3679(I)_Salesians of Don Bosco and the Taiwan Migrants

July 20, 2015

By Fr. Peter Porio, SDB

Tainan, Taiwan - The Salesians of Don Bosco in Tainan, Taiwan take care of the migrants in Tainan.

In the Salesian parish of Mary Help of Christians, we provide 2 English masses for the migrants and 1 Vietnamese mass.  Once a month, Fr. Peter Porio gives catechetical instruction to the Filipino migrants that come to the parish, while Fr. Matthew instructs the Vietnamese in different time.

In the parish, there are 2 Filipino organizations, namely the Parish Pinoy Pastoral community or Legion of Mary and the El Shaddai  prayer group. Fr. Porio gives a weekly spiritual formation to the Legion of Mary and once a month spiritual formation for the El Shaddai group.

In order to provide the migrants a wholesome recreation, every year, the parish organizes the "Pinoy Basketball League" for Filipino migrants. Now, on its 12th season, there are 25 teams, with 20 members in each team that participate.

Besides the pastoral services in Mary Help of Christians parish, the Salesians celebrate Masses in other parishes where there are migrants, such as the Sacred Heart parish, Immaculate Conception parish and St. Joseph parish. 

Moreover, the Salesians go to 8 different dormitories on weekends to celebrate Masses and conduct Bible study or Bible sharing. Two (2) dormitories have regular masses on Sunday morning and evening. While other dormitories have mass only once-a-month.

The migrants from these dormitories, have a regular annual recollection and confessions. Besides the 8 dormitories, there are still many migrants from other  dormitories that request for our pastoral services. But "The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few".

Fr. Peter Porio, as the spiritual guide of the Filipino migrants, provides the migrants time for guidance and counseling and spiritual direction. Due to time constraint and physical unavailability of the migrants, the digital communication is of great service.

He prepares the migrants who are to be baptized or get married, by providing catechetical instructions, pre-cana seminar, responsible parenthood, etc..

Tainan Diocese Migrants Day.

In Taiwan, every year,  the Diocese of Tainan  celebrates Migrants Day on the last Sunday of September, or the Sunday nearest to September 28, the feast day of the migrant Filipino martyr St. Lorenzo Ruiz of Manila. It is initiated by Bishop Bosco Lin, the diocesan bishop of Tainan