We dream about Mission Office in each of 90 SDB provinces!

World Meeting of Mission Office Directors 2017

By Fr. Vaclav Klement, SDB

Generalate, Rome, 13 January 2016 -- Almost five years after the previous world meeting of the Salesian Mission Office Directors (Bonn, 2012) 54 participants from all 5 continents are meeting again (January 12-14) this time in the Salesianum, Rome. From the EAO region there are present 7 participants from five provinces: AUL, CIN, FIN, GIA and KOR.

Three days meeting animated jointly by the Economer General and Councilor for the Missions was started with an open sharing of the Rector Major. Fr. Angel F. Artime appreciated the professional dedicated work of the five large mission offices (G5: Torino, New Rochelle, Madrid, Bonn and New Delhi) and other 30+ provincial level Mission offices. According the successor of Don Bosco the Mission Office is not mainly or only about fundraising, but about our concentrated effort to put all our energies and potential at the service of Salesian mission for the poor young people. Hence these 3 days would be helpful for deepen the Communion, Identity and Synergy of all Mission Offices in a very practical way during this 6 year period.

In very open dialogue the Rector Major shared his dream about a Mission Office in each one of the 90 SDB provinces around the world, not just in the 'developed countries'. Indeed the vision about the Mission Office (Procura Missionaria) is more about making visible the needs of the youth in need / at risk not only with materials or financial help, but especially with human right protection, advocacy and sensitizing the large public for their needs.

During the meeting the English-Italian simultaneous interpretation service is done by Fr. Alfred Maravilla (PGS) and also a new comer to the General House, Br. Jess Garcia (PGS) is attending his first official meeting in the Salesianum. The whole event is moderated by the Coordinator of Mission Office and PDOs, Fr. MC George (Menamparampil) and the method is based mainly on group sharing and exchange of MO experiences. The participants are able to talk across round tables divided in Italian, Spanish, German and English speaking groups.

We expect some concrete inspirations and fruits for our starting mission offices in Japan, China and the Philippines North: focus on the spirituality of the MO director, relationship with the benefactors, social media, commitment of the MO for the formation of the young Salesians (in some African countries the number of prenovices is limited due to lack of financial resources!), formation of MO leadership including lay mission partners and especially more coordination and synergy among all 40 Salesian Mission Offices around the world.

---

---