Even if we cannot do much… the Spirit works
M y missionary vocation was born many years ago, when I was 13. In the meantime, many things had changed and had
been rethought, however, the dream remained and I remember that, talking to my Provincial on the eve of my first
profession, I expressed my missionary desire. About fifteen years later, I spoke again with the Provincial. He asked
me to wait, and in the meantime he asked me to serve as rector of a community and parish priest. Finally, two years ago, I was
sent to Azerbaijan.
The Course for New Missionaries in Rome and Turin helped me to make a closure to my previous experience, to pray, to learn
useful things before leaving for the missions, to breathe an air of Salesian missionary spirituality, meet missionaries, and espe-
cially dialogue with the Councillor for the Missions. I also had the chance to know other new missionaries and, together, we
made the pilgrimage to the places of Paul, the great missionary, in Rome and to the Salesian holy places. I consider the invita-
tion to write the spiritual journal regularly as a precious gift of the course.
Here in Azerbaijan I found several challenges: a new culture, a new religious situation, new languages. The presence of the
Catholic Church is very limited. After the last Catholic priest was executed in the thirties under the communist regime, no
church and nor Catholic priest was left in the country until 1997. The presence of the Catholic Church is tolerated as a service
to foreigners and local people with foreign roots. The population considers itself
Muslim and any form of apostolate is not allowed. Only those who come to church
may hear something about Christianity. The Liturgical languages are Russian and
English. The local language is totally different. The same goes for the culture, which
is deeply associated with Islam. Almost everyone believes in God, but knowledge of
their religion is very poor.
Since 2000 a Salesian community lives in the capital Baku, the city of about three
million people. about 200 foreign and 100 local Catholics regularly come to church.
Often someone comes either because he or she is interested in Christianity or is in
need of help. Young Catholics are few.
As we have been reminded during the Course for New Missionaries, it would take
years become I could fully inculturate myself in this culture. But the most important
thing is to remember that it is the Holy Spirit who acts in the hearts of people. This reality fills me with joy and hope every day
even if we can actually do very little here.
I would like to remind the young Salesians who are thinking of the missionary life that the missionary vocation is a great gift
from God. If after and accompanied discernment one discovers this gift, a positive response will fill your life with joy, in the
same way the Jesus filled the life of Mary, and that young people filled the heart of Don Bosco with joy!
Fr. Vladimir Baxa, Slovak, missionary in Azerbaijan
Province - Country
CIN
China Services
FIS
Pakistan
ITM
Indonesia, East Timor
INC
Bangladesh
INC
Nepal
LKC
Sri Lanka
SLK Apostolic Prefecture
Azerbaijian
NEW MISSIONARIES SOUGHT FOR ASIA
Necessary languages Enviornment and necessary qualities of the missionaries
English,
Chinese, Cantonese
English, Urdu
To help the province with young confreres (Macau, HK, Taiwan)
There is need to rejuvenate with vocations of Salesian brothers.
Few SDBs, challenging Islamic environment, Technical education– Need of
robust SDB vocations, lay brothers and formators.
English, Bahasa
Portuguese, Tetum
Need of senior confreres over fifty years as formators, Spiritual directors,
confessors, experts in technical schools.
English, Bengali
New mission (inaugurated in 2009), two presences, aspirantate and pre
novitiate School, parish rural and tribal areas, few Salesians
English, Nepali
Youthful mission (started in 2000), three presences, social and educa-
tional works, religion Hindu, Need missionaries from outside South Asia.
English, Sinhala, Tamil Country torn apart by civil war, need missionaries from outside the re-
gion, South Asia, especially coadjutors.
Russian, English,
Azeri
Only 600 local Catholics and 3000 migrants, moderate Islam; There is an
effort to internationalise our presence (non-Slovac Confreres)
Salesian Missionary Intention
AFRICAN REGION - Democratic Republic of Congo
For young people who journey with the Salesians in Africa through the
paths of education in the faith, especially through catechesis, that by
embracing the Gospel of Reconciliation, they may be architects of a society
and a reconciled Church that continues to foster reconciliation.
Before an enormous cultural and ethnic diversity experienced in contexts where we live and work in Africa,
the temptation of division and conflict is sometimes very strong, especially among young people. The pa-
tient proposal of the journey of evangelical forgiveness is a difficult road for them, yet it is a sure path to
real development. Young Africans often surprise us by their creative ability to try new paths of dialogue
and peace.
