Mongolia's Darkhan now has an official Catholic Church - Don Bosco Darkhan
ULAAN BAATAR: 28th July 2006 -- The recent Nadaam
festivities, briefly reported in an earlier austraLasia, had their
benefits for the new Salesian presence in Darkhan in Mongolia's
northern region, though it would be truer to say that the Salesian
witness both in Ulaan Baatar and Darkhan is what has convinced the
authorities.
Darkhan city authorities had already made a decision not to accept
new churches in the city - they believed they had too many. Several
Christian groups have thus been turned down. The Salesians were there,
though not officially as Church in Government terms, but the
authorities have closely and with appreciation, followed what they
describe as the 'humanitarian work especially in education' of the
Salesians. The Salesian Superior in Mongolia, Fr Carlo Villegas,
speaking with Darkhan city authorities, pointed out that Salesians work
'in the world' even before they seek official presence as Church, and
that they as Catholic Church work for the total development of the
person anywhere in the world. The authorities were impressed, as were
their immediate predecessors, with the educational and holistic
development of youngsters resulting from Salesian presence.
Fr Carlo and the Darkhan authorities' discussion was somewhat
reminiscent of the Don Bosco-Ratazzi discussion well documented by Don
Bosco himself. Fr Carlo pointed out that he was not seeking permission
for Church identity and within that to run educational services, as
that would in fact run contrary to the Mongolian Government's education
department policy, which expressly forbids religious activities as part
of education. The authorities also found that impressive! They asked
in the bygoing if Fr Carlo and the Salesians could help out, perhaps,
with the Nadaam festivities in the city - what an opportunity! He
asked a little financial help for some gers (the tent-like dwelling
Mongolians use). Both requests were acceded to - on condition that the
activity and donation was on behalf of poor people and that this be
acknowledged by written receipt. it was.
The end result is that later in the week the City Council approved
the official presence of the Catholic Church in Darkhan - and that
means the Salesian presence. The chairperson of the city council has
twice visited since, offering two sites for possible purchase for the
Catholic church to be built: one a dome-shaped building in the centre
of the city, another a three story hospital building now somewhat
dilapidated. The decision has yet to be made but the fact that the
communist government has taken direct moves to see that the presence is
properly and visibly established not only as an educational but an
ecclesial presence, says something.
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