OITA: 2nd November '04 --  A three and a half hour drive from Miyazaki brought the Rector Major to Oita to meet Bishop Dominic Miyahara Ryo-ji, for a chat about the Salesian presence in that diocese, begun 1961.  The diocese covers a large area, has 5,000 Catholics, 12 diocesan priests, 15 Xaverians and 38 Salesians.  All in all it has been a hard road for the Church in this region, strongly Buddhist.  The RM promised that the Salesians would continue their contribution especially through our charism for education.  It is an area where working for the people and the young has a strong missionary feel.

    The Rector Major then went on to Beppu and met 33 Salesians there from 3 communities.  The successor to Fr Cimatti as provincial, Fr Clodoveo Tassinari, 92 years of age, was present for the gathering.  He is still active especially in writing.  He is currently completing the memoirs of those early days.

    In his conference to the confreres, the Rector Major developed the theme of the Church in the Diaspora, and spoke of the realisation of GC25 for the communities in this context.  'We strengthen our sense of community and at the same time renew our missionary commitment.  All the best pages in Church history were written by missionaries!'

    Later in Beppu the RM met with the Salesian Family, some 150 of them from SDB, FMA, CSM and Cooperators.  AT the Goodnight, the final one in the long 22 day swing throughout East Asia-Oceania, his longest trip so far as Rector Major, he left these three points to ponder:

    1.  Be proud of Don Bosco - the most recent RAI movie is a real gift to us, presenting the Don Bosco of the Oratory.

    2.  In 2006 we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Mamma Margaret's death.  'I have written to all 115 Salesian Bishops asking their support in furthering her Cause).

    3. 'I would like to give a gift to everyone - for most my present alone is the gift.'  But then he presented Brother Stefan Romelli, Italian missionary of 85 years of age, working in Nakatsu since 1952, with the commemorative medal of Bro. Artemides Zatti.