austraLasia #2587 40 years on, an iconic image celebrates Don Bosco
TONDO-MANILA: 1st February 2010 -- Smokey Mountain, a waste dump
supposedly closed 20 years ago but still leaking toxic waste, still
being added to, has about 40 years of existence, probably more. And
that, for some, is an icon of Manila's poor. But there is
another, far more uplifting image of Manila's poor, especially the
young, which embraces many of the residents of nearby Tondo, and
yesterday, 31st January, Don Bosco Tondo celebrated 40 years after the
visit of Pope Paul VI and the foundation of the parish which ministers
to many of SM and surrounds' residents.
We are talking of course of the Province known as
FIN, which embraces four countries or part thereof: Philippines-Luzon
Island, PNG, Solomon Islands, and now Guam. Some 220 confreres with an
average age of 46.6, 2 novices this year, 33 communities, hundreds,
possibly thousands by now of Lay Mission Partners. The province, at
least the Philippines-Guam part, have just begun their Extraordinary
Visitation, the Visitor being Fr Klement who is no stranger to the
scene.
But back to Tondo and the Salesian community there
which has its beginnings at least as far back as 1968 with the
inception of the Youth Centre, a community springing up from there just
one year later, and the parish the year after that. For those who
don't know the scene at all, Tondo is situated along the Manila
waterfront.
The festivities on 30-31 January this year had a
special touch, not only for religious reasons. This is pre-election
season in the Philippines and two of the three mayoral candidates found
it useful to address parishioners - though it must be said that they
are also high profile benefactors of the Vocational Training Centre.
The VCT is a pearl of Salesian presence, with 700 plus trainees in just
about everything from seamanship to sewing.
And around it, other than the parish (estimated some 250,000
parishioners) and the youth centre there is a
clinic run by the FMA, a kindergarten and Prep (also FMA), and two
migrant youth hostels, one for girls with a capacity of 100 and an
older
facility for boys, capacity 40. 'Migrant' in these parts might well
mean people flooding in from other islands to the big city, looking for
a better life - or just excitement!
Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Archbishop of
Manila, celebrated the Vigil Mass on 30th. The mass was followed by a
two hour procession through the Tondo barangays (Filipino word, also
known as a barrio) finishing with a fireworks display courtesy of a
well-heeled Chinese benefactor.
It would be hoped that such an extensive Salesian
work for the very poor would generate vocations - and this it does.
Poverty, generosity and Salesian presence of the kind has produced some
19 Salesians and currently there are 5 aspirants from Tondo in the
juniorate at Canlubang. _________________ AustraLasia is an
email
service
for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions
as an
agency for ANS based in
Rome.
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