3783(IV)_Sharing of a missionary experience in Patagonia

By Fr. Brigildo de Deus alias Dydu, SDB

Chubut, Argentina, October 29, 2015 - Dear confreres of the EAO region and especially my dearest confrerers of the Viceprovince of St. Callistus Caravario of Timor Leste – Indonesia (ITM). It’s already 10 years I left from Timor to Patagonia, Argentina as a young brother – first EAO missionary to those places of Cagliero – missions dreamt by our Father Don Bosco.

At the moment I’m contributing to develop a pastoral work in our Salesian community of Trelew, province of Chubut, Patagonia – 1455 kilometers far away from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. My mission is comprised of: pastoral attention in two Salesian Secondary schools with 800 students each, one in Trelew and another in Rawson, distance of 25 kilometers. Our Salesian community is located in another very poor district of Trelew with a Parish and Oratory with many young people in need. We reach them through many different youth groups: Exploradores Don Bosco (NB-kind of Salesian Boys Scout, founded in Argentina, 1915), Holy Childhood, Catechesis, Vocation training center, SYM groups and many chapels of our large parish, parish radio station. From our base camp in Trelew our community cares about missions in a strict sense with two of our confreres.

I have reached this community in February 2014, before I was in the community of Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in La Plata-Buenos Aires, involved in the same ministry like here with the youth groups and school pastoral work. And where were my ever first communities when I reached Patagonia? It was in Bahia Blanca – La Piedad (3 months) and Zapala – Neuquén. In those missionary places of Cagliero I have learnt Spanish, the culture of Argentina-Patagonia and did first experience with the youth and indigenous rural communities (Mapuche). Then followed four years of theology in Buenos Aires, with a lot of enrichment in theology and inculturation in many aspects.

After my first year of theology I made the perpetual profession in Zapala, on May 26, 2007 and after four years of theology I was ordained a deacon on June 12, 2010 (San Justo) and finally priestly ordination was conferred to me by the Salesian Bishop of Neuquén, Marcelo Melani, after my pastoral experience in the community of Sagrado – La Plata.

The reality of our Province of Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá-Argentina South (ARS) is geographically very large, distinguished with a quantity of works and not many confreres with a very high average age (65 years+) and with not-so-many consecrated Salesian vocations.

Surely there are many youth under the Salesian pastoral care, very important contribution of many committed lay mission partners to the Salesian Charism. We are very welcome in by the youth, in the society and in the Church, but there is not so enthusiastic response to the life of active faith in the Church or in a specific religious vocation. There are many youth exposed to the narcotics and violence. There is a lack of good education and human, religious values. Those are the main challenges we face daily in our pastoral work as Church and Salesians.

Personally I feel very satisfied in my pastoral and missionary work. I’m very well welcome and accepted among the youth and the people. As well in the communities I worked I was very well accepted. There is a challenge to have at least one companion of my similar age of the same missionary vocation with whom I could dedicate myself completely to the youth in need. For this reason, I would like to invite my Salesian confreres, who are reading this short sharing and who cherish missionary dreams – don’t hesitate to apply for the missions! If it’s for the Patagonia, much better, but what does matter is the missionary vocation as a gift of God and gift of Don Bosco.

Finally – please, pray for the misionaries, especially for me, so we can live with fidelity our Salesian vocation and our Charism!

A warm hug in Jesus and in Don Bosco under the mantle of Mary