EAO Good Night Talk (15)                                                                  

June 1, 2015

 

Thank you Fr. Ángel for the gift of communion!

 

Dear friends and confreres!

 

     I’m sending heartfelt greetings from Rome, on the first day of the general council session. When reflecting on past five months of 2015, only deep gratitude comes to my mind. Especially thanks for three weeks of first visit of the Rector Major to our region. I’m convinced that the best way how to share the emotions and believes of all confreres met by Fr. Ángel, is to share the voice of two superiors, in their own words:

    “From the beginning to the end of his visit to the six Oceania countries, our Rector Major had a marvelous impact and a long-lasting effect upon everybody he met and engaged with and embodied the spirit, fatherliness and friendliness of Don Bosco in every sense of those words.…For my own part, I found our new Rector Major to be encouraging and affirming at all times, being ever ready to boost our confidence and raise our morale in the face of current difficulties. I saw that he was honest and open, perceptive and straightforward, unafraid to assess present issues and problems and to ‘call things as he saw them’. Moreover, I perceived him as a man who was courageous and bold enough to make the ‘hard decisions’, to put forward significant challenges, and to back up his dreams and projects with meaningful actions and firm commitments. Finally, and most importantly, I judged him to be a leader of strength and resilience, always with a smile on his face, indicative of a deep-seated Salesian cheerfulness and optimism.”

   Thanks to all confreres and especially rectors, delegates and provincials for the good preparation of this visit and also to for a good opportunity to share many interviews related to the Salesian Mission Day 2016 video with focus on Proclamation of Jesus in Oceania. In a special way we treasure also a historical interview of Fr. Ángel at the shores of Samoa, after riding the DB200 boat with 44 Bosconians of Don Bosco Alafua.

     “Dear Rector Major, in your first year of service to the Congregation, you have already visited 25 nations and met personally some 2600 confreres. However to reach first those living on the most distant places from Rome, it’s a strong sign and for us a blessing.  Yes, dear Rector Major: “Fiji – Samoa – Solomon Islands – Papua New Guinea – New Zealand – Australia are never far from Rome! – Thanks for this loud message and your inspiring presence amongst us! Thank you, Fr. Ángel for making Oceania such a high priority in your first year in office!”

    The most significant gift we received is a stronger communion, as expressed by another superior: “For me the greatest grace Fr. Ángel brought us is Communion. Communion with Don Bosco (as his successor) and his Charism, Communion with the Salesian world (not only among the SDBs, but the Salesian Family and Bosconians) and Communion in our Delegation that brought us again in common sentiments and ideals.”

Tenk yu tru! (tok pisin-PNG) Tangio tu mas! (tok pisin-SI) Vinaka! (Fijian) Fa-afeatai! (Samoan) Kia ora! (Maori) Thank you very much!

In Don Bosco

Fr. Václav Klement, SDB