Third day of Rector Major visit in Timor Leste

By Fr. Mario Do Rosario Costa. SDB

Dili, Timor Leste, 1 February 2018 -- It is a privilege to encounter with the Rector Mayor, the successor of Don Bosco. The presence of the Rector Mayor is the Don Bosco among us. Today the Past Pupil of Don Bosco have a meeting with the Rector Mayor. The participants were expected to be a thousand. It is a national event. The past pupil present were various in ages. The old and the young were participating in the encounter.

The encounter is started with reception. It begins in the provincial house where the Rector Mayor was touring with music and dance till the Gym of Don Bosco. The meeting is held in the gym where more than six hundred past pupil gathered. The president of the federation welcomed the Rector Mayor with A well prepared speech in Portuguese. He highlighted the purpose of th0e presence of the Mayor is not coming to visit the salesian edifices but to encounter the people that is the salesian family. We are grateful because we, the alumni have a special encounter with the successor of Don Bosco. Rector Mayor was so happy to hear it and it is true. That is why we designated time in order to meet every group of the salesian family in Timor Leste.

The encounter of the past pupils of Don Bosco with the Rector Mayor is boosting the salesian spirit in Timor Leste. The past pupil presents their profile in a video where describes all the activities they have done to show the fruits of the salesian mission iha Timor Leste. It started with presence of the Salesian in 1927-1929 and 1946 till today. The salesian education has educated the timorese and produce many leaders in the society. The first president and even the actual president as weĺl. At present they launched as well a project named belun ba misaun don bosco which is friends for the don bosco mission. It a network to unite the past pupils and the resources in order to keep on the salesian mission in Timor Leste. it is because we wanted to work together for the betterment of the young people.

The Rector apreciated and thanked for all good things done and call the past pupil to feast not on what we have done but to feast on what we are going to do for the others. The past pupil are called to cooperate with SDB and FMA to take care the young people who have done their formation in the school, to create job opportunities for the many young people.

The meeting was concluded with the Eucharistic celebration: the fons et culmen of christian life. The Rector Mayor asking who is really the past pupil of Don Bosco? It is not those who passed by the salesian school or salesian setting. It is is rather those who brought in their mind andd kept in their heart the values that was learned and of course, living accordingly.

After the Eucharistic Celebration in the paroquial Church of Mary Help of Christian, continue with fraternal Lunch. In the afternoon at 13:30 the Timor Leste time, the Rector Mayor proceed to Fatumaca where He will encounter ADMA and all those living in eastern part of Timor Leste.

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The real name of real happiness of life is JESUS

SECOND DAY of Rector Major visit in Timor Leste (31 January 2018)

By Fr. José de Sá, SDB

It’s a privilege day for the Salesian Family and friends of Don Bosco to celebrate liturgically the 130 th aniversary of the death of Don Bosco with his ten successor, Fr. Angel Fernandez Artime, in the Parish of Mary Help of Christian in Dili Timor Leste. Around 5 thousand people of young people, students Salesian Family and friends of Don Bosco include the President of Timor Leste; the Chief Military, members of ministries and parliaments, most of them are alumni of Don Bosco. In a homily, Fr. Angel emphasized three things:

First, he asked young people, students and Salesian Family to thank God for giving Don Bosco to us, to the Church as a Father and Teacher of young people. Second: He asked Salesian Family to thanks God for sending great missionaries who brought Don Bosco charism to this beautiful land of Timor. “The soil of Timor Leste is very fertile and the charism and mission of Don Bosco is very fruitful here. The Salesian Family is flourishing today, it was because of the past, our missionaries, and you have to continue bring it to the future”. Third: he feels very happy seeing the church full of children and young people, adults and old who participate actively in liturgical ceremonies. Used Pope Francis’ words, he insisted young people, members of Salesian Family and friends to seek the “real happiness of life” and the real name of happiness is JESUS. “My dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to imitate and listen to what Pope Francis says: Our Church must open to all, so I ask you to open our Salesian Family’s door, open the door of our heart to all especially to the needs of young people and bring them to Jesus the real happiness. Boa Festa de Dom Bosco a voces todos..!”

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