Resolutions and dreams of EAO Mission Animation 2019

By Fr. Arvin Abatayo
EAO Coordinator for Mission Animation

Dili, Timor Leste, 18 November 2019 -- The EAO meeting of Provincial Mission Animation Delegates (PDMA) has been a good venue for sharing of best practices of each province, it helps us also to support each other when we see that our struggles of some province and its delegate. This mutual help makes our EAO meeting something we look forward every year.

We were excited before this 2019 EAO meeting in Dili, Timor Leste, because this is already the second time we have had a joint meeting with Youth Ministry Delegates, after 4 years (2015 in Seoul, Korea). In this joint meeting we discussed the new Handbook for Salesian Missionary Volunteering that has been prepared over the past 5 years. We also shared thoughts on the Youth Synod 2018, especially the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis Christus Vivit. The talk and the discourse were really enlightening and inspiring. We hope that the fruits of our meeting will be applied to the different provinces and communities in our EAO region.

As Provincial Delegates for Mission Animation we discussed clear directions for our animation, so that it will be easy for the confreres of the province to accept and apply in every community. We hope that our 2019 resolutions will enhance not only having volunteers within the Province but its impact on the formation of the young, vocation culture and that it will also help the community who receives the volunteers. The following resolutions were discerned at each respective level:

Province Level – missionary animation

1. Missionary opportunities to the Salesian Parishes.

2. Involve the Economer in the fundraising, especially within the Salesian Family.

3. Improve local fundraising in the Missionary Animation Work.

4. Foster the Missionary Groups in the Salesian Youth Movement

5. Close collaboration with other Commissions, with Provincial and his council.

6. Make the Standard Operation Plan (SOP) of Volunteering part of the Provincial SEPP.

EAO Regional Level

1. Foster in each province the joint meeting of all commission heads for mutual sharing, enrichment and information to foster more synergy and avoid fragmentation or overlapping.

2. Foster opportunities for exposure to missionary works in the EAO region.

3. Guarantee a three months English course for all newly appointed Mission. Anim. delegates

4. Produce missionary animation workshops, seminars, modules for deeper learning.

5. Make an EAO Statement on Salesian Missionary Volunteering

6. Create formation modules to volunteers recieving communities (Cambodia Delegation assist)

7. Prepare a Workshop to promote and help understanding of Salesian Missionary Volunteering

8. Foster networking and database for the Salesian Missionary Volunteers in our Region

9. Prepare Regional workshop for reflection on practical steps in Mission Animation

10. Provide animating questions for the readers of Cagliero 11 for fruitful reflection and action

Other suggestions:

1. Foster Meeting of Missionary Animation and Formation Commissions

2. Foster missionary animation visit the houses in the province (recollection, talks, encounter)

3. Set up EAO level working group to follow up the issues that emerged in the 2019 meeting

4. Foster interaction and animation with some specific groups of the Salesian Family.

5. Visit the formation houses or Aspirantates of the provinces during the PDMA annual meeting

Congregation Level

1. Foster the preparation of the Manual for Salesian Parishes (cfr. YM Framework of Ref)

2. Missionary Volunteers Networking and Data base in the Region for better collaboration.

3. Themes for the next six years 2020-2025:

4. Sharing the Mission between SDB and Lay people;

5. Formation for Salesian Missionary Volunteering;

6. Missionary Youth Groups

We have also discerned our main needs to better exercise our task as Provincial Delegates of Missionary Animation:

1. Understanding of the PDMA (+Handbook) task by the Provincial and his council.

2. Synergy and collaboration between provincial delegates (+teams) and the Mission Office.

3. Provincial support in our Mission Animation activities (pastoral and financial).

4. Submit a yearly budget to the Provincial, include our plans in the Provincial Educative Pastoral Plan.

5. Appointment of the local delegate for Mission Animation (including job description)

6. Start Missionary Groups in the Province (e.g. FIN – Savio Group with a missionary slant)

At the end of the meeting, we can say that we are still far from the ideal, but we are hopeful because we are moving forward and into a direction that we hope to bring great fruits to our missionary Provinces, Congregation and the Church.

Related news article:

AustraLasia 5248 (II) Joint meeting of YM and Mission Animation 2019

https://www.bosco.link/webzine/52544

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