4319_We are joyfully in need of missionary formation

4319_We are joyfully in need of missionary formation

With a renewed missionary formation:
EAO Team Visit 2017 (4)

March 8, 2017

By Our Own Correspondent

Hua Hin, Thailand, 8 March 2017 -- The morning time of the second day of the EAO Team Visit (March 8) was dedicated to the SALESIAN MISSIONS! First of all the participants appreciated two Missions related video clips from AUL (Australia - Pacific) province about the 'Cagliero Project' of missionary volunteers, presented by the first EAO Lay Provincial Delegate for the Missions - Ms. Laureen Hichbaaba (exactly on the International Women's Day!) and KOR (Korea) province video about the 5 years old Mission Office in Seoul working closely with the Fr. John Lee Foundation.

In his powerful and short talk Fr. Guillermo Basanes, General Councilor for the Missions shared the vision and SWOT about the EAO missionary culture. Main focus was on missionary culture and formation of all Salesians (including also a due missionary vocation discernment), about overall need to be open to send and receive missionaries, importance of the Missionary animation delegate as member of the provincial council.

After a lively inter-provincial groups sharing emerged some common challenges to the provincial council and in the open forum were raised many questions about missionary vocation discernment and formation, especially to invest more into missionary reflection (need of experts in inter-religious dialogue).

In the last intervention the Provincial-elect of PGS, Fr. Alfred Maravilla was asked to introduce the 'Project Europe' (PE) after his 7 years-long experience with accompaniment of PE missionaries. His points 'PE as Kairos for the Congregation' were very much appreciated by the participants: PE can renew the whole Salesian Congregation, with a renewed concept of the mission (not Euro-centric, not just working for the poor), foster the necessary pastoral conversion of our provinces and help us to be more open to the truly Catholic-Universal communion in the Church and within the Congregation.

Lunch time of Day 2 was rather rich in events. With the coming of Mons. Joseph Prathan, SDB (Bishop of Surathani diocese, including also Hua Hin, 8000 Catholics among 9 million of population, 1000 km long) who went to greet the Rector Major and shared some typical Surat Thani sweets with all participants. In his short address during lunch shared his strong Salesian sense of belonging as 'recycled Salesian provincial before' and now as truly Salesian Bishop. After lunch there was a chance to experience the Thai massage offered by SDB Vocation Trainees from Bangkok and have a rare experience with Thai elephants around the Retreat house.