A LETTER FROM MALAWI
G reetings from Malawi in the South-eastern part of Africa!
Malawi is small and poor but very peaceful country. We have two
Salesian communities in this country. Our community has a Technical Col-
lege, youth centre and parish at the outskirts of Lilongwe, the capital city.
Our community is a happy community. I believe that this happiness within
our community is a good witness to the people and the young we meet daily.
In fact every day more than
500 hundred young people
come to study, work, pray and
play in the Don Bosco Campus.
I am the Rector of the commu-
nity, in charge of the aspirants
as well as the vocation pro-
moter. I also minister to a
small Korean Catholic commu-
nity. Recently we started
weekly a Bible classes in Ko-
rean.
My daily work is to meet my confreres, aspirants, volunteers, young people,
teachers and the many others who come with different needs. Besides there
are also matters of our Salesian Province and of the local church that I have
to attend to. But to me the effort to continue learning and have a better
command of the local language is another very important duty.
However, as a missionary, striving to develop a stronger and deeper relation-
ship with Jesus Christ has the primacy in my life because without Him I am
nothing. He is the source of my strength to be a good missionary!
I have recently learnt with great sadness the death of a friend, Fr. John Lee, a
Salesian Korean missionary in the Sudan. His death is a reminder for me and
for us all to be always ready to suffer for the Kingdom of God.
Fr. Alexander Dae Shik Kim, SDB
Korean, missionary in Malawi
DAY OF
MARTYRED
MISSIONARIES
WHAT IS IT?
The day of martyred missionaries is cele-
brated every year on March 24 (the anni-
versary of the assassination of Mgr. Oscar
Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador) to
remember and pray for missionaries who
have been killed. In 2009, 30 priests (19
diocesan, 11 religious) 3 sisters, 2 semi-
narians and 3 lay people have given up
their lives for Christ. [See: http://
www.fides.org/ita/martirologio/liste/].
WHY A DAY TO REMEMBER THE MAR-
TYRED MISSIONARIES?
The martyred missionaries’ love for Christ
challenges us regarding the coherence of
our choices and encourages us to live the
Gospel seriously in places where we live
and work. This year's theme is My life be-
longs to you. Living this day in prayer and
fasting means asking God to sustain the
missionaries and Christian communities
who suffer discrimination and persecu-
tion.
HOW TO LIVE THE DAY
It is a day of prayer and fasting with the
concrete actions proposed to foster
awareness among young people and the
community. We propose to the Salesian
Family that donations collected from fast-
ing on this day be destined for Haiti.
Materials in Italian are available from this
website :
http://www.mgm.operemissionarie.it/
vis_news.php?id_art=687.
Salesian Missionary Intention
The Salesian Family in Africa
That the Preventive System of Don Bosco may be an instrument of recon-
ciliation and peace in Africa.
In light of the theme of the 2nd Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops
(2009) the Region of Africa - Madagascar has decided for this six-year period to culti-
vate a greater sensitivity and render operative the involvement of the Salesian Family
in reconciliation, justice and peace. The experience of the Preventive System in our ora-
tories, youth centres, schools, parishes, becomes a potential force for reconciliation
and justice by making our young Africans instruments of peace in the bosom of society.
Send your suggestions and contributions to cagliero11@gmail.com
