A special Aspirantate - Don Bosco Centec, Dili

By Fr. Yohannes Laba, SDB

Dili, Timor Leste, 16 March 2018 -- Our community was open 15 years ago and has already prepared thousands of young people for life with professional preparation, faith and value education. Don Bosco Centec (Timor Leste, Dili - Comoro) is a community of 7 Salesians (4 priests and 3 practical trainees) who accompany together with 20 lay mission partners not only Training Center, but since 2016 also a special group of Aspirants, who are coming from non-Salesian background in Timor Leste. Centec community mission focus on Technical Training, Oratory - Youth Center, Car repair workshop and boarding house (both aspirants and VTC students).

Nineteen young men between 19 and 27 years of age are immersed in the Vocation Training Center boarding house and training program life, with a close accompaniment of Fr. Mario do Rosario and his Assistant, Cl. Hipolito de Jesus. Indeed they came from all corners of Timor Leste: Baucau, Manugafi, Liquica, Ermera, Lautem, Bobonaro, Viqueque, Dili and Manatuto districts (most of the places without a Salesian presence). They didn't study in Don Bosco or didn't receive Salesian education in our parishes. The other group of senior Aspirants comes from our ASSALES in Fatumaca (Boarding senior high school program) and God willing most of these two Aspirant groups will meet in Los Palos for their prenovitiate.

The technical preparation in the VTC (sections of general construction: electricity, welding, carpentry, masons; Automotive and Administrative section). Due to this background they are very welcome in the houses, because they can help any necessary maintenance. In the evening they are offered langauge class (English and Portoguese) and on Saturday and Sunday some Salesianity input and under the guidance of the postnovices they are involved in the Dili area Oratories. They are introduce in the prayer life with the SDB community and VTC boys.

Remember our Don Bosco Centec community and aspirants in your prayers: Afonso, Bendito, Daniel, Edinato, Frade, Fromencio, Guido, Jeronimo, Joao, Marcelo, Nelson, Nicodemos, Norbertino, Olgito, Raineiro, Rosalito, Silviano, Vasco and Ventura! Their daily vocation journey together with the youth in need of good education in the vocation training center is our daily joy and task! May our aspirants learn from our life witness and joy experience in our mission the heart of Don Bosco!

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