By Fr Greg Chambers, SDB

Melbourne, Australia, 28 April 2016 - “I wish to announce that our very first Provincial Delegate for Missionary Animation (PDMA) will be Ms Lauren Hichaaba, who is currently Director of the Cagliero Project for Lay Salesian Mission Volunteers and a member of our Province Centre Staff as Ascot Vale.

In so many ways, Lauren is ideally prepared and suited for this important position within our province. She has qualifications in Education, International Development, Religion and Drama from the United States and Australia and has been employed as a secondary school teacher in Melbourne. She also has extensive experience in working for the Salesians of Don Bosco as Director of the Cagliero Project for several years. Not only has she had a great deal of contact with young people through this project, but has also been a member of our Youth Ministry Commission and an active participant in such events as OzBosco and World Youth Day.

As our PDMA, Lauren’s central role will be to promote our awareness of the missionary origins of the Salesian Congregation and the missionary history of the Australia-Pacific Province, and to animate both Salesian confreres and Salesian Family in their call to keep alive our missionary spirit and to focus on the missionary dimension of our apostolic outreach. In order to achieve a growing and strengthening of the Salesian Missionary movement, the following tasks will be the primary concern of the Delegate:

• Fostering the missionary spirit and culture in the Province
• Collaborating with the Delegate for Youth Ministry
• Promoting the formation and animation of missionary groups and Salesian missionary volunteer service
• Collaborating with the Delegate for Social Communication in fostering the awareness of the missionary activities of the Province and of the Salesian Congregation
• Promoting information and knowledge of the missionary activity of the Church and the Salesian Congregation through the planning, celebration and evaluation of the annual World Mission Sunday and Salesian Mission Day
• Keeping alive the missionary spirit of the confreres and Salesian family in the Province
• Keeping alive the missionary history and roots of our Province
• Stirring up the missionary sensibility of every local Salesian community
• Liaising with EAO regional co-ordinator, Fr Andrew Fung (CIN) and Fr Alfred Maravilla (RMG – Sector for missions)
• Liaising with the Director of the Salesian Missions Office and ASMOAF (Australian Salesian Mission Oversea Aid Fund)

We wish Lauren all the best in her key role as Delegate for Missionary Animation.

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