austraLasia 1601
Thailand's ADMA - the Archconfraternity of Mary Help of Christians
BANGKOK: 2nd July 2006 -- When people speak of the groups originally founded by Don Bosco himself, they readily list SDB, FMA and Cooperators. In fact, however, there is another group founded by Don Bosco, and it was the second such group he founded - the Association of Mary Help of Christians (it retains the word 'association' in its formal title) raised to the status of Archconfraternity in 1870 by Pius IX. By 1896 the Association, for that is the most common title under which it is known, had the faculty to exist in any diocese in the world in association with the 'primary' group connected with the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin.
So it was, then, that Thailand in recent times has informed the Primary group in Turin of its own ADMA group which has as its centre in Thailand the public church of Mary Help of Christians at the Provincial House in Bangkok. In December last, 25 women and five men made their solemn promise according to the renewed Regulations for ADMA (promulgated in 2003) and by now translated into Thai. Their spiritual director is Fr Francis Cais, Provincial Delegate for the Salesian Family, but closely involved too, as Rector of the Provincial House, is Fr John Lissandrin.
The Thai Province has nurtured strong bonds between members of the Salesian Family, so it was no accident that this group, officially a member of the Salesian Family since 1989, would take root there too. The Province has moved forward methodically with the group, ensuring first a regular formation (monthly).
Don Bosco founded ADMA as part of his method of involving as many forces for good as possible in his overall project to form 'honest citizens and good Christians' especially of the young and the poor. His thinking behind ADMA was to enable even the simplest of people to be part of that dream, but there is nothing 'simple' about the fascination and the aims of ADMA spirituality: it is decidedly Christocentric, keen to draw the best fruits from liturgy well celebrated, from Eucharist and Reconciliation. It demonstrates Don Bosco's typical love for the Church, made concrete in love for and defence of the Pope and bishops and clergy. Clearly it is a Marian spirituality, fostering devotion to MHC. In fact the Italian title suggests that members are 'devotees', a word which does not always strike the right chord in English though the idea is acceptable. And finally, because founded by Don Bosco, because based at the Basilica in Turin, because it inherits all the rich patrimony of the Salesian spirit, it is a distinctively Salesian spirituality.
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F/OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world.
Thailand's ADMA - the Archconfraternity of Mary Help of Christians
BANGKOK: 2nd July 2006 -- When people speak of the groups originally founded by Don Bosco himself, they readily list SDB, FMA and Cooperators. In fact, however, there is another group founded by Don Bosco, and it was the second such group he founded - the Association of Mary Help of Christians (it retains the word 'association' in its formal title) raised to the status of Archconfraternity in 1870 by Pius IX. By 1896 the Association, for that is the most common title under which it is known, had the faculty to exist in any diocese in the world in association with the 'primary' group connected with the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin.
So it was, then, that Thailand in recent times has informed the Primary group in Turin of its own ADMA group which has as its centre in Thailand the public church of Mary Help of Christians at the Provincial House in Bangkok. In December last, 25 women and five men made their solemn promise according to the renewed Regulations for ADMA (promulgated in 2003) and by now translated into Thai. Their spiritual director is Fr Francis Cais, Provincial Delegate for the Salesian Family, but closely involved too, as Rector of the Provincial House, is Fr John Lissandrin.
The Thai Province has nurtured strong bonds between members of the Salesian Family, so it was no accident that this group, officially a member of the Salesian Family since 1989, would take root there too. The Province has moved forward methodically with the group, ensuring first a regular formation (monthly).
Don Bosco founded ADMA as part of his method of involving as many forces for good as possible in his overall project to form 'honest citizens and good Christians' especially of the young and the poor. His thinking behind ADMA was to enable even the simplest of people to be part of that dream, but there is nothing 'simple' about the fascination and the aims of ADMA spirituality: it is decidedly Christocentric, keen to draw the best fruits from liturgy well celebrated, from Eucharist and Reconciliation. It demonstrates Don Bosco's typical love for the Church, made concrete in love for and defence of the Pope and bishops and clergy. Clearly it is a Marian spirituality, fostering devotion to MHC. In fact the Italian title suggests that members are 'devotees', a word which does not always strike the right chord in English though the idea is acceptable. And finally, because founded by Don Bosco, because based at the Basilica in Turin, because it inherits all the rich patrimony of the Salesian spirit, it is a distinctively Salesian spirituality.
___________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F/OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world.
