4443_Thanks and Welcome to Fr. Andrew Wong
Interview with Fr. Andrew Wong before return to the EAO region
July 22, 2017
Jerusalem, Israel, 22 July 2017 -- After 3 years of serving the Ratisbonne - Jerusalem community (MOR province) as Rector, Fr. Andrew Wong is coming back to our Region . On July 25th will arrive to Ratisbonne his successor, Fr. Stanislaus Swammikannu (INM), former provincial of Chennai 2005-2011). Next August Fr. Andrew will start his new mission in the Blessed Steven Sandor community as Vice-rector, Spiritual moderator, Confessor and Spiritual guide of the Seminaryo ng Don Bosco community.
After three years close to Jesus Holy Places, what impact have this Jerusalem stay on your faith journey?
I am more convinced of what the Lord Jesus told the Samaritan Woman in John 4:21-24: “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
How do experienced an intercultural large formation community from four continents?
Yes, there are many opportunities and richness: The confrere, if he wants to, can learn the cultures, traditions, values, etc. of other confreres from other nations and provinces. The confrere gets to know the treasure of the different Churches and rites of the world; if he wants to, he can benefit so much from the inter-religious dialogue and ecumenical movement. The confrere touches the sacred places of the Scriptures.
And there are also some challenges to the pastoral experience in Jerusalem, due to the Arabic and Hebrew and not Engslish spoken by the young people. The only Salesian Oratory functioning on weekends is in Bethlehem (NB: headquarters of the Middle East province, close to Jerusalem).
Only few EAO provinces are taking this Ratisbonne opportunity to send their students of theology?
Yes, we need to promote this Salesian Study Center among the provincials of the EAO! At the moment we have only 4 students belonging to the EAO region provinces. Welcome to Jerusalem!
How is the life of Ratisbonne SDB community and Center of Studies?
By God’s grace, the Ratisbonne SDB community is enjoying fraternal communion although not in a perfect degree. We are 12 formators and professors accompanying 40 students of theology heading from 4 different continents.
The Center of study continues to develop; it is still very young, i.e. only 13 years old this year 2017. Finally after so many years since Cremisan period, the Triennium Course is broken down to a Biennium course; this will start this coming academic year 2017-2018. This is a very big achievement.
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