By Cl. Jean Paul Mutombo
Congolese missionary in Malta
Crocetta, Turin, Italy, 4 November 2020 -- October - the traditional missionary month - is already over, but shortly it will be 11 November - the departure day of the first Salesian missionaries, and that means a special day for some Salesian provinces. There is good news from the largest Salesian formation house in Europe - Crocetta Theologate in Turin, Italy (Rector Fr Marek Chrzan) with a dynamic missionary group.
The first story concerns the celebration of MISSION WEEK in the theologate:
Around the World Mission Sunday we organized a whole Missionary Week. Due to the pandemic restrictions we were not able to have an outreaching experience, but we managed quite well: First we welcomed Fr. George Chalissery, current vice-rector of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christian at Valdocco, an Indian missionary in East Africa (twice provincial - first in AFE province (Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Kenya) and then in ZMB province (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Namibia). Fr George presided at the community Eucharist on Monday and then after dinner shared his experience with our missionary group. At the same time a simple missionary exhibition of various cultural items was set up in the community to express the multi-cultural character of our formation community. Moreover during the whole week our members shared a short profile of Salesian missionaries with the whole community every day before Vespers. Then on Thursday a Missionary Rosary was organised in different languages. The missionary group members are preparing themselves to respond one day to the cry of the poor not only in the future, but already in our daily life in the formation house.
Second story is a personal account of the MISSIONARY GROUP EXPERIENCE:
When I arrived in Turin three years ago after my practical training in Romania, I had a strong desire to deepen my missionary vision and spirit, so typical for our Congregation. And I was really surprised to find among the community animation teams also the missionary group. This made me very curious and I didn't hesitate to join it immediately.
Our Crocetta missionary group is open to all confreres who feel the call of Pope Francis for an 'outreaching Church'. Taking advantage of our international community composition, also our missionary group is composed of Salesians from five continents, some of us had already had the chance to give their life to the young people in a mission land as missionaries ad gentes.
The aim of our missionary group is to raise community awareness of all confreres to the missions by animating the whole community with testimonial meetings of invited missionaries (those who pass through Valdocco). Our strong period of the year is the Advent and Lenten season when we go through the city of Turin for an 'outreaching experience' among the poor or animate the community prayers with particular missionary spirit (Eucharist, Adoration or the Rosary).
We would also like to know the experience of other missionary groups in formation houses around the worldwide Salesian Congregation!
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