Dear Confreres

I’m rather cheating by dating this first Newsletter as the 25^th February, but I’m months behind in doing something about this new task I have as Missions Animator AFM. I did make a start in sending out “Advent of the 150^th of the Anniversary, but had not caught up with the main aim for Missionary Sunday this year 2009, which is to give quality animation to Missionary Spirit throughout the whole Congregation. Last year, 2008 the focus was on HIV/AIDS, which we greatly appreciated as it referred to a great concern of our Vice-Province. This year’s focus might seem less important as we are already fully involved in the ‘Mission ad Gentes’. However, our involvement must develop into an AFM Mission to other countries in need of Don Bosco’s charism. Am I being a bit impractical when we look at the number of our confreres? We have been strengthened with a generous input of young missionaries, but at the same time we have lost confreres through death and departure. Yes, It doesn’t make sense any more than it did when Don Bosco sent Cagliero off with his small band of missionaries to South America. But it worked. Not only did missionary work in South America flourish, it set fire to the Oratory which then found a new dimension to staying with Don Bosco and a new enthusiasm for the Salesian way of life. Can we afford to let the 150^th Anniversary of that first Salesian Commitment to the Society of St Francis of Sales pass by without ourselves being part of the 140^th Missionary Expedition? I hope not!

Yimina eNkhosini, Malahle

P.S. I chose 25^th February as the date of my letter to remind us it was the feast of St Aloysius Versiglia and St Callistus Caravario, lost as it was Ash Wednesday. Our Salesian Calendar previously had the 13^th November for celebrating it, so why not celebrate a votive Mass and Liturgy of the Hours on that ferial day this year?