Number 4
«Newsletter for Salesian Missionary Animation»
Don Bosco's Missionary Dream Continues!
11 april 2009
Dear confreres and friends of Salesian missions!
The Lord is truly risen! Happy Easter! Thanks to all missionaries, Salesian mission delegates, and all
confreres who keep the missionary flame burning in their hearts as well as all those whom I have met
over the first year of my new period of service.
Allow me then to give you some of my impressions after my recent visit to the missions in Chaco
Paraguay, Chilean Patagonia and Argentina. During my visit to Chaco in Paraguay I travelled up the Rio
Paraguay on a small boat for many hours. I had plenty of time to reflect on the sacrifices and enthusiasm
of the confreres involved over more than 100 years in the Chaco mission, despite all the problems of
climate ,politics etc. I also saw the importance of radio broadcasts to mission parishes (Chaco and
Patagonia) in the local language, in order to pass on the Good News and link peoples spread throughout
this broad area. I admire the elderly missionaries, the last of whom was sent to Chaco Paraguay 31
years ago. They have now been joined by two confreres in Practical Training, the first of such after 55
years! The first of these is from Chile (as a visible sign of solidarity from South Cone Region), and the
other from PAR, since Chaco belongs to Paraguay Province.
During the trip I saw that the face of the missions is changing, and that the period of the lonely hero missionary is about to come to an end. I
saw an enormous desire to work and to give witness to the young as a community consecrated for them. The Patagonian territories and those
in Chaco are huge, with few inhabitants (though growing in numbers), while at the same time numbers of priests, religious, missionaries is
decreasing. This is sad to see, but it should not make us pessimistic. The witness of our missionaries to a life dedicated joyfully for their entire
life is also cause for great joy since despite the scarcity of personnel the Gospel continues to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth! Perhaps
the best result of my visit to Paraguay is the mission request from a postnovice for the 140th missionary expedition in September 2009.
During the trip to Punta Arenas (Chile) I was able to admire the magnificent missionary museum with its documents from the first encounter
of the Salesians with the indigenous population of Latin America (the first missions ad gentes of the Congregation) seen through the films
made by Fr Alberto de Agostini.
I also wanted to visit Patagonia (Argentina) at the beginning of my period of service because I think it is important to learn from the
experiences of the early missionaries, the deep motivation that helped them overcome so many huge difficulties as they carried out the work
of evangelisation with so few means. I had the joy of spending a whole morning sharing with a missionary group in Patagonia in Zapala (ABB).
The pilgrimage I made to the places of Blessed Ceferino Namuncura, especailly to Sant’ Ignacio, Junin de los Andes, where a memorial is
almost finished set up as a kind of Mapache ‘kultrun’, was a very significant moment. I could see that devotion to Ceferino is very much alive
throughout Argentina. There I was able to thank the Lord for all the Salesian missionaries throughout the 130 years of our mission history.
Ceferino is not alone, since already many generations of youngsters in these places have been able to encounter Christ thanks to them. I
dream and pray for the arrival of new, young Salesians in these lands, and for new Mapuche, Guaraí vocations... in places I visited.
Speaking with SDB and FMA missionaries In the Vicariate of Chaco Paraguay I was aware that my journey began in Seoul-Korea, then to
China and Rome and on to Chile. It just so happened that in the space of 4 days I accomplished the exact opposite of Don Bosco's missionary
dream which went from Valparaiso to Beijing!!! But it does not matter whether it's from Beijing to Valparaiso, or from Valparaiso to Beijing, Don
Bosco's dreams are still happening, because they have not yet been fulfilled. In fact the number of those who do not know Jesus Christ
continues to grow.
Through our confreres in 131 countries around the world, Salesian
mission horizons keep growing! Our most recent mission territory is
Guam – a North Pacific island, now with an educational presence set
up from the Philippines North Province since the end of 2008.
Evangelisation is a constant journey, one without pause. I thank the •
Lord who gives us life during this wonderful time of mission.
•
Servant of God John Paul II was convinced that God is preparing a
new missionary Springtime: "I see a new missionary era dawning, one •
which will one day be radiant and fruitful, if all Christians and especially
missionaries and young churches respond with generosity and holiness •
IN THIS ISSUE
Don Bosco's missionary dream continues!
New missionaries are sought for (Asia e
Oceania)
Salesian mission intention – April 2009
Discernment criteria
•
