By Fr. Andre Belo, SDB
Utrail, Bangladesh, 5 March 2016 - The Bangladesh mission was started in 2009 with the initiative of Fr. Francis Alencherry former Councilor for the Missions. At present there are two communities and thriving group of young local Salesians and candidates for Salesian consecrated life. Among the nine missionaries ad gentes are also 3 from the EAO region. We are happy to share the interview of Timorese Salesian Fr. Andre Belo and pray that more Salesian hearts would be touched by his story.
How long was your first period of stay in Bangladesh, most beautiful memories, events?
I arrived in Bangladesh 12 of April 2014 and I went out from there 1 of February 2016 because of immigration problems. But I hope that I can enter again. The most beautiful memories are:
Community life: I am happy to be in Bangladesh. With the confreres, we are united, hardworking and committed, our prayer life is regular and we are the witness of our religious life. We live a simply life style in food, rooms, dress. And we care for each other.
Relations with the diocese and other religious congregation: Fraternity and collaboration with other religious congregations and the diocese is really highly impression me.
We live with the poor and abandoned children and young people. I really feel the true mission of ours: for the poor and the abandoned youths.
The local people are very kind and hospitable even if they are poor. We are multicultural (Bangladeshis, Adivasi and different other ethnic groups) and multi religious society (Muslims, Hindus, Protestants and Catholics), but we live in harmony, accept each other and support each other to do good for the youth.
About the young Bangladesh people, students, Catholics and non?
We carry our Salesian mission and charism mainly for the poor and abandoned tribal people (Mandi or Garo tribe). We are four and with the low class society. Many boys do not attend the formal education, or they finished only primary or junior high school. It is understandable because of matri-lineal system of these tribes. We enroll them from our villages and offer them our hostels in order to give them possibility to taste the formal education at least until they finish senior high school or college. We have our own school dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. We have also Muslims, Hindus and Protestants attending our school.
How are growing the first Bangladeshi Salesians?
God continues bless us by sending some young people to join us. The first Bangladesh Salesian is doing already his third year of post novitiate and is supposed to return next May 2016 for his practical training. We have another 6 clerics and 2 brothers (Bangladeshi), they are doing their formation in post novitiate in Kolkata province. Hopefully this year also we will have 7 newly professed confreres. This year we have 14 aspirants and 2 prenovices.
How many are now the missionaries of Bangladesh mission?
We are 6 Salesian priests. One from Poland, 4 from India and myself from East Timor. We have another 3 missionaries students: 2 confreres from Vietnam are doing their theology (Jerusalem and Philippines) and another is going to start theology in Rome (from Nigeria).
What is our main challenge, our joy?
For me, the main challenge is to give total education to these poor and abandoned young people. With a holistic education I mean from all aspects of life, like physical aspect, intellectual, religious, mental, etc. I believe that with education we can really help these poor people to have in the future their places in the society; by education we can raise their quality of life and by education they can change the society into a better world in which they live.
My great joy is to be with these young people and there are many young people here in Bangladesh. But visiting the villages: meet the people, listen to them, chatting with them, pray with them, bless them. All these are my joy. Language, food, culture are not the problems.
Any message to the possible missionary candidates in Timor-Indonesia or within the wide EAO region?
Bangladesh is a mission land and it needs young saints Salesian missionaries willing to be the instruments of His Love for the poor and abandoned people especially young people. If anyone feels the calling of God to be there, then be courage to open the hearts for God to do His will to be His signs of love for the young people.
