SEOUL: 7 January 2012 --
On 29 December at Comoro (Dili-East Timor) there was a
province
celebration for Christmas 2012. The gathering rbought together
every
Salesian working in East Timor. this was also an occasion to conclude
the Provincial Assembly held the previous day, 28 December,
where each
community had presented its financial plan for 2013.
Following basketball contest, the Superior of the Vice
Province, Fr
João Paolino, opened the Province Day with a conference
in the great
hall of the St Francis de Sales Philosophate (Comoro-Dili). He
presented an overall picture of the vice province in 2012. He
thanked
Rectors, delegates and all the Salesians for the work done and
especially for their fine witness during
the year. At the end of his
address the Provincial gave out obediences to the confreres
for the
coming year. There were no major changes of personnel.
According to the statistics he
provided, ITM comprises 193 Salesians
and 25 novices. The novitiate House in Fatumaca (East
Timor) has 18
novices, while the one in Sumba, Indonesia, has seven. There
are two
pre-novitiate houses also, one in Indonesia the other at
Lospalos (East
Timor). There are 36 pre-novices: 11 in Indonesia, 25 in East
Timor.
The important moment of the gathering was the Mass together in
the Post
Novitiate chapel at which the Provincial presided. In his
homily Fr
Paolino drew to the attention of everyone the Strenna of the
Rector
Major, Fr Pascual Chavez. He invited all Salesians in East
Timor to be
educators able to offer young people the Gospel of joy through
a
pedagogy of kindness.
The gathering concluded with lunch and an exchange of gifts.
