We give thanks and remember 2017
EAO, 30 December 2017 -- The end of December it's that time of the year when we reflect on the past 12 months and brace for the New Year and a new beginning. We begin to make resolutions, new goals, and plans for new habits. But in order to move forward, we need to look back on the past. We need to know what we have done, what we regret, what we could have improved and what we could have appreciated more in order to make the next year better and more meaningful. Being alive and still healthy is something to be thankful for. To live, to love, to eat, to work, to make new relationshiops - are all things to be thankful for.
What are you most thankful for?
Looking back on the past twelve months in our Region, we give thanks for the enriching EAO Team Visit in Hua Hin and for the fruitful animation visit of the Rector Major in Vietnam. There were many meaningful events and celebrations during past year: two new provincials - Australia - Pacific and PNG - Solomon Islands. We have two new delegations and one new country with Salesian presence - Malaysia. The 20th Birthday of the AustraLasia regional news services reminds us about the importance of sharing for the growth of vitality and charismatic communion. Many of our communities celebrated a variety of Silver (25) or Golden (50) jubilee of foundation and two countries remembered 90 years of the first Salesian presence in 1927 - Timor Leste and Thailand.
Within last twelve months were welcomed 42 newly professed Salesians in our region (including 11 Salesian Brothers), six new missionary ad gentes and another 64 new novices in our region started their religious life journey. In the same time we gave thanks and bid a farewell to the house of the Father to 16 senior Salesians. After the passing away of the EAO patriarch Fr. Gaetano Nicosia (102 years) in Hong Kong, now the most senior confrere is Fr. Paul Fong (99 years) in Hong Kong.
We give thanks for the growing inter-change among our 11 provinces in terms of personnel, both practical trainees and temporary missionaries. There is also a growing number of inter-provincial projects among different provinces - missionary volunteers, missionary exposure and help to specific missionary territory. Moreover the nearly complete construction of the Steven Sandor community building (Specific Formation of Salesian Brother) in Parañaque is another important expression of regional solidarity and of charismatic growth.
We give thanks also for all regional sector meeting and those have hosted them: Missions (Thailand), Youth Ministry and Social communication (Vietnam), Formation (Myanmar) and Prenovitiate Master formation (Cebu). Already second sector coordinators meeting (Manila) helped the necessary synergy and quality of our regional meetings.
We give thanks and remember 2017 also as the year of the largest international meeting in history of our Region. Last May more than 320 Salesian Cooperators and young adults gathered in Tokyo for the 9th EAO Regional Congress. Thanks to the courage and vision of the Japan province to support this prophetic event!
We give thanks also for the growth of all Salesian Family groups also in quality. For the first time in history Don Bosco Alumni from EAO province (ITM - Mr. Alberto Piedade) was appointed as member of the World Confederation Council. We give thanks also for his first steps and animation visit in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. We give thanks for the first 3 weeks Salesianity course for the SDB, Salesian Family members and our Lay mission partners organized in Parañaque last May.
Last but not the least we thanks for the start of two possible causes of beatification, with their preliminary stage – collecting witnesses and basic materials for the initial dossier: Fr. Fortunato Giacomin, SDB (1920-2000, Myanmar) and young Bosconian Akash Bashir (1994-2015) who sacrificed his life in Lahore, Pakistan.
Yes, there are many more graces we are called to give thanks in these last hours of 2017. Let's prepare a short time for thanksgiving asking ourselves - What I'm most grateful for this year?
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Thanks so very much Fr. Vaclav.
We thank the Lord for his many gifts and for the many persons, confreres and benefactors who have made this possible.
We look forward in hope to 2018!
May we be sources of inspiration for our young and may we have the courage to reach out and touch the lives of the many who are waiting for a kind word, a gentle touch a welcoming heart.
God bless us all!