MISSIONARY IN FOCUS
A Matter of Patient Consistency
am presently working in applied and they needed only two. you live a life in concrete paradox because
Araimiri (Gulf Province) in Eventually, I received my obedience to go God has called you to be so in order to
Papua New Guinea. I entered to Don Bosco Tondo. After two weeks, I make Him known to people who are not of
PNG on 14 June 1993. I was was called by the Provincial (then, Fr. your own kind. It is that joy of enjoying the
assigned in Port Moresby as a Panfilo) and asked me to go to Don Bosco pains in life because you believe it is part of
practical trainee. I was Badili since the brother presently working actualizing His Plan and Work. It is that joy
transferred on my last year to there had asked to go back. That was the at the end of the day that you have done
Araimiri (1995). I studied theology at story behind my life in PNG and how I His Work not so much you have achieved
DBCS Paranaque from 1996 to 2000.
ended up living and working there.
what you have planned for the day. It is
that joy that you are there to witness for
In March 2000, I was sent to Lariau
Many times, my friends would ask me Him not to prove yourself. It is that joy to
(Gulf Province) as assisting priest in the when would I come back to the Philippines experience the wonders God can do out of
parish and in-charge of the boarding house or why stay in the missions. Honestly, I your own generosity not because of your
for primary school students. In 2002, we re- would have no comprehensible or even capabilities. It is that joy that comes out of
opened Don Bosco Araimiri with one class maybe convincing answer to those who ask fulfillment not out of success. Ultimately, it
and I was assigned as Principal then and me.
is that joy from the assurance that it is HIS
up to now. In 2004, I was appointed rector
WORK not mine.
till now.
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When I was an aspirant (DBJ),
Inculturation is the greatest
challenge in any missionary
the mission work in PNG was in
initial stages. Several times,
The greatest joy in missionary life is when
because it demands a lot of self-
denial from all perspectives. It asks
superiors and visiting Salesians
would talk about the work and
you live a life in concrete paradox
for a lot of RESPECT to the people
God has equally blessed and
show pictures of the place and because God has called you to be so in whose life and ways of doing things
people. During my pre-novitiate,
I began to feel the interest to go
order to make Him known to people who
are different from you. This is so
difficult because we will never be
to the missions as Salesian
missionaries took time to visit the
formation house and share about
are not of your own kind.
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spared of looking through the
spectacle of our own culture and
convictions.
the life in the missions.
I believe, missionary life is more
However, I have always brushed aside
One thing I believe, Missionary life is than a matter of achieving pastoral goals or
the idea of going inasmuch as I thought vocation within a vocation. Just as I have effectivity and/or transforming the people.
myself to be physically unfit. At the same discerned and have been happy in Rather, it is a matter of patient consistency
time, I have grown up in the city such that Salesian Life, so too in my missionary life. in being present with them and journeying
to live in a remote area would be quite I believe God asked something more from in their development to fullness of life.
incomprehensible. Nevertheless, as a me. By responding to this belief, I found
young Salesian, just few months before we myself to be happy. One thing important,
In my experience, I guess, the best gift
were to receive our first
"I" have answered not anybody else nor a missionary can offer to the people is
obedience (as practical
situations or dreams compelled me to be his/her RESPECT to them and the decision
trainees), I wrote to the
so.
to BE WITH THEM (LIVE WITH THEM). Is
superiors that I have a
it not that this is also God's greatest offer to
desire to the missions
Salesian life in the missions is just as us...HIS RESPECT to us and HIS
and I am making
challenging as Salesian life here in our PRESENCE with us?
myself available. That
country. The joys, pains and challenges in
time, PNG was
the missions run in a different plane as
Many times, I ask myself "why there
entrusted to Manila
here in our country. I believe it is wrong to are few people who share their lives for
Province.
compare them because they flow in the missions (ad gentes) or find interest
different "frequency". However, the in mission work?" I have my own
I was not
call to live in fidelity and salesian perceptions to these questions. However, I
selected since
witness is the same.
wish to leave these questions to anybody
in our group
who reads this article. I just hope that
there were
The greatest joy in he/she would personally find time to reflect
five who
missionary life is when and respond in a concrete way.
Fr. Pedro Baquero Jr. SDB is the present rector of Don Bosco Araimiri (Gulf Province) in Papua New Guinea. It is the first salesian setting in
PNG way back in 1980 until its closure in 1997 and reopening in 2002. It is a secondary school and a parish located in a remote place, in a
least developed province. The Salesian community is composed of two priests (Filipino & Indian) and two brothers (Angolan & Vietnamese).
Fr. Peter takes time out to share his reflections for the sake of hoping to get some missionary fervor among our readers.
