ROME: 19
January 2012 --
Given the Salesian Family Spirituality Days in Rome, an annual
'appointment' that just seems to grow (this year is the 30th
such
event, starting 19 January and concluding 22 January), and is
often
replicated elsewhere, for example yesterday's #2992 on the
China
Province event by that name, it might be interesting to tie in
this
year's series of addresses with the theme set for the 2012
Salesian
Mission Day.
But first, a brief comment on Salesian
Mission Day.
At one point in fairly recent history this was known as
DOMISAL. That
term is now deprecated, for several reasons. One is that
it derived
from just one language (Italian) therefore could hardly be
regarded as
universal. Another is that it referred to a Sunday, as
if it had to be
celebrated that day - and in fact then ran into confusion with
the
Church's Mission Sunday. So it became Salesian Mission Day
- on a day suggested, but not necessarily obligatory for a
province to
follow - they can have it when it best suits them,
essentially. SMD in
English, and obviously varies for each language.
Now
back to the Salesian Family Spirituality Days. This
year's series of
addresses and discussions focus very much on the story of Don
Bosco's
life and in particular two things - his own special
autobiography (a
term which will be clarified by Fr Aldo Giraudo, if I can say
this
without letting the cat out of the bag) in his own very
informative and
fascinating address. Of course we are talking of the Memoirs of the Oratory.
So,
Don Bosco was a great storyteller. We are also going to
hear this
from Fr Bruno Ferrero, who will be 'resurrecting' the
Biographical
Memoirs, in a sense, since Bruno himself is a great
storyteller! Both
these addresses, by the way, will be made available through
austraLasia
once they occur - and equally through ANS, sdb.org SDL
whatever! They
are well worth following up - you will find them warming your
heart.
And
what has all this to do with Salesian Mission Day 2012? And
for that
matter with our EAO Region? Lots in fact! The 2012
theme was inspired
by the 'Telling the Story of Jesus' Congress in Chiang Mai,
Thailand,
in 2006. It will be a focus on Asia, so very much a
focus on a
substantial part of our Region. "Don Bosco was a great story
teller",
says Fr. Václav Klement, Councillor for the Missions,
"and we today are
still fascinated by his Good Nights, by his accounts in the Memoirs of the Oratory
and the many stories which the last 150 years can tell us.
When we want
to share our faith with others, story telling is a very simple
method,
a very lively way of passing on the faith. The faith we are
living as
we talk about it to others. This occasion of telling the story
of Jesus
to others is an invitation to all of us to make more friends,
to build
bridges with others, and at the same time to share what is
welling up
in our hearts; hearts filled with Jesus".
You
should by now have received the DVD and Booklet that goes with
it, in
your Province. If not, seek it out. There is
excellent material in
there. Through the medium of austraLasia over the next
few weeks we'll
run some reminders and excerpts to whet your interest.
But as a
starter, why not begin with Chiang Mai and the 'Salesian sto'
there,
since that town-city is where the idea began?
Video
no. 6, 'The seeds of evangelisation' takes us to Chiang Mai.
On 4 April
2003 Fr Eleuterio Tapay left for the north of Thailand to
begin a
foundation in the Diocese of Chiang Mai. Thanks to the support
of the
Bishop, the other religious orders and the solidarity of
the Salesian
world some centres were set up and developed for poor
youngsters from
the local tribes: the first seeds of missionary passion!
The Salesians fitted in to the local cultural, social and
ecclesial
world and were open also to people of other faiths. At Mae
Ponn, right
in the middle of the forest, they are working with the Sacred
Heart
Fathers in a centre for hundreds of youngsters coming mainly
from the
Kaarian Tribes, who can attend elementary and middle school,
share
their free time together learn to be self-sufficient, and with
catechism lessons be trained in the Christian faith. At Mae
Ponn,
priests, religious and young lay volunteers help the
youngsters with a
unique happy and joyful education which teaches them to know
their own
culture and to become self-sufficient. The girls, for example,
learn
dress-making to prepare clothes for their own wedding and for
the
members of their future family and to make things to sell at
the
market.
The “Don Bosco Farm” in Saankampheng and the Don Bosco Centre
in
Doi-Saket offer youngsters from Mae Ponn two educational
opportunities.
Like Thonoh, who having finished middle school, can go to “Don
Bosco
Farm” in Saankampheng and become qualified in agriculture.
Those who
want to take up other studies are accepted in the Don Bosco
Centre in
Doi-Saket, a community where the youngsters living their
everyday lives
together can go out to attend the state schools. Among these
there are
also youngsters who are preparing for a life of special
consecration.
