EAO Good Night Talk (31)
October 1, 2016
Japan Volunteers are reaching out!
Dear friends and confreres,
Few days ago we witnessed the 147th Salesian missionary expedition in Valdocco. We are happy to witness among the 39 members also good number of EAO members: SDB -FMA from Korea, Timor Leste, Philippines and Vietnam. We are also glad to welcome in our Region another Mexican missionary (for the FIS delegation of Pakistan).
During two months of the Rising Sun (Japan) Province extraordinary visitation, I’m deeply touched by a renewed effort of reaching out to serve. Different ways of volunteer action are growing in many schools and parishes: weekly outreach to the Hamamatsu homeless people, Kumamoto or Tohoku earthquake areas volunteer groups and different school groups visiting regularly social welfare institutions.
Very interesting were many sharing sessions about the volunteer experience impact in the life of many young people in our schools, parishes and Salesian Youth Movement. For many of them one evening in the streets with the homeless, five days of service in the earthquake hit areas or three weeks in Solomon Islands is a life-transforming experience. In the volunteer service they discover many poor people situation, they are being exposed to the joyful faith of poor youth in Timor Leste (Salesian Polytechnic), in the Philippines (Shizuoka Salesio) or in Solomon Islands (Don Bosco Volunteer Group). After coming back home their life does change for many of them: faith journey towards baptism, new life dream about future career (teachers, medical doctors, vocation), more convinced and committed Christian life for Catholic members. I will never forget those sharing!
During this month of October we are happy to welcome the 10th successor of Don Bosco amongst us – this time in Mongolia delegation (VIE) and Myanmar vice-province (MYM), not counting his transit through the provincial houses of Seoul and Bangkok. May the animating presence of the Rector Major strengthen our out-reaching spirit!
I wish to all EAO Salesian Family members a fruitful month of October – month of Our Lady, month of the Holy Rosary and month of the Missionary Animation! My dream is to meet volunteer groups in all of our Salesian works around the EAO region!
Fr. Václav Klement, SDB
EAO Regional councillor
FOR DOWNLOAD: EAO-GNT-2016 (31) October ENG.doc
for the EAO – Good Night Talk. I share with you the importance of volunteer services in our Salesian settings. I myself did a lot of volunteer services. And in all times I was enriched and blessed.
The sending of the new missionaries through our Rector Major Fr. Angel last Sunday was a deep touching moment in my life. I hope to be a faithful missionary in the PGS Vice Province till the end of my life. Thank you also for your prayers.
At the moment I am at the UPS in Rome. The first week of the formation course for missionaries is over. In total are we 31 participants: 18 SDB, 10 FMA one Sister from the “Piccole Ancelle del Sacro Cuore” and one Marist. Some topics are a bit theoretical, others are very interesting. I enjoy to share the experiences among the participants as well the access to the huge library at the UPS.
In the coming week we have a kind of spiritual retreat. I am deepest grateful to take part in this missionary formation course. It helps me a lot to understand what a missionary is and what is expected from him.
United in prayers.
Yours in Don Bosco