austraLasia #3025
A
missionary's Golden Jubilee: Bro Cesare Bullo sdb
NAIROBI: 25 February 2012 --
VK:
Some impression from your first trip from
Italy to Vietnam?
CB: I have
received the missionary crucifix in November, 1961, then
waited a few
months for the visa for Vietnam. Due to this delay I was the
only
missionary of our lay brothers group who travelled by
airplane. The
route was Rome – Calcutta – Bangkok overnight, Saigon. In
Bangkok I was
lost with no language skills, in the hotel. Next morning I was
woken up
by receptionist to catch the airplane connection. Frs. Maria
Aquistapace and Andre Majcen were in Saigon airport to welcome
me.
I got to Vietnam on Saturday. On Sunday I already
had my
picture taken with the DB Go Vap Technical School; 500
boarding
students. By Monday I was already in the classroom,
teaching the
technical drawing class. I drew, and at the end told them
‘Chep’-
meaning ‘copy’. And they did!
VK: What was your initial motivation
for
leaving for the missions?
CB: Already
in Italy, at Chioggia – in the ‘most Salesian’ Oratory grades
4-5,
there was a lot of talk about the missions. But after my
novitiate at
Rebaudengo - Turin, during the three years of technical and
religious
preparation, plenty of missionaries passed by, and talk about
the need
for technically prepared Brothers in the missions was heard
many times.
They were coming back from all over the world – all
continents. At the
end of the third year I wrote my request for the missions to
the RM,
Fr. Ziggiotti. It was accepted immediately, and the
Missions
Councillor, Fr. Ignido Bellido, came to tell us our
destinations. We
sent out about 10 Salesian Brothers each year for the
missions, a total
of 90 Brothers at the Rebaudengo formation house, a 3 year
course.
VK: What are the different
ministries,
experiences that you have been involved with
CB: Vietnam –
first it was language study – all of ‘one day’! Effectively I
studied
Vietnamese while working! When I was assisting in the Go Vap
school
dormitory, a thief entered one day. Everyone was shouting, and
I was
scared. But it was not a revolution, just a thief! I spent
time from
1962 to 1970 t the school, then was sent to Rosemead, CA
USA,
then for another course in Verona, and in '74 came back
to
Vietnam. I was invited to leave the country in September 1975.
When I
arrived in Rome – it was during the famous World Brothers
Congress, I
was welcomed by the then RM, Fr. Ricerri, and during the
Congress
Assembly I recall greeting all participants.
Back to Rome briefly for the Salesian Missions 1975 centenary
celebrations, Fr. Tohill invited me to help in the Centenary
office.
Then after few months I asked another mission. I was offered
to go to
Latin America. But Fr. Tohill realized I knew English and
asked me if I
would like to go to Ethiopia. My answer – OK for anywhere
except the
Pisana!
On 19 March, 1976 I left for Adis Ababa. We were three SDB in
the first
group in Ethiopia. It was called, "new frontiers" – before
Project
Africa started. When the first Ethiopia Salesian, formerly a
diocesan
priest, then bishop of Adigrat invited us to the country he
was present
for the 1975 Missions Centenary. I had asked him for only one
piece of
advice, his answer was ‘patience’!
In our first Ethiopia community there was one Irish priest who
died
early in the piece, one US Brother and myself. After his
death, us two
brothers were without a priest for 6 months. The Economer
General, Fr.
Pilla, sent us there with no money, then he promised to visit
us and we
started to build our first SDB Ethiopia Residence at Makale.
At the
same time we were also digging wells for the people, and
building the
technical school – so we were very well accepted by the local
people.
In 1982-83 we were involved with famine relief, and in the
great famine
of 1984-1985 we were in the frontline of the UN relief
agencies feeding
some 500,000 people in this big operation.
VK: What is the greatest lesson that
you have
learnt from the people you serve?
CB: ‘To be
available’: if they see you are for them – they love you!
First we love
them, then they will love us! I found a similar mentality both
in
Vietnam and Ethiopia (a semitic touch?) – which calls for a
similar
approach to the people. I was immediately
able
to understand the situation of the youth. I noted,
interestingly,
having left Vietnam after the communist unification of the
country -
that in Ethiopia I began work under a communist regime. Can’t
escape
them! The two years 1977-1978 was the worst time of all - the
'red
terror' started – some of our students were killed, and a
‘liberation’
movement started p.
VK: What is the biggest challenge in
sharing
the lives of people different from yourself?
CB: When you
are available, you don’t feel it's a challenge! I have always
been
learning: new language, new people. After one month in
Ethiopia I was
already working for them. They were waiting for us! Actually
two
Salesian brothers for the founding the technical school were
the first
Salesians present. AET was started with brothers! And after
that in
Ethiopia a lot of youth wanted become brothers. Even now if
you like to
deepen the technical education we need more brothers! But
never there
was a distinction, no big thought about priest brother
relationship.
First of all we are Salesian.
VK: Can you mention some
achievements?
In Ethiopia after 25 years already we had already become a
(vice)
province, in 1998! You feel proud to be a founder!
In Vietnam we felt like we were amongst the pioneers, and it
was a very
positive and exciting experience. When I attended the 50th
anniversary
of Don Bosco in Vietnam (September 2002), I was looking around
at the
TV cameras. Then I was taken by our past pupils – with 50
motorbikes -
to all houses in Saigon. I could see the progress, and people
who had
been my students!
Today too, the 7 Vietnamese missionary brothers who came and
their gave
me their gift – a small statue of our Lady of La Vang, are an
expression of my missionary dedication.
I was sent to new places to plant the Salesian charism, being
part of
the first groups in Vietnam and Ethiopia! This is very, very
rewarding…
for sure.
VK: What did you regret in your
life?
CB: As
the RM tells us, I could always start again! I left when I was
20 years
old. With permission from my mother (widowed at 39 years of
age, with 3
younger sisters, the youngest was 8 years old) as my father
had died
just a few years before my departure. I have never regretted
being a
Salesian missionary! All the time I felt sure about my
vocation.
VK: What are your dreams for the
future?
To be able to see the continued increase of the Salesian
Charism both
in Vietnam and Ethiopia and see them sending more missionaries
abroad,
especially Salesian Brothers!
VK: And a short message to your
first love –
Vietnamese youth, Salesians and past pupils?
CB: I still
love them!