By Our Own Correspondent
What is the message of the Rector Major during this visit to this most distant among the 132 countries where the Salesian Congregation is working? During three days of his carefully prepared visit, Fr. Ángel was able to visit all Salesian apostolic settings – 3 parishes of the SDB (Leauvaa, Sinamoga-Moamoa and Saleleloga; 2 schools of the FMA and 2 of the SDB (Alafua and Saleleloga) together with the SDB formation house (aspirantate and pre-novitiate) in Alafua. The tenth successor of Don Bosco did personally (=shake hand with many group and personal picture taking) met hundreds of our parishioners and youth of our schools, witness to their wonderful culture and traditions, admired their songs and dynamic dances.
First of all, there is a strong message of gratitude, express in many different ways and words to all on his way around the main islands of Samoa, Upolu and Savaii.
Thanksgiving for many oversea missionaries who worked in Samoa was expressed through the blessing of a memorial stone to the departed missionaries, after the evening prayer in DB Alafua (May 9). Those confreres are: Fr. William Cornell, Fr. Leo Heriot, Br. Reg Newport, Fr. Bill Edwards, Fr. Hans Dopheide, Fr. Jack Ayers (the only who is buried in Samoa, at Moamoa Catholic cemetery) and Fr. James Kilcullen. Thanksgiving to all confreres for their Salesian consecrated life, for their life sharing with the successor of Don Bosco was always mentioned as the main reason for this visit: “It’s worthwhile to come thousands of miles from Rome to Samoa, just to meet face to face and share the life with my confreres!”
Thanks giving for the visible communion between the SDB and Salesian Sisters, thanksgiving for the daily contribution of many lay mission partners to the Salesian mission and also the thanksgiving for the wonderful songs and dances of many different groups of the young people who encounter Fr.Ángel. In this context of family sharing the FMA sisters did know only yesterday about the possible visit of Mother Yvonne to Samoa next February 2016! Indeed the significant presence and contribution to the Samoan society and Catholic community could be felt all around this visit. Thousands of Don Bosco past pupils, high appreciation of the Salesian education and evangelization by Archbishop Alapati and civil authorities speaks about the fruits of our 36years long presence in Samoa.
During the celebration of Mother’s Day in the parish of Leauvaa, St. Archangel Michael, the Vice-chairman of the parish council, Peseta CeciliaSala Fata, shared the sentiments of our 3266 parishioners: “We like to acknowledged the tremendous work of the Salesian priests and sisters in our village. Their untiring collaboration with the youth; teaching the children and youth; visiting the sick; nourishing us daily with the Word and the Eucharist; fostering our heritage culture entwining with the essence of the Scripture, we marvel and thanks God’. We are blessed with the fruits of their work… St. Michael Parish, Leuvaa is proud to be a small unit of your universal Salesian Family. Please, remember Samoa in your prayers!”
Secondly there was ongoing challenge shared with the SDB and FMA to share more in depth the Salesian Charism with the local Church. Fr. Mosese Tui, Delegate for the Pacific, received the Project of Apostolic life of the Salesian Cooperators with a specific task to launch this vocation among the numerous friends of Don Bosco. The strong community spirit of Samoan people and the attractive figure of Don Bosco offers a good condition in this movement.
Third attention was expressed through the many interviews with in view of the 2016 Salesian mission day with a focus on Oceania. The theme of ‘Proclamation of Jesus Christ’ is well documented through the tireless presence of Fr. Jacob (ANS – Rome, video section) who accompanies this visit through photo and video recording. On the last evening the Don Bosco Alafua offered the Rector Major a rare opportunity to ride the ‘DB 200’ boat with the students near the harbor of Apia. At the end of the boat ride the Rector Major shared his immediate sentiments: “This boat trip recalls the original environment of Jesus with his disciples at the seashore of Genezareth Sea. It’s a call to be in deeper touch with the ordinary life of young people around us. Strong family spirit of Pacific people requires from us strong witness of fraternity among our confreres and within our apostolic works. As in the times of Jesus, there is a strong need for many more apostles and missionaries in the Pacific, deeply rooted in the faith and courageous to share Jesus.”
There is a well rooted presence of Don Bosco in Samoa, together with many dreams for the future development. Rector Major shared with the confreres the dream about the Pacific Delegation, about continuous growth of SDB vocations and specialization of our confreres for the mission and formation. There is a time for growing in quality of our mission, for sending the first Samoan missionaries abroad and established the lay groups of the Salesian family.
In 2015 the Catholic Church in Samoa celebrates 170 years of the first evangelization and the Salesian Family remembers 200 years of Don Bosco Birth. Samoa has about 20% of Catholics among its 200.000 population. After 170 years of constant growth, the local Church has already 42 Catholic parishes and 10+ Catholic schools and 35 diocesan priests, 36 permanent deacons together with religious Marists, Missionaries of Sacred Heart and Missionaries of Faith. And Don Bosco Salesian Family is humbly offering a precious contribution to Samoan Church.
THE SAMOANS ENCHANT THE RECTOR MAJOR WItH TRADITIONAL ART FORMS
- ANS Correspondent
The Salesians have been in Samoa for the past thirty six years educating the young in their faith, to become good citizens of the country. There are three notable presences at Upolo in Alafua, Levaa, Sinamoga-Moamoa and at Saleleloga in Savii island with three parishes and two schools with technical centers. Young boys come from these islands, complete their technical education particularly in Electronics, Motor Mechanics, Plumbing, Electricity and other trades.
Rector Major and his team consisting of Fr Horacio Lopez Personal Secretary and Fr. Vaclav Klement Regional Councillor for East Asia Oceania visited these centres from 8 to 11 May, 2015 which completes a series of visits to the Pacific Islands where Salesian presences are noteworthy namely, in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji Islands and Samoa.
On Sunday, 10 May Mothers’ Day was celebrated with great favour beginning with the Eucharist in St. Michael’s Parish at Levaa followed by a family welcome and cultural presentation in the nearby FMA St. Joseph’s Primary school.
Soon after Rector Major visited the island of Savaii, where at Saleleloga there is the vibrant presence of the Parish of St. Francis de Sales and Don Bosco School. The one hour long journey by ferry between the two main islands Upolu and Savii was rewarded with a great welcome ceremony. In the evening, of under the roof of the traditional fale (community hall in Samoan) there was an evening prayer, welcoming ceremony with some cultural items, concluding with the good night talk by the Rector Major.
On the morning of Monday, Rector Major was greatly impressed by the presence of practically all the 42 families of the parish at the Eucharist as early as 5:30 AM. In spite of the national holiday (Mothers day) and ongoing rain, 280 students of the Saleleloga Don Bosco School presented a large variety of traditional dances and songs in Samoan style.
In the afternoon of Monday Rector Major returned by another boat trip back to Alafua where the students of Don Bosco Technical school welcomed Fr. Angel in the name of the whole school community presenting their vibrant songs and dances. In the afternoon hours the same group offered the Rector Major a rare opportunity of riding the Don Bosco 200 boat at the harbour of Apia, where he himself rowed the boat along with 44 students.
In the evening at 7.30 after a family prayer and dinner Rector Major and his team left for Apia Faleolo to take the flight for Auckland in New Zealand, scheduled to arrive at 2.00 AM.