Salesian Brother of Timor Leste prepare for the EAO 2018 Brother Congress

By Br. Adriano de Jesus

Dili, Timor Leste, 6 April 2018 -- Four months before the 7th EAO Salesian Brother Congress (Aug 9-12) most of the EAO Provinces started their preparation in many different ways. Also the Salesian Brothers Coordinator in East Timor, Br. Adriano, called for the first preparation meeting, taking advantage of the extraordinary visitor present in Timor during these weeks.

On the evening of April 5 a group of Salesian Brothers - three perpetually professed (Br. Marcal, Br. Filipe and Br. Adriano) together with four temporary professed Salesian Brothers (one practical trainee from the prenovitiate community and three postnovices) gathered with Fr. Manuel Pinto, the Provincial delegate for Formation in the provincial council room in Don Bosco Comoro - Dili.

The extraordinary visitor challenged the Brothers with a question: Why do we held the Salesian Brother Congresses? Only Br. Marcal has so far a personal experience of the EAO Congress (1999, Melbourne-Australia) and Br. Filipe has the experience from South Asia Region Congress (2014), during his specialization studies in Chennai. Focus of the sharing was on 'strengthening of Salesian consecrated vocation' in different ways - to share of life, joy and challenges; to strengthen the relationship between the Brothers from 12 EAO provinces.and raise the visibility of Salesian Brother in the Salesian Family and the Church.

In the second part of the encounter, Fr. Klement shared the 3 goals of the 7th EAO Brother Congress

1. to raise the visibility of Salesian Brother vocation through (online) interviews and videoclips;
2. to evaluate the 2006 EAO Congress provincial resolutions (lines of action)
3. to deepen the awareness about 'One Salesian vocation in two forms' through the common reflection, based on the reflection of Fr. Andrea Bozzolo (Italy, Turin - Crocetta campus of the Salesian Pontifical University, UPS).

All participants realized in the lively dialogue, that the preparation journey - process towards the EAO Congress in Vietnam is as important as the event itself. Encouraged by this first preparatory meeting the Timor Brothers will prepare a larger encounter on April 28.

At present there are registered already more than 100 non Vietnamese participants (VIE province has 62 Salesian Brothers in Vietnam and Mongolia). Aside the General councilors (Br. Jean Paul, Fr. Ivo and Fr. Vaclav) there would be also Brothers from the regions of Africa, North-Central Europe and South Asia.

Related materials:

• Boscolink - EAO Salesian Brother Congress preparation

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