Sandor community, Paranaque - Manila, Philippines, 14 December 2020 -- My name is Marco Baù, I am a Salesian Brother from Italy - North East province (INE) with headquarters at Venezia (Venice). This is my second year in Manila for my specific formation at Don Bosco School of Theology (DBTS). Let me begin this little sharing with some of my memories. My house in Italy is located in the countryside. The part on the right is where I lived with my family. The centre is the house of my grand mother; and finally the leftiest part is an apartment which belongs to our cousins who live in France. More or less every summer holiday they would visit us and stay there. I say this because I have felt at home here in Paranaque, like a relative who lives afar but who is welcome back even though I was never here before.
I has a difficult moment when Covid19 spread around, especially considering the situation of my family in Italy and of my sister who was in Sri-Lanka. I am very grateful for the help that I have received here from the confreres who guided me personally, from my formators and fellow Brothers. The most precious treasure that I am unearthing here is a deeper knowledge of myself and deeper encounter with God. This process has overarched all my staying here and all my experiences, starting from the Hawaian Pizza and Banana Ketchup, which I both love very much, through the Bible studies until the Basketball games.
Brother Raffy Besonia, who is just a new perpetually professed Brother (FIS province, member of Sandor community) told me once that “Who controls the rebound, controls the game”. In the game, a shoot that goes out is not a great problem if you can catch the rebound. Indeed, this formation time is for me a great occasion to learn how, despite my failures, I can bounce back to the true life to which God has called me.
I am very grateful to my Provincial, Fr. Igino Biffi (INE) and to the Congregation for this opportunity of formation here in Sandor community - Philippines. What I am receiving is greater than my studies, since I am learning more and more about myself and God. In Italy I have heard many times that “No man is an island”, meaning to say that we are not meant to be alone. Nonetheless, in order to approach the others with maturity I think that one need to know who he really is, you need to know how is your island, your true self. What better place than the Philippines to discover it?
NB: The Sandor community for the specific formation of Salesian Brothers, welcomed in last few years already two Brothers from Hungary (UNG) as well Brothers from South Asia (India), African provinces and is always a point of reference for all EAO Salesian Brothers. With their Rector, Fr. Ronel Vilbar, are eagerly waiting to welcome new Brother for the next school year 2021-2022. Around the Congregation are only three similar communities - Yaunde (Camerun, ATE) in French, Cresco - Guatemala, CAM) and Barcelona (Spain, SMX) with Spanish language. At present there is no other English speaking community for the specific formation of Salesian Brothers.
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