3642_EAO on the Eve of Corpus Christi Feast in Rome

By Our own correspondent

UPS & FMA General house - Rome. On the eve of the Corpus Christi Sunday in Rome the Salesians and Salesian Sisters shared two simple meetings among East Asia - Oceania members.

For the first time after the GC23 (FMA) and GC27 (SDB) the two respective general councilors for the most distant region from Rome met together. Sr. Maria Assunta Inoue (from Japan) is entrusted with the accompaniment of the interprovincial confrerence FMA CIAO composed of 8 provinces (Conferenza inter-ispettoriala Asia Orientale) and Fr. Vaclav Klement (from Korea) visit the FMA general house to foster the mutual Salesian Family relationship within the SDB East Asia - Oceania Region.

Indeed both of them will visit majority of the EAO provinces as the special visitors during this 6 year period (2014-2020).

After their simple meeting fours sisters from EAO region (CIN, MYM, ITM and AUL) join them for a photo session.

Thanks to the organization of UPS - Canon law Professor Fr. Joseph Dung (VIE) the EAO Salesians met for a time of prayer - Vespers of Corpus Christi, sharing about EAO life and mission and finally for dinner hosted by the Don Bosco community (UPS). Four confreres arrived from the Gerini community of theology student (3 students and one formator) and another 12 from the UPS main campus.

Large variety of nationalities (orginally from China - HK, China - Macau, Korea, Timor Leste, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Spain) and belonging to mission places (FIS Pakistan, VIE Mongolia, Papua New Guinea - Solomon Islands). One professor (Canon Law) and the rest students of variety of different majors (Bible - Antonianum University OFM, UPS - Youth Ministry, Theology, Philosophy, Social communication, Salesian spirituality, Pedagogy - Education). There is a large variety of specializations needed for al of the EAO provinces. With a prayerful wishes for incoming exam time at the Pontifical Universities in Rome!

The EAO Regional councilor shared short video of recent extraordinary visitation to CIN province and simple video clip of Rector major's visit to the six countries of Oceania.

Main point of his sharing was about the value of COMMUNION as gift and task in our vast Region and about the precioius gift of FRATERNITY as main message of the recent visit of Fr. Angel. All EAO Salesians were also invited to join the Requiem Mass for departed Mother Apollinaris Shimura, CSJ - presided by the Rector Major in the Basilica of Sacred Heart on June 23rd at 6 PM with the participation of FMA General council as well.

Thanks to the hospitality of St. John Bosco community (rector Fr. Eusebio Munoz, appointed as the Secretary for the Salesian Family) that offered dinner to all EAO meeting participants.

At the end of the meal according Salesian traditions was share a typical EAO good night talk: What make you truly and deeply happy?