austraLasia #3289

  

Mongolian diary

MONGOLIA: 27 September 2013 -- Thanks to the Apostolic Vicariate Newsletter, we have a brief run-down on some events and highlights of SDB and FMA activities in the capital Ulaanbaatar (UB) and Darkhan.

June 15 FMA Sisters UB: Blessing of the playground at our school in Orbit (Ulaanbaatar) with Bishop Wenceslao Padilla. The playground games were donated from Germany.

June 9-15 SDB Darkhan – Salesian annual retreat: Retreat is a time to rekindle the fire and recharge our energy. The preacher of the group of SDB's and FMA's, Fr. Mario Antonio Baclig, SDB from the Philippines, helped us to deepen the Salesian charism and spirit with the topic: St. John Bosco‟s Preventive System today; “In rethinking Don Bosco‟s pedagogical experience, we are called to give it life faithfully again today.” The preacher creatively brought forth Jesus' life and how St. John Bosco followed it in his life. It was a precious time for all the participants. In the afternoon of June 15, Fr. Mario conducted a short seminar for the Salesian Cooperators on the same topic of the Preventive System.

Hong Kong students learn a little gardening Mongolia style

July 1-6 SDB Darkhan – visit of students from Hong Kong: The college students and teachers from Immaculate Heart of Mary school, Hong Kong, came to Mongolia for one week. During their stay in Darkhan they helped in Fr. Simon Lee's vegetable farm together with the youth from our parish. It was a great experience for them, meeting our people and working together. They were much impressed by the simplicity and joy of our Mongolian youth.

Summer reflection

July 15-18 SDB Darkhan – Summer camp for the parish youth: The Parish of Darkhan has taken the initiative to help our youth to spend their summer vacation in a worthwhile manner. We took the opportunity to help them strengthen their faith as well.  In the morning hour of this 4 days seminar they had lessons on the three grave sins (not to reject the faith, not to commit adultery, not to kill)  [Classic line, this one] and the Eucharistic celebration.

Summer camp from UB

August 19-21 SDB - UB: For three days the children from the Don Bosco Caring Center enjoyed the summer camp inTerilj.

Korean volunteers at work

August 18-23 SDB Darkhan – visit from Korean volunteers. Diocesan volunteers from South Korea visited our Parish this week and helped to renovate the roof of the old church which was in a very bad condition. The Parish is grateful to all the various volunteers who had come this summer to help in various needs.

Ub tech stduents at work

August 23-24 Don Bosco School – UB: Fr. Andrew Tin Trung Nguyen and Br. Andrew Tran Le Phoung participated at the seminar for Technical Schools in the Parliament house in Ulaanbaatar. Mr. Uganbaatar and Mrs. B. Bolorerdene, both from the Department of Labor of Mongolia,came to give a talk with a lot of encouraging words to our school students and staffs during the opening ceremony of our school. We have been able to start our technical school with more than 200 students.

FMA kindergarten opens

September 2: FMA, Orbit (UB) – Opening of the “Goykhon doo" kindergarten: After a long time of searching the will of God and of preparation, on September 2 finally the kindergarten in Orbit could be opened. At 10 a.m. 85 children from 3-5 years filled our house along with their parents. After the greeting from our Bishop Wenceslao Padilla and our Provincial superior, Sr. Cecilia Choi, small bags  were handed over to the children for this important step in their life. After group pictures were taken, the children went with their teachers to their respective classrooms – not without many, many tears due to the separation from their beloved parents. Now we pray that our Lord might grant us that we will get the permission to start the elementary school next
year.

September 8
SDB:
Fr. Anthony Kishore, our newly ordained Salesian
priest, concelebrated his first mass in the
Cathedral and gave the blessing to the faithful.