By Bro. Amilcar da Silva SDB

Fatumaca – Timor Leste, 8 December 2020 -- On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we, the Salesians of the TLS Vice-Province praise and thank God as we witness 14 novices make their first profession and we welcome them to our Congregation as young salesians committed to following Christ in the spirit of our Father Don Bosco.

The Eucharistic celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the rite of the religious profession started at 09.00 a.m and was presided over by Rev. Fr Apolinario Maria Ornai Neto SDB, the Provincial of the TLS Vice-Province in the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, Fatumaca. In his homily, Rev. Fr Apolinario highlighted that the celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a very important celebration in the universal church and in a particular way we, the Salesian family remember the day in which our Father Don Bosco began his apostolate and catechesis class to a young boy Bartholomew Garelli. Fr Provincial also encouraged the newly professed Salesians to thank God for the life and the special vocation that each and every one received and constantly fixed our eyes on Mother Mary as our life model in listening to God and in doing His will.

Among the 14 newly professed Salesians: 12 were professed as Salesian clerics and 2 were professed as Salesian brothers (coadjutors). Participating in these celebrations were the parents and the relatives of the newly professed Salesians, Salesian confreres, religious sisters, young people and all the members of the Salesian family groups. Before the end of the celebration of the day, Fr Provincial thanked the parents of the newly professed Salesians for their generosity, collaboration and accompaniment. He also thanked all the Salesians in the formation houses who had been instrumental in their life journeys and formation process. The celebration then ended with the agape lunch.

In the evening prayer of the community, Fr David Savio SDB, the rector of the community, presided over the rite of admission of the 12 candidates for the novitiate and officially opened the year of novitiate formation for the year 2020/2021. The community gathered in the chapel to pray together, to welcome the new novices and to accompany them as they begin to travel through the year of formation.

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