austraLasia - 5892(I)_FABC 50 anniversary website highlights Darkhan parish

Justin Yaneke & Elizabeth Brian (Writers Club)

Mary Help of Christians Parish, Darkan Mongolia, 11 November 2022 -- The ever first FABC (Federation of Asian Bishops) General Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand, October 12-29, brings a lot of enthusiasm, joy and inspiration with sharing of the Asian mission frontiers. We are honoured, that among the thousands of Asian parishes the Maria Auxilium Parish in Darkhan, Mongolia (parish priest Fr. Andrew Nguyen Trung Tin and rector Fr Simon Lee Ho-Yeal) was highlighted.

Among the 5 FABC highlighted parishes are Kazakhstan - Mary of All Nations parish (Astana), Philippines - St Roque's parish (Cebu), Malaysia - St Michael's parish (Penampang, Sabah state) and St Luke's parish,Laos (Pakse). All five video presentations are available on the 'FABC 2020' YouTube channel.

In the 11-minute video, Fr Andrew Tin shares his missionary vocation story in Mongolia (since 2001) and presents all major aspects of the Salesian parish, one of the 9 Catholic parishes in Mongolia, with about 170 faithful, mostly children, youth and senior citizens. Through the vibrant video we gain quite a deep insight into the prayer life in Mary Help of Christians parish church, located close to the train station in this third largest Mongolian city. There are a lot of education programs in the Don Bosco Oratory, involvement of the young people in constructing their new football field, summer camp, green vegetable and fruit farm, planting thousands of trees (DBGA), home visit to the families and community building.

Watching our confreres in the Church, playground, classroom and during vacation time, you can sense a true Valdocco Oratory spirit in this corner of the world. The parish started in 2005 without any resident Catholic believer in this northern Mongolian city. We are grateful to the grace of God working with us and through the Salesians and Salesian Family members (SDB, Salesian cooperators, Don Bosco Past Pupils and in the past also with the FMA sisters) and our close collaborators of the young Christian community as well through the MC sisters (Missionaries of Charity).

Let's celebrate another 11th November, this year the 147th anniversary of the first Salesian missionary expedition in 1875!