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Titolo n otiziario
Newsletter for Salesian Missionary Animation
A Publication of the Mission Department for the Salesian Communities and Friends of the Salesian Mission
D ear confreres and friends of
the Salesian missions!
For me being a missionary
is a source of profound joy!
Cordial greetings for the new year
2014! January is the Salesian month.
For some Provinces it is the time to
prepare or start the new school year
while for other Provinces it is the
time to celebrate the Salesian Mis-
sion Day. The Salesian Mission Day
2014 is an invitation to broaden our
vision and open our hearts to the
world of migrants around us: “We
are the Others.” The prophetic ges-
ture of the first pastoral visit of
Pope Francis outside of Rome (to the
island of Lampedusa on July 8, 2013)
confirms our intuition.
The seven video of the SMD 2014
show us the passion of the confreres
and lay coworkers of Sweden, Spain,
Italy, Germany and France who have
opened their hearts and doors to mi-
grants
(http://www.sdb.org/it/
Dicasteri/Missioni/GMS_2014). By
now the prayer of the SMD 2014
should have reached all the con-
freres. The printed resource booklet
is still available in Rome. The ex-
change of good practices during 2014
will help the whole Salesian Family
to encounter Jesus in the migrant! I
wish you a good start of the Bicen-
tennial celebrations!
Fr. Václav Klement, SDB
Councillor for the Missions
A fter I finished my postnovitiate studies in
České Budějovice the Provincial asked
that one among our batch would go for prac-
tical training to our mission in Bulgaria. I
wasn't excited about the idea because my
wish was to do my practical training in the
Czech Republic. But the need in Bulgaria
was urgent so I asked the Provincial to give
me time to pray, visit Bulgaria and eventu-
ally decide. During this time of discern-
ment I received a personal letter from
Mons. Christo Proykov, a Bulgarian East-
ern Rite Catholic Bishop, inviting me to
come during the visit of John Paul II
(2002). When I finally took the bus to Bul-
garia, I felt in my heart that God wanted
me to accept this invitation! I have since worked
in Bulgaria and, in spite of some difficulties, I want to remain in Bul-
garia.
Years later we were discerning about the direction of our Sale-
sian mission in Bulgaria. After a long time of reflection the decision
was taken to start a work with Gypsy youth in the city of Stara
Zagora. I was again approached by the Provincial. I was not eager to
work with the Gypsy youth and I didn't know what kind of sacrifices
this entailed, but I also had no clear objections to this invitation.
Now, after 5 years I see, that this is where the Lord wanted me to be!
Working among the Gypsies is very demanding - psychologi-
cally, emotionally and physically. Unfortunately I am often lost in the
challenges of ordinary daily life: problems with the parents, alcohol
abuse or domestic violence, lack of education and anti-social behavior
towards the wider society, etc. From the early childhood Gypsy chil-
dren face the challenge of survival, emotional wounds, lack of paren-
tal interest. Young Gypsies are often exploited for a lot of bad things,
since their parents always choose the easiest way out of poverty.
Without any outside help it is difficult to find the solution. They need
a friend who could stir up hope in them and journey with them to-
On hindsight, I have to admit that they have enriched me tremendously: their joyful spirit, emotional sensi-
tivity, friendship and celebrations are a great gift to me. My work with them pushed me to be more patient, hum-
ble and have a deep spiritual life. With them I understood the excellence of Don Bosco’s Preventive System based
on the three pillars of faith, reason and loving kindness.
In my work among the gypsies every encounter with good people is a source of deep joy. And I'm finding
friends everywhere! I'm happy when I see any little progress among our families children and youth, like their deci-
sion to change ways and their effort to persevere in doing good whatever the cost and their effort to help others to
do so. To me these simple successes are of great value which I am very grateful to the Lord!
Fr. Jaroslav Fogl
Czech, missionary in Bulgaria
