austraLasia #2516
(Apologies to those who were awaiting publication of this item - given other events in the region we felt we needed to give those the space they deserved. The Salesians are not in Sumatra (though not from want of asking), another location in the region that has suffered from disastrous natural circumstances. But no doubt the Indonesian confreres are very concerned too with events there - there are always possible family connections, as we have learned from the South Pacific events)
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Bersama mewudjudkan mimpi - Together realising the dream
 
JAKARTA: 2 October 2009 --   The 26th of September 2009 saw the launching of celebrations for the Silver Jubilee of Salesian presence in Indonesia. The culmination of the celebration will be this coming year, 2010, exactly 25 years after Fr. Jose Carbonell set foot and stayed in Indonesia. The launch took place at the Salesian Postnovitiate, and began with Mass at which the Provincial Superior, Fr. Andres Calleja, presided, along with theVicar General of the Archdiocese, almost all the Salesians of Indonesia, some representatives from East Timor, the FMA Provincial and Sisters, Salesian Cooperators, religious, friends of Don Bosco, and young people.
    In his homily, Fr. Provincial pointed out  that it was proper to start the launching of the 25th anniversary by thanking the Lord in the Eucharist, and at the same time ask the Lord's help for the future.
    The theme of the year's celebration is "Bersama Mewudjudkan Mimpi" (Together Realizing the dream) What dream? Whose dream? Don Bosco's dream, of course, for Indonesia, for the Salesians, for evangelization in Indonesia and it's young people's education and salvation.         Following the Eucharist there was a symbolic gesture, the releasing of 25 balloons by Fr. Carbonell, the pioneer. A short musical program followed involving the aspirants and prenovices from Tigaraksa, along with a video presentation by the young Salesians of the Jakarta Postnovitiate of historic photos from the beginning to the present . A conference by the Provincial followed, and then a fraternal agape. All was an intense experience of Salesian family spirit.
    It should be noted that before the Salesians came to Indonesia, Don Bosco had preceded them. There were already several schools and orphanages named after himeven before he was proclaimed a Saint in 1934. He was already the patron of some Religious Congregations in their work of education in Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java, Flores. It is also interesting to know that the devotion and love towards Don Bosco were and still are very deeply rooted in the hearts of a good number of bishops, so much so that when they knew that the Salesians had already arrived, they started to invite them to their dioceses (in Bali, Purwokerto, Maumere, Banjarmasin, Bogor) to take care of the youth and work among the poorest classes in the rural areas.
    The development of Salesian presences was not very fast but it was steady: from Rajawali Selatan, Pademangan, in 1985, the Salesians moved to Wisma Salesian Don Bosco in Sunter in 1991. It became the Salesian mother house of Indonesia. Then, Tigaraksa followed in 1999, St. John Bosco Parish, Sunter,  in 2002, Sumba in 2003, and finally Blitar and Surabaya in 2009. Likewise the number of Salesians started to increase. The very first Indonesian Salesian was Fr. Andre  Delimarta. Others followed and today we have 50 Indonesian Salesians: 13 priests, 2 deacons, 11 brothers (2 perpetually professed) and 24 clerics. There are also 6 Indonesian Salesian missionaries.
    There are other dreams ... of sainthood, of more Indonesian missionaries, of many more groups and members of the Salesian Family working hand in hand with the SDBs ... But the Salesians of the future (after 50 and 75 and 100 years...) must also have the privilege to dream too. May all these dreams be realised.
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Title: australasia 2516
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces ITM - Indonesia 25th
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2516