Apostolic consecration and Lay mission partners
Bangkok, Thailand, 28 August 2018 -- Each extraordinary visitation is according the letter of the Rector Major a special time to foster the communion of each confrere and province with the Successor of Don Bosco, time of evaluation and also time of animation. During the first two days in the Bangkok provincial house with few personal encounters and provincial council meetings emerged already few important inspiration that may accompany the visitor during next two months. Just to mention two main elements - need to deepen our Salesian apostolic consecration in the context of strongly materialistic society and foster more integral.
First of all the recently published videos of the Salesian Mission Day 2018 'Whispering the Gospel' - initial proclamation in Asia, feature in a very captivating way the technical education of Don Bosco in Thailand, with all three main institutions - Don Bosco Technological College in Bangkok, Don Bosco Technical School in Banpong and Skill Development Center for the Blind in Pak Kret. The poster of the SMD 2018 with Thai language inscription is the lasting souvenir.
Secondly the question of the General Chapter 28: What kind of Salesian for the young people of Thailand? This question embrace the two important emerging priority of the province - return to the poor young people in all our works and communities as well the involvement and consistent formation of our lay mission partners (Karawat Phuruam Phathakit in Thai language). We need to be more courageous and open to listen to the answer from our youth and lay people.
Each extrarodinary visitation is rather short (2-3 month) period of intense animation, sharing and dialogue in our provinces. What does matter, is the discernment about the vision - direction, about the necessary process (path) in each provincial community. What does matter is "the first principle for progress in building a people: time is greater than space' (Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium, n. 222). Each extraordinary visitation is a chance to grasp the Salesian horizons open before us - brigther horizon of the future without being obsessed with immediate results (EG 223)."
