3668_Summer English Fever in the EAO

July 10, 2015

By Fr. Mario Yamanouchi (GIA) and Br. Joseph Vinh (VIE)

Manila, Philippines, July 10 - One of the fruits of the GC27 is now maturing in Manila. New provincials of Japan and Korea, both perfect Italian speakers realized the need to brush up their English and have landed together in Manila for two week short but very intense English course.

Study the language at the age of sixty is not a joke! Who would not feel a deep appreciation and congratulation to Fr. Stefano and Fr. Mario for their awesome good example of ongoing formation? Studying six hours a day it’s really a good immersion! They are doing well and expressed their satisfaction on their English course due to a lot of practices.

Thanks to the hosting provincial Fr. Paul Bicomong (FIN – Manila) their two weekends are a good reward and immersion into the Philippines Salesian family as well. Last Saturday and Sunday accompanied by the FIN provincial secretary and provincial, Fr. Stefano and Fr. Mario were able also to meet their students (English language and theology) in Paranaque. The provincials turned students met their confreres in initial formation. There are two Japanese brothers and four Korean brothers studying there.

The story of two Japanese students in Paranaque is a typical one: after initial stage of cultural shock, stomach aches, not being able to understand literally nothing in English – they entered slowly into the daily life of the 50+ Salesians strong international formation community. And now they are happy and one of them is even asking not just to finish one year of English course, but to continue his initial formation in Manila as well!

Also the visit to the two Caritas Sisters of Jesus (CSJ) communities was a must! After the short tour to the three formation houses (Canlubang Prenovitiate and Postnovitiate) the GIA and KOR provincials visited also the CSJ communities in Santa Rosa (Caritas High School) with Japanese sisters and Quezon City (international CSJ Novitiate and Formation house staffed with Korean sisters).

The joint student life of two provincials abroad produces also a mutual invitation: Come to Tokyo! – Welcome to Seoul! and other possible ways of inter-provincial relations and solidarity between the two nearby provinces. So far, there is a long tradition (since 2002) of joint quinquennium GIA-KOR encounter of young Salesians and since last 2014 there is one Korean Salesian, Fr. Michael Lee working in SDB Mikawajima parish in Tokyo. Another idea was floated to the Manila provincial – possible temporary help of one Filipino senior confrere to accompany the Catholic migrant communities in two Japan parishes of Yamato and Hamamatsu (Yokohama diocese, Shizuoka and Kanagawa prefectures) due to the strong presence of Filipino migrants among the parishioners.

On the other side of the region, in the Postnovitiate of Dalat (Vietnam) is going on one month long English summer camp for our young post-novices and especially for this year 146th expedition five new missionaries! Thanks to the fraternal help from Australia and from the ‘Salesian Lay Missioners’ (SLM – USA New Rochelle) this year experience is very enriching and the young Salesians are doing a huge progress every day.

Indeed the Vision Mission of the EAO Region includes from the beginning (2005) an important point ‘Strengthen the communication with each other’, stipulating English as medium of communication among the EAO Salesians. Thanks to all, who are working with patience, effort and constant to make this vision a reality!