Young generation of Timorese Salesians in Los Palos
By Fr. Tomas de Carvalho, SDB
Rector, Los Palos prenovitiate
Los Palos, Timor Leste, 20 May 2017 -- More than 30 prenovices coming from two senior Aspirantates (Dili – Comoro Centec and Fatumaca Secondary School) entered in January 2017 the pre-novitiate of Los Palos. Until next November 2017 they are accompanied by the Salesian community with Rector Fr. Tomas De Carvalho, three priests and 3 assistants (one deacon and two clerics). At present there are in Los Palos 26 prenovices, aged 18-23 years, exposed to complete Salesian setting of a missionary parish, orphanage, Oratory with a not-so-distant Salesian Agricultural school in Fuiloro.
Interview with two of the prenovices offers an insight in the soul of the young Salesian generations of Timor Leste: prenovice Adao (20 years) is coming from Dili Aspirantate (candidates from non-Salesian setting) and prenovices Denilson (19 years) is coming from the Fatumaca Salesian Aspirantate – senior high school.
How did you encounter Jesus in your life?
I met Jesus in my family, since my childhood – we are eight children and I’m the sixth. My inspiration was the family that brought me in the Catholic Church and my parents and Salesians helped me to meet Jesus. I didn’t meet Jesus face to face, but through the Salesian Brothers and Priest.
I met Jesus through the Word of God and through the good attitude of other people around me. We are 7 siblings in my own family and the foster family that takes care about me from my childhood, since I have moved to Dili when I was three months old.
How did you encounter Don Bosco in your life?
Growing in the Salesian environment with Fr. Manuel Fraile and Br. Jose Ribeiro, I met Don Bosco through the Salesian missionaries. When I saw the Salesian missionaries I start question myself: Why other country people come and serve us, why not me? It was main attraction.
I met Don Bosco through my family, where are Bosconians and continued with the Salesian education, first in the FMA elementary school (Maria Auxiliadora – Dili, Comoro), then junior high school (SDB Venilale) and finally in secondary school (SDB Fatumaca). I was always an average student.
The most beautiful memories from the Aspirants life in Fatumaca or Dili-Comoro?
I have entered the Salesian house only in 2016, Dili, Comoro – Centec (Vocation training center) and we were 33 at that time. As aspirant I had the responsibilities in the Oratory games and in the VTC, as the leader of the aspirants, elected by our batch. But already before I have graduated elementary and junior high public schools and San Pedro senior high school in the Salesian parish of Comoro.
In the Aspirantate I met Deacon Balthazar and Fr. Locatelli – senior missionaries and get know the social and evangelizing work of the Salesians in Fatumaca. In the senior high school – Aspirantate in Fatumaca I was elected a leader of the student council president for one year. I’m deeply attracted by the person of Don Bosco, his sanctity and his life given for the young.
What makes you happy in the pre-novitiate?
I have enjoyed all activities in the pre-novitiate. When I feel down, I go for a short adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and get new energy and power from Jesus. I’m also facing the difficulty of studies, with English, Italian and Portuguese.
The experience of Los Palos are both– joyful and sad. I’m happy that I can related to many different kind of people in the community and in the apostolate. But sometimes I don’t’ know how to relate to girls. When I’m involved in the pastoral activities of the Oratory in Los Palos, there are few boys and majority are girls and their female animators. I’m enriched by the community prayer of Lauds and by the Eucharist, when we eat and work together with the Salesians. Fr Rolando is my model, since he does insist to be a friend with the boys and challenged us to look for the boys to bring them to the Oratory. When we organize the games in the Oratory our youth join, but when it comes to prayers and catechism they escape. We don’t force them but just remind them.
What is your dream as future Salesians of Timor Leste?
I dream to work with the youth in need, like the orphans in Los Palos, knowing them name by name. I want to become a good Salesian Priest, although I considered to be a Brother. I have a dream to be a missionary one day in the future.
Yes, we dream to have more means for our formation in the prenovitiate: we would need some more books in English and Portuguese, some more musical instruments and computers in order to learn the basic skills we need in the youth ministry.
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