2720 On a day that missions are remembered in a special way ...
austraLasia #2720 On a day that missions are remembered in a special way ...
MELBOURNE: 26 September 2010 -- On a day that 40+ Salesian
missionaries (sdb, fma, lay) are formally commissioned, according to a
tradition that goes back to St John Bosco's first sending out of
missionaries 135 or so years ago (this is the 141st expedition but some
years more than one group were sent out), and on a day when many of
those missionaries are actually from or coming to the EAO Region, it
seems appropriate to highlight another activity working to the same end
- help for underprivileged youth especially in developing nations -
what is formally known as ASMOAF or the Australian Salesian Missions
Overseas Aid Fund. It is almost certainly the largest Salesian
Missions operation of its kind in our region, and it focuses mostly on
our region, though in several other nations too where Australian
Salesians have been long at work (such as Sudan, Guatemala, India ...).
ASMOAF is managed on a day-to-day basis by Bro. Michael Lynch, Mrs Olga
Elliott (who ahs been working at this task now for 30 years).
An overview of activities in the past year might
give an idea of the extent of assistance ASMOAF provides: 2 million
Australian dollars raised and sent in varying contributions to the Don
Bosco Technical Centre at Alafau in Samoa (with some consideration also
to the new Technical Centre hopefully read to open its doors in 2011 at
Salelologa on the 'other' island of Savai'i, Samoa); sustaining the
work of orphanages, education of boys and young women and a home for
the disabled in Vietnam; the continuing work in Timor-Leste,
orphanages, agriculture, self-help programmes, and a luncheon programme
for schools in Bacau, Comoro, Fuiloro and laga; the vocational
education and technical programme in Lahore, Pakistan; programmes
organised by the Salesians in Sudan for orphans and displaced persons;
homes and displaced persons in Ethiopia; the vocational skills
programme at San Pedro Carcha, Guatemala; homeless and displaced people
in the Philippines ... but these are just some of the disbursements.
There have been projects in the Solomon Islands (Tetere, Gizo);
Myanmar; in India in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Shillong,
Guwahati, Tripura ...
The activity goes far beyond simple disbursement of
funds. The Chairperson of ASMOAF (Australian Provincial, Fr F. Moloney)
put it in context when writing an introduction to the annual report:
"Our Christian faith and practice insists that it is our business to
look at the world around us and see where we can reach out to do
something helpful and constructive. Too many, too often, shy away with
the “none of my business” line on their lips. Readers might expect me
to say this, given that I am writing these few words in this Newsletter
of appeal for ASMOAF".
"But the principle of keeping our minds, hearts and
hands open because we care for the world around us reaches well beyond
a call for financial help for people in missionary lands who need our
support".
"These days we are aware that it is not only people
whom are suffering. The very world we live in is beginning to groan as
human beings exploit its beauty and its fruitfulness. To take an active
interest in the Salesian Missions means more than offering financial
support to people in need. It is also a sign that you care about
others, and about the world we live in, when there might be the
temptation to say, 'It’s none of my business'." _________________ AustraLasia is an
email
service
for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions
as an
agency for ANS based in
Rome.
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