial.
Participants listened to the call of God, “Whom shall I send?”
and
committed themselves to the mission by the strengthening of
the
missionary groups in the various communities. Saluting the
missionaries
who gave their past for our present and pledging themselves
for the
cause of mission, the participants returned to their homes.