3272 Moving Towards the Bicentenary of Don Bosco's Birth (THA)
austraLasia #3272
EAO BROTHERS: Moving Towards the
Bicentenary of Don Bosco's Birth (THA)
BANGKOK
(THAILAND) 25 August, 2013- The East Asia Oceania
Region has a steady growth in the Brother vocation. This is
partly sustained by initiatives from the EAO Mobile Formation
Team, in collaboration with the different EAO provinces, that
promote and invest in the formation of the Salesian Brothers.
One of these formation moments was the recently concluded East
Asia Oceania Salesian Brothers’ Congress held from August 19
to 23, 2013 at the Salesian Retreat House in Hua Hin,
Thailand. It was the 6th meeting of this kind. It aims to
prepare for the celebration of Don Bosco’s birth come 2015
from the Salesian Brothers' perspective.
More than 85 confreres attended from AUL, CIN, FIN, FIS, KOR,
ITM, MYM, PNG-SI, THA, VIE and missionaries from Pakistan and
Mongolia. Among them were about 10 priests including Fr.
Prasert Somngam, (THA Provincial), Fr. Lanfranco Fedrigotti
(CIN Provincial) and Fr. George Militante, (FIS Provincial)
and some delegates of Formation and Youth Ministry from the
various provinces. Something very significant in this congress
was the attendance of a big number of young dynamic Brothers.
The congress started with the reports about the resolutions
made during the 2006 congress in Cambodia. The participants
also reflected upon the letters sent by Fr. Klement Vaclav
(Missions) and Br. Jean Paul Muller (Economer). Then Br.
Michael Harris (AUL) and Br. John Baptist Thanad Anan (THA)
also delivered a conference on pedagogy. Br. Raymond Callo
(FIN) gave a talk on spirituality, including the
scheme of the Salesian Brother Specific Formation in Manila, while
Fr. Chrys Saldanha (RMG) presented the revisions on the Ratio.
The congress days started with a Lectio Divina facilitated by
Fr. Francis Gustillo. It can be said that the whole event was
marked with a reflective and prayerful atmosphere where the
brothers shared insights about the conferences, their Salesian
Brother vocation and the path where the Lord is leading them
to be. On the other hand, light and recreational moments
bonded the brothers from different provinces.
Br. Callo, a member of the EAO Formation Mobile Team, headed
the team of organizers composed of confreres from the THA
Province and the Salesian Brothers undergoing their specific
formation in Manila. Fr. Andrew Wong, Regional Councillor of
the EAO, graced the event with his words of encouragement and
his support for these kind of formative activities.
The congress was capped off with a fellowship and a cultural
show at the Siam Niramit in Bangkok. From there, the
participants parted ways bringing home a rich experience of
brotherhood and growth in their vocation.
