Grateful heart at the end of the year 2018

By Our Own Correspondent

EAO, 30 December 2018 -- The end of December is that time of the year when we reflect on the past 12 months and brace for the new beginning. Around New Year we begin to make resolutions, decide on new goals, and plan for new habits. But in order to move forward we need also to look back. We need to know how we were graced, gifted or what we regret, what we could have improved and what we could have appreciated more in order to make the coming year better and more meaningful. Being alive, treasuring the gift of our Catholic faith, knowing Don Bosco are all things to be thankful for, along with loving, eating, working, making new relationships, serving others ...

What are you most thankful for?

Looking back over the past twelve months in our Region, we give thanks for the birth of the youngest Vice-province of Indonesia (INA) – the 12th circumscription in our EAO region. Four new provincials were appointed during the past twelve months – for China, Japan, Indonesia and Korea, and many confreres were appointed as rectors for the first time (some of them took part in the five day formation session in Hong Kong).

The year that is ending also brought a variety of confreres together for different meetings. We give thanks especially for the enriching and uplifting experience of the 7th EAO Salesian Brothers Congress with more than 215 participants; we are grateful for the truly animating and uplifting visits of the Rector Major to Timor Leste, Indonesia, Japan and Korea.

There were also many ‘first time’ events: Timor Leste (Dili) hosted the first Salesian regional event in its history (March, EAO Provincials and Delegates); there were the first issues of the Salesian Bulletin for PGS Vice-province (Papua New Guinea – Solomon Islands) and the INA Vice-province (Indonesia). In more recent months the first official THA province FB pages (https://www.facebook.com/SalesianThailand) were launched, and the first website of PGS and INA provinces. Also in recent months a possible new presence in Vanuatu was explored.

The formation ‘Curatorium’ for Canlubang (FIN) and Lawaan (FIS) formation was convoked for the first time last August. Last September a new inter-provincial formation community opened in Taipei (St John Bosco parish).

But most of all we are grateful for the gift of Salesian vocations to all Salesian Family groups. Within the last twelve months 61 newly professed Salesians were welcomed in our region, three new missionaries ad gentes were sent by the Rector Major from our provinces. Also most of the 15 groups of the Salesian Family are growing, with first professions of FMA sisters, SIHM sisters, VDB and 150 plus new promises of Salesian Cooperators, ADMA and other lay groups.

In 2018 we gave thanks for and bid farewell to the house of the Father to many senior Salesians – in China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and the Philippines.

We give thanks for the growing inter-change among our 12 provinces in terms of personnel, both practical trainees and temporary missionaries. There is also a growing number of inter-provincial projects among different provinces – lay missionary volunteers (like the Cagliero project to Timor Leste), missionary exposure and help given to specific mission territories. Moreover the completed construction of the Steven Sandor community building in Parañaque is another important expression of regional solidarity and charismatic growth.

We give thanks also for all regional sector meetings and those who have hosted them: Missions (Cambodia), Youth Ministry (Thailand), Formation (Japan), Salesian Family (Myanmar), Economy (Korea) and Postnovitiate formation (Thailand). Also the third EAO sector coordinators meeting (Philippines) helps the necessary synergy and quality of our regional meetings, a unique opportunity for the formation of provincial delegates.

We give thanks also for the growth of all Salesian Family groups in quality as well as quantity. For the first time in history an Asia – Oceania Don Bosco Past Pupils leadership encounter took place (Bangkok) and GEX (Young Alumni) animation continued in 2018 in Macau, Hong Kong, Philippines and Japan. Also during the 5th World Congress of the Salesian Cooperators in Rome an EAO-ASC gathering took place. At the same time the PGS and TLS Salesian Cooperators are preparing to start their own province, an important step in the growth of their autonomy. Both DB Past Pupils and Salesian Cooperators also begin preparations for their 2020 regional congresses in Yokohama and Ho Chi Minh respectively. We give thanks for the second successful three weeks Salesianity course for the SDBs, Salesian Family members and our Lay mission partners organized in Parañaque last May.

Reading the 370 East Asia – Oceania (AustraLasia) news articles and more than a hundred resources shared over the last twelve months on the Boscolink website and reaching us through AustraLasia news, we realize the great deeds God works, even through the fragility and weakness of Salesian Family members. We give thanks to all who contribute with their photos, indications, interviews, news or resource sharing to this wonderful exchange of gifts.

We can also give thanks for the gift of the young: Hundreds of new students enrolled in Don Bosco schools, kindergartens, vocational training centres or youth centres; hundreds of new Catholics joined the catechumenate journey in Salesian parishes, many young people advanced on their faith journey, many joined some SYM youth group or enrolled in lay missionary volunteer projects like Cagliero or SALVO, hundreds of young people took part or are taking part in vocation or Bible camps during the summer period. Without the young people our thanksgiving would be not complete....

Yes, there are many more graces we are called to give thanks for in these final hours of 2018. Let's prepare a short time for thanksgiving, asking ourselves:

What am I most grateful for during this year 2018?

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