austraLasia #2903 Regional Mission Study Days open at Sampran,
Thailand
SAMPRAN: 15 August 2011 -- Fr Klement, Missions
Councillor, writes:
"After many months of preparation, we are together here in
Sampran: Salesians of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians and some of the Salesian Family Groups present in
East Asia (SHIM, DQM, SQM, Caritas Sisters of Jesus,
Salesian Cooperators). It is already the fifth Regional
Missionary Formation event since 1989. Indeed every 6 years
the Salesians and Salesian Sisters have shared a formation
opportunity together on topics such as: The Far East –
Cultures, religions and evangelisation (1989, Hua Hin),
Evangelisation and Interreligious dialogue (1994, Batulao),
Uniqueness of Salvation in Jesus Christ and Need for Primary
Evangelisation (1998, Hua Hin), The challenges of the
Mission “Ad gentes” in East Asia (2004, Hua Hin). Since 2004
the event has been open to all groups of the Salesian
Family. After the Salesians' GC26 (2008) this opportunity
was renamed as ‘Mission Study Days’ with focus not so much
on formation of many missionaries, but an occasion to
reflect deeply on some of the dynamics in the whole
evangelising mission.
Tackling the theme of the initial
proclamation of Jesus means for us Salesians to probe the
missionary action of the Church and of the Congregation.
It’s a crucial question for the whole path of evangelisation
and education. At the beginning I invite you to consider
some important elements:
1. All of us are in touch daily with
thousands of non-Christian youth especially in our schools,
parishes, training or youth centres. Hence we are called to
discover the opportunities and dynamics of initial
proclamation of Jesus in our daily life;
2. We are also called to be more open
through dialogue of life with non-Christians or not-yet
deeply evangelised Christians and to reach out as friends as
far as we can…
3. We are called to clarify some of our
doubts or prejudices about ‘direct or indirect
evangelisation’ or about the relationship between our life
witness and proclamation;
4. We are called to confirm the
importance of the family and our family ministry as a
privileged place for first proclamation of the Gospel. The
presence of the Salesian Cooperators is an invitation for
all of us;
5. At the end we are called to share our
own experience of God with others, trying to get into the
dynamics of the ‘First Asian Missionary Congress’ (Chiang
Mai,2006). John Paul II invited us in Ecclesia in Asia
to ‘tell the story of Jesus’ as the best form of Gospel
proclamation (n.20). For Salesians it is also a topic
for the 2012 Salesian Mission Day with the same content and
title. In preparation for this event we have tried to
encourage ‘storytelling’ as the best form of sharing own
experience of faith.
The same topic of ‘Initial proclamation
of Jesus’ was chosen by both SDB and FMA mission councillors
as the theme for the six year period 2008-2014 worldwide. We
started with the European Study Days in Prague (2010), we
continue in 2011 with two Study Day events in the EAO
Region, one in Asia, one in Oceania; next year 2012 in
Africa and the last in 2013 for all of America. Four of the
Study days are held in SDB settings, three in FMA
facilities. I’m very grateful for the hospitality of the
Thai FMA Sisters with their new Provincial Sr. Maria and all
who have contributed to preparing and making these Study
days 2011 for East Asia a reality.
The whole Church is by nature missionary
and our contribution as a Salesian Family to the Church's
mission we find mainly in the field of education. Our way of
living and sharing the Gospel is the way of the Preventive
System of Don Bosco. We are immersed in our busy daily life
and mission, and we often lack time to reflect on our own
actions and convictions. These Study Days give us the chance
to reflect together more deeply on our evangelising mission.
We hope to offer the fruit of our reflection and our
intuition to many of our brothers and sister in the Salesian
Family in East Asia, one of the three most vibrant Salesian
regions worldwide. We will then repeat this exercise in
Oceania. _________________ AustraLasia
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