Tigaraksa, Indonesia 29 July 2024 -- The Salesians of Don Bosco Indonesia Vice-Province held their Annual Retreat at Don Bosco Tigaraksa Tangerang Community. The annual retreat was divided into two batches. The first batch was held on 23-29 June with the guidance of Bishop Patrick Buzon, SDB. While the second batch was held on 21-27 July 2024 with the retreat guidance of Fr. Tarsisius Trianto, SDB. Twenty Salesians confreres joined the 2nd batch of the annual retreat.
Fr. Tarisius Trianto invited the retreatants to reflect on the journey of vocations to consecrated life, especially the vocation of being a Salesian. Being a religious is a special vocation that leads us to a life that resembles Christ himself. The process of responding to and living out our religious and Salesian vocation focus on our personal knowledge and experience of God who called and chose us. Fr. Trianto quoted our Rector Major Ángel Cardinal Fernández Artime, S.D.B: "The core of our identity and the reason for our religious life is, ultimately, the experience of God. The question of the quality of religious life is the question of the quality of this experience of God’.
The retreat concluded with the Eucharistic Celebration and the renewal of vows led by Fr. Andrew Wong, SDB as Provincial Superior of INA Vice Province. In his homily, Fr. Andrew emphasized that the renewal of vows (reading and reflecting on the formula) can be done when celebrating birthdays or every anniversary of Mary Help of Christians, the 24th of the month and also at the end of every month (the anniversary of St John Bosco). It helps us live our religious vocation more deeply as Salesians of Don Bosco and encourages us in our work and ministry with young people.
