28 OCTOBER 2016 PROVINCIAL CIRCULAR AUL NUMBER 579
EAO Salesian Family PAST PUPILS’ CONGRESS
From 4 - 8 October 2016, I had the pleasure of representing the Province at the 11th Congress for East-Asia-Oceania for the Salesian Family organized by Past Pupils of Don Bosco in Dili, Timor Leste. More than 380 participants from 11 countries and eight Provinces of the EAO region (Korea, Japan, Philippines North, Philippines South, Australia-Pacific, Thailand, China, Timor Leste and Indonesia) gathered around the theme of Serving God through our fellows by promoting good education, economic solidarity and social justice. This was the first International Salesian event hosted in Timor Leste, and they did a magnificent job.
The Past Pupils Congress is held every four years and this was the fourth one I have had the pleasure of attending. My first was in 1984 in Bombay. I was part of the organising committee for the 1988 congress that was held in Melbourne and, as National President of the Australian Past Pupils, I delivered one of the keynote addresses at the 1992 Congress held in Macau. Back then it was known as the Asia-Australia Past Pupils Congress. It has been 20 years since Australia has been represented. So we couldn’t very well complain about having our country removed from the title.
Timor Leste is a very Catholic country with a big Salesian heart. The opening Mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Dili, Mons Virgilio Da Silva SDB, Salesian Past Pupil. There was a long list of VIPs and VVIPs and speakers representing the Government of Timor Leste, all Salesian Past Pupils. Then followed the Chief of Army, Major General Lere Anan Timur, also a Salesian Past Pupil. Every sector of the society, Government, Church, Military, business and education has been formed and influenced by Don Bosco. And like the running of the country, all had their say at the congress.
The world congress of Past Pupils was represented by a very impressive team: World President Mr Michal Hort from Slovakia, Vice President Mr Rajesh Gupta from India, GEX Vice President Angel Gudina Canicoba from Spain and the new World Delegate for the Don Bosco Past Pupils, Fr Raphael Jayapalan from Chenna, India. The World Confederation is not just well organised with great aims and plans; it has quality leadership. They are making things happen on a global level. The Past Pupils are an enormous group in the Salesian Family with over 100,000 registered members from more than 100 countries. Worldwide, many millions of people have received a
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preparation for life based on the principles of Don Bosco’s Preventive System in a Salesian oratory or school. If you have an interest, check out the new web site www.exallievi.org
After the Congress, I spent a week at Don Bosco CoEducational Technical School, Maliana. This is a very new school in its third year of operation. The school is being literally built around the students by the Salesian community led by the inspirational Br Marcal Lopes. This is a government school run by the Salesians, but the biggest headache for Marcal is getting any money out of the government.
St Francis de Sales is quoted as saying ‘You should pray for an hour a day, unless you are very busy, then you should pray for two hours.’ With close to three hours of prayer a day, this is an extremely busy and productive community of students and Salesians. Many things impressed me about this newly born community: one hundred male and female boarding trade students all living, working and studying together as a large harmonious family.
Let me say that again: one hundred boys and girls aged 15-18 all boarding away from their family and village. They are eating three good meals a day. All are studying to be electricians in wellequipped facilities and following a solid curriculum. The students clean the school, help out in the kitchen and the gardens and wash all their own clothes by hand. They happily move tons of concrete and building materials together. They play sports and music together. All of them are surrounded by Prayer and Salesianity.
It was a real pleasure to spend time with this joyful, happy, healthy, confident, hardworking, resilient, motivated and funny group of young people: all honest citizens and good Christians in the forming. They are future Salesian Past Pupils, who will go on to shape and grow the newest nation on earth, Timor Leste.
It was a great experience to meet so many people from Asia and all over the world with that common Joy of Salesianity and friendship. This was my first trip to Timor Leste, but hopefully not my last. This new country, the poorest in Asia, has a long way to go in terms of economic growth, but it has a very firm Salesian foundation to build upon.
Mr Ashley, Australia DB Alumnus
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