Study Days on the Salesian Mission and the Initial Proclamation of Christ
Region of Africa and Madagascar
Fr. Václav Klement, SDB
Councilor for the missions
Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
November 5, 2012
How are you? I’m coming from Rome, after one week in Japan and two months in Argentina. In few days time experience of four different continent but with the same basic challenge of all disciples of Jesus - to become also more HIS missionaries!
First of all I bring you heartfelt greetings from the Father of the Salesian Family, Rector Major, Fr. Pascual Chàvez Villanueva, just few days after his participation with other 15 SDB and FMA in the Synod about the 'New Evangelization'. I bring his warm greeting and blessing to all of you.
It’s a great gift of God to live as Catholic Christians in Africa. The youngest and growing Catholic communities of Africa contributes in many ways to the World Catholic Church. Every time being in Africa, the family spirit, dynamic faith and outreaching Christian communities committed to the Gospel, gives me a deep sense of joy and hope!
In these days we are called to re-discover the dynamics of the initial proclamation of the Gospel. It's about the first step in the life-long journey of faith, which the whole SDB Congregation pays attention in the coming year. Indeed the topic of the Salesian Mission Day 2013 is focused on the JOURNEY OF FAITH in Africa. This Study Days will help us to make the best of 2013 Salesian Mission Day dynamics as well.
After many months of preparation, we are together here in Addis Ababa: Salesians of Don Bosco and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from almost all African Provinces. It’s already a third Regional Missionary Formation event since 1999. As in other continents each 6 years the Salesians and Salesian Sisters shared together a formation opportunity on themes: Project Africa - between the challenges of first evangelization and consolidation (Yaoundé May1999, Nairobi May 2000) and Mission Ad Gentes today in Africa (Kinshasa, Nairobi - November 2004. After the GC26 of the SDB (2008) this opportunity is called ‘Mission Study Days’ and the focus is not so much on formation of many missionaries, but it’s more an occasion to reflect deeply on some dynamics in the whole evangelizing mission.
Tackling the theme of the initial proclamation of Jesus, mean for us Salesians to question the missionary action of the Church and of the Congregation. It’s a crucial question for the whole path of evangelisation and education. At the beginning I invite you to consider some important elements:
All of us are being in touch with some of non Christian youth, hence we are called to discover the opportunities and dynamics of initial proclamation in our daily life;
We are called to confirm the importance of the family and family ministry as a privileged place for the first proclamation of the Gospel. A presence of some Salesian Cooperator amongst us would be a wonderful inspiration for the consecrated Salesians;
At the end we are called to share our own experience of God with others, trying to get into the dynamics of the ‘First Asian Missionary Congress’(Chiang Mai,2006) which is also the topic of the Salesian Mission Day 2012. John Paul II invited the Catholics of Asia to ‘Tell the story of Jesus’ as the best way of Gospel proclamation. In the sense we try to encourage the ‘storytelling’ as the best way of sharing own experience of faith.
In Africa we are still a young Congregation(s) with few years of history. Probably is very important to learn from the very rich and dynamic experience of the Local Churches in our countries.
The whole Church is by its nature missionary and our contribution as Salesian Family to the Church mission we find mainly the field of education. Our way of living and sharing the Gospel is the way of the Preventive System of Don Bosco.
We are immersed in our busy daily life and mission, and often time we lack time to reflect about our own actions and convictions. These Study Days offer us the chance to reflect together more deeply on our evangelizing mission.
We hope to offer the fruits of our reflection and our intuitions to many brothers and sister of the Salesian Family in Africa - Madagascar, one of the three most vibrant Salesian regions worldwide, by all the communication means!
I entrust our stay to Mary, Mother of the Church and Help of Christians who was present in the Cenacle with Jesus’ disciples before the first Pentecost. Let’s pray together:
Mary, Mother of the Church,
we give you thanks for your Yes to God and for your journey of faith
as first disciple and missionary of Jesus.
We want to live in communion with all the disciples of your Son Jesus,
together with the pilgrim Church
in order to bring the Gospel to all.
Mary, inspire us with the courage to talk
about the world to Jesus and about Jesus to the world!
Help us, O Mother to follow Don Bosco, a tireless storyteller,
in order to share with humility, patience and courage
the experience of our personal encounter with Jesus
in our communities, among the young and with every one we meet.
Amen.
