5408(II)_What is the impact of the missionary group on Salesian formation house - Crocetta sharing

June 25, 2020

From Cl. Jean Paul

The Crocetta, Turin Italy, 25 June 2020 -- Interview with mission group in an international formation house at The Crocetta, Turin, Italy.

How did you come to join the missionary group in the Crocetta theologate?

Since high school, I have always been a member of the missionary circle. In the case of the Crocetta, my theological formation house, at the beginning of the year each confrere in formation must make a free choice of belonging to a group: animation of the fraternity, liturgical animation, sports animation, missionary group… being a missionary ad gentes, for me the choice was clear. That is how I joined the Crocetta mission group.

How do you feel as the only missionary ad gentes amidst the European Salesians in your formation house?

I must admit that at the beginning I had no particular feeling about this. I was new to the community, I did not know I was the only ad gentes missionary in the community and almost no one knew I was a missionary. Also like any new student of theology, in my head there was only my focus on studies, on my spiritual life, to integrate into my new community and my apostolate, which also has a missionary dimension for me.

I began to have the feeling of being the only missionary confrere ad gentes in community, the evening of Tuesday October 1st, 2019 during a good night from the community Rector, Fr Marek Chrzan at the occasion of the opening of the extraordinary missionary month. He shared about Salesian missionaries around the world and also pointed at me as a missionary ad gentes in Malta after a previous experience in Bulgaria.

From that evening, I began to have several informal but interesting questions from the confreres about my mission experience. This gave me a feeling of being an emblem, which perhaps passively reminds the confreres of my community the missionary dimension of our congregation and challenge those who stifle or hide the missionary impulse in them.

How is the monthly meeting of your missionary group conducted?

Our monthly meetings are moments of sharing experiences and deepening the knowledge of the figure of the Salesian missionary. We always start with a prayer of invocation to the Holy Spirit; we organize to have at least a missionary confrère share his experience or to give a testimony on a Salesian missionary figure, at least once a month. We have a moment of free questions on the sharing or the testimonies given. We pray for difficult situations and the missionaries of the mission land which was the subject of the sharing of the day and we ask everyone to make it an intention in their personal prayer. We evaluate the activities of the past month, before planning our next activities. The missionary group, being the engine of missionary animation of the community; we also make proposals for charity or missionary actions to the community. We also encourage all members of the group to have personal missionary initiatives in their work or apostolate places. As an example, two confreres during manual work cut the flowering tree (Mimosa) and instead of throwing them in the trash, they sold them and collected 542.50 euros, the sum which was deposited dated June 12, 2020 to the Don Bosco Valdocco Mission office. We always end our meetings with a prayer and games or fraternal talk.

How do you celebrate the 11th of each month?

On the 11th of each month, the Mass celebrant mentions the missionary intention (except when he forgets!) For the missionary group: the rosary prayer is always organized with the monthly intention that is announced in Cagliero11. Academic homework does not allow us to do more than that.

How does the missionary group contribute to the missionary awareness among the young Salesians?

Our missionary group contributes to the missionary awareness of young Salesians first by its openness to all and its gaze towards others, by its proximity to the people in need. The charitable activities organized by the missionary group leave no one indifferent. For example, the visit to the camps, helping out the migrant center (Sermig: Arsenale della Pace) acts of charity... These activities give young Salesians the opportunity to preach the Gospel by giving example, nurturing missionary awareness and growing the great desire to make a gift of their lives for others.

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