By EAO Missionary Animation Team
During the 155th Salesian Missionary Expedition last September 29, 2024, our EAO Region sent 6 missionaries but also received 5 new missionaries. Here is the second of the two sent to the Delegation of Mongolia.
My name is Cl. Eric Ndayicariye. I was born in Bujumbura, Burundi. I am the seventh of the 9 children. As a child, I joined the group of altar servers in my parish. In 2015 I told the diocesan priest of my parish that I would like to become like him. He welcomed me and helped me to join the diocesan minor seminary.
One day in 2017 a diocesan seminarian I knew took me aside and asked me if I knew the Salesians. He then invited me to come to their home during the holidays to meet his elder brother, who was a Salesian. When I met his elder brother I became very interested in Salesian life and I abandoned the desire of becoming a diocesan priest. Until that time I never heard about Salesians, but I realized that God used that seminarian to lead me to my Salesian vocation.
The missionary desire had been burning in my heart for a long time. When I saw how the missionaries who left their family and their country and sacrificed their life to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ to my people I realized that now it is my time to be likewise with a generous heart. I shared with my parents the desire to become a Salesian in order to make known the Good News of Jesus Christ where is not known and they gave me their blessing.
When I was an altar servant, I heard through Radio Maria that there are some countries that until today do not yet know Jesus Christ and I said like Saint Paul: woe to me if I do not announce the good news. I felt that Jesus was calling me to become a missionary of the nations.
The meeting with the Salesians was the beginning of my response to this call. I have been always convinced that to become a Salesian is to become a missionary because if I were called only to become a priest I would choose to become a diocesan priest. Thus, before joining the Salesian Congregation, I already shared with my parents my desire to become a Salesian to go and make known the Good News of Jesus Christ where it is not known. I received my parents' blessing to fulfill my dream.
Throughout my missionary discernment, I was devoted to the Word of God. And during my final year of post-novitiate, I concluded my missionary discernment and I wrote my missionary application.
The recent visit of Pope Francis made me aware, through the media, of the situation of the Catholic Church in Mongolia. But I was not really surprised that I was sent there and I saw God’s will to make me a missionary where the Catholic Church in general and the Salesian Congregation in particular still need missionaries.
Now I am just waiting for my visa to Mongolia and start my two years of language studies as directed by the General Councillor for Missions, then my practical training.
