Don Bosco House, Nakosi, Fiji, 31 August 2021 -- There was a lot of excitement and shouts of joy when Br. Minh Duc, Br. Anh Vu and Br. Afi’a Enosa paid a brief pastoral visit to the young people and their families in the villages. Since the pandemic restrictions came into effect in late March, our contact with the young was limited to Facebook, email, and phone calls, and, if lucky, to encounter some young people during the exercise walks in the afternoons.
As a community, we discussed some practical and creative ways of reaching out to the young people especially in this time of Covid-19 safely without taking the risk. We came up with different plans such as online meetings using zoom, but most of the young people do not have access to any smart devices. And so, the community decided that if the young cannot come to Don Bosco for the Oratory and Sunday Religious Instruction because of the Covid restrictions, the Brothers thought, “let’s go to the young in the villages, let’s take Don Bosco to the young!” The Brothers photo-copied Catechetics lessons and activities for different class levels, cooked a box full of donuts and went: they were on a mission to the villages of Muanikoso and Makoi. When they arrived, there was great excitement, sheer joy for the Brothers to see the young and their families, and the people to see the Brothers. The donuts vanished in no time, the conversation with the young and their families even at a safe distance was a lively exchange, and copies of the Catechetics lessons and activities were accepted with much appreciation.
This activity includes short Catholic and Salesian prayers, Bible stories, coloring pictures, and Salesian reading books. Br. Minh Duc and Br. Anh Vu also distributed Rosaries, copies of the Salesian Bulletin, photocopies of Salesian short stories to the families and even the non-Catholic families were asking for Rosaries. What an experience of joy that was! Covid or no Covid, if the young cannot come to Don Bosco, Don Bosco will go to the young!
